The Bare Soul

The Bare Soul - Residual Evangelism - January 29, 2012

2012-01-27T18:33:00.002-06:00

Matthew 13:3 - And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, "Behold, the sower went out to sow;"

When I was young, my father worked a variety of jobs. However, he seemed the happiness when he was in sales. No matter what he sold, I remember him telling me how important it was to gain the trust of his clients. When he enjoyed a reciprocal relationship of trust with his customer, then they usually continued month after to month to buy his wares---whatever goods or services that might be. This was his favorite type of selling, returning every so often and simply writing up the orders. This is commonly called residual or passive sales where my father did little or nothing but continue to keep his customer amply supplied. He was merely reaping the benefit of either himself or others in his company who had done the work prior to gaining this lucrative client. There were usually only two reasons why the customer would discontinue their regular orders. The first and foremost reason was customer service and the second was product quality. Customer service could mean any number of things ranging from price to delivery or even my dad's likeability. Product, including quality and overall need would often be downplayed if customer service was exceptional. Often, passive sales would continue long after their need basically because many folks who bought from my father liked him and wanted to continue to support him.

I have often thought about what our ledgers in heaven might look like regarding our Christian witness. What type of spiritual income is being reaped for the kingdom? It is estimated that only 5 percent of believers share their faith in the Lord Jesus. Of these, only 10 percent aggressively seek to make "quota" as the Lord commanded us in the Great Commission, to take the gospel to the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:19). There is something to be said for the man or woman who will continually go forth and sow seed, as Jesus outlined in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-23). The sower's attitude is not one of indifference regarding the seed that will not reach maturity, but of deference to the seed which will. For he knows there must be of necessity those who will not respond, but he must channel his hope toward those who will sprout and bear a harvest. Sowing seed is much like going on sales calls. You can't "cherry pick," my father would say. In other words, a good salesman doesn't try to pre-determine where the sale will come from. He simply must blanket an area thoroughly. The sower does the same thing. He has no idea which seeds will spring to life and which won't. He can only cast the seed and God causes the growth.

When a farmer turns a field under after harvest and lets it lie fallow the next year, he often finds a predictable outcome the next growing season. A volunteer crop has sprouted and begun to grow from the seed of the previous year. The sower put forth no effort to sow this seed, yet it nonetheless sprang forth as faithfully as the year before. This residual or passive growth was the result of previous effort and was a testimony of the seed both planted and harvested in previous seasons. As in both sales and in sowing seed, there is never any assurance when or if prospective clients or crops will be harvested. However, the diligence to present both a product to a customer or to plant a seed in the earth are essential. Otherwise, there can be no favorable outcome if only wishing is the strategy and action is not present. Regarding evangelism, Paul spoke of the importance of him planting the seed and Apollos watering, and finally God causing the growth (I Corinthians 3:6). Continual sowing and watering will lead to eventual harvest. This is the principle in Paul's words. Of great importance is not to give up. Spiritual seed that is sown into someone's life may lie dormant for two, three, or 10 years until someone else comes and waters it. Then, salvation is birthed in that heart because of the faithfulness of both the sower and the one who waters. This residual or passive evangelism is often the work of others who have labored before us. All we need to do is be faithful to sow and reap as the Lord instructs.

Many of us have been sowing seed for years into others lives. While some of us have sowed, others have watered seeds which are just now coming to life after a long period of dormancy. Others have tried to "sell" the gospel to those who would never buy in the past. Now, however, some are finding these more than ready to "buy in" to the good news. We can never know when our words or actions will be leading someone closer to the Lord. The next time a person hears the gospel invitation may be the time they accept Christ's offer. We cannot know. That is why it is our responsibility to get out there and continue sowing and watering the seed while others continue to sell the gospel (which, of course, is freely given!). While it may appear some are reaping residual harvests, these are merely souls who have been sought for, prayed over, and finally brought into the kingdom through much diligence. The great tragedy will always be those who won't "buy in" or who's soul will always lie dormant and dead, not responding to the word of God. However, it is not ours to know who is destined for the eternal kingdom and who isn't. We must simply continue to work God's field and leave the results to Him. The residual field others have labored in is ripe for harvest. May we have God's wisdom to know where to put in the spiritual sickle and reap His great desire.

Heavenly Father, May we continue to sow seed and reap Your harvest as You empower us. Help us to have the courage to present Your gospel with love to a dying world, for they are wanting what You are so freely giving away. Allow us the honor to be Your co-laborers. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Household Evangelism - January 22, 2012

2012-01-20T20:24:00.002-06:00

Acts 16:31 - They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Many believers have taken the words of Paul to heart regarding God's promise to save one's household. While some might suggest this is applicable to only the Philippian jailer's situation, there are many other scriptures which affirm God's desire for us to lay hold of this promise for our own families. Some of us may have seen this pledge fulfilled in a brief amount of time for our our next of kin. Others (including myself) may have seen certain of our loved ones turn to the Lord, while others continue to languish in their sin. If anything, the ones we continue to pray for seem further from God rather then coming closer to Him. While this can be frustrating as a mother, father, brother, sister, niece, nephew, aunt, uncle, and so on, we must not lose heart. As stated, there are numerous scriptures telling us to persevere in our belief for their conversion and ultimate salvation. A good source to help us further understand and grow in faith toward this promise is ScripturePromises.com. (You might want to print the following and reference it often when praying God's word back to the Lord regarding your family's salvation: http://www.scripturepromises.com/promises/family.pdf.)

We should not falter regarding our hope of salvation for our loved ones. To do so is to disregard the power of God's word concerning what He states in scripture. If we cannot rely on what the Lord has told us, then where is our hope? Nonetheless, as previously suggested, we still often falter in our belief because we "see" differently than what God's word states. "Johnny" at one time at least listened to what you had to say about the Lord and His wonderful love, but now you find he is either completely indifferent or possibly even hostile to the mention of Jesus Christ. "Lucy," on the other hand, may have once been totally self-consumed in her own hedonistic pursuits, but now is pursuing mysticism of a new age variety. This consumes you with worry, knowing she has fallen for a cleverly devised plan of the angel of light to steal her soul. These are just two examples of how "seeing" with our physical sense seeks to rob us of seeing with our spiritual eyes. No matter what we "see" happening in the lives of those we love, we must continue to stand upon God's word. His desire is infinitesimally greater than ours for their salvation. We must agree with Him and His word, no matter what we see, knowing those whom we love will one day share eternity with us.

Which leads us to an extremely important point to grasp and to ultimately embrace with our entire being. What if their salvation is wrought at their dying breath? Are we content to allow them to continue through this temporal life only to be saved on their proverbial death bed? Poignantly, can we trust God to save them as we continue to believe? I am of the opinion that many souls have been lost to the evil one and his domain because loved ones have given in to unbelief. For instance, "Uncle Charley" has never given any indication of wanting anything to do with Jesus. However, we must never discount the power of the Lord to save souls such as his during their last mortal breath. Or possibly, those previously mentioned have become so discouraged over "Johnny" and "Lucy" not giving their lives to the Lord and sharing the rest of their temporal lives with them as Christians, they have therefore all but given up on any possibility of the Lord saving them. We can often become so fixated on desiring their lives to change upon this earth, yet we disregard how this life is but a vapor which appears for a little while and then vanishes away (James 4:14). We must come to a place of resolution, determining that if we never share in the joy of our loved one's salvation in this lifetime, we will indeed have all eternity to rejoice in their eternal redemption. That's why we cannot depend on what we behold with our mortal senses regarding their salvation. We must believe with godly tenacity for no other outcome than the certainty of their eternal life.

David tells us in Psalm 27:14, Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD. We must allow our hearts not to falter in unbelief, but through the promises of God, permit our hearts to grow in faith and courage that our loved ones will indeed accept God's great gift. His eternal love toward them and through us will provide perseverance even when we stumble in our faith. However, we must confess our sin of unbelief as we renew our minds with God's promises for their salvation. As we do, He will continue to transform our hearts to accept the inevitability of their redemption as the final outcome. Beloved, we must wait upon the Lord and His timing, even if it means we don't share in their changed lives in this world. However, we must understand and believe that we will dwell with them in all eternity as we all join together in praising God for His mercy to bring them to His eternal home. May God give us the grace and faith to believe Him for all those whom we hold dear to our hearts!

Heavenly Father, help us to never surrender to unbelief for our loved ones. Give us hearts that are resolute to the end, believing You will honor the promises of Your word, telling us to believe for the salvation of those whom we love. May You increase the faith and resolve of all who pray this prayer, knowing you will complete this in Your way and Your timing. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Prophetic Evangelism - January 15, 2012

2012-01-13T12:25:00.003-06:00

Revelation 19:10 - Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he *said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Have you ever considered how each of us can move in the prophetic according to scripture? Regardless of our denominational affiliation or dispensational beliefs, we all have the opportunity to function in a prophetic manner. I'm not talking about the gift of prophecy (I Corinthians 12:10) or the office of a prophet (Ephesians 4:11). I am referring to our lead verse and how the angel declared to John the Revelator how testifying about Jesus is synonymous with the spirit of prophecy. So, how do we testify concerning Jesus and what exactly is the spirit of prophecy? These are important distinctions to make in order to understand the intent of this verse. Possibly our paradigm needs to change in order to comprehend what exactly it means to give a "testimony" or to testify about Jesus and also the difference between the "spirit of prophecy" and prophecy, itself.

Let's first look at the difference between prophecy and the spirit thereof. Prophecy, we are told in Paul's letters to both the Romans the Corinthians is a gift manifestation of the Holy Spirit, given discriminately as He chooses. It appears this gift works as the Holy Spirit determines how best to manifest it for God's glory. In Revelation 5:6, we see the seven spirits of God which are sent out into all the earth, presumably to bring God's glory to earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). Some believe these seven spirits are those mentioned in Isaiah 11:2 in regard to Jesus Christ. These are the Holy Spirit, and the spirits of wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord. This seems plausible as the aforementioned are certainly characteristic of the attributes of God the Father and His Son. So, it is important to distinguish while the Holy Spirit may speak through an individual through the gift of prophecy, the testimony that proceeds from Jesus Christ encompasses the seven-fold manifestation of God's spirits. For instance, Jesus certainly moved in the gift of prophecy when he spoke of the destruction of Jerusalem and the end-times in Matthew 24. According to the model of gift manifestation, we can assume from scripture that Jesus was granted this insight from the Father through the Holy Spirit. However, in day to day living, Jesus moved in the seven-fold spirit as prophesied by Isaiah the prophet. His testimony, if you will, embodied wisdom, understanding, counsel, strength, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord as directed by the Holy Spirit within His Person. This indwelling resulted in Christ's life as a constant embodiment of testimony through the Spirit at work in and through Him. This prophetic or "testified" expression of Christ's life resulted in the evangelization of many in ancient Palestine.

Just as the Holy Spirit testified through Jesus about the Father, in the same manner the Holy Spirit desires to bear witness about Jesus through us to the glory of the Father. This "prophetic testimony" is not the gift of prophecy but a manifestation of the seven-fold spirit as foretold by the prophet. Whenever we testify about God's great gift of salvation through Jesus His Son, we invoke the spirit of prophecy and the seven-fold manifestation to those with whom we share. It is important to note at this point how not all testimony regarding our Savior has to be verbal. We may very well speak and testify with our mouths concerning God's goodness. However, what about how we live? Our lives are often pouring forth a witness of Jesus much more so than our lips. How we live our lives may be the strongest and most convincing witness regarding the life of Christ within. Is this the spirit of prophecy as we testify to others regarding our surrendered (or otherwise) life to God? I believe it is. In fact, God may cause our everyday pursuits to bring glory to His Name. In my case, as a barefoot runner, I believe God uses the witness of my "feet" to shame the conventional knowledge of this world in bringing further understanding regarding God's wisdom for me to run sans shoes. Whether people agree with my "wisdom" to do so is inconsequential. What is important is to first be obedient and then to be in agreement with God, allowing Him to use whatever "testimony" He desires---whether from mouths, feet, hands, or lives to testify of His Son's love. When we offer up ourselves as a "living sacrifice" to be used in whatever manner to glorify Jesus, then we are moving in the spirit of prophecy regarding the testimony of Jesus Christ (Romans 12:1).

How has God challenged us to testify of His Son? We cannot shrink from speaking about Him with our lips, for hearing and believing will often come by us speaking the word of God (Romans 10:17). However, we can often set up the perfect opportunity of speaking God's word by living it first in obedience to Him. God has called us all to be "prophetic evangelists" through the testimony of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit may or may not give us the gift of prophecy so we can speak the secrets of men's hearts (I Corinthians 14:25). However, He does give us the manifestation of the seven-fold spirit that allows us to testify of our Lord through our "living sacrifice." May we all give Jesus the glory through surrendered lives that prophesy of Him through our respective testimonies.

Father, may we may glorify Your Son by speaking through the spirit of prophecy, testifying of His love and greatness. May the glory He receives through our obedience come back to You to make You all in all. Thank you for Your Holy Spirit and His manifestation in our lives to bring praise to the Godhead. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Heart Wisdom - January 8, 2012

2012-01-06T15:34:00.003-06:00

Proverbs 4:23 - Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.

What is the heart of a man? Some might suggest it is the inward person as manifested by the workings of the mind, emotion, and will. These are often equated as the soul of a man, which give definition to individual character. However, the soul left to its own devices will always defer to its natural inclinations which is carnality. For when Adam sinned, the spirit within man died, no longer providing guidance to the soul (Ephesians 2:1). The great story of Christ's redemption is how He once again quickened the spirit of man with His Spirit, making us born again through His eternal life (I Corinthians 15:22; I Peter 1:3). Therefore, the heart of man could once again be led by the regenerated spirit within the man---empowered by the Holy Spirit. When Christ is allowed to reign supreme in the heart of a man, He thereby drives the mind, emotion, and will to do according to His will. This "holy bridle" causes the body to be turned in whatever direction the Lord so desires, much like a horse is turned by the reins and bridle of its rider. The degree of submissiveness, much like a horse, will depend on its brokenness toward its master.

Solomon tells us in our lead verse to put a "watch" over our hearts to protect it with all diligence. As suggested previously, this is impossible without the spirit of a man knowing the regeneration of the Holy Spirit of God. The spirit of man is dead without Christ and incapable of supporting the man in any measure. However, once the spirit is enlivened by God, then the understanding to set a watch over the heart is possible. So, in practical terms, what does this mean to the Christian believer? I believe the ability to set a guard over our hearts is grounded in surrender and humility of mind and spirit. Just as the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10), so this reverent brokenness toward the Lord invokes the spirit of wisdom to direct our lives according to His great purpose. While Proverbs 4:23 commands us to watch over our heart, verses 24 through 27 provide the process or the mechanics on how to successfully protect the treasure within. The impossibility of this task by the unregenerate man is only juxtaposed by those born of God's spirit and equipped with His power.

Consecration is only possible with God's help. In the following verses, the Lord shows us through Solomon's wisdom how to achieve the carnally impossible with the help of His Spirit of wisdom.

24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth
And put devious speech far from you.
25 Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
26 Watch the path of your feet
And all your ways will be established.
27 Do not turn to the right nor to the left;
Turn your foot from evil.

In verse 24, we are told we must surrender our speech to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. No man can tame the tongue, according to James the brother of our Lord (James 3:8). Only the Lord through His Spirit can make our speech, as it were, full of grace and edification for the hearer (Ephesians 4:29). However, we must submit our spirits to allow Him to control our mouths in all instances, not allowing our words to tear down but to build up through His direction. With our mouths muzzled only for His bridled bidding, we then direct our attention to verse 25 where we are told to be careful what we behold with our eyes. It is true that whatever we continue to behold, we will eventually become. Just as David declared, "I will set no worthless thing before my eyes" (Psalm 101:3), so we must also consciously and willingly submit our gaze to the Lord rather than on the world and its lusts. As we command our soul to return its gaze to the Lord within, then we are renewed in the spirit of our mind, causing us to grow in maturity (Ephesians 4:23). Finally, we see how the direction of our lives is determined by the choices we make, or the paths we take. Verses 26 and 27 teach us how to discern our choices through the spirit of wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17-19). By choosing the "straight and narrow" path before us, we ensure salvation both for us and also those whom God has appointed to benefit from our obedience.

Simply put, if we will but yield our members (Romans 6:19) according to God's wisdom through the power of the Holy Spirit in our inner man, we will be watching over our hearts with all diligence. This, beloved, is consecration empowered by the Spirit of Christ within. A marvelous outcome is the eventual result. A deepening sanctification will overtake the man or woman who would continue to surrender their spirit in this manner, allowing God's wisdom to flood their inner person. The glorious manifestation is an individual becoming more and more like their Savior. They are being revealed as the righteousness of God in Christ---not only positionally but now conditionally by God's sanctifying power.

If it seems hard to "watch over your heart with all diligence," I would suggest that we must surrender to Christ before we can procure His help. We cannot do this in our own power, beloved. We must draw upon His wisdom through brokenness and humility. It is imperative that we protect our "springs of life" through His strength. For without the Lord enabling us to consecrate ourselves for His purposes, we will never know the joy of His sanctifying grace. May we all experience His holiness in this lifetime which ensures us entrance in the life to come! (Hebrews 12:14)

Heavenly Father, grant us the wisdom to watch over our hearts with the diligence You provide. Allow us the power to consecrate ourselves to You, thereby granting us the holiness of Your grace through sanctification. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Hand to the Plow - January 1, 2012

2011-12-30T15:23:00.003-06:00

Luke 9:62 - But Jesus said to him, “ No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Some people might say that a new year is inconsequential. Many folks make and break resolutions with impunity. Like many, I haven't always considered a new year as significant. However, the longer I walk with the Lord, the more I see the importance for new beginnings. I like to think of a new year as an opportunity to turn over the soil of my heart and to prepare the ground for new seed. Often, this is a new area of my heart where God wants to do an expansive work. In other cases, this is possibly where He has produced a crop but now He wants to plant something different. And, sometimes there are areas that may have once yielded fruit, but have gone fallow due to indifference or disobedience. I have found the best thing to do is not argue with God, thinking I know what's best. Without fail, when He plants what He desires, it always bears forth the fruit He has ordained. That is, as long as I'm obedient and continue to till the land of my heart as He desires.

The use of the plow and fallow ground are simply metaphors for allowing God to use His word to instruct us. While some smaller plows may be pushed by manpower, God's plow can not be pushed by human strength. It is an impossibility to push a plow creating deep furrows in order to sow God's seed. For the sake of this analogy, God provides a mule or a team of oxen---servants to mankind in order to pull the plow through the unbroken earth. The strength of these animals are illustrated by the strength of God and how He empowers his word to accomplish what He sends it forth to accomplish (Isaiah 55:11). However, without man's hand on the plow, God's word will often NOT be sent forth due to lack of faith to lead and guide it. By putting our hand to God's plow and obeying Him, we allow His word to go forth.

Once we put our hand to the plow, Jesus tells us we should never look back. We should understand that while our past has often shaped our present, we cannot allow it to dictate our future. Obedience that cuts a straight furrow through life would be terribly impeded if we were constantly looking back and worried about where he have been rather than where we are going. Paul, a confessed murderer and persecutor of the church tells us in Philippians 3:13 to forget what lies behind and reach forward to what lies ahead. We can do NOTHING about the past, but only make corrections for the future by the experiences acquired in our brief histories. While Jesus' admonition in Luke 17:22-37 refers to His second coming, it is still an important lesson for us to understand in regard to obedience. If we refuse to allow the anxieties of this life to pull us off course, then we will remain stalwart to keep looking ahead. In verse 32, Jesus says, "Remember Lot's wife," a sobering lesson on looking back once we have our put our hands to the proverbial plow (Genesis 19;26).

Time is significant, or God would not have created it. Therefore, it is important to regard new beginnings in time as God-ordained opportunities to start afresh. While man-made resolutions are to the most part useless, we can be assured that God patiently awaits for us to recommit to Him on our spiritual journey. Some of us have taken our hands off the plow and have allowed acres of "heartland" to become fallow. It is time to once again take hold of God's plow, the word of God, and walk steadily and determinably after Him. If we will follow the plow He has given us to guide, He will provide the strength to pull it along. Will we do this perfectly? None of us have, nor will any succeed except One. Jesus Christ will walk along side and coach us the entire length of God's field if we will but allow Him to do so. Before long, the soil of our hearts will be fertile once again to take the seed of God and bear fruit the way He desires. May we all put our hands to God's plow this year, never wavering as the Holy Spirit strengthens us and the Son of God guides our hands. May we all know the blessing of obeying Him in all things this coming year as we put our hands in His hands each and every day.

Heavenly Father, thank you for enabling us to obey You in all things. However, when we fail or take our hands off the plow You have ordained for each of us, may you patiently guide us once again to continue our journey, pressing on toward the goal of the upward call. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Longing for Messiah - December 25, 2011

2011-12-23T12:26:00.003-06:00

Matthew 2:10 - When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

Christmas was always a special time for me as a child. In my elementary years, I remember planning for the yuletide season weeks and months before the big day. I had some understanding that this was indeed the birth of Christ. However, as most children, I was consumed with the rapturous longing for the expectancy of Christmas Eve and the wonder of the next morning. Years past as did the charm of Christmas. In my teens and up into my 20s, I found the season I once embraced with much affection becoming something I almost dreaded. My cynicism with the commercialism turned me off as it has likewise done with many others. It took finding the Savior to help me find the correct balance---to respect the tradition of this day where we celebrate Christ's birth, along with the made-up, pretend aspect of this joyful season. While I am well aware of the arguments for and against Christians celebrating a supposed pagan holiday in reference to Christ's birth, I suppose I look more at how the Lord sometimes uses the foolish things of this world to shame the wise (I Corinthians 1:27). Therefore, I don't believe anyone does this holiday perfectly, the way God intends. However, as long as both non-believers and believers are drawn to consider Jesus Christ's first advent on this 25th day in December, I see far more good than harm as a result. God has undoubtedly used this season to bring many souls into His kingdom. In this I rejoice! However, to those whom much is given, much is required. For those of us who understand the significance of Christ's first advent, we should invariably be drawn into an expectancy of His return. It is incompatible to divorce the significance of one from the other, both historically and contemporarily.

At this time of year, I invariably think about those three Magi who traveled hundreds of miles from the area of Babylon to celebrate our Savior's birth. These men may have known Yahweh. However, they might just have easily not, especially since they probably studied astronomy and astrology under the pagan Medo-Persian religious order of Zoroaster. All we know is that Daniel prophesied the coming of a Great King, the Messiah, in Daniel 9 and they ascertained his birth to be in their lifetimes. The prophet states:

Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. - Daniel 9:24-25

The 69 weeks mentioned in these scriptures are symbolic of 69 years times the number of days in a week, seven. From history, we know that Artaxerxes, King of Persia issued a decree on March 14th, 445 BC. The aforementioned 69 years times seven years would equal 476 years plus 24 days (on the Jewish lunar calendar consisting of 29.5 days per month) thereby culminating on the very day Jesus would make His triumphal entry into Jesus as "Messiah the Prince" (April 6, 32 AD). This is important to know in regard to the Magi. With the precision of Daniel's prophecy regarding the advent of the Messiah, the Wise Men knew his approximate time of birth by calculating the age of someone proclaiming Himself as the Messiah. This Person would need to be at least 30 years of age to comply with Jewish laws of manhood. Therefore, the Magi were expectant and overjoyed at the appearing of the star, knowing this was surely the sign of the Prince's appearing. Their journey to ancient Palestine resulted in the familiar story we all know so well in Matthew 2:1-12. We are told how they returned to their own country after visiting the child and his parents, thereby ending their story according to scripture. However, it is easy to imagine how they presumably understood the saga of this Messiah Prince had only begun. Just as they were able to figure out mathematically the time of Christ's first appearing, they knew that a future event yet to be revealed would mean Christ's return. They probably didn't understand all of the implications of His second coming. However, we can certainly believe they knew the final week, or the 70th week in Daniel's prophecy, was to be fulfilled at a later date. Their faith undoubtedly became strong by participating in His first advent, while they looked futuristically to His imminent return.

Ironically, the entire world has the same information today that these Zoroastrian Magi possessed nearly 2000 years ago. Unlike many today, these Wise Men of ancient times were expectantly waiting for the revelation of the Messiah. While many today look forward to what we call Christmas and the celebration of the birth of Christ, I wonder how many who call themselves Christians long for the second appearing of Jesus? When He comes again, He will not come as a babe, but as the KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS. While many can look forward to a holiday celebrating His birth, how many long for Him and the revelation of what His birth means to us all? And, of equal or greater importance, how many of us desire to know the Man grown up from that manger who was once covered in swaddling clothes? Beloved, I suggest it is hypocritical to suggest how one can love Christ's first advent celebrating His birth, but not be expectantly waiting for His second coming. The two are inextricably linked. My mention earlier that more good is done than harm by celebrating Christmas, I should now further qualify. We cannot be content to just celebrate the Savior's birth. If that is all we do, then we have stopped short of God's intent and aborted the Christ child, not allowing Him to grow to full stature in our hearts. He is coming again, and if we are expecting a sweet baby we will be horrifically disappointed. The Christmas Child is meant to grow and become first our Savior and Lord and then our friend. If we refuse to give up the silly notion that Jesus came once only to give us a reason to celebrate the birth of the Savior, then we come woefully short of the mark. If, however, we embrace not only the Christ-child and the expectancy of His future return, then we fulfill His desire for men and women who celebrate His ENTIRE life. He is coming after a holy bride that anticipates His coming, purifying herself as she waits (I John 3:2-3). May we all be "wise men", calculating the impact on our lives by both his first and second advent. Otherwise, we may reveal our foolishness at His great appearing by our falling short of His wonderful intention for our lives.

Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing from Your word the first great advent of Your Son. While no man knows the day nor the hour of His second coming, may we all ready ourselves by loving his first appearing and longing for His most certain return. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Scourging Sin - December 18, 2011

2011-12-15T11:31:00.002-06:00

John 2:15 - And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables;

Picture a beautiful spring day in Jerusalem in approximately the year 30 A.D. If one would enter the large outer area of the temple, commonly referred to as the Court of the Gentiles, they would undoubtedly see a bustling "marketplace." In probably a smaller area, one would find an assortment of livestock---sheep, lamps, doves---all which were available to purchase for the various sacrifices mandated in the Pentateuch (or the Torah), the first five books of the Old Testament. (For instance, Mary and Joseph probably purchased two young pigeons or turtledoves when their Son Jesus was dedicated in the temple three decades earlier [Luke 2:22]). However, in order to purchase animals from the dealers, money would often need exchanging. Roman currency was no good within the temple walls, but only Hebrew currency such as the shekel or denarius. Animals for sacrifice could not be brought into the temple, but had to be purchased from the dealers. Not only were "temple animals" the only acceptable sacrifices, but as previously mentioned, only Hebrew money was acceptable for treasury tithes or for paying the temple tax. Then, the money collected would need to be turned back into Roman money to support the priests and the temple. Moneychangers would often charge exorbitant rates to exchange Roman to Hebrew currency (and vice versa)---sometimes as much as 300 percent! This covetous monopoly angered many of the Jews, including an itinerant rabbi who would visit the temple on that fateful Passover.

For those of us either raised on a farm or possibly others of us who have frequented county or state fairs, we understand the unintentional consequences of animals habitating in close proximity. The early springtime rains in Jerusalem undoubtedly made a swampy mess as the ill-attended animals awaited slaughter. A common animal bedding material used in ancient Palestine, as well as an absorbent for rain and feces, was the common papyrus rush brought in from the Jordan Valley and from areas in the south. There was probably a layer of papyrus rushes or reeds paving the normally dusty ground to absorb the aforementioned unpleasantries, plus additional surplus for the animals' bedding. When Jesus came into the outer court of the temple that day during the Passover, it was probably an overwhelming sight. Stepping through a sloppy, unsanitary mess where the smells were as bad as the sights, Jesus grieved demonstrably through his subsequent actions. We are told in our lead verse "that He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple ... ." Many scholars believe "cords" in this context consisted of a scourge or a "whip" of rushes twisted together, making an instrument that could ultimately herd both man and beast. With a little imagination, we can picture our Lord slogging through the sewage, overturning tables where the money became part of the filth underfoot. While it's not mentioned that Christ hit man or beast, we can only surmise that His zeal was enough to hurry both four- and two-legged creatures on their way. The very rushes that were intended to give comfort to both the animals and those traversing that area became the tool used to eradicate them from God's holy temple. With holy boldness, Jesus declared: “Take these things away; stop making My Father’s house a place of business.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME.” (John 2:16)

How can we apply this story of Jesus' zeal to our lives today? If we think about the temple as a metaphor for our body, soul, and spirit, we can likewise apply the same understanding that Jesus tried to convey about His Father's house. In general, Herod's Temple consisted of an outer court which was for the Gentiles and women. The inner court, or the sanctuary, was the location where Jewish men worshipped. The innermost area was the Holy of Holies where the priest entered once a year on the Day of Atonement to offer the Passover lamb for the sins of the people. If we consider the outer court (or the temple porch) our body, the sanctuary (or the holy place) our soul, and the Holy of Holies our spirit, this will help us understand Jesus' passion to keep His Father's house free of defilement. Through these metaphors, I believe Jesus was showing us how to fervently protect the "temple of the Lord" within all who know Him. Jesus knew if the outer court (the body) was defiled with filth, then it corrupted all of the temple. Jesus understood in order to keep the heart clean, there must be an act of consecration to purify the entire being. This has everything to do with both salvation and sanctification, beloved. Just as Jesus' zeal was an act of love to protect His Father's house, there may be something lacking in our spiritual lives if there is not a similar repulsion to "the sin that would so easily beset us." (Hebrews 12:1) If we do not come to a place of holy anger over sin within, and if we are not scourging sin from our lives in a zealous way, then we may want to question if indeed we are of the Light.

It really comes down to the following question whether or not we are zealous for our Father's house within: Do we loathe the sin within or have we become complacent and comfortable with our transgressions? If Jesus were to come visit us today, would we be embarrassed to show Him around our "outer court?" Have we sold out to the moneychangers and the profiteers, or have we sold out to God? If we have given our bodies to this world, beloved, we have also given our sanctuary and our "Holy of Holies", our very spirit and soul, to the flesh and the devil. There is only one choice if we are to follow God---that is to burn with zeal for the house of God within us. If we are not scourging sin then we are savoring and salivating over our transgressions. It is time to rise up and overturn every table of sin and falseness in our lives and chase the filth from the temple within. If not, we may be surprised someday regarding whose house we were actually caring for. May we all scourge the sin with cords of zeal, consecrating a holy habitation for the Holy One to abide always.

Heavenly Father, may we drive sin from our lives as Your Son drove sin from Your temple. May we experience Your zeal and passion for holiness, denying worldly gain and embracing Your godliness that only You can give. We praise You for Your goodness and love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Warring with Wisdom - December 11, 2011

2011-12-09T15:55:00.002-06:00

Psalm 140:7 - O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.

Many of us have undoubtedly watched movies about knights of old, where a squire would complete their lord's armor by placing their helmet upon the noble's head. These servants would often go into battle alongside their lord, albeit with lighter armor. They might attempt to pace their master on horseback, running interference for any seeking to ambush their lord unrepentantly. Squires, and sometimes vassals who owed allegiance to their lord knight, would often lay down their own lives to save the life of their master. The bone-crushing blow of a battle-axe, or the splintering effect of a 30 pound sword laid across the skull of the knight's protector would be all that was needed to make the knight vulnerable to death. While his own armor (including his helmet) protected him in close combat, his liability was increased exponentially once his protective squires and foot soldiers were decimated. However, as long as he could resist bone shattering blows from the enemy, he might find himself the victor and able to fight another day.

One would be a fool to go into battle without a helmet. Undoubtedly, this one piece of protection has saved countless lives throughout the history of warfare. This can be said from ancient times up to our modern era. Today, most combat troops know the necessity of protecting their head and do so accordingly with Kevlar helmets. Armies around the world will use the most advanced technology to protect their greatest resource---human lives. As Christians, many of us understand the significance of the helmet of salvation from Ephesians 6:17. Similar to the aforementioned illustration of medieval knights, this was the last piece of armor donned by the believer as Paul relates in this passage. (The only thing to take up after the helmet was the sword, going from defensive protection to an offensive weapon.) Paul's wisdom places a good defense as paramount before we ever think we can wage a successful offense. To believe we can fight the devil with just the word of God, rebuking the enemy in Jesus' name without understanding our position in Christ is naive. While it is of utmost consequence to protect our vitals by the breastplate of righteousness (Ephesians 6:14)---to understand that we are righteous before God by the blood of Jesus---it is of extreme importance that we take up the shield of faith. Resolute belief in who we are in Christ, along with an understanding of our mission, will do much regarding our fight. However, to not recognize the significance of God's helmet of salvation would result in a tragic outcome.

If men have been going to war with helmets for millennia, why would we consider to do anything less in our daily spiritual battles against the enemy of our souls? At this time, it is important to explain exactly what the metaphor of the the helmet of our salvation consists of in order to discover how to obtain it, practically, for our spiritual walk. A wise man once said, "The battle is lost or won in the mind, but the heart takes the spoils." How true is this! Paul tells us in Romans 12:2: And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Whatever we continue to feed our minds, our hearts will eventually embrace. Whether it be good, acceptable, and perfect, or bad, rejected, and defiled, we will eventually become what we put into our minds. Paul points out in his first letter to the Corinthians that "... we have the mind of Christ" if indeed we call ourselves followers of Christ (I Corinthians 2:16). We are therefore obligated to "feed" the mind of Christ, which is our Master, with spiritual food rather than the things of this world. Paul prayed for the Ephesians, that God might give them "the spirit of wisdom and revelation." (Ephesians 1:17) Paul knew that if his beloved church at Ephesus would start filling their minds with God's wisdom, then their hearts would soon follow. Peter likewise saw the importance of fortifying the mind of Christ that lives within all who call Jesus Lord. He admonishes his readers with the following: Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ (I Peter 1:13). How much better to prepare the mind for action then by setting it on things above, not on things of the earth (Colossians 3:2), allowing God's wisdom and the revelation of His will to flood our souls?

We must invoke the mind of Christ if we desire to live victoriously. We must put on Christ, seeking His wisdom daily. Even as the servants of warriors have for centuries been the ones to fit the helmet on the shoulders of their lords, so also the Great Servant desires us to take on His wisdom and understanding through His helmet of salvation which He has purchased with His life. As David states so beautifully in our lead verse "... You have covered my head in the day of battle," so also will Christ cover our minds with His wisdom and understanding as we vanquish His foes from His Father's kingdom. May we understand how we desperately need God's protection in our minds, which inevitably protects our hearts. Only as we protect ourselves through the covering the Lord grants us, will we effectively wield the word of God, claiming the victory over and over again in the Name of Jesus.

Heavenly Father, may we continue to seek You for Your Son's mind and His helmet of salvation. Lord, not only will His wisdom and understanding save us from our foes, but it will also further Your kingdom, bringing great glory to Your Name. Allow us much spoil as we seek to do Your will through the mind of Your Son. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Persistence in Prayer - December 4, 2011

2011-12-02T10:50:00.003-06:00

Luke 18:1 - Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart,

How do we approach prayer? Is it something we mouth to Jesus out of a sense of obligation, or is it something we believe is vitally important to both God and humanity? More importantly, do we truly believe God will answer our prayers? Or, have we "lost heart" as Jesus warns us regarding our prayer life in our lead verse? Prayer is an enigma to those who don't truly believe God answers prayer. Nonetheless, it has become something of an expected ritual within many of our churches today. Oftentimes, someone will bring a praise of an answered prayer to a prayer meeting and there is an initial shock that the Lord moved in a miraculous way! However, we should understand that the Lord desires to move ALWAYS if we will but stay persistent in our pursuit of an answer to our petitions. The question remains: How far are we willing to go to secure the answer?

The parable of the unrighteous judge and the widow is a curious story. The Lord describes an unrighteous judge who neither fears God nor respects man (Luke 18:2). He next introduces us to a widow who is seeking legal protection from her opponents (Luke 18:3). We are not given any more detail but that she comes to this judge in a continuous manner. Enough so, where he decides to grant her request before she unduly taxes both his time and patience (Luke 18:4-5). Jesus next tells us to learn from the unrighteous judge in the following verses: And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said; now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? (Luke 18:6-7) Unlike other parables, such as the Good Samaritan or The Prodigal Son, this is not a morality tale. In reality, it is probably the antithesis of true redemption in that it is contrived justice on behalf of a self-centered judge. However, Jesus skillfully uses even the unrighteous to make His point. The implication is not to behave in an unrighteous manner, but to understand his lack of love and patience for the widow that hounded him day after day. In so doing, Jesus juxtaposes an unjust arbiter to a loving, gracious Judge in heaven who is ready to answer expeditiously if we will but ask. Actually, Christ says that His Father will bring justice "quickly" for those who would cry out to Him day and night (Luke 18:8), promising not to "delay long over them" as previously stated. So, our time-bound mentalities will naturally want to know, "How many days and nights will I need to labor in prayer for a 'quick' answer?" I believe the answer lies in Jesus' probing question at the end of Luke 18:8: However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

Beloved, faith is the key to unlock the storerooms of answered prayer. The problem is oftentimes we possess so little. From time to time, God will burden my heart for someone or some thing and there is an ease in prayer. It would seem as if I could "pray without ceasing" as faith stirs in my heart. On fewer occasions, I have experienced something I would characterize as the Spirit of Grace and Supplication from Zechariah 12:10. During these times, I would not dare to move from the place of prayer as the sweetness of God is so real and present. There is such a manifestation of God that faith naturally arises in my heart. These are special times where God finds faith on the earth---when we are able to draw close to Him as He draws close to us. It is a remarkable time that allows us direct access to the throne of grace and to His mercy seat as we beseech the Lord to answer our petitions. Unfortunately, in my case at least, these instances are far less frequent than otherwise. So often, it seems as if prayer is a battle against our opponents, much like the widows earthly oppressors. However, in our case and for our example, I believe those we battle are of a spiritual, demonic nature that will push back 24/7 until we either push through or we pass out in exhaustion. We will either persist until we have the victory, or perhaps we will expire from a lack of faith. God often encourages us with those energized, faith-filled, times of prayer when grace and supplication are pouring through us to keep us going to not give up or give in. That is what Paul speaks of when he talks about going from faith to faith, literally allowing these islands of spiritual power to grant us sustenance to continue to persist in prayer. In Romans 1:17 the apostle states: For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “ BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”

We should not feel discouraged if we have never experienced great times in prayer. We need not judge ourselves by anyone else, but merely obey what God says and leave the rest to Him. Will he find faith upon the earth regarding persistent prayer? He will if we don't give up. If the answer does not come "quickly", as we understand it, I believe He will encourage our faith along the way. In so doing, He will grant us the power to continue beseeching the Righteous Judge in Glory who will indeed answer us if we persevere. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, beloved (Romans 10:17). Continue to pour out your hearts to Him, but also allow Him to speak to your heart His word. I assure you, He will grant you protection from your spiritual foes that would seek to dissuade you from the victory. Only through our persistence, with faith-filled hearts, will we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loves us (Romans 8:37).

O Righteous Judge, grant us faith-filled hearts that would cry out to You night and day for justice. May You grant us protection from our oppressors as we seek to claim Your kingdom on earth, just as it is in heaven. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

The Hope of Thanksgiving - November 27, 2011

2011-11-25T18:30:00.002-06:00

The following is the message text and audio recording of a sermon titled "Hope of Thanksgiving" delivered to the homeless at the Kansas City Rescue Mission Chapel on November 24, 2011.

Hope of Thanksgiving - November 24, 2011

Romans 5:5 - and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

What does Thanksgiving mean to us? Is it that once a year gathering together of friends and family when we refuse to count calories and we enjoy food, family and football? For many of us in America, that is the hope of this annual fourth Thursday in November. For others, it has a deeper meaning. The food and fellowship are still important. However, there is a deeper dynamic that occurs during this day we call Thanksgiving. For those with a faith in God, it becomes a time to ruminate upon our blessings and to give thanks for our bounty. Whatever our station in life, those possessing a relationship with Jesus Christ understand that gratitude of what has been given from the hand of God is not to be taken lightly. We must thank the Lord no matter our lot, even as those struggling Pilgrims did nearly 400 years ago at Plymouth Plantation. While we have so much more than they could ever dream, I sometimes wonder if they had more than we possess? There is a singular quality in these Puritans of old that stands out in stark remiss in many of today's celebrations of Thanksgiving. I submit that that the depth of one's thanksgiving is birthed in the womb of hope -- a hope that comes from above.

If the ordinary man or woman were asked the definition of hope, there would undoubtedly be many answers. However, I speculate that most would equate hope with wishing rather than believing. We might wish for something to happen and we may or may not have the outcome we desire. However, someone who knows the Savior can place their hope in the promises of God. This, beloved, is not wishful thinking. For not one of God's promises has ever failed, nor will one ever. There is always hope if we have put our trust in God. The decision for the Pilgrims to venture forth -- first from England and then from Netherlands to journey to the New World -- was not based on wishful thinking. Those who embarked on that perilous journey on the Mayflower possessed a profound hope and faith that God would not only lead and guide them but establish them in the new land. Their hopes were somewhat dashed as they clung to life that first winter. However, the Lord delivered them and gave them reason to rejoice in the early autumn of 1621 when they enjoyed their first Thanksgiving with their native neighbors. The near hopelessness of losing 45 of their original 102 person company in that first year was somehow less overwhelming as they looked to the future with hope. They had survived only by the grace of God and the faith and hope that their mission would truly be successful due to the aforementioned favor of the Lord.

As God-fearing, Bible believers, they must have taken great solace in the Word of God. I believe the Pilgrims would have often reflected on Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, where he speaks of faith, hope and love (I Corinthians 13:13). Truly, they had left all they had known in the Old World in faith and hope of a new life in America. Their love for their Savior was apparent, as they only desired a place where they were free to worship as they discerned from God's Holy Word. While both their faith and their love were important, I believe hope's placement between faith and love in Paul's first Corinthian letter resonated with their most trying circumstances . Without hope, disappointment will be birthed in the womb of hopelessness. This would certainly be true if the Pilgrims had succumbed to their predicament and likewise for us also if we give up in the face of severe loss. In short order, this will lead to the loss of love and respect for God and finally to shipwrecked faith (I Timothy 1:19). However, if we know the love of God, and allow faith to nurture hope, we are told in the apostle's book to the Romans that disappointment cannot be spawned when hope is present (Romans 5:5). The love that has been shed abroad in our hearts by an indwelling Savior becomes the lifeline that allows faith and hope to anchor our souls (Hebrews 6:19). Out of this place of fluid faith, hope, and love can flow true thanksgiving that is born out of a truly grateful heart.

I suggest that it is impossible to know true gratitude and thanksgiving unless one is grounded in the love of God. What others might experience is a shadow of reality that has its roots in human sentimentality. For the love of God to prosper in our hearts and lives, it must be quickened by faith and be grounded in hope. In this regard, we expect far too much from those who don't know the Savior to understand the significance of Thanksgiving. It has deep, spiritual roots that drink deeply from the wells of everlasting hope. Those who trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior will never be disappointed if they surrender their lives to Him. For those who will but trust Him, Thanksgiving will never again be the same. It moves from a purely sensual experience to a spiritual one that is grounded in hope and love for the One who has promised never to leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Like the early Pilgrims, we can have the assurance of hope that does not disappoint with an outcome of love and thanksgiving.

Heavenly Father, thank You for your blessed hope. Thank You that Your love enables Your hope to anchor our souls with an assurance You will always be there for us, no matter what may come. Thank You for the gift of thanksgiving that comes from persevering through the hope of Your promises. For as we give thanks back to You, we receive a bounty that we cannot contain. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Discipleship - November 20, 2011

2011-11-18T10:14:00.003-06:00

Matthew 28:19 - Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations ...

What does it mean to be a disciple? We see rather ordinary characters identified as Christ's disciples by the Gospel writers. Throughout these Scriptures, we often get vivid accounts of the disciples acting in very human ways. Those who have read the first four books of the New Testament, even in a casual manner, understand the disciples were prone to constant correction and reproof by the Master. Yet, we recognize a resoluteness as they persevered through three years of seeming vagrancy with this itinerant preacher. During this time, their love was not yet fully consummated for their Lord as it would be after His resurrection. However, they loved Him enough to know they would follow this Man wherever He might lead. Probably not until after Christ rose from the dead and sent the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost did they fully understand what it meant to be His disciples. Up until that time, in some regard, they only knew themselves as disciples by name. No matter how imperfectly they followed Jesus, they nonetheless fulfilled the definition of a disciple as those seeking to adhere to the Lord's teachings and commands.

The transliteration of the word disciple in the Greek is matheteuo. Referring to its context in our lead verse it means to "to follow his precepts and instructions." By following Christ's teachings and instructions during His life upon this earth, the disciples became acutely aware of their inability to emulate their Teacher. However, they persevered until they were endued with power on high to accomplish the impossible. No longer would they seek to be like Christ, but now He lived within them and they could function with the same power of the Godhead which they witnessed before their Lord's departure. From the scriptures, we see Jesus reminding His disciples time after time of their shortcomings while He was with them. The final disappointment to the disciples was the fulfillment of Christ's prophecy where they would all forsake Him. (Matthew 26:31-35) Yet, Jesus knew what was in man and patiently loved His disciples even in their failings. While all forsook Him, He promised He would never forsake His own. (Hebrews 13:5)

Jesus was not a stranger to discipleship. The Gospel of Luke has often been called the "Gospel of Our Praying Lord." Luke mentions Jesus in prayer more than any of the other Gospel writers. Jesus had God's ear and He obviously listened intently as the Father spoke to Him. Isaiah gives us a glimpse into Jesus' prayer life in the prophecy about Christ in the 50th chapter. The prophet states: The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. (Isaiah 50:4) We read in Mark's Gospel where Jesus rose early in the morning to retire to a place of prayer. (Mark 1:35) We can easily surmise from Isaiah's prophecy (and from the Gospels) that Jesus was listening, morning by morning, for the words of His Father. Jesus knew discipleship first-hand for He practiced it daily with His Heavenly Lord. Jesus knew His Father's "precepts," for He grew up to the stature of a man who never disobeyed even one command. However, Christ knew the importance of coming before His Father to hear His "instruction" for that particular day. Embodied in that instruction was a fullness of love and expectation concerning how that love would play out during that day of ministry. Of great significance is what the Lord Jesus tells His disciples concerning His Father's expectation of Himself, as His Father's disciple. He communicates two important truths in this regard from the Gospel of John.

First, we read in John 13:35 regarding the importance of the witness of love. Jesus plainly states the following: By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. Jesus proclaimed that love for one another would be the proof of their discipleship. I can't say this for sure, but I believe He was saying something to the effect as, "You can fake love to God for a season, but not to one another. It will quickly be apparent to all how you treat one another." This leads into Jesus' second admonition regarding discipleship in John the 15th chapter. He tells them the following: My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. (John 15:8) In these two verses, we have the crux of discipleship. First, Jesus reveals that we must love each other, for this is the way the world will see we are are truly His. Second, this manifestation of love can only come by our love for Jesus and the Father and our desire to bear much fruit for God. To love the Lord God with all one's heart, soul, and mind, and our neighbor as ourselves is the true hallmark of discipleship. It shows our ears are awake "to listen as a disciple."

Someone wisely stated "Christianity without discipleship is Christianity without Christ." Jesus Christ Himself gave us the the greatest example of discipleship. If we call ourselves Christians, it is our duty and responsibility to obediently give Him our ears and listen attentively to how we should order our lives. Anything less is going it alone, without the Savior. We must allow ourselves to sit before Him and to patiently wait for His leading in our respective lives. How much of our listening has become dull and lifeless? He promises to once again give us ears to hear, if we will but ask. Are you listening, beloved? He is speaking, even now.

Heavenly Father, give us ears to hear. Disciple us through Your Holy Spirit who lives within. Grant us not only ears to hear, but hearts to obey so we might prove to the world You live within us. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Aroma Therapy - November 13, 2011

2011-11-11T13:50:00.002-06:00

II Corinthians 2:14 - But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.

Years ago, when I was still in my sin, I remember showing up to work after an "all-nighter." Oftentimes, I would think a little Visine and some mouthwash would take care of any "tell-tale" remnants of the previous night's debauchery. My boss confronted me that particular morning, telling me I reeked of alcohol and cigarettes. He made it very clear this was unacceptable, especially the smell of alcohol. Even though I showered before heading in that morning, my pores still exuded what I copiously dumped into my body the night before. (Fortunately, I was near the end of my self at the time and would soon be turning toward Jesus!) While probably not to the same degree as trying to cover up the smell of stale alcohol, I think it's the same way when smokers believe all they need to do is to continue to chew mints to dispel the odor of smoke. It may work somewhat on their breath. However, the tar and nicotine clings to their clothes and hair causing them to continue to smell like an ashtray. I believe when people are unconcerned with spiritual matters, they tend to dismiss things of this nature in a rather cavalier way. However, for those of us who are either controlled by the Spirit of God, or for those of us who are under the conviction of the Spirit, we understand certain odors as distinguishing marks of the spiritually dead or those alive unto God.

Have you ever considered how we might smell, spiritually, to others? As stated in our lead verse, Paul remarked on spiritual smells and the sweet aroma of Christ in his second letter to the Corinthians. The context is interesting for he precedes his declaration of how we might spiritually smell with his quest to find Titus. We read what Paul has to say in the following passage:

Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord, I had no rest for my spirit, not finding Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I went on to Macedonia. But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? - II Corinthians 2:12-16

It isn't clear how or by what means Paul found Titus in Macedonia. This is a rather large area of nearly 10,000 square miles. Undoubtedly, Paul had some inkling of where Titus might be residing. Notwithstanding, the text doesn't give us any definitive conclusion. However, from the context and Paul's implication, it is easy to surmise that the apostle actually "sniffed" his companion out. Was there a particular scent of the fragrance of Christ wafting from Titus which Paul instinctively followed? Or, were there conversions along the way that his friend had effected in his sojourn, similar to spiritual "bread crumbs", if you will, that led him to his beloved Titus? Consider for a moment Christ's declaration that He was indeed the Bread of Life (John 6:48). Are there any smells more delicious than freshly baked bread? Growing up, many of us can remember that sweet savor filling the house, and often the neighborhood if the windows were open. Imagine a sweet smelling Titus with the sweet aroma of Christ, wafting Jesus' fragrance to all in Macedonia! Surely, some would have accepted the free gift of salvation and would themselves become broken bread for others. In this wise, I believe it is very probable that all Paul needed to do was to follow the scent of newly broken bread of these new converts to the apostolic source of Titus. What a delightful way to find his most trusted friend!

Paul also tells us in these verses how the fragrance of Christ (which exudes from His beloved church) will likewise be an offense to others. While we are an "aroma from life to life" for those who would accept the Lord and His salvation, we are similarly an offense to those who would reject Jesus' message of redemption. Those who are dead in their transgressions and sins are whom Paul speaks of when he states, that to some, we are an "aroma from death to death." The god of this world has not only blinded the eyes of the unbelieving (II Corinthians 4:4), but has also distorted unbelievers' sense of smell. Those whom we repulse upon this earth as having a repugnant odor are the walking dead. These shall inherit the second death which lasts for eternity (Revelation 21:8). They have lost their sense of smell regarding what is the true Bread of Life.

Some will gladly accept our message of salvation and be attracted to the fragrance of Christ within us. Some may resist for a season, having become convinced that what they once thought was a putrid smell is in reality the most beautiful aroma they have ever breathed. Jesus is always there to offer hope to the living. However, we must ask ourselves: What kind of aroma are we emitting? Have we surrendered sufficiently to Christ where our brokenness is apparent to all and the fragrance of the Lord permeates our respective lives? Or, do we still smell of the world and make no lasting impression on anyone for Jesus? I believe having no odor either way is probably the worst situation. We could compare it to being "lukewarm", where the Lord promised to spew these out of His mouth for their lack of conviction (Revelation 3:16). Beloved, if we call ourselves Christians, then we should characterize Christ. There should be constant, sweet aromas that waft from our beings that either attract those ordained for eternal life, or repulse those destined for death. May we be those who smell like fresh baked bread, wafting our aroma to the world. There are many who are hungry for reality, and it is our obligation to feed them Life!

Heavenly Father, may the Bread of Life who lives in those who know and trust You, be as a sweet aroma to a world hungry for reality. May we be broken bread, even as our Lord gave Himself for lost humanity. Grant us this request for Your glory. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Loving God's Laws - November 6, 2011

2011-11-04T18:13:00.002-05:00

Psalm 119:159 - Consider how I love Your precepts; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness.

In our hectic world, it seems there are not enough hours in the day to get done what is needed. We might find ourselves rushing to and from work or appointments in a frantic rush to keep some kind of workable schedule. It's no wonder speed limits are rarely obeyed anymore. If, for instance, a traffic sign has a speed limit of 35 mph, most know they will not be ticketed unless they are going 10 miles per hour or more over the posted limit. Many find themselves setting their cruise control to eight or nine mph over the limit, knowing they are usually in a "safe zone" by doing so. However, what is most alarming in this regard is seeing folks with Jesus bumper stickers or an Ichthus fish decal on their tailgate compromising the law and driving over the speed limit. While some Christians would say this is benign and "what's the big deal?", it does have significance regarding the life professed by these making such objections.

The psalmist declares in our lead verse his love for God's precepts. A precept is defined as a general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought. Synonyms include rule, instruction, regulation, law, or lesson. Whether we care to admit it, our lives are filled with precepts and laws, some of which we embrace with no difficulty and others we might resist, such as speed limits (or "rolling stops" at stop signs). Laws that are not difficult for most of us to observe are things like overt lying, or killing someone, or possibly stealing -- things that generally hurt others. However, what about those laws that don't seem to hurt anyone? They don't directly affect others and often we might regard them as mere "suggestions" rather than mandates. The examples of traffic laws are good instances of how we might rationalize our importance over the laws of the land. Or, possibly bending the law on our tax returns? As previously stated, many believe these are negligible. Nonetheless, when we disobey ANY law, we are going against God's plan for humankind. Both Paul and Peter tell us to submit to governing authorities in all things, for all authority has been established by God (Romans 13:1; I Timothy 2:1-2; I Peter 2:13).

Let me be clear here. Keeping the laws of the land or God's laws in totality cannot save us. Only through Jesus Christ and through His shed blood can we obtain forgiveness for our sins. Our acceptance of His great gift is what redeems us and this will always be outside the law, because we never could fulfill it as He did to save us. However, laws are still in place because God has ordained them for His good pleasure and our overall good. God will always bear witness with laws since they are ultimately ordained by the Creator. And, if indeed Jesus lives within us through the Holy Spirit, then we will allow Him the opportunity to rejoice in these precepts established by His will. In other words, we don't have to keep the laws of the land, we WANT to keep them because God is bearing witness to them as He lives and moves within us. Our duty as a good citizen now transcends our civic and national responsibilities. If we are truly born again from above, our heavenly citizenship has affected our earthly citizenship by rejoicing in all of God's precepts and laws, no matter how inconsequential we may believe them to be. We no longer wish to try to get away with anything! We only desire to reconcile our actions upon this earth with those which the Lord God has instituted from heaven.

To respect and obey all authority goes beyond simple traffic laws or tax codes. If all authority has been established by God, then who are we to speak against a governmental official put in power over us? In our democratic society in America, we have the right to vote those out of office whom we see as less desirable. However, we do not have the right to speak against them while they are in power. David understood the importance of not putting forth his hand in any manner against King Saul. Even though he knew God had anointed him to be the next king, he knew Saul was established by God as the reigning power over the land and that God would depose him when the time was right. (See I Samuel 24 for one instance of how David spared Saul's life.) As in David's time and also in Paul and Peter's, God has not changed regarding His contempt toward the sin of disdaining those in power and authority. Today, it is our responsibility to vote for those we believe to be best aligned with God's purposes, and then pray for those whom we have elected. It is NEVER our right to speak against these, either in spoken, written, or electronic form (e.g. supposed "political humor").

If we consider it strange that someone as the psalmist, or anyone else for that matter, could love God's laws then it might behoove us to reconsider who is living within. If we don't rejoice in keeping the commandments of the Lord and submitting our lives to His precepts, then we should probably reassess whom we have believed. As previously mentioned, keeping the law will never save us. However, it will confirm Whom we love since all laws inevitably proceed from God. Will we still break the laws of the land from time to time, or speak against a standing president? It is possible, but not necessary. For the grace that He has given us so freely will work within us to confirm His intent if we will but submit to Christ. May we all love the law of God here on earth, preparing ourselves for heavenly citizenship to come.

Heavenly Father, forgive us for our lack of zeal regarding your law and precepts. Grant us the joy of Your salvation by concurring with the Holy Spirit within that Your law is good, honorable, and just. Help us to become lawful citizens on this earth that we would one day be holy citizens of the world to come. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

The Bare Soul - Heavenly Hospitality - October 30, 2011

2011-10-28T18:28:00.004-05:00

The following is the message text and audio recording of a sermon titled "Heavenly Hospitality" delivered to the homeless at the Kansas City Rescue Mission Chapel on October 27, 2011.

Heavenly Hospitality - October 27, 2011

Hebrews 13:2 - Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

I read a story recently about a little girl who grew up in the deep south during the 1930s. This family, as most in the depression-era south, had little and eked out an existence rivaling many of those in third-world countries of our present time. One day, this little girl was playing outside her rural home when she heard the clank of steel across the road. It was a chain gang of workers finding a place to rest under a large oak tree across from the family's property. Her mother kindly allowed the men, one by one, to drink as much as they wanted from the water pump outside the house. She remembers her mother busily preparing tuna sandwiches in the kitchen, which was to be her family's supper that night. The little girl recalls carrying lemonade out to the men as her mother went to each man on the chain gang, serving them individually. They were all appreciative, but what one man said resonated with the little girl for decades to come. He said all his life he wondered if he'd ever see an angel, and now he was face to face with one! The mother and daughter went into the house with an empty tray and empty lemonade pitchers. The only explanation her mother gave her for her kindness was out of Hebrews 13:2: Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. She concluded her story by saying she doesn't remember what they ended up having for supper that evening, but she would always remember what they didn't have, and that made all the difference in the world.

The Online Dictionary defines hospitality as "the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way." In scripture, the transliteration of the Greek word hospitality is philoxenos which means "love to strangers." Our present day word derives from the Latin word hospes, where we get our word "hospital." Those in the Middle Ages used this word to describe places where the infirmed and sick could find rest and solace while they healed. (A common name for a hospital in France during this time was the Hotel-Dieu, which literally mans "the hotel of God.") These "oases of love" later became institutionalized into our present day hospitals. However, the adjective of hospitality never lost its significance to the counterpart of the noun, hospital. One might imply a place of healing, where the other signifies the act of bringing healing to those infirmed in both body and soul. Understanding the meaning of both are important concerning how God desires us to operate in this regard. Our Western culture seems to have lost something with doctors secluding themselves in offices rather than making house calls as was the case several decades ago. Our society has allowed institutions, such as these offices or clinics or hospitals themselves, to take the place of taking medical hospitality to others. In like manner, the church at large seems to have lost this attitude of bringing philoxenes or hospes to others who are hurting, both within the Body of Christ and more importantly, to strangers. While many churches certainly concern themselves with hospice and outreach to those hurting within the body, how many go out of their way to seek out strangers who are hurting? It is one thing to bring flowers to a sanitized hospital or hospice environment as an act of kindness. It is quite another to seek out those on the highways and byways of life and to sit with someone hurting on a crumbling piece of sidewalk, listening to their cry for help (Luke 14:23).

While seeking out the "undesirables of society" is certainly something we can all do as committed believers of Jesus Christ, there are far simpler things which can also mean so much to others. When was the last time we smiled at a total stranger, expecting nothing in return? If we do it on a regular basis then my next question would be whether it was toward one of the "beautiful people." By this I mean, was it someone in which we relate to rather than someone we might berate in judgment regarding their looks or social strata? I understand that women need to be careful in this regard, however there are always safe opportunities if one seeks to find them. Jesus tells us the one who offers a cold drink of water to one of these "little ones" will surely never lose their reward (Matthew 10:42). I believe that a cold drink of water may come in many forms of refreshment to a haggard soul needing encouragement on life's journey. When we are hospitable to people, regardless of their demographics, then we are behaving as our Savior ministered while upon this earth. And who knows? Possibly we have interacted with God's angels in our everyday encounters. The writer of Hebrews would not have mentioned the probability if it were not a possibility. Nonetheless, whether it is angels or mere mortals we deal with on a daily basis, Jesus told us through His New Testament writers to show hospitality to all men (Romans 12:13; I Timothy 5:10; I Peter 4:9). In so doing, we do it as unto the Lord which is Whom we serve in the spirit of hospitality (Matthew 25:40).

The question should be asked: Why are we not hospitable when it is in our power to do so? In many cases it comes down to fear -- the fear we will lose something. Years later, the little girl who witnessed her mother's hospitality to a chain gang of men couldn't remember what they ate that night for dinner. The loss was not important. What was of greatest importance is how much she gained through her apparent loss of a few tuna fish sandwiches. Decades later her acquired insight into what it means to show godly love to strangers becomes apparent to all. When we seek to hang onto something out of fear of losing it, then it is often torn from our grasp by an irresistible force which we can't control. Conversely, when we allow ourselves to become servants of all, showing hospitality and brotherly love to others, we find we gain so much more. As we lay down our lives both for our Savior and others, may we all be living "hospitals", bringing hospitality to those most needful of a touch of God's grace!

O Gracious Father, thank you for the example of Your Son! He truly brought hospice to many as He healed some physically, and far more emotionally and spiritually. May we learn from His example, making many "house calls" as we bring the Gospel to those whom You direct. Allow us to give sacrificially until we realize we gained far more than we could ever lose. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

An Expanding Universe - October 23, 2011

2011-10-21T16:10:00.002-05:00

Job 9:8 - He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.

On October 4, 2011 Saul Perlmutter, Brian Schmidt, and Adam Riess won the Nobel Prize in physics for a relatively new theory claiming the universe is expanding, rather than shrinking, as physicists once believed. For nearly a decade since their initial discovery, the idea of an expanding universe went against the status quo belief of a shrinking cosmos, suggesting gravity pulled everything back together whereby creating a reductive effect. These three men, with Perlmutter working independently from the other two, discovered instead how the universe continues to expand. They came to their conclusions by measuring how light travels from exploding stars. The so-called repulsive force of "dark matter" causes a reaction making the light expand beyond its source, according to these scientists. They conclude this is the dynamic which causes the universe to expand. Of course, scripture has stated their conclusion for millennia. As our lead verse states, Yahweh has been stretching out the heavens through time and eternity. Rather than a static universe (the position most scientists have historically taken), the suggestion from this recent secular discovery is of a dynamic force compelling the universe to enlarge. As already mentioned, they refer to this power as the dark matter of the universe. This unexplainable power tends to shape and enlarge our universe, yet these physicists can only speculate regarding what it is or its origin. Of course, those who know and believe God's word understand how He not only continues to shape our world, but also all the created elements in existence.

Similarly, many pre-Columbus scholars mocked the Bible and its clear statement regarding a circular earth (Job 26:10). In Isaiah 40:22, the phobia of a flat earth is dispelled and the revelation of an expanding universe is stated clearly. Isaiah writes:

It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

The misconceptions of many early astronomers and scientists created an unfounded fear in those who might dare to sail beyond the known limits. With this example and the present shift from a static to a dynamic universe, the scientific world must once again do obeisance to God's holy word. However, for many of the academic and scientific world to give credit where it is due would mean an acknowledgement of a Creator that is continually granting life and growth to all His creation. By their admission regarding the dynamicity of the universe, they have inadvertently done what many of them vehemently oppose, which is to suggest there is a power greater than themselves. However, admitting to a changing universe is a far cry from them publicly stating an eternal being is the cause of this universal progression. However, what other explanation might suffice? To suggest an eternal universe is one thing, but to say that this universe is growing is another. This mysterious dark matter must have its source in something inconceivable to modern science. And, if the truth be known, it does.

I will present my own theory, based on scripture, what this force is which continues to enlarge our universe. The psalmist wrote in the eighty-ninth psalm that God's mercy will be built up forever. The New American Standard version makes it clearer to our understanding by stating the following: For I have said, “Lovingkindness will be built up forever; In the heavens You will establish Your faithfulness.” (Psalm 89:2) On the basis of this scripture (including many others stating God is eternal and without limits), I believe the power which is unexplainable to these astral-physicists and scientists is the very nature of God -- LOVE. This dark matter, as they call it, is possibly the temporal manifestation of an eternal power of love expanding the universe. As the Apostle John states, God is love (I John 4:8). Why then should we doubt the eternal God, who is immeasurable in His love for His creation, is not demonstrating this by allowing His lovingkindness to expand the heavens? The psalmist states quite clearly that "... lovingkindness will be built up forever." If we believe the Scriptures, then we must conclude that His love will continue to expand throughout eternity. It is an unstoppable, immeasurable eternal substance that continues to push both time and eternity beyond our mortal understanding. If Jesus is the one in which all things hold together (Colossians 1:17), surely the Triune God is also the One causing all things to grow and expand through His love.

Mortal man with his finite understanding will never comprehend why the universe grows through this suspected repulsion of dark matter. However, for those of us who believe God's word, the knowledge that God does so is enough for those who choose a life of faith. Jeremiah stated: He made the earth by his power; he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding (Jeremiah 51:15). It may not be ours to know in this lifetime, how or why God does what He does regarding His expansive love. However, there will come a day when more will be revealed. At that moment in our history, when time gives way to eternity, we will know more perfectly and stand in amazement of a God who continues to expand Himself through His love in all of His creation. The greatness of His power will only be eclipsed by the wonder of His love for those who accept Him by faith. May His love continue to expand in all our hearts as we accept Him as the Creator of all.

Heavenly Father, Great Almighty Yahweh, thank you for revealing Yourself through Your great power and expansive love. May we look to the heavens and realize how You created an eternal cosmos to reflect Your greatness. And, beyond this, how Your universe continues to grow through Your lovingkindness for all You've created. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

God's Name - October 16, 2011

2011-10-14T15:48:00.004-05:00

Psalm 75:1 - We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks, for Your Name is near; Men declare Your wondrous works.

Years ago, a young lady who attended our church wore a button from time to time out in public which caused quite a stir. I guess you could say it was a campaign button of sorts. In large block letters it read: CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, GOD'S LAST NAME IS NOT DAMN! She was on a crusade to make people realize how flippant the vast majority of folks are with God's Name. Of all people, she understood the power of the Name. In the mid-1970s, her husband was within days of succumbing to cancer. All of his hair was gone from chemotherapy and radiation treatments and he was emaciated from the long struggle. Simply, he was a mere shell of a man after cancer had its way with him. A group of believers, led by a faith-filled preacher, stood around his bed and prayed for his healing. Miraculously, he was healed instantly. Within days, his strength had returned and his hair began to grow back. That is about the time I met this beautiful couple. We were all new Christians and were energized by this move of God upon this young man's life. (This healing was documented by The 700 Club and confirmed by his doctors in 1977.) Through this ordeal and subsequent healing, I believe the Lord gave his wife a revelation of the Name of Jesus. That blessed, wonderful Name healed her husband of the cancer that almost destroyed him. Her "campaign button" was merely her tongue-in-cheek way of telling others that God's Name means so much more than a glib expression uttered in anger or exclaim.

Today, OMG is touted by many as one of the most used abbreviations in text messaging. Every generation, including this one, seems to find new ways to marginalize God's Name. Using the Lord's Name in a curse word, or to glibly say " Oh My God!" or "Jesus Christ!" is definitely taking the Lord's Name in vain. However, these often just scratch the proverbial surface. There are much more serious instances of breaking the third commandment (Exodus 20:7). The Lord God Almighty gave Moses this instruction on Mount Sinai over 1400 years before the birth of Christ. But, even then, it was in the heart of the Father for His Son to present a similar commandment on a different mount early in His Son's ministry. When Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount, he taught his disciples to pray in the sixth chapter of Matthew. The Lord began His instruction by first acknowledging the greatness of His Father's eminence by His location in the eternal heavens -- Our Father who is in heaven. Of great importance is His next statement: Hallowed (or holy) be Your Name! (Matthew 6:9). Jesus not only declared His Father's omnipotence by His preeminence, ruling over heaven and earth, but He also instructed humankind to regard the Name as holy. We might read or hear this and the significance might not really sink into our understanding. However, the holiness of the Name implies that it is set apart for everything beholden to the nature of the Most High.

The Name not only characterizes God, but it explains His attributes or His way He interacts with His creation. Even as Yeshua's (Jesus') Name means "Jehovah is Salvation", the Son of God understood the significance of both His Name and that of His Father's. Their Names were inextricably linked through their relationship of the Godhead, thus allowing the Name to have the same power on earth, as it did in heaven. So, if God the Father's nature meant love, salvation, mercy, healing, wisdom, and many more, than the Name would also be synonymous with His nature. That's why Jesus proclaimed the importance in John 16:23 of us asking in His Name, because then the Father would release the answers to our prayers. However, there is one provision. We must "hallow" His Name, regarding the Name as holy and not trivialized by vain requests. A religious mind-set devoid of any true relationship with God may often be guilty of taking the Lord's Name in vain in ways we may not have considered. If we don't regard Him truly as "Father" by faith, then we seek Him through our own works. When we approach God in this manner, we hold to a form of godliness, although we have denied its power (II Timothy 3:5).

Taking the Lord's Name in vain is a travesty. If we call ourselves Christians and we don't cringe when we hear someone damn something by the Beautiful Name, then we should question our faith and whom we've believed. If we don't consider Yahweh or His Son Yeshua's Name as holy, we won't hold it with reverence concerning how we invoke His Name in our supposed relationship with Him. As Psalm 75:1 states, when the Name of God (whether Jehovah, Yahweh, or Yeshua [Jesus]) is near to us, we will declare the goodness of that Name with all its "wondrous works". Our thanksgiving for God revealing His glorious Name to us will fill us with awe and reverence. Never more will we regard the Name to be used in a vain way, whether through flippant text-messaging or through a life that vainly seeks God in such a way denying the very power of the Name which wrought salvation for all. Much like my friend from years ago, we will recoil from those who would objectify the Name as a vanity upon the lips of mankind, where it means nothing but a curse. For those spiritually in tune with the Spirit of the Lord, we will further understand when we or others are living vain lives that purport God but which deny Him and the power of His Name. The rapturous beauty of the revealed Son within our lives will provoke relationship rather than a vain pursuit that leads to emptiness. May we all seek the Lord until He would reveal Himself to each of us, showing us the holy power that transforms us all through the revelation of the Name.

Heavenly Father, Great Jehovah, we humbly bow before Your throne of grace, asking You to reveal Your Name and the power thereof. We ask to understand, by Your great wisdom, all You desire for us to experience in this relationship with You and Your Son. May we never take Your Name in vain, either by word or by deed. Help us to hallow Your Name everyday, in everyway. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Children of the Wind - October 9, 2011

2011-10-07T15:29:00.002-05:00

John 3:8 - The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.

As a runner, I am possibly more in tune with my surroundings than a lot of people. Since I've never ran with "contraptions" in my ears, blaring out music or some other distraction, I like to believe I appreciate the sights and sounds around me. Whether its children laughing, people chatting, or just the sound of a bicycle passing me on a running path, I enjoy experiencing life in close proximity. Often, I can hear the wind as it blows steadily through large elms and cottonwoods, going where it wills. Runners or bicyclists can usually find their pace quicken when the wind is at our respective backs. It pushes us along, as we may not even consider it blowing us on our way. We're often thinking about other things. However, the wind may change directions on us rather suddenly, or we might be the ones to initiate the adjustment of course. If we are moving sideways to its direction, its usually not too bad. If, however, we find ourselves running directly against the wind, then a struggle often ensues. No longer are we thinking about this or that, but our minds are concentrated on the resistance we've suddenly encountered. Our energy is now directed to what assails us. Moments before we experienced a thoughtlessness of the wind, because it was seemingly helping us on our way. Now, it seems to defy us as we fight our way against its strength.

Many of us have probably heard the line in the old Irish blessing that states, "May the wind always be at your back." Of course, the implication of this figure of speech is to wish for someone to possess few struggles -- that the wind would push them through life, allowing them to accomplish all their goals. While some would say that's an impossible accomplishment, I am of the belief that it could be more of a reality if we listened a bit closer to God's leadings in our lives, obeying what He commands. In the book of John the third chapter, Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit in the eighth verse, comparing Him to the wind. Clearly, Jesus is speaking of the Spirit in this context, as John uses the Greek word pneuma when referring to the wind in the opening phrase. A synonymous usage of the word is also used at the end of the verse when Jesus states: "so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." Of equal importance is what Jesus states in the middle of this verse. He declares the mystery of the Spirit, by stating He is like the wind and no one knows His next move. Then, Jesus claims something extraordinary. He says those who are born of the Spirit are likened to this same behavior as their spiritual Father! Which leads to a thought provoking question for those of us who claim to be born of God's Spirit: Is our behavior like the Wind of God that created us? Do we move with freedom in the Spirit, allowing Him at our backs, propelling us on our way in the things of God? Or, do we resist the Holy Spirit and continue on in ways we know deep down are contrary to His leadings? In the past, many of us can attest to God leading us by His Spirit as He pushed us onward toward our goal of pleasing the Son and the Father. However, possibly we no longer feel that strength behind our backs, pushing us closer to Yahweh. Instead, we feel a resistance, like we are running against the Wind of God. This direction earlier in our Christian walk was very possibly the right way to go. However, some of us have undoubtedly ignored the direction of God's Wind and have insisted on going an old, familiar way. As children of the Wind, we will not know His peace in our lives until we can once again know He is literally behind us.

The Apostle Paul warned the early church there would be other "winds" that would seek to trick us into following their course. Winds often deceive seasoned sailors who understand a bit less than they sometimes profess. A good example is when those transporting Paul and his companions to Rome supposed they had attained their purpose of a "moderate south wind" suddenly found themselves in a hurricane of epic proportions. For over two weeks, they were buffeted about in the Mediterranean Sea until finally shipwrecked on the island of Malta (see Acts 27:9-44). Paul possessed the wisdom from the Wind Himself to know their journey would end just as it did. However, those who were supposedly "seasoned sailors" did not heed the wisdom of Paul or of the Spirit who led him. Very possibly, when Paul wrote to the Ephesians later from Rome while he awaited trial, he was reflecting on those tempestuous two weeks. He tells them to beware of false teaching that comes in the form of other winds that would seek to deceive. He states in Ephesians 4:14: As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming. Paul admonished the Ephesians to no longer be as children. It was time to grow up and to attune themselves with the doctrine of God, and to be led by the Holy Spirit. The winds of the doctrines of men and devils may push us along for a season, and we may believe we've "attained our purpose." However, they will always turn on us and ultimately cause our faith to shipwreck (I Timothy 1:19).

God is calling us all to grow up in the faith, and yet we will always be His children. As children of our Father, we will always know we are His if we are led by His Wind. Do you sense God at your back today, pushing you toward your goal of the upward call in Christ Jesus? Or, do You feel like you're running against the wind. Possibly worse, do you sense another wind at your back, yet there is not the joy and peace as you once possessed? Is it a dry wind that is sucking the life out of your Christian walk? If there is not a clear sense of the Wind of God in our lives, it is time to stop until we can once again discern which way He is blowing. Then, may we all start down that new direction He provides. In a short time, the joy will once again return, confirming we are children of the Wind, always strengthened by His power that empowers us.

Holy Father, blow upon us through the Wind of Your Spirit. Lead us, guide us as children of the Wind. May we always discern Your leading and joyously comply to wherever Your Spirit takes us. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Divine Rescue - October 2, 2011

2011-09-30T19:32:00.002-05:00

Colossians 1:13-14 - For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Ever wonder why super-heroes are such a popular genre? While we trudge through our daily "grinds", it is often refreshing to know that we can escape into another reality where mortals take on a sense of immortality. As a child, I remember the old Batman series on prime time television. Both in comic book print and on TV, I was fascinated with the Caped Crusader and how he always managed to set things right in the end. Others, such as Superman, took on an other "worldliness" characteristic of phenomenal power and strength. No matter the character, publishers such as DC Comics and Marvel created larger-than-life characters that transcended human effort when all seemed lost. Regarding mankind's frailty, it would appear the human psyche is wired to understand we desperately need something greater than ourselves to believe in. We know our inherent weaknesses all too well, so we are able to rejoice when a true hero saves the proverbial day. With all reverence I suggest that Jesus Christ is the ultimate Super-hero that will always rescue us, if we will but call upon Him. Though transcendent in all power, He is still intimately involved with each of us in a personal way.

In our lead verse, Paul describes Satan's stronghold over humanity as the "domain of darkness." I can think of no better description to describe Satan's syndicate of evil. Imagine with me, if you will, any number of arch villains or "foils" that have sought to rule society in the aforementioned super-hero genres. Often, we would find a damsel in distress (such as a Lois Lane) being held hostage by powers that sought the overthrow of their righteous nemesis. These wicked gangsters, mad scientists, or all-around evil geniuses often sought to lure their foe into some type of trap. They believed if they could somehow orchestrate the "show down", then they would have the upper hand. Of course, any of us who have ever watched a Superman or Batman movie know this isn't the case. Good always triumphs over evil in the end. As previously mentioned, these sort of outcomes are hard-wired into human beings. We seek redemption, in one way or another. If we can't find it in our religion, we will seek it in other ways.

While I see a lot of movies with my wife, I am particularly selective about what I put before my eyes. I generally want to know there is some type of redemption in the end for the protagonist (or, in some cases the antagonist). It seems less than gratifying when movies or books or any genre of entertainment leave us with an "open ending", not providing closure for anyone, including the audience. Fortunately, those who believe the scriptures and have read to the end of the book of Revelation know we win. This is the greatest redemptive story in the history of the world, and yet many discard it as archaic and unrealistic for our times. They put the Bible in the same genre as comic books or ancient myths which do little to assuage the problems of contemporary living. What they don't understand is that their great inner need for redemption will not be satisfied by any other than the thing they regard as ridiculous. The devils in the domain of darkness have lied to them so they don't understand that they are in need of ransom. If they only knew that Jesus Christ had already paid the price for their release many years ago. The lies that these "evil geniuses" continue to perpetrate over their unknowing slaves continue to be unchallenged. Therefore, the vast majority of the world who are held in these gangsters' grips are unaware of their freedom. If only they would accept this eternal gift from the greatest Super-hero who ever existed, or ever will exist. Then, they would find true freedom from the evil that plagues them everyday.

Many will continue to look up to these super-hero characters we've created out of our need for something bigger than ourselves. I personally believe these are healthy examples to emulate and to look up to, especially for youngsters. However, these are merely to point us to the greatest hero of all time and eternity, who transferred all mankind from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of "His beloved Son." It's time for us all to accept His saving power in our respective lives, and to understand the price has been paid. May we all know that Jesus Christ has rescued us, and will continue to save us as we trust in Him.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the sacrifice of Jesus. We thank You that You sent Him as the Divine Rescuer to redeem us for Your good pleasure. May we always look to Him and know that we have been transported by His grace into the kingdom of God, always to be with You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Godly Perception - September 25, 2011

2011-09-23T19:41:00.003-05:00

The following is the message text and audio recording of a sermon titled "Godly Perception" delivered to the Teaching God's Infinite Wisdom (TGIW) Men's Bible Study Group in Parkville, MO on September 21, 2011.

Godly Perception - September 21, 2011

Numbers 13:33 - "... and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

As a child, I remember this massive oak tree in the vacant lot where we would often play. Underneath its towering height, we dug a large hole and called it our fort. We stocked it with all the things important to seven and eight year old boys -- comic books, plastic army men, and silver cap pistols. I recall looking up into the large branches thinking it looked at least a mile to the top. None of us dared climb this tree. It was just too intimidating. Many years later, I was visiting this town where I spent my elementary school years and took a drive through the old neighborhood. Where the vacant lot stood, was a house with a tidy yard. There with lush green grass growing under its shade was the old oak. Somehow, when I stopped in front of the house, it looked remarkably smaller than what I remembered. Actually, I couldn't believe how dwarfed it was compared to my memory. It was still large as ever, but not gargantuan like I recollected. Reflecting on this incident, I understand how its often possible to see and yet not see. We can get one idea in our heads and find out later that our perception was way off. Objectivity is often the arbiter between imagination and reality. Only when we can honestly perceive the truth can we objectively understand where we have allowed ourselves to be subjectively influenced.

In many ways, the newly formed nation of Israel operated in a subjective manner regarding their situation in the wilderness of Sinai and Kadesh-barnea. This man Moses had led them out into one of the hottest places on the planet, telling them that God was bringing them into a land "flowing with milk and honey" (Exodus 3:8). However, there was a catch. No longer were they to watch God destroy their enemies as He did at the Red Sea. Now Yahweh wanted them to get actively involved by dispossessing those who lived in their promised land before they could move in! We read in the thirteenth chapter of Numbers that the Lord told Moses to send out spies into the occupied country, to get a lay of the land and the people living there. As many of us know, the spies returned ecstatic about the land but terrified of the people. "Thus they told him, and said, ...

We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there. Amalek is living in the land of the Negev and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites are living in the hill country, and the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of the Jordan." - Numbers 13:27-29

Caleb's insistence that they could take the land and its inhabitants fell on deaf ears as they declared to Moses and the congregation that they were too small and weak to overcome the pagan nations. In addition, they said that the Nephilim the descendents of Anak, the giant clan, was living there also. What comes out of their mouths next truly revealed their perceived reality. By stating that "... we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight," they were stating three important things regarding their understanding of the situation. First of all, their "sight" or their perception of themselves was a selfish, self-centered, fear-driven understanding with no consideration of who they were in the Lord. Second, by seeing themselves as weak and without a Savior, they increased the size of their enemies in their own imaginations. Lastly, they projected their own perception of how they believed about themselves onto their enemies. Whether or not the Anak even saw the Israelite spies or not is moot. They had become convinced that the enemy saw the Israelites exactly as they perceived themselves. For the timid, this had become their reality. The battle was lost even before it began.

As most of us know, God pronounced a judgment of 40 years exile upon the nation of Israel from their desired destination. They would wander aimlessly through the wilderness until the rebellious generation that refused to go in, perished. Their children would be the ones to enter the Promised Land and take possession by defeating these so-called formidable tribes with their unassailable walls. The difference between their parents and the children who took possession was evident. The children grew up, becoming strong and mature in the Lord, with the ability to hear the voice of the Lord and to obey it. They saw themselves as the chosen of God and understood that nothing could keep them from their destiny as long as the Lord was on their side. Similarly, they operated in three ways that were diametric to that of their parents reaction 40 years earlier. First of all, they knew who they were and where they were going in the Lord. Second, they saw themselves as strong in the power of God's might to defeat any enemy that would defy the chosen people of God. And lastly, they projected this perception upon every foe they encountered, eventually dispossessing all the pagan nations, including the Anak clan.

Paul stated poignantly in his first letter to the Corinthians that ... When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things (I Corinthians 13:11). Just as an entire generation of Israelites had to die off before God could take them into the Promised Land, there needs to be a similar death in us before He can take us into that place of complete rest. We have to die to our preconceptions about what we can or can't handle. If we take the time to think about all the times God has rescued us in the past, it's not hard to believe that He will always be there for us in the future. Our thoughts, words, and actions will reveal who we are, proving to God that we either understand who He is, what He has done for us, and what He will do for us or that we don't we don't have a clue. We must be vigilant to allow God to grow us up and to remove any doubt that He can do far more than we've ever thought or imagined. Will there be seemingly unassailable walls and giants in our future? Without a doubt. It's our choice to either die in the wilderness and to stumble about in an aimless manner the rest of our lives, or to die to self and to grow up in our perceptions regarding who we are in God. If we choose the latter, we have only begun to understand the peace and victory in the days ahead.

Heavenly Father, thank You that You give us everything we need to live godly lives in Your Son. Grant us the ability to seize the day, to die to self and our selfish perceptions and to see as You see us. As we do so, may we enter into Your rest through Your victory. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Obtaining the Witness - September 18, 2011

2011-09-16T17:14:00.002-05:00

Hebrews 11:5 - By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.

Years ago, there was a saying that when a person felt smitten over someone special, that they were "taken" for that guy or gal. It is more a colloquialism, I suppose, from simpler days when a young man fell "head over heels" for a young woman, or vice versa. We may have heard it put like this: "I sure am taken with her!" The implication is an abandonment of all sense, that somehow the object of their affection has stolen their heart in a romantic sort of way. This might appear to happen unexpectedly and without design by either party. Or does it? Often, there is a drawing or a wooing that causes this sudden "taking" of emotions. The taken may feel like they are coaxed into this romantic interlude, having merely responded to the taker's attention. In a very real sense, the one being wooed has received the proverbial nod that they are pleasing to the other. The dynamics of our encounters on this earth are merely natural expressions of how God woos us to that place of communion and fellowship with Him. Like Enoch in our lead verse, it is possible while on this earth and living in sinful flesh to "obtain the witness" that we are pleasing to God. It would serve us well to look at the makeup of this man and others in the Bible of similar character to better understand how we might obtain a similar witness from our Heavenly Father.

The first mention of Enoch is in Genesis 5:18 where it states: Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years, and became the father of Enoch. The next three verses tell us seemingly little about this man of God, except that he becomes the father of Methuselah at the relatively young age of 65. Remarkably, however, verse 22 tells us that ... Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah. This simple statement of protracted worship by a mortal is not to be rivaled anywhere else in scripture. Even Noah, who lived hundreds of years like his predecessors, did not obtain a witness such as Enoch received. Did Enoch suddenly turn toward God after the birth of his son, or was he a committed follower of the Lord before? All the scripture tells us is that for 300 years after the birth of Methuselah, this man walked with God. To walk with his Maker in undisturbed fellowship for three centuries must have thrilled the heart of the Father. Only a few generations prior, God walked with the original couple in that garden called Eden. Before the Fall, God was taken with Adam and Eve as He fellowshipped with them continually. Now, He had found a man that desired a similar reciprocal relationship of unbroken love. They were quite literally taken with each other. However, there was a difference. The first couple were in that place of innocence as they trusted God as their Father. Enoch, on the other hand, was born of sinful flesh yet walked in humility and brokenness before the Lord. He undoubtedly knew that a Savior would come someday to redeem Him from the predicament of sin. However, the one thing this man of God had on his side was time. Three hundred sixty five years is a long time in our minds to live upon this earth, but maybe it seemed like nothing to Enoch and it certainly wasn't a factor for Yahweh. We know from reading verse 24 that a quite remarkable thing happened. It states that God quite literally took him! This is extraordinary if one considers the significance of this event. If the implication is not certain in the Genesis verse, that suddenly Enoch ... was not, for God took him, it becomes very clear by the text in Hebrews that the man of God disappeared because ... he was not found. How or why this happened, we can only speculate. Did Enoch receive a resurrected body? Quite possibly, since we know that no sinful flesh can dwell in God's presence. Regardless, the point the scripture makes here is that Enoch was pleasing to God and he obtained the witness of God's pleasure by God drawing him home to Glory.

Appropriately, the transliteration of Enoch's name in the original Aramaic text is "dedicated." We might say that this early descendent of the first man was only the first of many throughout the scriptures who likewise obtained the witness through their dedication to the Lord. While none walked in the manner of Enoch, we know that Noah (previously mentioned) along with Job and Daniel were witnessed to by God Himself as being upright men. In Ezekiel 14:14 the Lord mentions through the prophet that these men were righteous before their Maker. Both Samson and Samuel were dedicated to the Lord as infants with a Nazirite vow, obtaining the witness of God's pleasure as judges of Israel (Judges 13:7; I Samuel 1:11). Of course, the greatest example of someone walking this earth with God and obtaining the witness was Jesus Christ Himself. As Peter declared to the house of Cornelius, all the prophets bore witness of the coming Messiah and the forgiveness of sins through His redemption (Acts 10:43). Remarkably, the Holy Spirit appears to have borne witness to the words that He was uttering through the apostle's mouth that He indwelt all those present as a result. They too, obtained the witness of the Father (John 5:37) and were taken by God to fulfill His purposes through the spreading of the Gospel to the "uttermost parts of the earth." Unlike the Old Testament saints, all believers in Jesus Christ had the opportunity to be taken for the purposes of God. There was nothing separating men and women from sharing in the presence of God except unbelief. The message to us through this chapter of Acts and the rest of the New Testament is that God desires to take as many as who would believe in His Son. Whoever would believe in the Son will share in the Holy Spirit and thereby obtain the witness.

Heaven looks on this very day to see what our response might be in regard to His wooing. There is loving relationship waiting to be born within us all by the One who created us. As that great "cloud of witnesses" surrounds us, urging us to commit to His care, may we allow Him to take us with abandon (Hebrews 12:1). Our only requirement is to walk with Him, even as Enoch walked with undeniable humility and understanding of our great need for Jesus Christ. And then, like Enoch, we can be taken by our God to live an extraordinary life. Are we smitten with God? Are we free to relinquish our life of unfulfilled desire and walk with Him forevermore? If so, don't be surprised how he takes you, for He most certainly will. It is the promise of obtaining the witness of His pleasure.

Lord, may we obtain the witness by obediently walking with You, day in and day out. May we believe that by the blood of Jesus we are worthy to receive Your Holy Spirit who bears witness of Your eternal love for us all. As we give ourselves more and more to You, everyday, may You draw us irresistibly to Your presence. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Why Does Revival Tarry? - September 11, 2011

2011-09-09T16:26:00.002-05:00

James 5:16 (KJV) - Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Certain scriptures seem unequivocal at face value. When we read promises such as Matthew 11:28, we can believe that if we come to Jesus then we will find rest. In this respect, personal application to the scripture is available to everyone. Through a relationship with Jesus Christ, we have the opportunity of gleaning this promise as well as hundreds of others regarding the good things the Lord has in store for us. Often, these promises will manifest themselves very quickly in a believer's life as they live humbly and obediently before their Lord. In some cases, other promises may take longer to realize. However, what about God's assurances He has made for communities or nations? Personally, I have been involved in prayer for revival for my city and nation for many years. I know of many people that I would consider men and women of God who have likewise earnestly been seeking God concerning revival for several decades. The combined effort of just these aforementioned people would undoubtedly equal hundreds of years in collective time praying for a great moving of God . We read throughout the Bible references concerning how peoples and nations repented and God sent revival to their land. (Jonah and the restoration of Nineveh to a Godly nation is only one example [Jonah 3:9-10].) While God's entreaties through His prophets were often disregarded with subsequent judgment, the promise of restoration was always there IF a nation would but humble themselves to God. Probably the greatest promise regarding restoration and revival is the familiar text in the second book of Chronicles. It reads like this in the King James Version:

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. - II Chronicles 7:14

As previously stated, I have seen much of what I would describe as calling upon God, humbling of the flesh through prayer and fasting, with a concerted effort to seek the Lord's face. Yet, regardless of all this activity, the western Church has muddled along without the desired results. Oh, but there is that other bit of instruction in Chronicles that is often an unpleasant topic to broach -- turning from sin! Does this necessarily mean that the whole nation must turn from iniquity before God hears and responds, or can it mean those who are earnestly seeking revival in proxy for the nation? Let's look at the possibilities.

James, the brother of Jesus our Lord, writes with one consideration. Using Elijah as an example, he compares the prophet as a man with a nature "like ours." He describes how the man of God prayed fervently and how the Lord used this man to control the weather, bringing a king and a kingdom to their proverbial knees (James 5:17-18). Through this grand meteorological disruption, Elijah was able to use this nation crippling catalyst to orchestrate one of the greatest showdowns of the Bible between himself and the priests of Baal (I Kings 18:20-21). Because of this encounter, the rule of wicked King Ahab and Queen Jezebel was sorely weakened, allowing eventual reforms after the death of Ahab's son, Ahaziah (see II Kings 2). This national and spiritual revival would appear to be the direct result of Elijah's obedience to God. James' testimony about Elijah in his verses 17 and 18 actually serves as an example from the context of verse 16. James uses this verse as a segue from personal, bodily healing to the restoration of a nation. Interestingly, he implies that both types of healing are only possible through effective fervent prayers through righteous men. Is fervent praying lacking in our contemporary situation or is it righteous men, or both? Or, are we lacking God's impetus to raise up men and women such as Elijah to bring heaven once again to this earth? Is it because God cannot find a man such as Elijah? Or, rather that He has not YET raised one up (or many more) for this hour? The former would imply that the responsibility lies upon those select few to stand up in righteousness and to call down heaven in prayer. The latter suggests that the onus rests with God. I remonstrate that the truth is probably somewhere in the middle of these two postulations. We can assume that no one is more desirous of God's kingdom being manifest upon this earth through a revived Church then God Himself. However, we cannot presume we know why revival seems to not being addressed with earnest in the mind of God. The limited love that we possess for humanity and the desire to see them saved pales in comparison to God's heart for both his Church and the lost.

I would submit that the reality of our present situation is something that can't necessarily be reduced to a few scriptures regarding why God is not moving in a wholesale manner in the westernized Church. Many of us who are familiar with prayer for our nation know of 24 hour prayer rooms where night and day prayer for revival has been the agenda for many years. Are these folks who have given themselves to this noble life "unrighteous" or not "fervent" in their prayers? That is not mine or anyone's to judge. Possibly the Lord has some more refining to do before we truly see Him move in these last days. Without a doubt, He is preparing hearts for the day when He will move with more power than that of the first century Church. We might speculate that the time is not right, that He will move only as He sees fit. While this is definitely true, that God will only do His perfect will when He determines, it can also be equally true that He will move as men's and women's voices move His heart in prayer. This, of course, is the great conundrum whether God has moved these to prayer or whether hearts given to God have caused Him to move, or a combination of both. The answers to these questions will become clearer in time, or eternity. Regardless, we must continue to pray, seeking to order our lives righteously, doing all we know to align ourselves with the Father's will as we pray for His kingdom to come to this earth, even as it is in heaven. Do we need "Elijahs" in our present hour? Of this, there is little doubt. With this in mind, it will continue to be our place, as those seeking a revived church and nation, to seek the Lord to raise up many who might stand in the gap like the prophets of old. May the Lord Jesus Christ be glorified by men and women such as these whose hearts burn for a holy nation and a righteous land.

Heavenly Father, we know little regarding Your will for a revived nation other than You told us to humble ourselves, to seek Your face, to turn from our wicked ways, and then You would heal our land. We ask that You would purify us in this process of prayer, causing us to be righteous men and women, fervently praying Your will. Cause us to enter into the counsel of Your heart, accepting Your timing for these great events. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

A Broken Heart - September 4, 2011

2011-09-02T14:56:00.003-05:00

Psalm 34:18 - The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.

We have all experienced loss. Whether it is the passing of a friend or relative, or possibly the loss of a beloved pet, most of us have undoubtedly experienced heartache over a loved one that is no longer with us. Some have probably heard of a long-time marriage being shattered by the death of the husband or wife. I can remember my Uncle John and Aunt Maude. I really only recollect one visit with them when I was about 11 years old. I do remember how devoted he was to Maude, speaking tenderly and kindly to his sweetheart. They were both in their 80s at that time and had been married for many decades. I recall hearing a few short years later how Maude had passed into eternity. Uncle John buried his beloved and was grief-stricken, bereaving the loss of his mate. He lived several more years, but I am told they were lonely years. While he did live to a ripe old age, I suspect that when his heart finally did give out that it was due partly to his great loss. Many of us know of similar circumstances regarding a loved one who was never quite the same when their spouse was taken. While love of this type is certainly remarkable and well worth commending, I believe it is only a shadow of the love that God desires us to possess for all mankind. I believe He gives us earthly examples like the aforementioned to illustrate His great love toward all humankind. However, He desires that we take the analogy to a higher level and understand that His love is infinitesimally greater than anything we could ever experience regarding our greatest love while upon this earth. Even more remarkable is the reality that He loves those who disregard Him. His love is never diminished no matter how much He is spurned. To comprehend the pain of a broken heart for someone we miss terribly is one thing. To experience a broken heart for those who continue to reject us is quite another.

As stated, it is terribly vexing to lose someone close. It can truly be heart breaking. We are told that the prophet Ezekiel lost "the desire of his eyes" in a moment's time. The prophet prophesied regarding his loss stating: And the word of the LORD came to me saying, "Son of man, behold, I am about to take from you the desire of your eyes with a blow; but you shall not mourn and you shall not weep, and your tears shall not come (Ezekiel 24:15-16). The Lord took his bride away as a sign to the obstinate nation of Israel, and yet he gave the seer grace to not mourn and languish regarding his loss. Why would the Lord do this? It becomes evident in verse 23 that the prophet had become a sign to Israel's indifference toward sin (Ezekiel 24:23). What should have been a heart-breaking experience for Ezekiel concerning the loss of his wife had become a sign to the wayward nation of their hardness of heart toward sin. God demonstrated through the prophet how far they had divorced themselves from mourning over their iniquity. Through this allegory, the Lord showed them that their heartless empathy toward their own transgressions against a holy God was their undoing. Nothing is related to the reader in this passage concerning the reaction to Ezekiel's lesson. However, the Lord made His point and we can be sure that whether the nation of Israel grasped the importance of God's message, the prophet undoubtedly did. We are told from verse 15 that she was the desire of his eyes. How much more was the captive nation of Israel to their Heavenly Father as He used His servant to illustrate!

Another example comes to mind regarding how the Lord used an analogy of a broken heart to show His great love for the wayward nation of His affections. Imagine loving someone with all your heart day after day, year after year. However, a problem becomes increasingly evident when this love is not reciprocated. The prophet Hosea was commanded to marry the harlot Gomer and to pursue her affections even after she had enough of married life, returning to her former life of prostitution (see Hosea, chapters one and two). Even though they had children by their God-ordained union, this was not enough to provoke Gomer to a monogamous relationship with her spouse. While it is not clear what happens to Hosea's first wife, we are told in Hosea chapter three that he is again to love a harlot and to cherish her as his wife. To marry one prostitute was degrading enough. Women of their kind were at the best shunned, and at the worst, stoned to death for their infidelity. Here, in the space of three chapters, we find Hosea with a double humiliation of engaging in a seemingly unholy union. While this probably gave the hyper-religious much to gossip about, we can easily surmise that God caused a great love in Hosea's heart toward his two brides. For there to be a strong correlation between God's broken heart for His people, He must have given similar heart breaks to the prophet. The message was clear to Israel through his obedience. However, we can judge by history that the oracle was largely unheeded (Hosea 4:11-14).

Brokenness of heart is not novel to the human race. Truly, it is only possible because our Heavenly Father's heart is susceptible to the same. When we get a glimpse of the great love that a husband might have for a wife, we should pause and consider the One whose heart breaks daily for a stubborn and rebellious world. His heart certainly overflows with a depth of love that we can only imagine with our temporal beings. As mortals, we have the ability to suffer loss and to have a heart break in anguish. I believe that the Lord would have us all take the examples of those who love deeply and mourn over a love lost. He would desire that our hearts would break in prayer and acts of mercy for those all around us. Are we willing to have our hearts broken with a love that comes from above? If we are, we will be characterized by a heart that cannot contain God. It will "leak" out to everyone that it touches. Love is not to be kept, but given away as soon as we receive it. Let not the world watch and wait any longer for those who would pursue them for the Savior. May we be that generation that reaches out and allows our hearts to be broken for Jesus Christ's great sacrifice. May the Lamb receive the reward of His sufferings by us embracing His brokenness for this lost world.

Fairest Lord Jesus, thank you for Your love for all humankind. May we experience Your great love through the brokenness of Your heart for the billions of souls on this terrestrial ball. May we love no matter the outcome, but to lay down our lives as You laid down Yours. We praise and exalt You. In Your precious Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Songs of Deliverance - August 28, 2011

2011-08-26T15:59:00.002-05:00

Psalm 32:7 - You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; you surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.

Ever notice how effective music is to transport us from one place to another at a moment's notice? Music has this uncanny ability to work emotionally with both our senses and our memories to recreate specific times when particular songs may have meant a lot to us. My most poignant memories of when and how music felt monumentally important to me was in my later teen years. When I hear certain songs from the early 1970s, they transport me back to a place of strong recollection. Not only can I remember precise things I was doing, but I can also recall certain smells and sounds. Music certainly has a powerful ability that allows us to relate emotionally with a past event in our respective lives. I believe that is why music is so important to young people -- it helps to define both their individuality and their present culture. Likewise, I believe that is why music is so important to both the powers of darkness and the Kingdom of Light. Both understand that there is power to enslave and set free in both the melody and the lyrics. This has been the case throughout man's history and even before, when Lucifer rebelled against his Maker in the heavenlies (Isaiah 14:9-11). Throughout history, we have seen the constant struggle regarding who would successfully lead humankind in worship of their god. In these last days, there is probably no other tool that the enemy uses with greater affect. However, the Lord is the creator of music and will always command a greater supremacy over melody and lyrics. As we shall see, Satan can create nothing, but only mimics the Holy One's creation. Music is no exception.

Whether we realize it or not, there are songs that surround us continually. The devil seeks to pump into our earthly senses melodic cacophonies that will lead to our destruction. The obvious are songs that have devilish lyrics that talk about drugs, murder, rape, and any other heinous crime one can imagine. Most people would see the logic to steer clear of this type of "entertainment," because it blatantly idolizes those things in our society that are not acceptable. However, what about more seemingly benign music? While other genres may not be giving direct "glory to hell," in the same regard they give no glory to God either. Many would say that they don't see a problem with this. Many believe that they should be able to listen to music purely for their own edification and not have to classify it in a particular religious camp, whether it be born in hell or heaven. While many may not like hearing this, music, just like anything else, is either born from above or is counterfeited from below. That is why it is critically important to be very careful regarding what we allow to become emotionally charged within our own souls. As mentioned previously, music surrounds us continually. It's our decision what melodies we allow to become part of us. David knew this a musician and a psalmist. He probably understood how music is a tangible and free-floating in the spiritual realm. Possibly King David understood that many of the inspired words and music of his psalms were merely eternal expressions of the glory of God. What if he just helped himself to God's spectrum of praise in the heavenlies through his musical gift? How much more would the enemy also try to mislead others in the same way! As I write this, there are hundreds of thousands and possibly millions of songs being broadcast over the airwaves at this very moment. How are these souls allowing themselves to be surrounded by this music? Are their spirits being lifted up to God or being dragged down to the pit? It all depends on the music's origin and the intent of the receiver.

I've often thought about the eternal responsibility of those who fill the airwaves and now the internet with various genres of music. My hope is that Christian radio DJs would know they are providing a ministry to the body of Christ that leads believers into the presence of the Lord. This is a very real expression of worship leading. However, in the same regard, I have often considered how other secular DJs and radio programmers have been leading a very different worship. At best, their "worship" often centers on a narcissistic, self-centered approach to life that hinges on fulfillment through the love of self or to another. This is not a bad thing, to be soulfully committed to romantic love. However, it is hellish if it is not through God's leading. At secular music's worst, is how radio personalities will flirt with transgressing what is permissible through the Federal Communication Commission's mandate of so-called decency. Shock jocks will often take morality to the precipice of acceptability and then mock those who would prevent them from going further. These devilish "worship leaders" have surrounded the souls of their on-air and on-line congregations with sensuality and emotional fervor manufactured in the depths of Hades. It's no wonder that the majority of our youth continue their downward spire as the spirit of this age surrounds, seduces, and inevitably suffocates them with the darkness of godless music.

Even though it would often appear that the Babylon of our age has drowned out the heavenly choruses, God continues to raise up those (like David) who have an understanding concerning the spiritual domain and the ability to wage war against the enemy in song (Psalm 149:6). What was true 3,000 years ago in the time of David is still the case in the 21st century. Some would argue that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit allows us a greater measure of discernment and authority than those Old Covenant saints. Nonetheless, it is clear that God continues to surround those who trust in Him with songs born in heaven as our lead verse states. Of even more importance, these are songs of deliverance that embody the salvation of the Lord. Just as there are many today that are being overcome through the hopelessness of music born in hell, there are those who are rising from strength to strength through spiritually-charged songs of victorious warfare. As previously stated, music is all around us. Whether it is coming over our radios, through the internet, or in some other subtle (or not-so-subtle manner), our souls are feeding on it constantly. It is our choice to be nourished by the manna of melodic music from heaven, where we can return our praise to Jesus Christ for all He has done. Or, we can choose to be spiritually starved by the media of the malcontent. His only long term goal is to drag as many down the highway to hell as possible. Through his effective use of music, he sways millions to dance to his tune. As believers, it is our responsibility to allow God's collective chorus to resound throughout the earth by recognizing that His praise surrounds us. As we gain more understanding of how He desires us to fill the earth with His praise, then we can join together in faith to bring His kingdom to earth through His praise. May we all join with the heavenly choirs, even while in our earthly home, to bring heaven once again to this needy world. Praise the Lord!

Lord Jesus, may we join with You in praise. May we lift our voices in faith and praise Your Father for His goodness. Let the songs that surround us become a swelling chorus of joy and gratitude as You prepare to reclaim this earth. In Your precious Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

The Glory of God - August 21, 2011

2011-08-19T14:31:00.001-05:00

Leviticus 9:6 - Moses said, "This is the thing which the LORD has commanded you to do, that the glory of the LORD may appear to you.”

Most of us have either witnessed or participated in the following exchange. Parents will often explain to their children that if they do as they are expected, then a certain result will be their reward. For instance, some parents or grandparents will tell their offspring that if they bring home a good report card, then they will be rewarded accordingly. Some use money or privileges to motivate their brood. Of course, no reasonable parent or guardian would keep basic necessities from children, depriving them of shelter or nourishment. However, added "perks" can often be a strategy to get youth to behave in an acceptable manner. Whether this is wrong or right, it serves as a good illustration regarding how God our Father interacts with us. He would never deny us the simple necessities of life. (After all, as He said through the Lord Jesus, how much more important are we then the ravens that He watches over daily! [Luke 12:24]) While He watches over us, providing for all our needs, scripture tells us that He reveals His manifest presence primarily to those who seek to be obedient to Him in all things. Of course, the main point of obedience is humility, recognizing when we have sinned against the Lord and then asking for His forgiveness. Through humility, we then learn to grow in grace where disobedience is a seldom rather than frequent occurrence. Our objective should always be to understand what the will of God is for our respective lives, and then to fulfill it by our daily obedience to Him. Unfortunately, too many of us seek to live on yesterday's direction rather than seeking God's bidding each and every day. We find that it is often more comfortable to rely on our former counsel from the Lord rather than seeking the fresh manna that He provides morning by morning.

In our lead verse, we see Moses stating a simple principle to evoke the presence of God on behalf of the nation of Israel. What comes before verse six is important if you are studying this chapter in context. (For those who must know, it concerns specific elements of grain and animal sacrifices to be offered to the Lord.) However, for the case of this study, it is only important to note the particularity of something preceding which is identified only as "this." Regarding this adjective, it prescribes a demonstrative condition resulting in a definite outcome. That is, if it is completed as intended by God's command. How many of us struggle with doing THIS that the Lord commanded rather than doing THAT which may look good and religious? For instance, God is as likely to tell a believer to fast or not to fast, to give or not to give in a certain situation, or to speak or not speak admonition to another, just to mention a few. Our dilemma is often knowing when to act on what we might believe are "God impressions" or not to. Learning to hear the voice of the Lord is paramount regarding the type of intimate obedience that Jesus desires from His people. However, we often rely too heavily upon others to hear the word of the Lord on our behalf. Tragically, this is where many a well-meaning saint has erred and pursued after the wrong word for their respective lives. The Apostle Peter appropriately called it the error of Balaam. (II Peter 2:15) This ancient seer, who chose unrighteousness over God's righteousness, compromised his ability to hear God's voice for the prestige and power that Balak, king of Moab offered. Instead of doing "this", as the Lord originally told him (which was to stay in his own land and not journey to Moab) the conflicted prophet chose rather to do "that" which set him in rebellion against his Maker. (Numbers 22:22) Instead of God's glory being revealed to Balaam on behalf of Moab, the Lord exalted His chosen people Israel and abased the arrogance of both the prophet and the nation of Moab.

As obedience is the catalyst to invoke Yahweh's glory, the opposite is often the reason why it departs. There may not be two better examples of provoking God's displeasure in choosing "this" over "that" as the example of King Saul's presumptive sacrifice and his subsequent disobedience of the complete destruction of Amalek. Saul had learned that when he listened to the voice of God's prophet, Samuel, that God's glory was manifest in all he set his hand to do. In I Samuel 13:8-14, we read how Saul disobeys God's prophet by sacrificing before the allotted time prescribed by Samuel -- "the voice of the Lord" for Saul and Israel. By appearances, it would seem that he made a logical decision and sacrificed before the people scattered since it seemed that Samuel was running a bit late. However, as many of us know, the "good" can often be the worst enemy of the "perfect". In this case, the good decision that Saul made was born in hell itself because it was not part of God's plan as spoken through Samuel. The same can be said for Saul's disobedience in sparing some of the choice livestock of the Amalekites as well as Agag their king. Good reason would suggest that some of the prized cattle and sheep would make excellent sacrifices to the Lord, as Saul suggested to Saul. (I Samuel 15:1-21) However, God is not interested in human reasoning or logical conclusions. He is ultimately interested in strict obedience so that He can bless His people for their faithfulness. Saul failed to see the importance of hearing God's voice through the prophet, so God rejected Saul from the kingship and the glory departed from the disobedient ruler. (I Samuel 15:22-23) It would take a new king (who was currently shepherding sheep for his father) to once again restore the glory of God to Israel's throne as he became "a man after God's own heart." (Acts 13:22)

So, what must we understand to provoke God's glory in our lives and those around us? To believe that anything less than an obedient life to God will commend His glory to our lives, our families, our nation, or our world is presumptuous and unscriptural. God is not going to "side up" with us just because we profess God and tell everyone that He has purchased us with His Son's blood. Beloved, if we are not humbly seeking to live for God with all that we have, we might want to question whether the blood has had any affect on our eternal prospects! Sanctification through obedience is a requirement to see the Lord and His glory. (Hebrews 12:14) Shall we rest on our laurels and not seek God fervently, on a daily basis, for His word in our respective lives? Only as we seek to do "this", which may be different for each and every one, may we be kept safe from doing "that" which will ultimately separate us from His glory in this lifetime and possibly in the one to come. Jesus tells us that MANY will say in that day "Lord, Lord, did we not do this and that for You and for heaven's sake? (Matthew 7:21-23) The horror for many will be the realization that they sought something other than God's glory. For Christ's sake, may we all seek Him today, for He jealously desires His glory to rest upon us all!

Heavenly Father, we repent from not listening more closely to your simple, daily instructions for our lives. Speak to us again, even now, and guide us in Your obedience for our lives. Through this loving, caring relationship, reveal your glory to us and change us forever for Your Son's sake. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Unskakeable - August 14, 2011

2011-08-12T18:06:00.003-05:00

The following is the message text and audio recording of a sermon titled "Unshakeable" delivered to the homeless at the Kansas City Rescue Mission Chapel on August 25, 2011.

Unshakeable - August 25, 2011

Psalm 16:8 - I have set the LORD continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Ever wonder why some people seem so unmoved by tragic circumstances? Those who are affluent often have vast reserves of wealth, giving them insurance against life's upheavals. Yet, those who possess everything that this world might offer, often display as much or more insecurity towards day to day trials as someone with little or nothing. Just because someone can afford to live in a remarkably beautiful home doesn't mean the proverbial "roof over their head" gives them security. Likewise, if someone can afford the best healthcare offered doesn't mean that they won't die an untimely death from an incurable disease. While wealth is helpful, it is not what any of us should rely upon concerning a secure lifestyle for ourselves or our families. This is confirmed over and over again in scripture, and especially in the life of David, the shepherd who became king. While it is uncertain the particular background that led David to write Psalm 16, it is probably safe to imagine any number of precarious situations as illustrated throughout the Davidic scriptures. Many times we are shown throughout the books of Samuel how David struggled against adversaries such as his predecessor, Saul, or even his own son Absalom. These historical scriptures ascribed to Samuel give us a look into the events that surrounded David's reign. However, the Psalms give us a look into the heart or the emotions of these situations. Psalm 16 is atypical of how David addressed the Lord when in distress. Verse eight becomes the crescendo of David's trust in this familiar psalm as he proclaims with assurance: I have set the LORD continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

To believe that David hadn't learned this lesson of faith years before would provoke naivety on behalf of the reader. When talking to Saul regarding his ability to defeat the giant, Goliath, David matter-of-factly stated how the bear and the lion did not shake his resolve. (I Samuel 17:34-37) These were faith-builders, preparing him for the contest with the Philistine from Gath. While David's victory and accolades over killing the giant were short-lived, the coming trials experienced between himself and the House of Saul were God's tests as he continued to hone the future king for the greatest reign of any earthly ruler of Israel, both past and future. David had learned the secret that no matter what happens, God is not to be denied regarding His ability to show Himself strong on behalf of those who would but trust Him. (II Chronicles 16:9) Of course, David is only one example of countless others who have trusted in their Savior to remain unshakeable in the face of impossible odds. Often, it merely takes God's perspective to understand how strong He really is regarding our faith. Elisha, like David his predecessor, understood God through eyes of assurance, that God would do far beyond all his expectations. He did not shake with fear when the army of Aram surrounded him and his servant. We are told in the second chapter of the second book of Kings that the man of God's attendant was distraught when he witnessed this great army surrounding their house. His faithlessness was countermanded by Elisha's faith concerning whether this earthly army was any match for the heavenly hosts that were soon to strike this impotent expression of temporal might. (II Kings 6:15-18) Did Elisha understand this great epiphany of the Lord's might just "all of a sudden?" I suggest that he learned his "unshakeability" by serving his master, Elijah. The understudy to the old prophet had surely heard of Elijah's steadfastness against Ahab and Jezebel, how they sought Elijah's life on more than one occasion. Then, Elisha experienced first hand his mentor's resolute faith -- day after day that he ministered to the wizened seer -- up to the very day that Elijah was swept away into heaven by the fiery chariot. (II Kings 2:11)

David and Elisha, king and prophet respectively, were archetypes of the greatest King and Prophet to be born centuries later to the House of David. Jesus Christ gives us many examples of his unshakeability in the face of any circumstance. The instance where Jesus fell asleep in the stern of the boat while He and His disciples crossed the Sea of Galilee gives us a clear picture of how calm Jesus was in the midst of apparent danger. (Mark 4:38) His reserved behavior, when the Pharisees were vehemently questioning Him and accusing the woman caught in adultery, was a testimony of His relationship with His Father. (John 8:6-8) Nothing could remove Him from His relationship with His Father and nothing could shake Him from His resolve to do the Father's will. He completely fulfilled His role as the Son of David, perfectly fulfilling all things that David's lineage (up to that point) was unable to accomplish. Jesus Christ fulfilled Psalm 16 and gave mankind the ability to move toward God and to remain unshakable in any situation.

While Christ fulfilled this Psalm and many others perfectly, it is our heritage to receive the gift of God and to remain unshakeable in situations that used to baffle us in our own power. Psalm 16:8 is a promise of degrees since the outcome is contingent on how we respond. To the extent that we view God as the solution to anything we might face, is the degree that we will not be phased by what this life might seek to throw at us. Shall we trust God in all situations, trusting Him to be our Rock no matter what happens? Or shall we fold without allowing our faith to embrace His promises? Our lives, both now and for eternity, are contingent on how we choose.

Heavenly Father, You are the Rock of our salvation. There is no other that we can look to for salvation. May we remain resolute, unshakeable regarding the storms of life that might come our way. May we, like David and like Your Son, look continually toward You and Your salvation. For only in beholding You will we be saved. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Prisoner Exchange - August 7, 2011

2011-08-05T18:50:00.003-05:00

James 4:8 - Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Many of us have probably seen movies where one prisoner has been exchanged for another. I can remember a couple of East/West German exchanges in some old black and white movies from the 50s or 60s. The respective powers were swapping one high-profile prisoner on one side for another on the opposing side. On a trip to the German capitol several years ago, I saw this first-hand in photographs and video clips at the Check Point Charlie Museum in what was previously communist-controlled East Berlin. Somber, focused individuals that were extremely business-like made the handoffs with calculated coolness. The tension mounted as the prisoners walked toward their respective borders until finally reaching the safety of their comrades. Finally, there was noticeable relief on both sides as the prisoner swaps were completed. Both sides felt they now had their prize in hand. Bottom line, the stakeholder countries possessed something the other side wanted. Therefore, there were terms drawn up long before they ever "toed the line" on the actual day of the exchange.

Similarly, there is a type of prisoner exchange that occurs when we decide that we are done playing games with God and when we finally wish to get on with dying to self and living for the Almighty. The terms for this spiritual "prisoner swap" were determined millennia before the current conflicts we may have seen in museums or in film. Jesus Christ, Son of the Almighty God, determined to give Himself ages ago for the sin of humankind. Our treasonous betrayal of God was the catalyst that set Him on a course of sacrifice for the human race. So, when James, the brother of our Lord tells us to ... draw near to God and He will draw near to you ... this is describing a legal, spiritual-political contract that has been secured against the powers of darkness by the resurrection power of Jehovah on behalf of His beloved Son. When this agreement was being worked out in the heavenlies nearly 2,000 years ago, the enemy of our soul undoubtedly misunderstood the terms of the contract. Otherwise, those hell-bent on destroying the Savior would have thought otherwise. (I Corinthians 2:8) That is why Satan works tirelessly to cause the redeemed to forget their legal position in Christ Jesus. His strategy has always been to first keep human beings from drawing close to God in humility, accepting their Creator's forgiveness. Of paramount importance to the devil regarding those whom have already come to the Lord and accepted His salvation is to cause a proverbial wall to exist between God and man. This comes through the lies and deception of the enemy, telling us that we are unworthy of Christ's salvation and that we need to earn His favor somehow to be accepted in the Beloved. That spiritual separation that once existed before we knew the Lord is Satan's plan to keep us away from the Father's love. A contemporary example would be if Germans decided to once again erect a wall separating East and West Berlin. To do this, there would have to be some ludicrous understanding that communism is still in effect, and that German solidarity is some type of a myth. When we consider this, it seems silly to those of us with rational thinking. However, many make the decision to re-erect the wall separating themselves from the love of God. Then, we have to be reminded, once again, of the prisoner exchange provided on our behalf -- how Jesus loved the human race with an eternal love and walked that lonely distance to exchange His life for ours.

Whether it concerns our initial salvation, when we come to the Lord to accept His gift of redemption, or once we relinquish the deception that might keep us from His presence, then we are in the position to change our condition. Drawing close to our Lord is our responsibility -- God's promise of His closeness is then His promise to those who would do such. Only when we have given ourselves to Him in humble submission can He regenerate us according to His Son's image. THEN, we begin to see the promise of salvation manifested in our respective lives. Once we draw close to our Maker and He draws close to us, this catalyst causes the other elements of this verse to begin to emerge. We are then given the grace to set ourselves apart for God's purposes. The action verbs in this scripture are largely dependent upon the other. A chain of events begin to occur once we accept that we are no longer prisoners of an evil regime. We begin LEARNING to sanitize (or consecrate) our actions by TURNING our minds toward the things of God, while we inevitably YEARN for Him from our hearts. This exchanged life therefore allows us not BURN in our affections for the things of this world but for the things of the Lord.

This, beloved, is simply the normal Christian life -- a life that is sanctified and set apart for the Lord. And, it all starts by believing that He has provided this new life if we will but only accept it. We can continue to live behind the walls of doubt or selfishness. If we do, we will never experience the closeness that He desires for His children. The exchanged life is a fact, a reality that will not be changed regardless what lies the enemy tries to throw our way. Christ Jesus walked that lonely path to provide us His life in place of our sinful existence. None of us could have taken that walk between the Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness. Only One, the Perfect Man, Christ Jesus, was able to die for a race of people that He valued more than His own earthly existence. He has given us the power to become the sons and daughters of God by His magnificent gift. (John 1:12) It is therefore our responsibility to reconcile this fact and draw near to our Savior without doubt. While Satan would have us believe that we need to continue to try to exchange ourselves for our own salvation, Christ has forever smashed that lie by the truth of the Gospel. May we all seek only to walk together with our Lord and to never try to walk out our salvation through our own efforts.

Gracious Father, thank You for sending Your Son as the greatest example of a prisoner exchange ever known to mankind. We accept Your gracious substitution that will forever secure us a place of reconciliation to You. May we never doubt that the Man, Christ Jesus, gave His own life that we might be set free from the prison that held us in its eternal grip. We praise You! In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Everlasting Arms - July 31, 2011

2011-07-29T13:37:00.003-05:00

The following is the message text and audio recording of a sermon titled "Everlasting Arms" delivered to the homeless at the Kansas City Rescue Mission Chapel on July 28, 2011.

Everlasting Arms - July 28, 2011

Hebrews 10:31 - It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

What do we think of when we consider the Lord's "Everlasting Arms"? Many of us hearken to the chorus of that old hymn of the same name:

Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms
Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms!

The first line of the first stanza declares ... What a fellowship, what a joy divine ... which sets the tone of God's loving joy and security as we rest in the Father's arms. For truly, in his presence there is fullness of joy. (Psalm 16:11) If we know the Lord, it is our heritage as born-again, blood-bought believers to lean ever-so securely against the chest of our "Papa", knowing that He will cradle us in His love. In so doing, we know that He will protect us from all evil. Probably no scripture depicts this better than in the thirty-third chapter of Deuteronomy: The eternal God is a dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms; And He drove out the enemy from before you, And said, "Destroy!" (Deuteronomy 33:27) The Lord is certainly our hiding place when the enemy of our soul besieges us.

While this is a wondrous word picture for the redeemed, we see the strength of those same loving arms manifested through His divine hands less approachable concerning those who reject Christ's salvation. The omnipotent strength of those mighty arms become formidable and terrifying instruments of justice to those who would spurn His great love. The figure of speech "to fall into someone's hands", in Middle Eastern culture, meant to succumb as the vanquished to one's conqueror. For the victor to place their foot on the neck of their captive was the most humiliating position for a defeated foe. (Joshua 10:24) At this point, they were totally helpless and subject to any sort of torture or death at the hands of their new masters. The Lord prophesied through His servant Moses regarding the future state of Israel after centuries of apostasy and idolatry. He stated that the day would come when Israel would be delivered into their enemies' hands much in the same way as He would deliver the Canaanites into Joshua's hands after Moses' death. (Leviticus 26:25) Then, God's chosen people would understand the terror first-hand they had centuries before inflicted when they conquered the land. His hands would become those horrific implements of their own destruction because they had forsaken God their Savior.

The children of Israel were not unique to apostasy. Countless others since the time of Israel's idolatry have followed in similar ways. During the early 18th century in New England America, there was a similar falling away from the faith and a subsequent correction. As more New Englanders moved from a rural to urban lifestyles, communities were often bereft of devout church-goers instituted by the Puritan way of life. People, in general, often became more interested in making money than observing the Sabbath and attending church. Because people were living in more concentrated areas, diseases such as Diphtheria were allowed to spread with rapid fluency. As thousands died from such outbreaks, many were driven back to the churches in a sort of desperation. Surely, the enemy had placed his foot on their necks and they were mercilessly held captive in the hands of sin and disease. During this time, revivalists such as Jonathan Edwards rose up with prophetic unction to minister God's pronouncement of their current situation in a two-fold manner. Number one ... that they were rebels of God and had acted with high treason against the Son of God and His eternal gift of salvation. Furthermore, they were nothing but insects before God that dangled over the flames of hell and were only kept from the eternal torment by the mercy of God. And number two ... that only through God's mercy and grace could they ever hope to be delivered from the deserved fate. In Edward's sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, he describes his congregation's present horror in the Almighty's hands, and their only salvation in His everlasting arms:

... The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked: his wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire; he is of purer eyes than to bear to have you in his sight; you are ten thousand times more abominable in his eyes, than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours.

... And now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open, and stands in calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners; a day wherein many are flocking to him, and pressing into the kingdom of God. Many are daily coming from the east, west, north and south; many that were very lately in the same miserable condition that you are in, are now in a happy state, with their hearts filled with love to him who has loved them, and washed them from their sins in his own blood, and rejoicing in hope of the glory of God.

Today, many are in the same lackadaisical mindset of those in ancient Israel, and, more recently, the Congregationalists of Edward's day. Salvation and eternal condemnation has never been nearer for any of us as it is at this very moment. Some may believe that their "fire insurance policy" is paid up and that they will never have to worry about the eternal flames lapping upon their eternal flesh. While salvation is a done deal for those who are truly saved, it is an uncertainty for those who choose to rest in the arms of this world instead of the everlasting arms. The scripture is clear that those who don't remain passionately in the arms of their Savior were possibly never truly saved. (I John 2:19) Beloved, we all have the choice to either lean upon the arms and the breast of God, or to embrace this adulteress world. The latter promises us to be thrown into hands that will terrify us when we step into eternity. We all have the chance to choose mercy and His perfect love in this life, so we will not have to partake in the judgment to come. May we all rest in His arms of love so we don't have to experience His hands of judgment in this life and the one to come.

Heavenly Father, we know You don't desire to terrify anyone. You desire that we all respond to Your great gift of salvation that You've most graciously given through the death of Jesus. May we rest in those everlasting arms in this life and the one to come. May you draw all who pray this prayer into that eternal relationship with You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Cast Your Burden - July 24, 2011

2011-07-22T12:44:00.002-05:00

Psalm 55:22 - Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.

Any of us who have witnessed track and field events have probably witnessed the shot put throw. I remember throwing or "putting" a diminished version of the standard 16 pound put used in men's competition. In junior high, it was probably an eight to ten pound shot put, and by high school we used a 12 pounder. I was never really good at it, but I always marveled when someone could put some distance on their put. Today, the world record is held by a fellow that shot put over 75 feet. That is remarkable when you think about heaving a 16 pound ball of metal over 25 yards -- a quarter of an American football field in length! While this is an outstanding effort, it once again is a testament regarding human limitations. We just don't have omnipotent power to achieve superhuman feats of strength. (This is probably why superheroes are larger than life and emulated by so many!) Our limitations remind us time and again that we are mere mortals and subject to the frailty of human flesh. For those of us who know the Lord, our weakness only reminds us of the One who lives within our earthly bodies. We are reminded that truly, greater is He who is within us, then any other we might encounter, either real or imagined. (I John 4:4)

The implication of our lead verse gives us a word picture that we might liken to one who would attempt the shot put. By the time many of us are willing to acknowledge our burden of sin, the revelation of its enormity and ungainliness might leave us in despair to know how to deal with it. Fortunately, Christ Jesus our Savior knows that we cannot begin to handle the load of sin that we all must carry outside of His saving grace. When we trust in Him, He removes the weight of sin if we will only cast our burden His way. It matters not how strong we are in this effort. In spiritual reality, it is better that we are crippled with weakness. If we will but move toward the Lord to throw our sin upon Him, He will meet us with all the strength of the God-head to accomplish salvation on our behalf. But what about after salvation? Once we have walked with the Lord for a while, we might find that those familiar pains of carrying around an unneeded weight have returned. Some might easily equate their newly-acquired burden as sin needing confession and repentance. That may be the case if the Lord reveals this to a man or a woman's heart. In this case, we should humbly ask our Savior to cleanse us by His blood, knowing that He will graciously grant us forgiveness (I John 1:9) However, there is also the very real possibility that Satan, through our flesh (sin nature), has heaped upon us guilt for previously forgiven transgressions. In this case, we must stand on the word of God, knowing that Christ has removed our sin as far as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:12) If we have truly cast our burden of sin, the Lord has flung our sin into the sea of forgetfulness, never to resurface in His mind or heart again. (Micah 7:19)

As redeemed, born-again believers, we are not allowed to carry a burden of sin. The only "burdens" we are to carry are the ones the Lord gives us in prayer for others. (Galatians 6:1-2) To hear a Christ-follower (a saint, if you will), speak about the heavy burdens they are carrying belies the true meaning of our burden of sin before we knew Christ. So-called burdens are often dressed-up disguises of unbelief and sin. We might say that we believe God will supply all our needs according to Christ's riches as stated in Philippians 4:13. But then we might tell others about our mountain of bills, or our broken down car, or our failing health in a spirit of "burdened" unbelief. Instead, we should first be telling God our problems, ending with a post-script in our prayers that we know He can meet all our needs. Then, if he gives us permission, we can take these faith-filled requests to others, allowing them to join with us in prayer to see these needs come to fruition. When we merely moan and groan about our supposed "burdens", we call God a liar -- declaring that He is not able to meet our needs as He has stated. However, if we will continue to cast our cares (not our burden, for Christ dealt with that when we trusted in Him), then we will see the heavens opened and God meeting and exceeding our expectations.

To cast one's burden of sin upon the Lord is the defining moment of every new believer. We are not meant to bear its weight. Neither are we meant to be able to set some type of world's record in how far we can throw it from our own spiritual self. That is what the devil would desire for every man, woman, and child. If the enemy of our souls can keep lost souls trying to "shot put" their sins continually away from them, then he has won. Likewise, if he can keep believers like you and me to attempt to either carry our sins once again, or to cast our sins off our shoulders and out of our hearts by our own power, then he has made us ineffective as children of God. Our only hope is the Great Anchor of our Souls (Hebrews 6:19), for without Him both our sin and our sins will weigh us down to the depths of despair. May we first cast off our burden of sin to the One who will grant us freedom from its unbearable weight. Then, may we always cast all our concerns upon the Lord, for He desires to be our care-bearer in the same way. He alone is the One who is ultimately our strength, beloved.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the power of Your might that has resolved both sin and anxiety for all those who would but trust in You. Thank you for allowing us to cast our burden upon Your Son, as well as all our cares. Keep us in Your continual peace as we trust in You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Love Without Limits - July 17, 2011

2011-07-15T18:14:00.003-05:00

James 2:8 - If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “ YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” you are doing well.

All of us fall short of the mark when it comes to "loving our neighbor". For most of us, we find our love sometimes lacking when it comes to speaking rightly toward someone or possibly giving them a helping hand. Often, it is easier to criticize than it is to "Christ-ize" those with whom we are in daily contact. We might have certain individuals in our lives who are easy to love, because they love us. They give us what we need regarding overall acceptance. However, there may be others in our lives that are less than loving, often simply because they have a hard time loving themselves. People that are generally unloving toward themselves are more than likely unloving toward others. I state the obvious in order to understand both our current circumstances in the world in which we live, and the promise of a pure existence yet to come. To respond differently to those who may not like us, is to act in a way that is not consistent with this world's standards. There may be some who despise us because of a wrong they feel we've done to them once upon a time. (This may be true or understated.) However, their perception has led them to take up arms against not only us, but anyone else they feel has victimized them. Jesus tells us that our responsibility is to always respond in love, no matter our rightness or our "whiteness" in the matter. (Matthew 5:39) We may be totally innocent, but so was our Savior when they lifted Him up for our salvation. The Father's love which manifested itself within Christ's human body allowed Him to love those perfectly who brought about His death.

James, the half-brother of our Savior, quotes both Jesus and the Law of Moses in our lead verse. He tells us that we are to indeed love our neighbor with the same fervor that we love ourselves. Understanding exactly what James was saying is paramount to discerning his intent in this verse. Jesus spoke to those questioning Him about the greatest commandment, referring to the importance of loving one's neighbor as himself. (Mark 12:28-31) In this instance in the Gospel of Mark, the Lord is quoting from the Levitical law, using the Torah to affirm God's heart to those who questioned Him regarding the importance of the law. (Leviticus 19:18) Through this encounter, Jesus taught that the Greatest Commandment was inseparable from the second greatest charge. Without accomplishing a deep, passionate love for the Lord -- to love Him with all of one's heart, soul, and mind -- it would be impossible to love one's neighbor. Without God's love abiding within, love for one's self would be moot therefore aborting any true godly love for another. When I speak of love for one's self, I am not speaking of selfish, narcissistic adoration. I do refer to a love regarding who God has fashioned by the finished work at Calvary. To love one's self in a right way is to understand that the Holy Spirit dwells within and that we should be in love with God within our human bodies. He has come to dwell within the temple of our mortal frame, consecrating it for His purpose and ultimately for His glory. With that perspective, what is there not to love about God tabernacling with men? With a true understanding of His love for us, and "right-sized" thinking about the God who lives within us, it is little wonder that we don't love ourselves more. And, that is the key to love others more completely, beloved. Once we accept who we are in the Beloved, our Lord Jesus Christ, then we will experience the fulfillment of the "royal law" when we begin to lay down our lives for others, even as He did for us.

Surprisingly, few truly understand this. Otherwise, the church would be experiencing much more growth in the area of love. The barometer of wellness of a local body (and the Body of Christ at large) is how well we love. When we aren't loving, it tells the world that we're not loving what God has done and is doing in us, both past and present. To understand God's great love is to understand a deep, abiding sense of His presence which will ultimately be shed abroad in our hearts to others. (Romans 5:5) To comprehend His great love is a gift from above. We simply need to continue to ask for revelation of His love within until he fills us to such overflowing that our witness becomes one of continual charity toward both ourselves and others. (Philippians 1:9) For in reality, beloved, we are simply rehearsing for that day that when we will be enveloped forever in His love. That day when we step into eternity and experience the fullness of His love and of His presence will be the day that we love perfectly. No more will we feel disdain toward a mortal soul we once felt no empathy toward. In that Celestial City, we will feel nothing but unrequited love that will flow freely from the Source within us. No more will we experience anger or unforgiveness from those who once walked this earth. If we are truly Christ's, He will wipe away every tear from our eyes, knowing that we are indeed created from the dust, yet now to rule and reign with Him forever. Never again will there be an unresolved act of charity, for all will be resolved through Jesus. We will walk with Him, loving ourselves for what He has done in us and perfectly loving those that share that heavenly scene because He loved them likewise.

Self-love without God's love as the source is from this earth and demonic in nature. However, love that is given through revelation of what the Father has completed within us through the blood of Jesus is a wonderfully holy thing. We can rejoice in the knowledge of His love within us, for it will set us free to love others. If we don't accept ourselves, our love for others will fall woefully short. May we embrace God's view, as redeemed children of the King, with the understanding that His Holy Spirit dwells within all who know the Savior. Let us continue to draw close to Him, allowing Him to love us completely, giving us total permission to love ourselves and others. May His love abound within our hearts and may it find a place to dwell in all those whom we touch in our daily lives.

Heavenly Father, may we love You fully, may we love ourselves respectfully and humbly according to Your great revelation, and may we love others completely through Your divine understanding or who we are in Christ. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

The Good Shepherd - July 10, 2011

2011-07-08T16:37:00.003-05:00

The following is the message text and audio recording of a sermon titled "The Good Shepherd" delivered to the homeless at the Kansas City Rescue Mission Chapel on July 6, 2011.

The Good Shepherd - July 6, 2011

Psalm 23:4 - Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

Of all the story pictures in the Old Testament scriptures, possibly none evokes tranquility better than the six verses that make up Psalm 23. From the beginning of this Song of David to the end, we are painted a vivid portrait within our mind's-eye regarding this pastoral scene. Sheep led by tranquil waters and resting in lush grass create a peaceful motif for this most quoted scripture of both Testaments. However, some would imply that there is something less peaceful regarding the shepherd's intention in this psalm when discussing verse four. Throughout my church history, I recall various preachers sermonizing about this passage, using this metaphor of God's rod and staff in a less than comforting way. They meant well, I'm sure, when they conjectured a different meaning regarding the shepherd's intent. However, their interpretation comes across as wholly incompatible with the context. We should look carefully at the meaning of the shepherd's rod and staff to determine David's intent in this powerful psalm.

We've probably all seen pictures in books or bibles or religious displays depicting a shepherd with his flock. Common to us is the shepherd's crook, a long staff with a hook at the end. This enabled the shepherd to help guide his or her sheep, using the crook at times to gently "hook" the sheep by the neck and guide it back to the rest of the flock. Probably less known to us is the shepherd's rod. A rod in biblical times could be something as small as a foot-long club that shepherd's wore in their belt, to a four-foot in length weapon that might resemble a walking stick. Usually, one end was more club-like (as shown in the attached picture). While the staff was used specifically for herding the flock, the rod was a weapon or a tool, if you will, to provide safety for the flock. To understand the meaning and the use of the rod is to understand God's heart toward His flock. As mentioned, some preachers would lead us to believe that God would use His rod against His beloved sheep and lambs. Some have stated that shepherds in ancient Palestine would correct a lamb by breaking its leg and carrying it until the break had healed. Therefore, this would prevent the lamb, one day to become a sheep, from ever wandering away again. With full grown sheep, the implication is that the rod would be used to discipline the sheep with heavy blows to prevent it from wandering. In both cases, I believe this does not produce the result of "comfort" as the verse states. Animals are not stupid, neither are humans. Both know the difference of being treated with love that does not foster fear as a result. Can you imagine the trauma created to an animal's psyche by such a blatantly heinous act? There would be an indelible mistrust, no matter how much nurturing occurred after the fact. The same can be said regarding humans. If we knew that God was intentionally "beating us up and breaking our legs" we would always have the wrong sort of fear toward the Great Shepherd.

If, however, the rod was meant for something totally different, then it would cast a harmonious consistency with the rest of the psalm. Suppose that the rod symbolized protection from without, as the shepherd's staff meant protection from within? Imagine for a moment a good shepherd who wielded this one- to four-foot club, would he not meet any animal, robber, or stranger seeking to harm the flock with unbridled ferocity? Can we suppose that David, when bringing his resume' to King Saul regarding his ability to defeat the giant Goliath, didn't use one of these rods to club to death both the bear and the lion? (I Samuel 17:33-35) Artists throughout the millennia have shown this very thing as David clutched the beard of a lion and slew it with this club-like rod. So, how could one imagine that David could be referring to this war club in any other way as a defense for the flock? Just as the shepherd would keep the flock from straying with his staff, so he would keep the outer dangers at bay with his rod of defense. To use the rod for anything else would strike the wrong kind of fear in the hearts of his animals. Every time they saw it, there would be an uncertainty regarding when and where the shepherd would use it next. While the staff would comfort them, knowing that the shepherd would herd them lovingly by keeping them together, so they would also know that the other tool in their keeper's arsenal was to protect them from whatever might assail them.

The transliteration of the word "rod" in Hebrew is shebet, and is found dozens of times in the Old Testament. Critics to the reasoning I suggest might note that shebet is used in child-rearing scriptures such as Proverbs 23:13: Do not hold back discipline from the child. Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die. However, corporal punishment for a rebellious child is one thing -- the intent of a "sheep" to maliciously assert its own predilection is quite another. One acts out of a state of volition, defiantly choosing to disobey. The other is wayward merely out of a sense of misguided instinct. One might choose to deal with a wayward child in one way, and a wayward grown child in quite another. We are told that the father of the Prodigal Son merely let his wayward grown son make his mistakes and then return when he saw the folly of his ways. (Luke 15:11-25) While I am not naive to believe that the shepherd would not be forcefully rough at times to convince a sheep to stay with the flock, I likewise believe that a good shepherd would not inflict unnecessary brutality to convince a sheep of his authority. This, as has already been stated, would be counterproductive and would make the sheep ultimately mistrust and flee from this type of shepherding. (John 10:5)

Jesus tells us in the Gospel of John, the tenth chapter that He is indeed the Good Shepherd. He protects His flock and will not allow any to be snatched from His hand. (John 10:28) David gives us this dynamic portrayal of good shepherding in Psalm 23 whereas Jesus Christ completes the image in John's Gospel. The Lord has shown us through David's typology and through His own testimony that He is to be trusted to keep us from straying and to defend us against those who would seek to devour us. Even if we did stray, He compares Himself with the man in the parable of the wayward sheep. He would seek us out and rejoice when He found us once again. (Luke 15:3-6) Jesus is clear throughout His teachings that punitive discipline is not the order of the day when a lost sheep is found. What is clear is His love for us all and how He rejoices over our return. May we never see God being desirous to punish us through corrective measures that are not in line with His word. Neither the shepherd David nor the Good Shepherd would be complicit to this type of discipline. Know and understand, beloved, that the rod of his love is to protect us from all that would seek to harm us. In Him, we can truly be comforted and rest in His abiding grace!

Great Shepherd of our souls, may we always trust that you will lead us and guide us, first with your staff of life that leads us always in your word. And also by your rod, that protects us from the world and the devil that would seek to devour us. May your word comfort and lead us while the power of Your Name protects us from all evil. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Salvation That Works! - July 3, 2011

2011-06-30T22:21:00.005-05:00

Philippians 2:12 - So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;

How should we define salvation? If we think of salvation as merely being redeemed by the blood of Jesus and secured a place in heaven, then we mock the greater intent. Salvation from sin is a continual, ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives Who gives us the power to live free from our past lives and to embrace the newness of life as spoken by the Apostle Paul (II Corinthians 5:17). We must daily strive to enter into the fullness of what Christ has given us through His death, burial, and resurrection. It is not our heritage as sons and daughters of the Most High God to remain the same. Indeed, He has given us all things pertaining to life and godliness (II Peter 1:3). With that gift comes the responsibility to work out what He has worked in those who call themselves "redeemed." If we call ourselves Christians, it is our destiny to first embrace the salvation He has granted, and then to allow it to permeate every area of our lives. While this may be simple in concept, it is often not easy in application. True, it is relatively straightforward to love those who love us. But what of those who despitefully use or abuse us? On these occasions, we are confronted by our inability to love, and are more apt to behave quite the opposite from that of our Savior.

For someone to say that all we need to do is confess that we are Christ's children in order to love those who hate us, have missed an important lesson regarding working out our salvation toward sanctification. To simply say, "I love all people because Christ is in me" is naive and unrealistic in respect to the reality. I can repeat over and over again that I love someone who slanders me, yet if I don't possess that love toward them, then my confession is flawed. What is often needed is an "act of love" to reinforce the confession toward this unseemly person. To say that we love someone and then to do nothing to show otherwise is an empty gesture. Proverbs tells us that ... "a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." (Proverbs 15:1) This is a demonstration of how the confession of love becomes an act of love. The Apostle James calls this dynamic putting works with your faith. (James 2:20) If we believe that Christ has given us His love, then we should be acting it out. Too often, I believe that many Christians don't really believe that Jesus has given them "all things in the Beloved" for their actions deny their confession. If they truly believed that all things godly were theirs, doesn't it make sense that they would be living out their reality? Instead, many continue in their old way of thinking and acting, letting their unregenerate self rule their existence. They lack the understanding or the revelation that God lives within them. For many, they lethargically believe that their Christian life is "okay" and that there is no reason to attempt anything different. These don't see a need to cry to God for His Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation that would reveal who they truly are in Christ, and how they should be acting out the precious gift of salvation to others. (Ephesians 1:17-19)

In his writings, Paul's desire was for all to understand who they were in God's Son, even as Jesus knew who He was in His Father. Paul spoke the words for the Philippians to "work out their salvation with fear and trembling" only after giving them the model of how Christ Jesus accomplished this in the previous verses. In verse seven of Philippians chapter two, Paul tells us that Jesus Christ emptied Himself of His Deity, taking on the flesh of man. In so doing, He denied Himself the limitless power of God and chose instead to understand who He was, and how He was to act. Jesus understood, through divine revelation, who it was that lived within Him. However, He still needed to WORK OUT that relationship to the world at large. His life became that of the REVELATION of God within Him, the INSPIRATION of what God could do through Him, and finally the DIVINE COMMISSIONING to work out the Father's salvation to a lost and dying world. By perfectly drawing upon the grace that His Father provided to Him in earthly flesh, He perfectly moved in the exact representation of His Father's will while on earth. Therefore, God highly exalted Him once again to His place in the eternal Godhead.

While we will never achieve Christ's perfect submission to the Father, we are commissioned to look to Jesus as our role model regarding salvation. God has given us the Divine Nature, the very Spirit that dwelt in Christ Jesus, to reign in our mortal bodies. It is therefore our spiritual duty to "empty ourselves" of the old nature and to work out salvation in both our lives and those around us. It is not enough to know that Jesus has justified us according to His work on Calvary. We must keep coming to Him, seeking Him to fill us with His enduing power as we empty ourselves of our past, carnal life. Only as we give ourselves to Him in perfect submission, can we be equipped to work out the salvation He has so graciously given. Faith without works, beloved, are inseparable. We must understand that God has given us all power through the cross of Christ. It is our highest duty to act like Christians, and to allow His Spirit to work through us. Without Christ's demonstration of His Person in our lives, can we truly claim to be His? May God give us His wisdom in this and much more!

Heavenly Father, help us to work the works of Jesus by demonstrating His love through us. May the gifts of the Holy Spirit be manifested through lives that are emptied, intent on working out salvation both in our hearts and lives and those of others. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

The Power of Silence - June 26, 2011

2011-06-24T10:29:00.003-05:00

The following is the message text and audio recording of a sermon titled "Pursuing Peace" delivered to the homeless at the Kansas City Rescue Mission Chapel on June 23, 2011.

The Power of Silence - June 23, 2011

Exodus 14:14 - The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.

Anyone who has watched a crime drama, either in a movie or on a television program, is familiar with "the right to be silent" when law enforcement has arrested a suspect. The Miranda Rule was developed from a 1966 Supreme Court ruling to protect the individual's Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. The High Court recognized that every one detained on United States soil, whether citizen or not, was afforded the right to not speak until they were duly represented by legal counsel. However, one could arbitrarily waive those rights by speaking to an arresting officer. In those cases, anything they say could be used against them when their day in court arrived. Lawyers work hard to throw out testimonies or confessions offered before their clients are duly represented. In most cases, silence by the defendant is a place of strength and an unalienable right under the constitution. It should not be lightly disposed of, but recognized as possibly the greatest power those arrested may possess. While most arrests are warranted, there are always those instances where they are not. This might be something as simple as a driving infraction (legally, in all 50 states, when one is pulled over they are technically under arrest until released by the officer). Or, it could be something much more heinous where there is a mistaken identity or a misunderstanding that seems to make someone culpable, but indeed is not the case. With the advent of DNA testing, more and more cases are being exonerated in the courts due to wrong or erroneous evidence. It is one thing to suffer through injustice, denying that a person is responsible. It is quite another to remain quiet in the midst of a prejudiced circumstance.

The children of Israel were in a situation where they had been locked away, or incarcerated if you will, for nearly 400 years. They had not been silent, but had cried out to the Lord, and He heard their voice (Exodus 3:7). Then, along came the man, Moses, whom God had raised up to bring His people out of bondage. He promised the Hebrews freedom and a return to the land of their ancestors. Through the first twelve chapters of the book of Exodus we see the Lord acting strongly on behalf of His people, finally garnering their release from a hard-hearted Pharaoh. However, the situation turned diametrically for Israel once the Egyptians regretted their decision to "let God's people go." Once the pursuit was on by Pharaoh's forces, the children of Israel were terrified. Moses calmed this vast crowd by stating not to fear and to know that ... The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent. (Exodus 14:14) Their crying out to God for generations had finally come to a climax, but now God was saying, "It's time to be quiet and see My deliverance!" The wisdom to know when to speak and voice their complaint and to stand and see the salvation of God was now being manifested in their own sight. The day of their redemption had come and all they needed to do was shut their mouth in the midst of the injustice that was seeking to devour them.

So, how do we know when to be silent or when to complain to God? The children of Israel sought to learn that lesson for the next 40 years after He destroyed Pharaoh and his armies. Their wandering aimlessly through the deserts of the Sinai was a testimony of their foolishness. It spoke loudly about their lack of understanding regarding when and when not to cry out. Others in scripture give us a glimpse into this struggle between knowing when to speak up to God and when to sit silently and wait. Through all of Job's struggles and complaints, it did not change the verdict against himself or his friends. We are shown in the beginning of the book and finally at the end how God was working in the background, accomplishing His purposes. Being privy to God's dealings helps the reader understand the Lord's workings in the case of Job. But what of others? David, we are shown throughout the Psalms, offers complaints and entreaties continually for God's deliverance (see Psalm 31, Psalm 55, and Psalm 64 for just a few examples). However, his son Solomon gave us these words in Ecclesiastes 3:7, telling us there is a "... time to be silent and a time to speak." Jeremiah the prophet on the other hand reminds us that it is good that a man wait silently for the salvation of the LORD (Lamentations 3:26).

While there seem to be conflicting accounts in scripture regarding whether to wait on the Lord's salvation silently or to cry out for it incessantly, I believe there is a guiding principle to lead us through this seeming dilemma. Some of the best advice when knowing when to act or simply to do nothing is "... If in doubt, DON'T!" Paul tells us to allow the peace of God to rule in our hearts (Colossians 3:15). Is there turmoil in your heart regarding a seeming injustice that has been dealt to you? Then take it to the Lord in prayer. His promise is that He will give you peace beyond comprehension, if we will but ask. Do you feel that you've done all that you can and you now possess God's peace even though you might be wrongly accused? Then stand and see the salvation of God. Stand resolutely, yet silently, and wait for God's vindication for it will come. With David, we will be able to say: Wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord. (Psalm 27:14) Once we have gained our position in Christ's peace, there is nothing that can defraud us if we will but wait silently for the inevitable victory. Praise God for His victory as we wait upon the Lord!

Heavenly Father, we rejoice in the wisdom to know when to speak up and when to shut up. The victory is ours if we will but listen to You rather than to continually listen to the noise of others and of this world. Grant us ears to hear, that we might find that place of peace and rejoice in the silence of your deliverance. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Holding Things Together - June 19, 2011

2011-06-17T18:06:00.005-05:00

Colossians 1:17 - He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

We've all heard expressions such as "I'm holding on" or "I'm holding on by the skin of my teeth". Others might say they are doing all they can to "hold things together". In our fast-paced world it's easy to become overwhelmed by life and all its responsibilities. However, as frail human beings, we were not designed to hold everything together, either in our own lives or our families or our businesses. Jesus Christ gives us a model to understand that a greater power exists to sustain us in this life and the one to come. If we are trying to hold things together, then we are scripturally working against the Lord. As stated in our lead passage, Jesus is the One who holds all things together. Is this indicative or every instance of life, no matter to what granularity we apply it? We must believe if Jesus is interested in holding together the Universe by His power, then He is interested in all of its particulars -- even down to the very molecular structure of life as we know it.

Careful review of our lead scripture draws our attention to "... and in Christ all things hold together." To "hold together" derives its meaning from the Greek word sunistemi. This quite literally means to "stand together" or "to adhere to one another". From a scientific viewpoint we might apply this so-called "Colossae Theory" to the study of atoms and nuclear energy -- the building blocks of all physical matter. Physicists generally agree that atoms are held together by weak and strong forces. Simply stated, an atom's nucleus contains positively-charged and neutral particles. Electrical forces would ultimately drive the particles apart and cause a nuclear reaction if it were not for the "strong force" which holds the nucleus of the atom together. This unexplained force is positively identified in scripture as the power of the Lord Jesus as he "upholds all things by the word of His power". (Hebrews 1:3) Furthermore, we know that Jesus, according to John 1:1, is Himself that word. Therefore, all power to hold the cosmos together is encompassed in the Living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

Whether one is a believer in God or agnostic or even an atheist, there will come a day when we all believe in the power of the Lord Jesus through the Holy Spirit, that He indeed is holding all things together. We will, on that fateful day, know with great certainty that He "has the whole world in His hands" as the old hymn states. That day will be manifested as a day when He no longer uses His "strong force" to hold all things in their proper place, as we have known them. That last moment in time will be manifested in His "letting go", thereby allowing a nuclear explosion unparalleled in the history of the earth, allowing everything to be enveloped by eternity. The Apostle Peter states it in this manner:

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements (atoms) will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. (II Peter 3:10)
Everything, as we know it, will be consumed in a fiery atomic reaction that will disintegrate every physical particle that is seen. While this sounds horrendously frightening to some, it can at the same be time comforting to those who know the Lord. Those of us who have trusted in Jesus understand that He is the One that has not only been holding the Universe together by the power of His word, but He has been holding our lives together by the word of His grace. Believers in Jesus' redemption know that our bodies will someday be transformed by the power of His resurrection. We also know that He is loosening His grip on our mortal bodies and that one day we will succumb to death (unless He first appears to redeem us in "the twinkling of the eye" [I Corinthians 15:52]). However, His grip remains firm on our soul and spirit that is forever redeemed by His grace.

Often, we can limit an omnipotent God by denying that He is not concerned with every instance of creation. Even as believers, we can become agnostic or even atheistic in our beliefs if we limit our perception of His power. For God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, to be so connected with every molecule and atom by holding them all together is a mind-boggling thought. However, we must understand that if He is so intimately involved with every iota of what He created, to dismiss that He isn't passionately concerned with His chief creation is sacrilegious toward His Deity. If God uses His limitless power to allow creation to continue, day after day, holding it together by His immeasurable strength, then why should we not believe that He is doing so for us? He suspends His judgment by "holding things together" to allow still others to accept His free gift of love and eternal life. What an awesome, all-powerful God we serve! May He continue to hold us and to love us until that day when we are consumed and wrapped in eternity, to be with Him always!

Heavenly Father, may we know that You uphold us by the strength of Your right hand. May we understand that the power of Your might holds us together on this physical plane until we go to join You in that eternal new earth that exists for Your good pleasure. Cause us to yearn for that day when we no longer look for You to hold us together in this life, but to be one with You in the world to come. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Thriving in Adversity - June 12, 2011

2011-06-10T20:00:00.003-05:00

Ecclesiastes 7:14 - In the day of prosperity be happy, but in the day of adversity consider--God has made the one as well as the other so that man will not discover anything that will be after him.

In some churches today, it is quite common to hear a prosperity message that doesn't reflect the total doctrine within scripture. While God desires for all His children to prosper, it is sometimes misunderstood how that prosperity should be manifested. I have been around enough of this teaching to understand that there is an undercurrent of disapproval if a person seems to be struggling with finances or possibly personal or family issues. Some church- and lay-leaders will often try to comprehend the source of a person's "misfortune" by seeking to explain it through cause and effect. If someone is struggling financially, then there is possibly a tithing problem. Or, if the tithing is in order then maybe they just need to give more to "open the windows of heaven" upon their lives. If there are family problems or personal issues, then maybe there is a generational curse that needs to be broken "in the Name of Jesus". Believe me, friends, I am not discounting these as possibilities. However, I believe that some churches seek to explain too much through a formulaic approach. Sometimes, bad things happen to good people, and vice versa. We would do well to remember the words of Jesus, that God "... causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous". (Matthew 5:45) The world in which we live is affected by both sin and righteousness, and seemingly it is beset by certain arbitrary outcomes. However, we know that as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, He causes all things to work together for God for those who love Him (Romans 8:28). We often just need a spiritual adjustment regarding our perspective to understand what is happening in regard to our lives and those whom we love.

Job is the classic biblical example of someone suffering under seemingly unjust circumstances. We are told throughout the Book of Job that the defendant, Job, is being treated unjustly and has been ruined without cause. The patriarch's friends defend the formulaic belief that supports the reciprocity theory -- if a person does good, they will receive good, if bad then bad things will come their way. It is not until the final few chapters do we learn that God is working behind the scenes in what would appear arbitrary ways. However, He was there all along, causing good things to spring forth through adversity that appeared to be misplaced upon Job. Calamity and adversity became the means by which God justified Job before men and angels. His testing became Job's testimony of how God would not only take away prosperity, but how he would then restore. As the Sovereign Lord, He had every right to deal with this saint of old in this manner, as he likewise has with anyone he desires. Too often, we seek to discern God's dealings with others, even as Eliphaz, Zophar, and Bildad tried with Job. However, we may too often revert to the "formula" that is not iron-clad, leveraging the spirit of suspicion rather than true discernment from God's Spirit.

There are those select few, like Job, who understand that God is sovereign and He does as He will, working everything for His glory. Then, there are countless others who look at the adversity that God may allow and they react much differently. The children of Israel were chronic complainers with a catalog of murmurings those 40 years while wandering in the wildernesses of Sinai and Kadesh-Barnea. We are told in the Book of Numbers that the Israelites "complained of adversity" in God's hearing which ignited God's anger toward His chosen people. Numbers 11:1 states:

Now the people became like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of the LORD; and when the LORD heard it, His anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.
What was the difference between Job and the nation of Israel? Did they not both complain to God regarding their adversity? Scripture tells us that the difference was heart attitude. We know that Job believed God and trusted God, without seeing Him. The Israelites doubted God continually, but saw His goodness and miracles for 40 years. We are told that Job was righteous in God's eyes -- upright, fearing God, and turning from evil. (Job 1:8) Yet God still inflicted him with adversity as a righteous man. However, the Lord God threatened repeatedly to destroy the Israelites and to make a great nation from the man, Moses. (Exodus 32:10; Deuteronomy 9:14; Numbers 14:12) This was all because they refused to believe and trust in the One who continually provided for them in the wilderness. So, we can look at both examples and surmise, from human standards, that God's dealing with the wandering Israelites was just. However, without reading the final chapters of Job, we are led to believe that God deals unjustly on certain occasions with select individuals. We see from Job's restoration, that this was not the case at all.

It is easy to judge another when they are going through a personal, financial, or family problem. It's quite easy to make a religious judgment over someone who is entering bankruptcy. Some might say, "If only they would rebuke the devourer off their life, then God would be able to open the windows of heaven and all would be good!" As I stated previously, this can indeed be the case for some select individuals. However, to create an equation that says to do this and to do that and it will result in blessing is unscriptural in view of all of God's word. Adversity is sometimes meant to be embraced as well as the prosperity that God so graciously gives. We can thrive in one as well as the other. The Apostle Paul, we are told, learned the "secret" of living with much and living with very little. (Philippians 4:12) Should we think that we are above the likes of Job or even that of Paul? Or, do we feel a sense of entitlement as the children of Israel who perished because of their unbelief? We must all take what is our allotment, always seeking God's best no matter how that might manifest itself. While we should always prepare for God's blessings and the good things He desires to give, we must also not flinch when these blessings sometimes depart for no good reason. We should be able to echo Job's proclamation regarding God's sovereignty ...

He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb,
And naked I shall return there
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the LORD." - Job 1:21
Lord God Almighty, No matter our lot, teach us to say, "It is well, with my soul". May we always cling to you through prosperity and adversity. Cause us to be those who thrive no matter how the circumstances might turn. Give us hearts so in love with You that we trust you implicitly. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Wealth Management - June 5, 2011

2011-06-03T07:29:00.003-05:00

Proverbs 18:11 - A rich man's wealth is his strong city, and like a high wall in his own imagination.

According to a recent news report, a certain gentleman had it all, or so he thought. A few years previous to this news story, he found out that he was the lottery winner from a more than 300 million dollar Powerball ticket. Years later, he says he wishes he would have torn up the ticket because it left a curse on his life. He had dreams of helping people with that large sum, which he did for the first few years. However, the greed of those who knew of his "fortune" soon became overwhelming. Countless pleas for money poured in over the years. Some were as outlandish as someone wanting new carpet, to another needing a new entertainment center for their home. He ended up giving millions away to help others, as well as to build churches. However, lawsuits became frequent during this time against his construction company. Many considered him to have "deep pockets" and they apparently felt no qualms about trying to put their hands therein. He was led to despair, turning to alcohol and illegal drugs. Someone very close to him was also the victim of a heinous murder. He believed this was a direct result of him having won the lottery. This once normal businessman and family man, in his opinion, was driven to desperate straits, all because of having won this inordinate amount of money.

While this man's account is certainly not everyone's story who might win the lottery, it does suggest an important lesson taught to us in scripture. As Proverbs 18:11 tells us, worldly wealth is an illusion. It is something that the rich, and those who undoubtedly desire to be so, imagine giving them security in this life. As the wisest man that ever lived (besides Jesus), Solomon was also one of the richest. He had a thing or two to say about the deceptiveness of riches bringing security, and he did not shy from stating the truth regarding this matter. The wise king suggests that just when we think we have an understanding of how to manage our wealth, it will inevitably disappoint us. As soon as we set our eyes upon it and determine in our hearts that our future is secure, it "makes itself wings like an eagle that flies toward the heavens". (Proverbs 23:5) Not allowing this to happen seems to be the key to not giving abnormal place to wealth in our hearts. It is to understand that riches earned respectively and honestly are to be viewed as a tool and not as an idol that displaces the One who helped us create the wealth. For truly, whatever we set our affections toward will eventually own us. That is why the Lord desires that we would build wealth according to His desire. Often, that wealth has nothing to do with earthly riches but has everything to do with using what God has given us to further His kingdom on earth.

When I read this news story, it made me think of another Proverb that promises a curse when money is gained in an unnatural manner. Proverbs 20:21 states: An inheritance gained hurriedly at the beginning will not be blessed in the end. How true this is for the man in our aforementioned story. However, are there others among us that have done similarly, possibly not with the lottery but with our desire for wealth and comfort? I have known men that have sacrificed their friends, family, and all that they hold dear for their careers and the opportunity to attain "success". They have side-stepped God, telling Him they will give their heart to Him once they have made their mark upon the world. In their minds, it may be making that first million and creating a retirement portfolio that promises a life of relative leisure by the time they are 50 years old. Jesus told a story about a man that planned much like many today for a retirement where they lacked nothing. However, the Lord called this man a "fool" because his life was taken from him before he had a chance to enjoy all that he had schemed for throughout his earthly life. (Luke 12:16-21) Jesus told the crowd to be on guard against every form of greed, because it will often take the most benign forms and deceive us.
Those who have won the lottery or have gained wealth through other objectionable ways have created a situation that is rife for exploitation. Not only by greedy individuals or other human agencies, for these are just the physical manifestation. Of even worse consequences is the spiritual dynamics of greed and lust that is loosed in the unseen realm. Beloved, we can be assured that if people are clamoring jealously over ill-gotten gains, there are spiritual forces at work behind the scenes creating destructive scenarios to trap humans in their covetous dealings. Jesus told us in simple terms how we should manage our wealth upon this earth in order to be free from these snares. The best advice is from the Lord Himself when He told the crowds during the Sermon on the Mount:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Matthew 6:19-21

For those of us who call ourselves Christians, it is questionable whether we should ever put ourselves in the position of acquiring wealth through something such as a game of chance. Many say, "Oh, but I could do so much good helping others with the money!" However, is it really blessed money or is it cursed? Has it been created on the desperate hopelessness of millions of others trying to strike it rich? Jesus told us to avoid "every form of greed", no matter how altruistic we might think we would be with the payout. He told us to not trust in earthly riches, but to set our minds on building the kingdom with what he entrusts to us. The earth is the Lord's and all it contains. Surely, He is able to give us what we need, and not what we want. He desires to give us all His riches, yet they will often not be in the form of earthly treasures. May we yearn for ONLY the riches that He desires to give, and when He decides to give them.

Heavenly Father, may we store up heavenly treasure, always looking to You to make us good stewards of the wealth You have entrusted to us. May we give our hearts toward Your wisdom for our lives, and shun the temptation of managing our own "wealth". Free us from all forms of lust and greed. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Worldly Warmth - May 29, 2011

2011-05-28T08:16:00.003-05:00

Mark 14:54 - Peter had followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest; and he was sitting with the officers and warming himself at the fire.

Many of us probably have some pleasant memories of our times around a campfire. Whether we participated in Scouting as children, or camped with our respective families, most of us have some type of memory of feeling the warmth and glow of a fire at the end of a day of hiking or simply at a campsite. Fire is a critical tool when bivouacking in the outdoors. Not only does it provide needed warmth and a means to cook food, but it also offers a sense of security as it chases away the specters in the night, either real or imagined. Through the millennia, the campfire has been a place to collectively share a meal, enjoy some familial or communal togetherness, and to also gather in numbers to create security and a sense of camaraderie amongst those so inclined. The warmth of a fire can often be analogous to those sharing in its flame. This was probably the case in biblical times when Peter stumbled into the courtyard of the High Priest that momentous night nearly 2,000 years ago. We are told in the Gospels that the temple guards and the servants had built a fire in the courtyard, possibly believing it would be a long night. They may have desired a place to retreat to from the inquest occurring just off of the courtyard in possibly an open-air room where Jesus was being questioned. We are told that Peter found this more desirable, to be at a safe distance away from his Lord's harsh interrogation. So, he retreated to a place that would soon reveal his heart toward the One he had hours before made loud attestation regarding his fidelity.

Our lead verse reveals Peter's attitude of self-preservation as he "followed Him at a distance". No longer was he the brash, out-spoken disciple of the previous evening, filled with bravado and contempt regarding anything less than stalwart allegiance to the Savior. Mark's portrayal of the soon-to-be leader of the new Christian movement was less than complimentary. Of all biblical characterizations of Simon Peter, this was Peter depicted at his worst. Since the company around the fire consisted of both servants (or slaves) and officers (probably temple guards), Peter would be able to blend in unrecognized by those sharing the fire's warmth (John 18:18). Or would he? Peter was counting on the fact that he could easily dismiss his affiliation with the Lord Jesus and to once again mingle with those of the world like he had three years earlier before meeting Jesus. However, he hadn't counted on being noticeably different from those who sought camaraderie around the glow of the fire's embers. This well-known story regarding Peter the protagonist is made known only by the servant girl as the antagonist that betrays Peter's true intentions to those sharing the fire as well as to the Lord Himself (Luke 22:55-61). With Peter's thrice denial of the Lord, he more than likely understood at a deeper level that he had no business sharing the warmth of this fire with those who were at best indifferent to his Lord, and more than likely sympathetic to the high priest's position. With the realization that truly Satan had "sifted him like wheat" as Jesus had prophesied earlier that night (Luke 22:31), Peter was truly at rock bottom and could do nothing but weep in despair over his betrayal (Luke 22:62).

The scripture does not tell us where Peter went after his betrayal of the Lord. From the Gospels, we know that only John was present at the crucifixion (John 19:26-27). We can only speculate that Peter regrouped with the other disciples and remained with them until the Lord's resurrection (Luke 24:9; John 20:19). If that is the case, then this would make sense with his abrupt departure from the high priest's courtyard. Peter had come to realize that he no longer could "fellowship" with the world. Even those of the world, such as the servant girl, recognized Peter to have been with Jesus. Even though Peter tried to blend in, he could not because too much of Jesus had affected his life both outwardly and inwardly. Peter talked like a Galilean which was what clinched the servant girl's opinion that Simon was one of Jesus' disciples (Mark 14:70). We understand this as being a visual recognition of Peter and his association with Jesus. Was it just a physical recollection in the servant girl's mind, or was there something strikingly like Jesus that she saw in Peter's demeanor? After all, he had been with his Lord for three years. Had not Peter reflected his Lord's character enough to have given just a glimpse to these who were at best indifferent to what happened to Jesus and His disciple Peter? We can only assume that the recognition was on the physical level, but also conjecture that there was something she also saw of Christ in the beleaguered Simon Peter.

As Christ's present day disciples, we must also ask ourselves: Do we follow Christ from a distance when it comes to identifying with our own cross to carry? Jesus will never insist that we follow Him, take up our cross, and endure its death -- day in and day out. He will merely glance back as he did with Peter to see if we are warming ourselves by the fires of this world, thus denying His life within us. To love the world is to declare hostility toward God, beloved. We can not fellowship and have camaraderie with the world one day and then go and back-slap Jesus the next day in church like He is our best friend. The warmth of the fires of this world are indifferent if not hostile to our God. So, why would we seek to betray our Lord by seeking out associations that will never fulfill? The Lord Jesus Christ has promised a fire that will not be quenched, full of His holy love that will dwell in the heart of every believer that would but trust in Him. May we not turn toward the warmth that the world offers that will only promote mockery toward our God. May we seek Jesus and the Eternal Fire that He desires to grow in all those He calls His own.

Heavenly Father, may the fire You have lit within all those who know you not be quenched, but may it grow into an inferno of love for You and others. May we shun the warmth of the fires of this world that would only seek to draw us into indifference, apathy, and even hostility toward Your Son. Continue to fan the flame of holiness and love within our souls. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Rest in Peace - May 22, 2011

2011-05-20T17:21:00.006-05:00

Proverbs 19:23 - The fear of the LORD leads to life, so that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.

A good night's sleep seems to be a thing of the past for many Americans. According to the National Sleep Foundation, Americans slept on average two hours more a night 40 years ago. Dr. Jose Loredo at the University of California San Diego Sleep Medicine Center says that adults need about 8.5 hours of sleep per night. According to experts, "lack of sleep has been tied to increased heart attacks, hypertension, obesity, and decreased productivity". They further state that once folks finally do go to bed, around 20% of these don't fall asleep within the first few minutes on account of worry about finances and personal relationships. Instead of sleeping, most will resort to watching TV, which often stimulates the mind rather than allowing it to "wind down", making it more receptive to allow the body to rest. As a result, 19% of those surveyed said that "... they missed at least one family, leisure, or work event a month due to sleepiness or a sleeping problem". While lack of sleep can certainly be caused by problems such as anxiety or stress, many often dismiss a spiritual causation as possibly being the main culprit. Rather than fighting restlessness with our own feeble efforts, maybe it's time to look at the underlying reason for our lack of true rest.

Our lead verse is both a promise and an equation, of sorts, that can be leveraged in regard to the lack of rest in many of our lives. This scripture unequivocally suggests that true rest comes out of a relationship with God. First of all, it's important to understand that the premise to any true restfulness in this lifetime is to understand the fear of the Lord. I have written about the fear of the Lord in some detail in the past (see The Fear of the Lord, Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3). However, as a quick review, let us qualify that the fear of the Lord is simply loving God so fully and completely that we would not consider disobeying Him in any regard. That, my friends, is the perfect ideal. Unfortunately, many of us have never quite attained to this total surrender. Nonetheless, those of us who desire to walk with God as His children continue to walk toward this goal day by day, even though we might stumble on the way. So, to possess the fear of the Lord, in whatever measure respective of our walk with the Lord, is the first addend in our equation. It is the baseline in which the sum of the other parts is dependent. From it, we are told in Proverbs 19:23 that our fear or reverence of God will lead to "life". This leads us to ask "What is life?" For believers in God, it can simply be stated that life is the opposite of the affects of death and destruction. (In truth, real life only exists in Jesus Christ.) Paul tells us that though our outer man or our physical life is decaying, our inner man is being renewed daily (II Corinthians 4:16). The tragedy for those who do not know Christ is that both their outward and inward persons are held in bondage by death and its consequences. They have no inner peace that allows them any control over their mind and body. Therefore, they are plagued by unrest, resulting in anxiety, stress, and sleeplessness. A New Testament example of someone who knew the fear of the Lord was the Apostle Peter. It is demonstrated in his ability to sleep between two guards in Herod's prison (Acts 12:5-6). Though he may have well-considered that his fate would be similar to the martyrdom of the Apostle James by the sword (Acts 12:1-2), Peter nonetheless had no trouble believing that his fate was in the hands of God. We are told in this account that an angel appeared with a "great light" in the cell where Peter slept. However, this wasn't enough to rouse the disciple. The heavenly messenger literally had to strike Peter on the side to wake him up (Acts 12:7). This, my friends, is an example of a man so controlled by God in his inner man that his body was at peace and at rest. Years later, the Apostle John undoubtedly understood the connection between the natural and the spiritual man when he addressed Gaius: Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers (III John 3). If a man is at peace within, he will obviously be at peace and at rest no matter the circumstances.

Unlike Peter, my incarcerations were much less noble. I remember stints in county or city jails where sleep was fleeting. The constant noises and stirrings were amplified by the concrete and heavy steel construction. The clanging of a door in a cell block two corridors away would echo throughout the entire building. A person could try to stuff toilet paper in their ears, but it would do little good. The magnification of sound was just too intense. What I would have given for a set of good earplugs to silence the din. Of course, even if I could have quieted what was going on around me, I would still have to silence the "committee" within my head. Many voices would tell me, "You've really messed up again! Look at you! In jail again! You said the last time this happened would truly be the last time!" The chatter of guilt and condemnation became almost unbearable. When periods of sleep did come, it seemed like the dreams and nightmares competed constantly with consciousness. I would lie there, half asleep and half awake, drifting in and out of a state of unsettled rest. While most will not experience loss of sleep to this extreme, the degree of restlessness can be equated to the lack of the fear of the Lord. Today, I know that I had no love or understanding of God when I foolishly got locked away. Now I know that in order to achieve any true rest in my life, that I must "lean on the Everlasting Arms". The consequences of not resting in God in His blessed fear, is to experience being touched by evil continually. That's why Solomon knew when he wrote this proverb that the fear of the Lord not only allowed us to rest peacefully, but it also afforded us unmolested sleep by the enemy.

Evil will often seek us out when we are most vulnerable. If we call ourselves Christian believers, yet walk in anxiety and fear throughout our day and not in the fear of the Lord, why should it surprise us if our sleep is also infested with the flesh and the devil? If we are not subjecting ourselves to the Lord, why wouldn't we believe we have left ourselves defenseless? The enemy of our soul desires that we have no rest, but that we would be constantly in turmoil and living in great angst whether awake or asleep. However, if we are walking in the Spirit throughout the day, it makes God-sense that we would be sleeping in the Spirit at night. After all, the Lord has promised that He would give to His beloved (that's me and you) even in our sleep (Psalm 127:2). As Spirit-led believers, we can also claim the promise from Psalm 4:8: In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety. If we call ourselves His beloved, do we lie down and rest in peace? Or, are we part of the restless statistics that characterize sleepless Americans? The antidote to the present-day plague of restlessness and sleeplessness is evident. If we will but give ourselves to God, surrendering our life during the day, we will know His sweet rest at night. It is part of our heritage as blood-bought believers. May we give ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ, without reserve, that we may quiet both our hearts and minds and find our rest in Him. May we all rest well tonight in the arms of our Beloved!

Lord God Almighty, You are the One who gives us true rest. The flesh and the devil seek to kill, to steal, and to destroy. We resist the enemy, not allowing him to steal or destroy our rest in You, O Lord. We lean on Your blessed arms, knowing that You will give us rest if we will but "come". Thank you for the promise of rest while we sojourn upon earth, and thank you for the hope of rest eternal in You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Almost Obedient - May 15, 2011

2011-05-13T17:41:00.004-05:00

Genesis 33:18 - Now Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram, and camped before the city.

Noted author and Christian Missionary Alliance pastor A.W. Tozer once said: The true follower of Christ will not ask, "If I embrace this truth, what will it cost me?" Rather he will say, "This is truth. God help me to walk in it, let come what may!" How many believers do we know who have this sort of attitude toward the Lord? For these rare individuals, they do not hold the position that God needs to align Himself with the direction they would choose, but rather the one that God Almighty has laid out before them. They have come to a place of death to self, and come what may, they deliberately set their faces like flint to obey the Lord in all respects. While this is the "normal Christian life", many of us fall dismally short of this ideal. While it may be our desire to give our lives unreservedly to the Lord, there are too often those "hindrances" that would cause us to compromise our resolution. However, before we berate ourselves for not living a totally surrendered life, there are many biblical examples that would give us hope that almost obedient hearts can be changed to a steely resolve, not wavering in our belief. Jacob the patriarch was one of these "waverers". For years, he perfected deception, withholding complete truthfulness and honesty in his dealings with both God and man. However, things would begin to change for Jacob one day when he wrestled with God.

From the scripture, we know that Jacob's name literally means "deceiver". Jacob (with the help of his mother Rebekah) validates his namesake by deceiving his father Isaac into giving him the blessing rather than his brother, Esau (Genesis 27:12; Genesis 27). Having previously obtained his brother's birthright, and now his blessing, Jacob incurred the wrath of his older brother. So much so, that he felt it wise to relocate several hundred miles to the east to the land of his mother's relatives. However, one thing he didn't count on was finding the same less than honest dealings in his Uncle Laban as those within himself. (Laban is likewise translated "deceiver" in the Aramaic language.) For a total of 20 years, Jacob dealt with this unscrupulous fellow who tricked him regarding his marriage to Leah and Rachel, and then dealt deceptively regarding his payment to his son-in-law concerning his herds (Genesis 31:41). However, throughout these two decades that Jacob sojourned in the land of the east, this son of Isaac seemed to have learned little regarding complete honesty. We see this in his behavior as he multiplied his flocks through deception (Genesis 30:31-43). Furthermore, he obviously was not modeling stalwart behavior as his wife Rachel stole her father's idols before their hasty escape (Genesis 31:19). The stage had been set for a showdown between Laban and Jacob. Fortunately, for both sides, it did not result in hostilities. While Laban knew that Jacob had not been totally honest, and vice versa, they could not prove their cases. They simply concluded their relationship with a stalemate and parted ways (Genesis 31:43-55).

However, Jacob's perception of what would occur when he met his brother Esau was another story. Through years of deception and not totally trusting in God, Jacob's trust in his own trickery was now faltering. When he met and wrestled with the Angel of the Lord, he finally came to an understanding that he could no longer be a deceiver and prosper before God. Even though Jacob's name was changed from "deceiver" (Jacob) to "one who has striven with God and man and has prevailed" (Israel), he still had some of that old, deceptive nature to relinquish. His trust was not yet firmly grounded in the Lord. We are shown this by Jacob sending gifts ahead to appease his brother Esau rather than trusting that God indeed had sent him back to the land of his birth. Even after meeting with his brother Esau the next day, he lied to his brother, telling him he would join him in a few days. Rather than heading south into Seir, Jacob headed west to settle near the city of Shechem. Ironic to the Angel's proclamation regarding Jacob's new name, he did exactly the opposite. He broke faith with both his brother and God by his retreat to Shechem. First of all, he should have never told his brother that he would follow him to Seir since the Lord had commanded him to return to the land of his birth (Genesis 31:13). Jacob knew that this was a deception, even as he knew stopping in Shechem was a compromise to returning south to Mamre, the land of his father. Although technically in the land of Canaan, Jacob had not followed through and returned to the land of his birth and to his father, Isaac. This disobedience would cost his family dearly as his daughter Dinah was defiled and his sons are led into murder by deception (Genesis 34). Even when they finally do settle in the land of their fathers, the sons once again act shamefully by betraying their brother Joseph and deceiving their father about his supposed death. Indeed, deception had become a generational curse upon this family (Genesis 37).

Jacob truly became Israel in his latter years. No more was he the deceiver, yet his deceptive ways were still passed on to his sons which caused much trouble. Even so, God caused all these things to work for good. Even in the midst of deception and "almost obedience", we see a compassionate God always steering and leading these biblical examples into the way He desired. What would their lives have been like if Jacob, his wives and their sons had shown total obedience? Certainly, there would not have been much of the heartache created by their compromise and deception. However, God's hand was there to make good come out of their evil. While this does not justify compromise, it explains how God can use deceivers like Jacob and turn them into His vessel of honor. Through the heartache that compromise creates, God was able to lead a man like Jacob into the promised land and to create the man, Israel. It is the same for us, beloved. God will take our concessions to sin and turn them around for His glory. The key is to never give up and to not give in, much like Jacob refused to yield to the Angel of the Lord. We must continue to strive for complete obedience to the Lord, for with it is peace and security. The alternative, an "almost obedience", will only result in hearts that continue to be broken due to the situations our willfulness creates. May we look to the Lord and obey him unconditionally with no fear, trusting that He indeed will bring us to our respective promised land that is filled with God's abundance.

Heavenly Father, may we lay down our "almost obedience" and surrender our will to You for Your good pleasure. You will only lead us to a place of security in You if we will but obey. Take away our deception and our mistrust and fill us with Your love and faith. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

The Lamp of the Lord - May 8, 2011

2011-05-06T19:54:00.006-05:00

The following is the message text and audio recording of a sermon titled "The Lamp of the Lord" delivered to the homeless at the Kansas City Rescue Mission Chapel on April 28, 2011.

The Lamp of the Lord - April 28, 2011

Zephaniah 1:12 - And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will He do evil.

I have many fond memories of childhood. One of these was helping my father fix the family car. At best, my father was a “shade tree” mechanic. I can remember that no matter how much light we had in the garage, he invariably needed more as he was loosening spark plugs or setting points in one of his many “fixer-uppers.” I learned from an early age the importance of holding the light steady and secure for him to see what he was doing. I soon found out that it didn’t matter whether I could see what he was working on or not. What mattered is that the light shone in that dark area where he needed it most. Many of us can probably relate to a similar circumstance. If not, possibly there was that time when you needed a little extra light in an already well-lit room. There seemed to be just enough shadows that didn’t allow a “visual” of possibly a lost coin or a small piece of jewelry. In that case, a flashlight served well to illuminate those gray areas where the light didn’t shine bright enough.

Light is a wonderful thing and can illumine those dark crevices with a focus of the beam. Throughout the ages, mankind has used some type of luminary to make the seemingly invisible visible once again. Of course, before our modern use of electrical lighting, man had to rely on fire or possibly a refractory device to reflect either the sun or another luminary. Man has always had an innate compulsion to chase away the darkness by lighting his way however possible. In many instances in scripture, we find biblical authors using the metaphor of light as a method to reveal darkness that has either entered an individual’s life or that of a nation’s. We find this is the case through the words of Zephaniah the Prophet. In Zephaniah 1:12, we read the following in the King James Version (KJV):

And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will He do evil.

What does this verse mean in context with the chapter and the rest of the Book of Zephaniah? Is the author talking about himself or someone else when he refers to searching Jerusalem with candles to punish men that are “settled on their lees?” What, if anything, does this peculiar set of aforementioned words mean in relation to this prophetic writing? To answer these questions is to define the theme of this oracle to the house of Judah. Let’s take a brief look at the background of the Book of Zephaniah and the prophet’s message to God’s chosen people.

Since the time of King David and his son Solomon, Judah experienced a number of successors to the throne. A minority of these were good kings who attempted to do the Lord’s bidding. However, the majority followed in the wickedness of the kings of the northern kingdom, Israel. One of these good kings, Hezekiah, bore a son named Manasseh who reigned 55 years in Jerusalem. Some speculate that Isaiah prophesied into Manasseh’s reign before the former was martyred by being sawn in two, as Jewish tradition suggests. Regardless, most scholars believe that Zephaniah was the prophet who broke a 50 year prophetic silence when he began his lament against the idolatrous atrocities of Manasseh’s reign. This son of Hezekiah corrupted the kingdom of Judah to a seemingly worse state than his father had restored and revived the kingdom during his rule. (We might also note here that Manasseh and Zephaniah were related since Zephaniah 1:1 provides us the prophet’s royal lineage back to Hezekiah.) So, when Zephaniah appeared on the scene in the middle of the 7th century, he became God’s emissary of the doom that would soon overtake Judah. Although we are told that Zephaniah spoke his oracles in the time of good king Josiah’s reign, the die had already been cast for all the evil that Manasseh and others had previously perpetrated.

The Book of Zephaniah centers around two themes. The first is an overarching threat of impending disaster through God’s judgments, and the second is the hope of ultimate deliverance. For our purposes, we will concentrate on the first theme of impending judgment which embodies the literary genre of prophetic oracle in Chapter One. Within this oracle genre is possibly one of the most descriptive sub-genre of God’s judgment or wrath within the entire Old Testament. Zephaniah wastes no time getting to the purpose of his pronouncement of wrath in the name of Yahweh. We see in the first few verses that he speaks judgment to both people and princes regarding their blatant worship of the false gods Baal, Milcom, and the host of heaven. These passages prepare us and lay the background for our study in verse 12.

As previously mentioned, I set forth the question regarding who was searching Jerusalem with “candles” to punish those who were “settled on their lees.” From the context, it is clear that God is speaking through the prophet and will search with candles until He finds all those who have wickedly turned to idols rather than giving Him their worship. First of all, let’s define what a “candle” was in the time of this writing. The root or the etymology of this word means “lamp” which is a more precise translation than what is offered in the KJV. Most newer translations, such as the New American Standard Bible (NASB), translate this noun as “lamp.” We know from ancient history that these were olive oil pottery lamps that consisted of an opening for the oil reservoir and another at the other end of this elongated vessel for the wick. Lamps of this kind did not burn intensely bright because of the low volatility and flash-point of olive oil. For God to use this metaphor through the words of the prophet is striking indeed. It would take a great amount of patience and thoroughness to complete a search of all the darkness in Jerusalem by the Creator with a pottery lamp. Of course, this is merely a figure of speech for the metaphor used in this passage. It is clear, however, that the Lord’s intent was to do a complete search and purge the wickedness from His sight.

This leads us to our second question: What does “settled on their lees” have to do with God’s search for wickedness in His chosen city? This term actually hearkens back to ancient times. It is an old adage from winemaking that refers to wine settling and becoming stagnant rather than “living” which is what wine is supposed to characterize. Let me briefly explain. Lees are what would commonly be called particles of solid material from the wine itself. Winemakers would often allow wine to “settle” on the lees for a certain amount of time. This would give the wine a richer and more satisfying flavor. However, if it was left too long on the lees, the wine could become too thick and often syrupy. In short, it was ruined. That’s why winemakers would frequently “shake up” the wine in order for it to continue to remain palatable. This, in my opinion, provides a vivid word picture regarding what the Lord was trying to reveal to the Judeans. While newer versions portray the word “lamp” better than the King James “candle,” I believe the KJV provides a better description of what it means to become “settled” or “stagnant.” For instance, the NASB states the following in verse 12 of Zephaniah Chapter One:

It will come about at that time
That I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
I will punish the men
Who are stagnant in spirit,
Who say in their hearts,
'The LORD will not do good or evil!'

“Who are stagnant in spirit” does not seem to capture the imagination quite as well as solid waste actually settling at the bottom of the wine skin or wine vat. God has painted a vivid picture of what it means to become stagnant in spirit in the KJV. Having settled on their lees, God’s chosen people had become apathetic and uncaring. Yahweh was declaring that He was coming soon to “shake things up.”

This is further clarified by the prophetic word in the last two lines of this verse. In the 7th century Near East, a particular religion had become quite prevalent due to its Persian origins. Zoroastrianism was a cultic faith originating in present day Iran and was widely accepted in Medo-Persia and also in its subject provinces. In a nutshell, it basically taught that all men should show common respect and goodness for all. However, there were not true definitions regarding what “goodness” might be from one person to the next. Zoroastrianism, in general, was an ecumenical belief that taught as long as good was both the pursuit and the goal, then the relativity of what that meant was not deemed important, as long as good was progressed. The ultimate goal was to live in the right and to dispel the wrong. To put it simply, their belief was that mankind should pursue goodness as revealed to their own hearts. This non-absolutism had more than likely pervaded the Hebrew society, and now the prophet was making a pronouncement regarding the evil in simply doing good as man saw fit. Yahweh was pronouncing judgment on this attitude of relativity toward His goodness which was not arbitrary. He would no longer tolerate this blatant disrespect for His absolute law.

From the reading, and with this additional background information regarding the social and religious climate of the day, it is quite understandable why Jehovah was distraught with the Judeans. They had disregarded the laws that He had given them and substituted them with whatever they conceived of in their own hearts as being correct. Furthermore, they had become apathetic to the point where seeking the will of God was no longer the impetus of their religious existence. As long as they could rest on their proverbial laurels and pursue what they deemed right, they believed this should satisfy their own religious needs. However, God was quick to point out that indeed this sort of thinking would bring about their destruction. They had given themselves to worship wrong gods, such as the Baals, Milcom, and the host of heaven, having been steeped in a Zoroastrianistic mindset that was destroying them both morally and spiritually. The time, according to the prophetic message, was a time of retribution and judgment regarding this fallacious thinking.

In reading Zephaniah Chapter One and particularly verse 12, how might we apply this to our lives today? As stated in the beginning, the major theme in the first chapter of Zephaniah is judgment and impending doom. Can we relate this to our day and time? Let’s spend a few moments comparing our present day with that of the prophet’s. We should be able to ask ourselves particular questions from our main text in verse 12. Are God’s chosen people of today in an apathetic state? Do similar conditions exist which would imply that we are resting on our proverbial lees and that we are stagnant in our faith toward God? Have we sacrificed God’s word for relativism, seeking instruction that teaches morality, yet devoid of Yahweh’s spirituality? I believe to some degree the answers to these questions are “yes.” While we are seeing a great turning toward Jesus Christ in many churches, there are just as many or more that are on the brink of total apostasy. Here are just a few statistics from a 2008 study that may give us pause:

... Christians spend seven times as much time on entertainment as they do on spiritual activities.

Although 2/3 of all teenagers say they know all the basic teachings of the Christian faith, 2/3 reject the existence of Satan, 3/5 reject the existence of the Holy Spirit, and 1/2 believe that Jesus sinned....

Desiring to have a close, personal relationship with God ranks just sixth among the 21 life goals tested, trailing such desires as "living a comfortable lifestyle".

A minority of born again adults (44%) and an even smaller proportion of born again teenagers (9%) are certain of the existence of absolute moral truth.

In a representative nationwide survey among born again adults, none of the individuals interviewed said that the single, most important goal in their life is to be a committed follower of Jesus Christ.

Large proportions of the lay leaders in Christian churches hold a range of unbiblical religious views regarding the holiness of Christ, the reality of Satan, the existence of the Holy Spirit, the reality of the resurrection, and the means to salvation.

My friends, while this seems alarming to many of us who desire to walk with the Lord, we are not without hope. Even as the main theme of Zephaniah Chapter One is judgment, the hope of redemption lies in further reading of this short book. Even today, the Lord is undoubtedly searching the Church of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, with His lamp, seeking out both the wicked and the righteous. With His searchlight of truth and justice, He is looking for those who are apathetic and those who would no longer define good and evil by His holy word. We must surely believe that God is searching out wickedness as faithfully today as He did in millennia past. May we not be those whom He would need to find in the dark places of His Son’s Church. May we live in the light of His glory and be witnesses of a revived Church that He desires to spread throughout the entire earth.

Heavenly Father, You indeed are the one who searches our hearts. You are the great omniscient one who knows our comings and our goings. May we give ourselves totally to You this night. May You search us and find that there is no wrong way within us. If there is, Lord, we ask that You would bring Your light to all areas of our heart that might be wrong before You. Remove our apathy, O Lord, and give us wisdom and understanding to know what is right in Your eyes, and not what we determine to be so. We ask You to empower us, helping others to come into the light of Your presence that we may be able to rejoice in their salvation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Pursuing Peace - May 1, 2011

2011-04-29T20:10:00.005-05:00

Romans 12:18 - If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.

The following is the message text and audio recording of a sermon titled "Pursuing Peace" delivered to the homeless at the Kansas City Rescue Mission Chapel on May 4, 2011.

Pursuing Peace - May 4, 2011

It is a noble thing to wish for peace, it is quite another thing to obtain it. Martin Luther King, Jr. once stated: Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal. I understand this to mean that in order to achieve any type of peace from without, we must have a decided peace from within. In our lead verse, the Apostle Paul tells the church at Rome that they are capable of living in peace with most men under most circumstances. Undoubtedly, there will always be those exceptions. For example, we can certainly believe that Paul desired to be at peace with Demetrius the silversmith (Acts 19:23-41), or with Alexander the coppersmith (II Timothy 4:14), but that was not to be the case according to scripture. Certain situations or circumstances may warrant different responses. For instance, we certainly cannot compromise what God has revealed to us through His Holy Word. However, a peaceful resolution is generally possible and is what most reasonable parties seek. Often, it merely takes a little initiative on our part to create a bond of reconciliation. Those who might be antagonistic toward our offers of friendship might find themselves taken aback when we approach them with humility. As Paul concludes Romans chapter 12, he tells us that we may often shame those set against us by our acts of kindness. It quite literally embarrasses them into a surrendering of their pride which results in a peaceful resolve (Romans 12:20).

Within the context of this chapter, we see the apostle admonishing a church of predominately Gentile believers to love one another and to ultimately be at peace. "Predominately" is the keyword. For it was not always the case that the Gentiles were the majority. Most scholars believe that the church in Rome began as the direct result of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost in approximately 30 AD. Italian Jews were thought to have been visiting Jerusalem at the time of this momentous event. Some of these were possibly saved, taking their new-found Christian faith back to Rome. It is believed that Jewish Christians were the majority in the fledgling church for several years until Claudius expelled all Jews from the Roman capital because of supposed Jewish and Christian uprisings. (We know from scripture that Priscilla and Aquila were two Jews who were indeed expelled at this time [Acts 18:2].) With the vacuum of Jewish-Christian believers, the Gentiles grew in number where they soon became the majority. So much so that the historian Tacitus recorded several years after Paul's writing to the Romans (during Nero's rule) that the Christians in Rome were an "immense multitude". Therefore, when Paul wrote this letter in approximately 57 AD, there was possibly some wrong attitudes between the once majority Jewish believers who had trickled back into the Roman church, and the super-majority of Gentile believers. Although this book contains some of the most important doctrine in the Christian faith, there is also the constant undercurrent of Paul's admonition to these two groups to come together and heal their differences.

While Romans chapter 12 focuses on a "coming together" of the saints in Rome, the remainder of Paul's letter continues to reinforce this idea of equality amongst all believers. In chapter 14, the apostle addresses a problem with one group judging another group regarding holy days (Romans 14:5) and dietary concerns (Romans 14:12-16). In Paul's wisdom, he sees these as matters of conscience which shouldn't be forced on another as a rule or a law. The Gentiles apparently felt that they should not be restricted to the Jewish dietary laws, and the Jews were apparently appalled that the Gentiles did not follow in their conviction. Paul defends what was truly important in the following: for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17) He concludes his stance by stating in verse 19 that we should "pursue the things which make for peace, and the building up of one another". Paul's main ambition in speaking to the Roman Christians in this way was to get their eyes off their petty differences, and to get them back on the things that truly mattered, like building the Kingdom of God here on earth. The two group's beliefs, which strongly asserted their own convictions regarding their "rightness", were to be overlooked in view of working together for the important things. No wonder Paul ends his letter stating that Satan would soon be crushed under their feet, if they would simply come together in unity (Romans 16:20). The enemy's distractions were numerous yet the time is short, to paraphrase Paul's possible intention when dictating that verse.

What can we take from this lesson to the Roman church? Do we have petty differences in our relationships, whether at church or work or home? Can't we simply approach the person or the situation with a spirit of humility and speak mercy rather than judgment into those respective lives? If we can, then we are following Paul's admonition to the church of Rome that was badly fractured due to things that didn't really matter that much in the final score. While we may not be able to make peace with all men, it is still our responsibility to pursue it with vigor. Especially in those situations where it doesn't really matter that much who appears to win the confrontation. True, we must not compromise on truth, as Paul tells us. Laws of doctrine in the Christian faith are indisputable. However, whether or not someone eats pork, or observes the Sabbath with complete rest, or drinks a case of diet soda a day is not our concern. We must allow the Holy Spirit to deal with individuals as He desires and not allow the enemy an occasion to fragment the church any further. Is perfect peace possible in this age? That isn't the point. Nonetheless, we must pursue peace with all men. The attainment we must leave in God's hands as He will faithfully bring forth His glorious reign of peace in His own way and in His timing. May we all remain faithful to the pursuit.

Heavenly Father, may we pursue peace with all men. May we have hearts of humility to reconcile people concerning those things that really don't matter that much in light of the work You desire for us to all accomplish. May we allow Your Holy Spirit to be the Great Judge to convince those who might need correction. As we allow You to do what You do so well, allow us to birth peaceful resolutions in people, places, and situations and to bring the Body of Christ together. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Saving the Planet - April 24, 2011

2011-04-22T20:42:00.002-05:00

Romans 8:19 - For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.

For over 30 years, Earth Day has been a rite of passage as the earth morphs into its springtime luster. Each year, it seems to gain in popularity regarding its importance to environmental stewardship. While I believe earth's citizenry must be careful not to exploit the earth and its natural resources, I sometimes feel a bit incredulous toward many so-called saviors of "Mother Earth" who believe that human beings are these late-comers that have somehow upset the entire balance of nature. Many of these seem to feel like it is their responsibility to return the earth to its prior state (or as close as possible) by minimizing man's "footprint" from further so-called imbalances. Don't get me wrong! I believe in taking care of our environment, not polluting and recycling when possible. We do our share around my household, making regular trips to the newspaper and can recycling drop-off locations. Additionally, I drive a nearly 20 year old Toyota pickup truck that continues to rust away no matter what I seem to do. (Everything from the motor to the transmission has been replaced since I've owned it!) I am one to recycle and to reuse as much as possible, partly because I don't like waste and also because I am frugal. While I believe in being a good steward regarding what God has entrusted to me, I also believe that eventually things wear out and NEED replaced. The earth is not the exception.

I have traveled this globe enough to be awe-inspired by its beauty on numerous occasions. My desire is to continue to be struck by God's beauty of this planet, because He truly created a wondrous world in which we live. However, the scripture is clear that one day this earth will be replaced by a new world that is once again perfect in all respects. All of the beauty that we behold is merely a shadow of Paradise lost, and also of Paradise when it will be regained. Paul tells us in our lead verse that creation longs for Christ's return, when redeemed mankind will once again be restored to his rightful place as head over creation. Like Adam, we were created to rule and to reign over this earth. And, this terrestrial ball longs for that day, the scripture tells us. Paul continues with his explanation in verses 20 and 21 regarding the earth's subjection to Christ while it is at the same time subjugated to the result of man's sin:

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. (Romans 8:20-22)

These scriptures imply that the earth patiently waits to be delivered from the curse of sin and all its effects. It is pregnant with the hope that someday, in the not too distant future, that it will be delivered into its once lost perfection. No matter what we try to do to "save the planet", the earth will continue to travail until God's creation is once again restored in to its perfect state. This promise is spoken numerous times in scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation (see Isaiah 66:22 and II Peter 3:13 for two instances). Indeed, John the Revelator spoke of that glorious day when both the heavens and the earth would become holy and perfect (Revelation 21:1). The hope that he relates is the very hope that both mankind and creation cling to in hope of our final redemption.

I find it a bit ironic that Earth Day falls on Good Friday this year. We have a juxtaposition of two radically different viewpoints regarding how this earth should be saved. While many who believe in restoring the earth through man-made efforts are furiously striving toward this end, others who believe in the Risen Savior understand that Jesus came to this earth to cause things to once again be perfect in all regards. The resurrection on that Resurrection Day long ago was only the beginning, the very catalyst that granted humankind salvation. Through mankind's redemption, the earth will once again experience a state of Paradise regained. Since the momentous event of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection nearly 2,000 years ago, the earth itself has been looking on with eager expectation toward the culmination of time. If indeed this globe on which we dwell could speak, it would undoubtedly tell us of its own desire for that final redemption -- when it will be changed into the incorruptible as it once experienced before the Fall of Man. Is there somehow residual guilt in the hearts of those who believe that salvation lies with mankind in order to somehow save the earth? Believe me, my friends, while the earth may appreciate the "band-aid" treatment we desire to give it through our humanistic efforts, it knows that its plight is incurable in its present state. It longs for that final redemption, along with all of the redeemed of humankind, when we will be changed and glorified into God's perfect creation once again.

As previously stated, it's not a bad thing to treat the earth with respect, guarding our natural resources and desiring to live on a clean planet. However, the earth itself knows that this not the end-all. Mankind betrayed it once, long ago, and it knows that redemption can only come through its Creator. May we all understand that the Risen Savior who gives life to all who would accept Him, know that the globe which we desire to save has long entrusted its salvation to the One who created it. On this Resurrection Day, may we understand that He alone can truly redeem this planet, both mankind and creation alike.

Heavenly Father, thank you for Your redemption. Thank you for this Resurrection Day when Your Son gave His life to redeem not only us, but all of creation. May we save the planet by praying for Your return when You present a glorified creation to Your spotless Bride. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Living Revelation - April 17, 2011

2011-04-15T16:59:00.002-05:00

Matthew 17:9 - As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead."

How often do we turn on the TV or hear a preacher on the radio talk about the latest dream or vision they've had in respect to their ministry. I don't doubt that many of these indeed may be receiving spiritual messages. (From which side of the supernatural spectrum, I am not here to judge.) However, it has always intrigued me to hear Christian leaders, as well as laypeople, relating a "message of God", for example, that they've received in a dream or a vision just the very night before. Now, don't get me wrong. I believe that the Lord God can and does reveal Himself through supernatural means such as dreams and visions. However, I'm always a bit hesitant to receive such revelations in folks where there is not much witness of the Lord Jesus ruling and reigning in their respective lives. Something seems awry when a person is talking about this sign from heaven or that particular thing the Lord has shown them, yet their lives suggest carnality that hasn't been brought under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It's quite easy to go around spouting off what God is showing a person -- it is quite another to live it. Sometimes, the most humbling thing we can do as believers is to take those pearls of wisdom that He gives us and tuck them away as we ruminate and meditate further on their implication to us as well as others. Oftentimes, this shows a maturity of restraint, rather than an impulsiveness of the unbridled flesh.

In our lead verse, the disciples on that mountain reached an apex of revelation from the time they started following Jesus until that very day. God the Almighty Father set a drama before them with a "who's who" of Old Testament personalities -- Elijah the Prophet and Moses the Lawgiver. Furthermore, Jesus Himself was transfigured in their midst, causing the brilliance of glory to shine all about them. After this momentous epiphany of divine splendor and things had returned to normal, the Lord Jesus gave them a commandment regarding what they had just seen. He told them to "... Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen". It is not clear why He stated this command. However, one can speculate that it would have been extremely confusing to others if the disciples had tried to relate it. Possibly, the Lord in His wisdom knew that it would engender jealousy in the other disciples. Also, that it might further enrage the Pharisees to a point of frenzy where they would seek to kill Him at a sooner then desired time. It might also be speculated that He was jealously watching out for those who witnessed the miracle -- Peter, James, and John. In Christ's wisdom, He knew the disciples did not yet possess the right to share it because the revelation had not yet become living within them. They didn't yet understand that to share something of such magnificence meant that the Spirit of God must live within and must share it in His time. Then, it would come forth in due season, with the utmost humility, and bring forth the fruit or the results it was intended to produce. What first needed to occur in their lives was the cross, and then the resurrection. Not only for their Lord, but within themselves. Only as they died to their impulsiveness so characteristic of the carnal flesh, then the risen Lord could direct their lives through His Spirit within.

We also may have the opportunity to share a wonderful experience the Lord has shown us. However, we will be less likely to blurt it out if we are indeed "risen with Christ". What once was a point of puffed up pride that God has shown us a great revelation, has now become a quiet river of faith toward the the Great Revealer. We might remember that occasion that God gave us that great epiphany with a warm recollection, but are somewhat removed to merely sharing it at whim. There may sometimes be those situations and times where the revelation will indeed be just the thing another needs to hear. Then, by sharing that great thing the Lord has revealed can indeed be a bond of fellowship between the sharer and the receiver. What might have been a moment of needlessly casting our "pearls" before those who can't or won't relate, now has become an exact opportunity for the life of God to be shared amongst believers. Wisdom that is cast upon the unfriendly winds of this world will often come back to us as something soiled and disregarded from its intended recipients. However, a carefully spoken word at the precise moment can bring healing and restoration where there once was hopelessness and despair.

Living revelation is not merely knowledge, but it is wisdom from on high that has found a place to dwell within the mature of spirit. It is to be guarded and shared when the Lord speaks it through us, and not before. We will only experience more revelation as we are faithful with what He gives us. If we jealously guard those choice words, whether they come from dreams, visions, or however He decides to reveal Himself, then He will entrust us with more and will then allow us to use them as arrows that will truly find their mark at that opportune time. May we all guard our hearts, from out of them flow the springs of life (Proverbs 4:23). May we not abort the thing that God desires to birth in all who call on His name through presumption or our own impetuousness to share "our new secret". There are many great things He desires to share if we will be but faithful stewards of revelation. In time, these will become living revelations for both ourselves and others.

Heavenly Father, grant us ears to hear, eyes to see, and mouths surrendered to Your Lordship. May we take those things You share with us and treasure them in our hearts until You release them through Your wisdom. Help us to make what You reveal to us living revelation that will become aged like divine wine to help and sustain others. We pray this in Your Son's Name, the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Working for the Lord - April 10, 2011

2011-04-09T00:36:00.003-05:00

Colossians 3:23 - Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.

Last week, the United States Labor Department reported that the unemployment rate fell to a two-year low of 8.8%. This is certainly good news for a global economy that has been struggling for years to gain the upper hand on this world-wide recession. Hopefully, better times are ahead when folks can be a bit more choosey about where they work and what benefits they receive. While many Americans, as well as those around the world, are working in less than ideal circumstances regarding their pay and perks, we undoubtedly have it far better than at any time in the history of mankind. Those of us fortunate enough to live in the western world enjoy lifestyles incomparable to many in third-world countries. We are regarded by the majority of the world as rich in comparison. And, indeed, we are. Many of us just don't have the eyes to see this.

During the Christmas season, my wife and I usually watch Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". It is by far one of my favorite movies, probably because it is so redemptive at the end. Of particular interest to our study today is the life of Bob Cratchit, one of the main characters in this morality play. As most of us know, poor Bob was a clerk for Ebenezer Scrooge, a covetous miser of the worst degree. Scrooge paid Cratchit a mere 15 shillings a week, barely enough to provide for his family and certainly not enough to attend to anything else such as medicine for their crippled child, Tiny Tim. Yet, through all this disparity between Scrooge's great wealth and Bob Cratchit's poverty, there was never a happier, more jovial soul than the latter. Bob continually employed the attitude of charity and grace to all those around him. Never, in either the narrative of the book nor in the many screenplays, will you see an ungracious act or hear an unkindly word from this impoverished clerk. Certainly, this man was the epitome of Christian charity. Climaxing his gracious heart toward all, we see the Ghost of Christmas Present allowing Scrooge to witness Bob Cratchit's toast of Ebenezer Scrooge at the Christmas table. Bob raises his glass in honor of the one who provided the food on their table, his boss, Ebenezer Scrooge. Cratchit's wife and children protest that he should not give him an ounce of charity in lieu of the way he is treated. Even Scrooge, by this time beginning to see the error of his ways, agrees with the family to his ghostly guide that he is unworthy of such praise. However, Bob Cratchit does a remarkable thing. He disregards everyone's advice and holds true to his Christian love within in his own heart ... to love all, to bless those who despitefully use you, and to pray (or to praise, as in this case) for one's enemies (Matthew 5:44). As he insists to hold Scrooge in a high regard, the family acquiesces and joins him in the salute, albeit somewhat grudgingly.

How often we can set the attitude of others by our own insistence to do the next right thing? In this case, for Bob Cratchit, it was blessing a miserly, unreasonable boss. It would have been easy to take the "low road" and to curse Ebenezer Scrooge along with the rest of London. However, this fictitious character Mr. Cratchit lived by a different set of principles, as so shown by Mr. Dickens. Undoubtedly, this was a Christian family as they referenced the scripture and their love for the Lord in several instances. Bob Cratchit was merely a doer of the word and not a hearer only. If indeed this was a real person in Victorian London, it might be safe to say that he knew the Lord not in word only, but also in deed. Possibly if there ever was a person like Mr. Cratchit that Mr. Dickens created, then maybe he read the following verse from the book of Colossians: Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord (Colossians 3:22). While we don't have slaves, per se, in our westernized world today, many sometimes "feel" they are slaves because they live under the negativity of their own thoughts and actions towards their bosses. Attitudes such as this inevitably make them a prisoner to their own misgivings. They seek vainly by their own attempts to redeem themselves from their seemingly unjust situation, rather than looking at that person they work for in a different way. Paul tells us that we are to regard our work as being done for the Lord and not for man. We must rise above our petty feelings of injustice and become those who work with cheerfulness for the Lord. You say, "That's impossible! I could never work that way for my boss! You don't know what they've done, how they've been so unfair in so many instances!" You're right. It is impossible. It's impossible to live as a servant to the Lord rather as a slave to our employer unless we have that attitude that we see exemplified in Bob Cratchit. He had learned the secret of doing his work for a Heavenly Employer rather than a cruel taskmaster on earth. He surrendered his own misgivings for the giving of Christ's love which he thereby accepted into his heart.

Possibly, God will not redeem those of us who struggle with our jobs and our employers like Bob Cratchit. The miracle may only come for us and not for that supposed "Scrooge" in our lives. The miracle of whom we work for, either a Just Lord or an unjust taskmaster, can be our choice as we give them to God and believe He can give us a heart of love and respect as He did for Bob Cratchit. Whether or not our bosses' see the difference and a great epiphany happens to them is yet to be seen. However, the miracle and the change in us will be extraordinary and divine if we will give ourselves to it in a place of surrender to to the Lord. Shall we be Christ's servant or man's slave? The choice is ours, beloved.

Heavenly Father, help us to do our work for You, no matter what the job before us. Help us to regard those over us as those You've appointed. Give us hearts of gratitude for our employment as we seek to glorify You through our daily tasks. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Marked by God - April 3, 2011

2011-04-01T16:01:00.004-05:00

Ezekiel 9:4 - The LORD said to him, 'Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.'

If you are more than a casual churchgoer, you have undoubtedly heard your minister or someone else speak about the need for revival in our respective countries. Some may have prayed a resounding prayer, asking God to come down and set our nation aright once again. A familiar prayer that many petition God for revival is the following from the book of Second Chronicles: and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land (II Chronicles 7:14). If many of us are praying this prayer, then why hasn't God answered? In small areas, God is definitely moving. However, why have we not witnessed a wholesale move of God upon our westernized countries such as America, Canada, and Western Europe? George Barna, noted church statistician came up with some results that might startle some and confirm others' suspicions. The following were taken from a 2008 survey in American churches:

... Christians spend seven times as much time on entertainment as they do on spiritual activities.

Although 2/3 of all teenagers say they know all the basic teachings of the Christian faith, 2/3 reject the existence of Satan, 3/5 reject the existence of the Holy Spirit, and 1/2 believe that Jesus sinned....

Desiring to have a close, personal relationship with God ranks just sixth among the 21 life goals tested, trailing such desires as "living a comfortable lifestyle".

A minority of born again adults (44%) and an even smaller proportion of born again teenagers (9%) are certain of the existence of absolute moral truth.

In a representative nationwide survey among born again adults, none of the individuals interviewed said that the single, most important goal in their life is to be a committed follower of Jesus Christ.

Large proportions of the lay leaders in Christian churches hold a range of unbiblical religious views regarding the holiness of Christ, the reality of Satan, the existence of the Holy Spirit, the reality of the resurrection, and the means to salvation.

While these statistics may be alarming to some, many of us who have been praying for revival over the years understand and mourn over these realities everyday. Personally, it grieves my heart to talk with my peers in a work-setting and discover how much time they waste in front of the television. Some of these are supposedly "born again" Christians who spend their evening hours wallowing in sitcoms riddled with liberal propaganda. One such show is accordingly named "Modern Family" which portrays a homosexual "family" as a modern norm. Beloved, this is not the norm. Paul was clear in the scripture stating homosexuality is a sin as any other and needs to be repented thereof (I Corinthians 6:9; I Timothy 1:10). This is only one example, of many more, that is warranted of mention but restrained by the brevity of this devotional.

What we must decide as the church is whether we will continue to compromise or whether we will ask God to put us "in the gap" to help save as many as possible from the evil influences of this wicked and perverse land we live in (Ezekiel 22:30). In our lead verse, the Lord commanded the prophet to go about Jerusalem and to put a mark on the foreheads of all those who mourned over the horrors that were being committed within the city. In verse 8 of Ezekiel chapter 9 we are told that he was the only one crying out to God for the sin of his people (Ezekiel 9:8). How the heart of God must have broke, for he then, in turn, broke the heart of the prophet as Ezekiel cried to the Lord for mercy on His people. Where are the Ezekiels of today? Where are the Elijahs that are willing to stand up against their idolatrous, corrupt societies and call fire down from heaven? (See I Kings 18 for the story of Elijah on Mt. Carmel). Apparently, there are none ... YET. God has promised in His word that He would hear from heaven and heal our lands if the people would humble themselves and seek Him without compromise. He is waiting, most patiently, for His remnant to do what he saved them to do, and that's to intercede before His throne until He would rain righteousness from above. Simply, that is EVERYONE'S call upon their life who call themselves a Christian. Anything less is sub-standard to His desire for each of our lives.

Most will read this and dismiss it. They will continue spending time in their own pursuits, whether it is plastered in front of their "hellevisions" or doing any number of other things while pursuing their own interests. However, my prayer is that it will stir the hearts of some to take action and to begin denying themselves and to begin seeking the Lord God Almighty for revival. My parting question is this: If God went through your city today, would He mark you as one who groans over the sin of your city? It is your heritage if you call yourself a Christian, beloved. May we all stand before that Judgment Seat of Christ someday WITHOUT the blood of our fellow man on our hands (II Corinthians 5:10; Ezekiel 3:20). Our gracious God is waiting and longing to pour forth His Spirit in a mighty way upon our lands if we will but ask, and keep asking. It is the calling that all of us must either ignore or heed.

Lord God Almighty, may all who read this be enlivened in their hearts to seek your face for our lands. May we join together to beseech you for revival that will overturn the idols that we have set up in our respective lives. Grant us compassion through your revelation of our true state of affairs. Give us hearts to pray. In Jesus' Name, Amen!Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

In God's Light - March 27, 2011

2011-03-25T19:51:00.003-05:00

The following is the message text and audio recording of a sermon titled "In God's Light" delivered to the homeless at the Kansas City Rescue Mission Chapel on March 24, 2011.

In God's Light - March 24, 2011

Psalm 36:9 - For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.

My two and a half year old grandson is continually teaching me about God's ways. My office is located in the basement and for some time we have left the basement dark. I can see my way down the stairs without the light and make it to my office usually without any trouble. However, to make it more agreeable for the little fellow to come visit his papa, we have been keeping a light on to make his trip less scary. It is a joy to see him opening my office door before his bedtime, knowing that he and grandpa will share a snack before he heads back up for grandma to tuck him in. He knows that as long as the light is on, that he has nothing to fear. He can boldly totter down the stairs and head right to papa's office. However, before we turned the light on for him he would stand at the top of the stairs and cry out for me to come get him. His simplicity toward life is so wise in many ways. While we as adults have learned to traverse the dark places in our home with assurance, children demand otherwise. I think it is for good reason. For why should any walk in darkness if the light switch is just a flick of the finger away?

Too often, we as believers tend to expect less of God as we rely upon our own senses to get by. We choose to walk in the darkness of our own "common sense" rather than simply asking God for more light in our respective lives. How simple it would be to look to the Lord and ask Him to turn on the "light switch" that chases away all the fears in our lives? Problem is, most of us have grown accustomed to living with the things that live in the shadows rather than shining God's light in the basements of our hearts. It becomes all too easy to say, "Well, it's really not that dark in those gray areas of my life. After all, every one gossips now and then. And, when I look at a beautiful woman, it's just to admire God's handiwork." While these examples may seem benign, they are in actuality the things that bring most Christians to a place of unfruitfulness. Satan will seldom use overt temptation when he can use subtleties to cause us to muddy God's clear spring that He desires to run through His beloved. Compromise to sin's subtleties is the trap that the enemy will seek to pull most of us into its grip. If he can keep us walking in the shadows rather than coming to the light, he has beaten us down to non-effectiveness in God's kingdom. However, if we will demand and persist for the Almighty to shine His light, we too can walk in continual light. It can be as simple as standing and insisting the Lord help us, much as my grandson did for me to turn on the basement light.

The Apostle John spoke much about coming to the Light, and why most refuse to do so. It is inherent for mankind to avoid the light of understanding that could bring them salvation because they, by nature, hate that which the Light would reveal. In John's Gospel, Jesus explained man's inability to come to the Light on their own due to their sinful nature:

This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God. (John 3:19-21)

In this passage, Jesus tells us that men have a fear of being exposed -- that through this exposure they might experience a loss of reputation, social standing, or even how they view themselves before God. However, God is not fooled and knows what is in the hearts of men (John 2:24-25; Matthew 15:18-19). There is no way that we can hope to walk before God uprightly if we haven't brought everything to the light. That includes every negative word or thought against another person, or every lustful thought or ambition to have a little "more". That might include that extra piece of pie or dish of ice cream. Or, it may mean a wandering eye of adultery or fornication dressed up as "beauty appreciation". Maybe it's that "white lie", all in the name of not wanting to hurt someone with the whole truth. All of these subtleties are Satan's window dressings to keep the saints of God locked away in darkness, never coming to the full splendor of the Light of God. Beloved, that God would throw each of us from our proverbial "high horse" like he did Paul on the road to Damascus and blind us with His unapproachable Light (Acts 9:3,8). If the Lord would strike us blind with heaven's light, we can be assured we would no longer walk in the darkness of this world. May God do so, giving us all a baptism of His wisdom and revelation through the Light of Heaven!

By the mercy of the Almighty, Paul was granted light that would forever change his life. However, most of us must seek God for the light of His Presence. In John's first letter, the apostle drops a plumb line regarding fellowship with the Father. God is not interested in a compromised relationship, but desires hearts totally submitted to His "Heavenly Searchlight". The Apostle John states:

If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. (I John 1:6-7)

There is no other way to come to the Lord but with a heart of surrender to His Light. And, we have a promise from the Father that the blood of His son will cleanse us from all sin if we will but come. If we do not cry out to the Lord, asking Him for His light, how will he ever know we desire to commune with Him in fullness? Much in the same way that if my grandson did not cry out to papa, how would I know he was standing at the top of the stairs, desiring to come down and have a time of intimate one-on-one before bedtime? Similarly, both he and we need to cry out to our respective "papas" and insist on the Light. Without it, there will only be scary shadows and fears that drive us away from the Father's love. May we come to Him, insisting that our Father share His light with His beloved children.

Heavenly Father, You've given all who know You a light within. Cause our lights to burn bright for You. May the oil of the Holy Spirit be plentiful within us all through obedience to Your Son. May we come to You in blessed fellowship, always. We pray this in Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Fathers' Hands - March 20, 2011

2011-03-18T19:13:00.003-05:00

Jeremiah 47:3 - ... The fathers have not turned back for their children, because of the limpness of their hands.

As a grandfather, there is nothing quite like my grandson reaching up to grab hold of my hand as we walk. It is a special connection that speaks of a child's trust toward someone that loves him deeply. I remember holding my children's hands when they were small, and that same childlike trust. Their adoring eyes would meet mine as I would pick often them up and hold them tight. Ideally, attachment to our children is not supposed to turn into emotional and spiritual detachment. Children will continue to love and trust through pubescence and into adulthood if they are not disappointed to do otherwise. What will frequently initiate a severing of paternal ties with our offspring is a lack of care and concern for them, and an overriding preoccupation with ourselves. Oftentimes, parents can become so detached from their children that their self-absorption is evident to all, especially to our children. While our offspring often look to mothers for comfort, they look to their fathers for protection. A child will rightly feel grossly violated when a father fails to keep them from harm and without a sense of security.

Paternal trust by our children is as old as mankind itself. In the book of Jeremiah, we see a breach of this trust nearly 2600 years ago amongst Israel's ancient rival. As our lead verse implies, a horrific theme of forsaking had occurred which continues throughout the chapter. The prophet is speaking a prophetic word against the Philistine nation regarding their devastation by the hand of Pharaoh. Jeremiah's inference in this futuristic foretelling is that the Philistine fathers would abandon their children, being terrorized while running away from the onslaught. Upon the fulfillment of this prophecy, some had undoubtedly escaped Gaza (a chief city of Philistia) without concern for the welfare of their offspring. He spoke judgment to these weak fathers for their self-centered preservation, who would sacrifice their own children to their ruthless conqueror. The prophet characterizes their lack of strength as both a man and as fathers by the "limpness of their hands".

A day of forsaking such as portrayed by Jeremiah did not happen because of this solitary event. In order for fathers to forsake their children in a time of distress, they undoubtedly had forsaken them days, weeks, months, or years before in their hearts. Their lives had become so busy with their own pursuits that their children became pushed down the priority list. We see other examples in scripture of fathers forsaking their children in much more demonstrative and horrific ways. The Old Testament mentions the Ammonite god Molech eight times and it is always in conjunction with child sacrifice. Twice in the book of Leviticus, the Lord warns the children of Israel of this detestable practice of the nations they are soon to dispossess from Canaan (Leviticus 18:21; Leviticus 20:2-5). Sadly, in the book of Kings, we see its establishment by none other than King Solomon (I Kings 11:7). Whether Solomon himself sacrificed any of his own children to Molech is not revealed in scripture. However, we can surmise that this was an invitation to all who desired to do so to complete this ghastly form of idolatry. We are told that two later kings of Judah, Ahaz and Manasseh, did indeed "make their sons pass through the fire" (II Kings 16:3; II Kings 21:6). One might ask, "How could someone do such a thing? It would never even enter into my mind to do a crime such as this against children!" Before we cast judgment on these ancient idolaters, let us first establish the fact that idolatry of ANY kind is an abomination before God. The Lord stated in His first commandment, "You shall have no other gods besides Me" (Exodus 20:3). While child sacrifice is horrific, it is merely a progression of idolatrous behavior that had become socially acceptable. To give a more contemporary example, we might say that we would never have participated in the holocaust against the Jewish nation in World War II Germany. However, once something becomes acceptable, there is no telling what atrocities will be awakened in the human psyche.

While this is a horrific thing for us to contemplate -- fathers abandoning their children to idolatry -- it is indeed a reality happening around us every day. Fathers with "limp hands" are giving in to their own desires rather than sacrificing themselves for their children. (Indeed, there will be a sacrifice, whether it is the father or the child!) We see it happen as children are allowed to grow up much too fast, exposed to the overt sensuality of this world. Through paternal blindness, their innocence is sacrificed in the name of social acceptability. "After all," both fathers and children might reason, "Everyone else is doing it so I guess it's okay, huh?" What they fail to recognize is that it's not okay. These fathers with no moral compass have allowed their children to "pass through the fire" and to be sacrificed to the god of this world, all in the name of compliance to social norms. What they fail to recognize is that they have run away from the enemy much like the Philistines before Pharaoh, sacrificing their children rather than protecting them. By not sacrificing themselves, they have created an insufferable breach in relationship that can only be healed by the Lord God Almighty. For those of us who have sacrificed our children to our respective "Molechs" by our neglect and selfishness toward them, there is always opportunity for healing. If we confess our sin of idolatry to the Lord, He will begin the restoration. We must be willing to tear down the altars of selfishness and do whatever it takes to bring reconciliation. May God give us all strong hands and tender hearts to bring the children back to a father's heart of love and sacrifice.

Heavenly Father, teach us to be remarkable fathers. Allow us first to surrender our lives to Your Fatherhood. Then, give us tender hearts and strong hands for those You've called us to father. We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

God Almighty - March 13, 2011

2011-03-11T17:48:00.002-06:00

Psalm 18:7 - Then the earth shook and quaked; and the foundations of the mountains were trembling and were shaken, because He was angry.

Throughout our lifetimes, we hear or read about various natural disasters that are cataclysmic in scope. At the time of this writing, the news story of the 8.9 Richter-scale earthquake and tsunami that devastated northern Japan is only a few hours old. New information continues to flow out of Japan regarding the loss of life and property. Many are saying the most surprising thing about this massive quake was its total surprise. With all the effort given to measuring fault lines and seismic data, this one literally "shocked" the scientific community. There were no apparent "rumblings" that would have made this one subject to prediction. With all of our supposed knowledge about the earth and its tectonic meanderings, we still can't accurately predict earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, or for that matter, meteorological and atmospheric changes created by these abrupt disturbances.

After something as devastating as events such as this, the question is often asked ... "Why?". Some folks that don't believe in God will chalk it up to a "natural lotto" that occurs at the whim of nature. Then there are those who believe in a Creator. Many will ask, "If there is a God, then why does He allow things like this to happen to His creation? If He is a God of love this seems to be such a contradiction regarding His supposed loving nature!" What many fail to understand is that the earth has been operating under a curse since man's fall in the Garden of Eden. Paul tells us in the book of Romans that the earth groans and travails for redemption from its fallen state (Romans 8:22). Through this travail, there will be rumblings in the earth and upon it. Jesus tells in Matthew 24:7 that there will be earthquakes in various places as the end draws near. In the 20th century alone, more people died from earthquakes than from all that century's wars (see Twentieth Century Earthquakes - Confronting an Urban Legend). Some argue there have been more seismic disturbances in the past century than in combined centuries in the past two millennia. We can only surmise that the earth is trying to tell us something. For those of us who believe in God and His scripture, it is only confirmation of the inevitable. One day soon the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back to redeem not only His people but a planet that has been scarred by man's sin for thousands of years. Until that day, God will continue to use natural disasters such as this terrible earthquake in Japan to awaken His most prized creation to His love.

Some might say, an earthquake is a strange way to show the love of the Lord. Those of us who believe in Jesus Christ know that God causes all things to happen for a purpose. Paul tells us in the book of Romans that there is nothing that happens that God doesn't use for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Even though the Father is angry at the proliferation of sinfulness upon the earth, doesn't mean that He loves His most noble creation any less. (This would be like claiming that a parent doesn't love a child merely because they have angered their parent due to disobedience.) A case can be made for His mighty love being poured out more than a hundred years ago as a result of another devastating earthquake. The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 is still the greatest natural disaster to ever occur in the United States. It is estimated to have been a 7.9 earthquake (a full point below that of Japan's) that turned out to be secondary to the huge fire which resulted in its seismic aftermath. By today's standards, it is estimated to have resulted in approximately 8.2 billion in damage. No one is quite certain, but officials from this period estimate that over 3,000 lost their lives while over 200,000 of a 400,000 population were left homeless. Yet, from this widespread loss of property and life, God caused life to spring from the ashes. Frank Bartleman, who chronicled the Azusa Street Revival of 1906 in Los Angeles, believed that it wasn't a coincidence that the earthquake occurred in the very same month as the outpouring of God's Spirit 500 miles south of the epicenter. He wrote in his book the following: The San Francisco earthquake was surely the voice of God to the people on the Pacific Coast. It was used mightily in conviction, for the gracious after revival. Through the result of sin's curse, the devil was having a heyday of murder and mayhem through the devastation of that fateful day in San Francisco more than a hundred years ago. Yet, there was God Almighty pouring out His Spirit and granting repentance through His kindness (Romans 2:4). While the earthquake in San Francisco has little lasting impression today on this vast metropolis, God's outpouring on the Pacific coast more than a hundred years ago is still bearing fruit. From this move, the entire Pentecostal movement originated. Denominations such as Pentecostals, Church of God, and Assemblies of God sprang up as a result of this gracious outpouring. The Lord only knows how many souls have been reaped into His kingdom through the result of sin's curse and the mercy of His love.

We all mourn for the loss of what the Japanese people are experiencing. Their tremendous loss is something that most of us cannot comprehend. However, those of us who know the Lord must believe that He will indeed bring good out of this calamity. The devil is certainly rejoicing because of the loss of life and destruction in Japan. However, we must know that God is strategically using this horrible disaster to bring glory to His Name. As Christians, we have the responsibility to help in whatever way the Lord directs. Most of all, these people need prayer that God would not only meet their physical and emotional needs, but that He would give them the greatest gift of all -- redemption from sin. The Lord is still God Almighty and will always be. His hand did not cause this calamity, but He will use it to bring His Name glory. May those of us who know the Lord as the Savior of the world go before His throne and seek Him for a great deliverance for the Japanese people. May revival spread over the Japanese peninsula and shake the world for God's glory!

Lord God Almighty, though the earth may shake through the curse of sin, You will shake the nations with Your glory. Help those who are most in need in the Far East, granting many salvation through Your loving grace. These are but a foreshadowing of the time of the end of creation, Lord. Help us to heed the times and to seek Your face for those in need of Your love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Greatness - March 6, 2011

2011-03-04T19:06:00.002-06:00

Jeremiah 45:5 - "But you, are you seeking great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I am going to bring disaster on all flesh," declares the LORD, "but I will give your life to you as booty in all the places where you may go."

Nineteenth-century humanist writer William Hazlitt once said, "No really great man ever thought himself so." Even an atheist such as Hazlitt understood the simplicity of what makes someone great. The greatest Man who ever lived was someone who definitely knew who He was upon this earth. However, He also knew who He wasn't. Jesus Christ, even though God in all respects, chose not to regard Himself equal to God while He lived His life on earth. Instead, He chose to empty Himself and take on the life of a servant for all mankind (Philippians 2:5-7). Greatness, as understood in a man, will always be measured by the degree of humility one possesses. Without the sacrifice of self, there can be no true greatness. Ironically, anyone who seeks great things for themselves will never grasp what they seek. Only as one chooses to give themselves for others will the aforementioned find their respective place of greatness. Unfortunately, many judge greatness by outward recognition from others. They gauge their so-called success by the accolades they might garner. Once again, the benchmark is Jesus and how he emptied Himself and lived for others. He looked only to the Father and for His approval, rather than the empty praises of men.

What many don't realize is that in order to find God's greatness for their lives, one must seek little for themselves and much for God. Many abort God's goodness and His desires when they contradict His will and claim to know what will make them great in His kingdom. They argue they are working to build God's kingdom, but they are more correctly building their own little fiefdoms irrespective of the Lord. These attempt to leverage the power of God in their lives for their own ends, remaining shallow without much depth to show for their selfish efforts. They have refused to allow the Holy Spirit to dig a deep foundation in their lives by submitting to Him in humility (Matthew 7:24-27). As Jesus states in the parable of the two foundations, the criteria to live as a great man or woman of God is both hearing and acting upon God's word. As we die to self, God is then allowed to go a little deeper and to dig out the self-absorption that plagues us all. The stability of a man or woman who allows God to dig out self is sometimes not so apparent on the surface. However, there is a strength that prevents them from being moved by what anyone might say or do, both negative and positive. Their concept of greatness has been divorced from themselves and instead has been transfixed on the greatness of what God has done in their lives.

To seek greatness invites disaster, according to our lead verse. Those who build foundations upon the sands of pride and self-assertion are destined for destruction. Jesus' disciples allow us to understand through the Gospels how it is possible to be close to the Lord, hearing His words daily, but not acting upon them. In one particular instance, they manifested their shallowness and their relative "smallness" by seeking greatness for themselves. James and John were part of the Lord's inner circle, yet they had not received the word implanted which was able to save their souls (James 1:21). When the sons of Zebedee came before the Lord and sought preferred seating in Christ's kingdom, they revealed their hearts and their own "kingdom building" rather than seeking Christ's will (Mark 10:35-37). The disciples scorned James and John for their self-seeking. Jesus' response was a gentle reproof, stating ... whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant (Mark 10:43). This paradoxical statement must have flabbergasted the disciples! However, Jesus continued to model the attitude of a servant right up until the night before His death when He abased Himself by washing the disciples feet. A rabbi in ancient Palestine would never think to do such a thing. Yet, here was the most complete Man who ever lived doing just that! Jesus not only gave His disciples a lesson in greatness through servitude, but everyone who would read His example of humility in John 13. By seeking God's glory, Christ tells us that our flesh will die each time we submit to the Father's will regarding His greatness for our lives. If we will but "have this attitude in ourselves that was also in Christ Jesus", then God's disaster will not find us on that day when He judges all flesh. Beloved, it is hard to judge a dead man! And, if we are living dead to ourselves and to our sinful flesh, then we have already pronounced disaster to our own flesh (Jeremiah 45:5). As Jeremiah the prophet further states in our lead verse, we will then find our lives as "booty" because we have lost our sinful lives for Christ's sake (Matthew 16:25).

The door to greatness is not one that many feel comfortable entering. And, it shouldn't feel comfortable. If it does, then we have entered through a door of pride and our self-serving greatness will undoubtedly make us smaller than we would ever desire. However, if we seek God's greatness and to increase His glory upon this earth, a peculiar thing begins to occur. God will have begun His excavation within our souls to rid us of the last vestiges of our old sinful nature. He will then begin to backfill within us the peace and serenity of His presence that ensures us we have begun to partake of Him in a whole new way. Once a man or a woman is totally surrendered to God as a servant for all, there is no telling where their greatness will end. And most ironically, they will be shocked and dismayed that anyone would ever think of them in such a manner. They have entered into that sublime place of greatness through their smallness of stature, by not ingratiating themselves to their flesh and its desire to be a "somebody". However, before God, they will powerfully tower before their Maker as a servant for His good pleasure. May we all find this place of greatness, in humility before the Great King.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus' example. Help us to get small so we can live in greatness before You. No matter what the world says, we don't care. We desire to spend our lives on You and to live as spiritual giants through humble service to You. Help us to be like Your Son. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Loyalty - February 27, 2011

2011-02-25T19:26:00.002-06:00

Proverbs 21:21 - He who pursues righteousness and loyalty finds life, righteousness and honor.

Recently, I re-watched the first two movies in The Godfather series. I don't have a lot of extra time for movie-watching, but I was able to catch bits and pieces while doing other things in my office. What has always intrigued and fascinated me about these films is the character of Michael Corleone. His devotion toward "The Family" is notable in a ruthless fashion. Of course, once Michael became Godfather, everything had to be his way. It was understood, that for him to show weakness meant a breakdown in the strength of the family. If he made concessions, he knew that others would take advantage of his proposed kindness. In order for this not to happen, we see a stalwart leader that is (to the most part) unyielding in his loyalty to his business, his family, and to his criminal heritage. However, the adage is true in respect to the Corleones; those who live by the sword will ultimately die by the sword (or in this case, the gun). Their earthly kingdom of wealth and power garnered by nefarious behavior was destined to crumble. Their continued success was dependent on their continual sacrifice and loyalty to their cause, no matter how destructive the outcome to them and all whose lives they touched.

My take-away from movies usually involve themes. Probably my favorite movies are redemptive. Not so with The Godfather Saga. In these, I see a theme of perverse loyalty that only results in death and destruction. Michael said something very poignant in the first film; keep your friends close, but keep your enemies even closer. How true this must be also in Satan's kingdom! I can only imagine how the demonic realm functions outside of what scripture tells us, but I believe earthly manifestations of evil can also give us insight into the evil one's kingdom. Looking at Michael Corleone's statement, one can see an underlying mistrust for both enemies and friends. With a "business" built on wickedness, how difficult would it be to call any "friends" and believe they were totally trustworthy? We can only imagine that similar attitudes are prevalent in the demonic world. Paul tells us that principalities and powers rule the air (Ephesians 6:12). As we live and breathe, there are Satanic forces hovering above us in the second heavens, trying to affect men's lives for evil. The book of Daniel, amongst other places in the scriptures, tells us that there are devilish "princes" ruling over various parts of the earth (Daniel 10:13). We can easily surmise that under these princes exist legions of demonic minions that live in constant fear of disobeying the slightest command of their demonic superiors. We can speculate that every time they fail in their quests to move us toward wickedness, then they are severely punished. It appears that one of the most horrific punishments to a demon would be to send it back to hell. This is evident in the exorcism of the man from the land of the Gerasenes in Luke chapter eight. The demons named Legion pled with Jesus not to send them back into the abyss, asking instead to be allowed to enter a herd of swine (Luke 8:31-32). Possibly, to be allowed to roam the earth and perpetrate mayhem on mankind was a huge promotion compared to the demotion and punishment that awaited them if they failed in their earthly duties. It's no wonder that when Jesus addressed the Pharisee's accusation of casting out demons by Satan's authority, he posed a question of logic as a rebuttal. He answered them as follows: But He knew their thoughts and said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul." Jesus tells us straight up that there is no division in Satan's kingdom -- that he controls his realm with intimidation and fear -- much like what we might witness in a Hollywood movie about gangsters.

While Christians should not necessarily keep their enemies closer than their friends, we should certainly understand the schemes and the desires of our enemy to entrap us to do his bidding. Our understanding of who we are in Christ allows us to be loyal to a kind Master that does not threaten retribution if we should stumble. In the aforementioned story, Christ appears to show mercy when dealing with Legion. He could have easily denied their request, but instead he allowed them to enter and destroy a herd of swine. While it is unclear why He would allow a herd of pigs to be hurled over a cliff, it does speak to His sovereignty to show mercy and kindness to whomever He desires (Romans 9:15). While it may not fit in our theology to believe that Jesus would be kind to demons, He ultimately had a higher purpose than just that or He would not have done it. Our God is not sympathetic or over-emotional and is not swayed by unreasonable entreaties. On the surface, it looks like he succumbed to the demons desire. However, we can be assured that His loyalty to the Father did not waver in that situation whatsoever. For whatever reason, Jesus did what He did. He was still in control and did not have to use retribution. Possibly, he desired to remind these fallen creatures the difference between their leader and the One whom they rebelled against long ago? However, the point is that Jesus lived faithfully and with loyalty toward His Father and His desires. His kingdom is one built on love, kindness, mercy AND loyalty. The opposite is true of Satan's realm where hate, fear, and the promise of retribution are ever-looming realities.

Whether it's movie Mafioso or Satan's minions, we can be assured there is a price to pay for the lust of living for oneself. While both organizations undoubtedly promise rewards, they are empty ones that will only result in misery and death. Those who pursues sin and loyalty to depravity will ultimately find unrighteousness and dishonor. However, those who choose to follow the Son of God become part of a "Family" that never seeks retribution when we fail, but always offers mercy and kindness to the contrite of heart. As long as we stay loyal to the One who paid the price for our souls by His death on the cross, we have nothing to fear. Jesus' loyalty to the Father made room for us all in the most loving family ever created. May we all turn from the hate and fear that seeks to monger death to our earthly existence, and may we turn to the One who is faithful and loyal to see us fulfill our eternal destinies. Lord, we pledge our lives to You and the glorious future You've planned for us all!

Heavenly Father, help us to pursue Your righteousness. Let us pursue You with devoted loyalty, daily seeking your presence in our lives and those whom we love. In our seeking, You've promised life, holiness, and honor. Let it be so, Lord. Thank you that You've made us part of Your glorious family through the loyalty of Your Son. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

For Conscience Sake - February 20, 2011

2011-02-18T20:26:00.003-06:00

The following is the message text and audio recording of a sermon titled "For Conscience Sake" delivered to the homeless at the Kansas City Rescue Mission Chapel on February 17, 2011.

For Conscience Sake - February 17, 2011

Acts 24:16 - In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men.

Many of us can remember from early childhood the adage, "Let your conscience be your guide". Most children are taught from an early age what is the difference between right and wrong. Even those with little or no parental involvement inherently know when their behavior is acceptable or not. According to British researchers from a 2008 study, "children have an inbuilt sense of right and wrong". This is just one of many research groups that have found similar results during the past century. Scripture has long confirmed what to many of us is the obvious. The Apostle Paul explains that, like children, even those without someone to tell them what is right and wrong will invariably know the difference. He writes to the church at Rome, stating: Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them (Romans 2:14-15). Paul declared that no person is without excuse to obey the law. No matter if you are Jew or a Gentile, a religious person or pagan, no one can stand before God someday with a supposed alibi regarding their behavior. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). And, if all are honest, they will admit to this truth on this side of eternity where there is ample time and opportunity for repentance.

During Paul's defense before the Roman governor Felix, the apostle was only too aware that both his Jewish accusers and his Roman imprisoners understood this law of conscience. Whether they wanted to admit it or not, he knew that every man's life either accuses or defends himself in his actions. Paul's rebuttal to those who sought his death in the twenty-fourth chapter of Acts was meant, first of all, to show the Jews he was bound by the commandments handed down by Moses. Secondly, and of greater importance, that he was restrained by a greater law -- the law of conscience that was dictated by love for God. In our lead verse, Paul states that he does his "best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men." Of interest to our study, however, is the phrase "In view of this" which precedes his statement of conscionability. We must therefore retrieve "that" of which he speaks of previously. In verse 15, Paul states "that": ... having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. The apostle cleverly appealed to his Jewish accusers sensibilities by stating all men must live with conscience before God on a daily basis, ensuring their right-standing with the Father. In addition, he also spoke a stinging word of rebuke to his Roman captors regarding their garbled view of eternity. Ancient Romans held to many belief systems regarding an afterlife. Some believed that there would be a judgment at the river Styx when they either had eternal coinage to give to the boatman, Charon, or they didn't. If they did (which was symbolic of living a good life) then the ferryman would transport them to the Underworld to live for eternity. If not, they were left to wander the shores. Other viewpoints, depending on which Greek belief system they might have inherited, lived rather nihilistically and believed that this world was the end of their respective journeys (e.g. the Cynics, where our contemporary word derives).

In a brilliant defense, Paul recognized that he could never win by going on a punitive tirade against his accusers. Instead, he merely stated the facts of man's relationship with God. He told his audience that someday, on that last day, there would surely be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. Notice that he didn't say "the good and the bad". Paul would have known those to be much too relative terms to give this mixed group of listeners. Instead, he defined them as those who had either accepted the forgiveness of Jesus through "having a hope in God" or those who had shunned the Savior and His salvation for their lives. Through the Holy Spirit, Paul set them up to ask themselves the same question that he invariably asked himself on a daily basis, "Have I lived today with a good conscience before God and men?". He knew that the only answer they could honestly provide in their defense was "no". That is the case of any of us. If we do not know the Savior, there is no cleansing of our conscience before our God. If we have not accepted the blood of Jesus as the redeeming work in our life, then our consciences are "wicked" and not "righteous". Only through Christ is there the hope of salvation -- that we will be resurrected into newness of life. That is the reason why we look to Jesus for His power to cleanse our consciences and to make us stand in His presence, not by our own works, but by His death on Calvary (Hebrews 9:14).

At some level, we all know when we transgress God's ways. Paul elevated Jesus in himself to his accusers, stating that the only way he could stand before them blameless and with a clear conscience was by the redeeming life of the Son of God living within. Today, many know the righteous way to live, yet they deny the power to do so. They have rationalized God to the point, like the Romans, that they have adopted a conscience that is fitting for their lifestyles. Through their self-deception, they have prevented both themselves and possibly others from finding the Truth as outlined in the scriptures. Their consciences, as Paul states to Timothy, have become seared in the fire of their own lust to live separate from God (I Timothy 4:2). However, there is healing and restoration for all who would but humble themselves and submit to the conviction of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8). Whether we have become religious "prudes" like the Pharisees, believing our own righteousness will save us, or we have dumbed down our consciences to the point of not believing anything, the Savior is there to resurrect any and all who would call upon His Name. Newness of life can begin, right now, when we receive Him into our life. May we all experience the resurrection from the dead through a blameless conscience, both now and on that final day.

Heavenly Lord, grant us the ability like your servant Paul to live blamelessly before You, everyday, with a conscience that is cleansed through the blood of Jesus Christ. Help us to live before You with hearts sprinkled clean by His redemption. And, help us, like Paul, to testify of Your goodness to others. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Our Victorious Heritage - February 13, 2011

2011-02-11T18:39:00.002-06:00

Jeremiah 15:11- The LORD said, "Surely I will set you free for purposes of good; Surely I will cause the enemy to make supplication to you in a time of disaster and a time of distress."

Most humans desire a peaceful existence -- to live a life free from dread or uncertainty. Someone has candidly said, "Freedom isn't free". Oftentimes, the best way to keep and maintain our respective freedoms is by maintaining a forceful opposition to all that would desire to relinquish us of these precious liberties. Probably no one believed this more passionately than General George Patton. While it is questionable whether Patton had any credible spiritual beliefs, he did understand that the best defense is often a good offense. Through his life, he displayed a courage and a tenacity toward his beliefs regarding a victorious outcome, no matter the price! As a leader of men in Europe during some of the most critical battles of World War II, he understood his responsibility as a commander and he rose to the occasion. Patton characteristically spoke about being a leader and stepping up to the challenge at hand at various times. One of his quotes is as follows: A man must know his destiny ... if he does not recognize it, then he is lost. By this I mean, once, twice, or at the very most, three times, fate will reach out and tap a man on the shoulder… if he has the imagination, he will turn around and fate will point out to him what fork in the road he should take, if he has the guts, he will take it.

We are all responsible for our respective destinies. For those of us who know Christ, we all have a heritage given to us regarding how we should live in this present world. The Apostle Paul, in many regards, gives us insight in how to live like "Christ's Commanders" here on earth as we meet and defeat our enemy on a daily basis. Paul tells us in the book of Romans that we are "more than conquerors" as we live surrendered to Christ (Romans 8:37). He told his beloved Timothy that ... God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline (II Timothy 1:7). As our lead verse states, the Lord has set us free to complete and fulfill destinies of "good purpose". The spiritual dynamic of surrendering to God will inevitably set in motion the paradox of victory through Him against our enemies. Jesus, of course, is the supreme example of how a surrendered, obedient life caused hell's minions to shake and tremble in His presence. Jesus' understanding of who He was in the Godhead allowed Him to rule over the enemy with a powerful assurance. When Christ encountered the demoniacs in all three of the synoptic gospels (see Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-17; Luke 8:26-39), they were distraught to see the Son of God (to say the least). In Mark and Luke's gospel, we are told that the demon-possessed men came and knelt before the Savior, entreating Him not to torment them "before their time". Jesus did not have to state His authority to the enemy. Nonetheless, they recognized his total submission to the Father and therefore made supplication to Him. Jesus was totally assured of His destiny and who he was, and the demons knew likewise regarding both Christ's and their own futures. They knew that they were the defeated and He was the Victor, and there was no compromise in their fallen situation.

As Jeremiah points out in verse 11, there are times of disaster and times of distress for all men. However, these "times" should not be relevant for those who choose to walk as Jesus walked. We possess a stated heritage as victorious conquerors, if we will but submit to the One who first submitted Himself to His Father. While we may never encounter a demon-possessed person as our Lord did, there will be numerous times when we will be confronted by the "enemy" in our lives. Our foes can take on much different forms than just demonic manifestations. The majority of the time, the enemy moves in much subtler ways. People, places, and things will often work as detractors to get our eyes off our position in Christ as a victor. They often work as instruments of this world that attempt to vanquish our faith and to rob us of our birthright. However, our heritage is always intact, if we are children of God. It will always be the goal of our flesh, the world, and the devil to dissuade us from that certainty. Once we give in to the aforementioned, then we begin to "make supplication" and to bend the knee in obeisance to the enemies of our soul. However, if we will but keep our eyes on Jesus, then every circumstance, every ill-willed person, or any worldly situation must bow the knee in surrender to the Lord within us. This will be the case not only in good times, when our soul is full of God's presence, but in those previously mentioned times of darkness and distress that we all go through.

It takes "spiritual guts" to walk out the destiny that the Lord has prescribed for all who know Him. He has given us a heritage of goodness to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to our respective world. While we may never experience a demon-possessed person bowing down to us and entreating us not to torment them, nonetheless there will be instances in our lives where we command our subtle enemies to be exorcised from our circumstances. And, if we are walking with Jesus, it will not be a struggle. As we abide in the Lord, our heritage is to watch the enemy destroy himself all around us. For truly, Christ has given us the victory if we will but accept that reality. His heritage as "more than a conqueror" has become ours as we rest in the Beloved. The battle is the Lord's and the victory is ours!

Lord God Almighty, thank You for Your victory. Thank You for our inheritance as sons of the Most High God. Thank You that enemy is defeated and that they must bow the knee to the Risen Lord who lives within us. You are mighty to save, O God! Help us to live in the revelation of this truth. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

The Law of Love - February 6, 2011

2011-02-04T18:13:00.002-06:00

Matthew 24:12 - Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold.

Have we lately considered that law and love are inextricably linked? One really can't exist without the other. In our respective societies, laws are enacted for the general welfare of the populace. While we may not always agree with each and every law, they are created to provide a sensible, safe living environment for all its inhabitants. For instance, we my not agree with a jaywalking law, especially if we are the one that decides to dash out in traffic to avoid walking to the protected corner crosswalk. However, we impinge on the rights of drivers who have to avoid hitting us, or worse case, the trauma and horror of actually running us over! Our insistence on our supposed "rights" has violated someone else's rights by our selfish, self-centered act. So, by abiding to simple laws, we commit ourselves to the common good. We allow just laws to draw us into a collective sense of community that is a form of love for all.

However, there are forces at work that disdain and actually despise any form of law. Anarchists say that we should have no laws that arbitrate or dictate against a human desire to fulfill themselves through self-expression. This is a most dangerous mind-set. The enemy of our souls can only wish that all mankind would arrive at this demonic conclusion for living. As far as the devil is concerned, we should all live by the law of relativity, which is really no law at all. Satan's desire is that there would be no absolutes other than that absolutely anything is permissible. After all, he might say, as long as we're not hurting anybody, right? For example, people inspired by this devilish thinking will often say, "If I want to take drugs, or drink myself silly, or use pornography, what business is that of anyone else? After all, don't I have the right to live and die for myself?" The short answer to this type of logic is ... no. We were created as individuals, however, we were not created to be singular in our mores and life values. While it is arguable whether drug use to the point of overdose would affect the health industry (e.g. if someone lived as a hermit in the woods and drank or drugged themselves to death), it is NOT arguable, according to scripture, that lawlessness against God's word does not become a detriment to society at large. To continue with the example of one drinking or drugging themselves comatose, the scripture states that drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of God (I Corinthians 6:10). Also, the Proverbs tell us that those who drink to the point of intoxication are not wise (Proverbs 20:1). Regarding drug use, the book of Revelation states that outside of the kingdom are the "dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons". In the Greek, the word for sorcery is pharmakeia where we derive our English word for pharmaceuticals or drugs. As previously stated, one's own behavior may not affect others in the physical sense, but it does go against God's laws which creates a spiritual paradigm that "stores up wrath" for the impending judgment of God (Romans 2:5). Literally, every sin committed that isn't covered through the redeeming power of Jesus Christ's sacrifice, becomes a foul stench in the nostrils of God. This, ultimately, affects us all.

Jesus' words in Matthew 24:12 is an indictment of our current end-time society. The Savior's implication is that love is "temperature-sensitive". Cold hearts are directly created by lack of love, or in other words, relativism against the absolute law of God. Relativism, while seemingly benign in many of its outward manifestations, has at its heart a hatred toward God and all that He stands for. However, wherever sin increases, grace does abound all the more (Romans 5:20). The Lord, by His infinite mercies, allows an escape for all who have icy hearts. He tells us in His word, when addressing the Laodicean church, that He would wish that they were either hot or cold for Him. Their lukewarmness or indifference becomes the catalyst of God's displeasure. This relativity, or lack of the law of love, creates a hostile relationship between man and God. Fortunately, for those needing His grace, coldness of heart is the most desirable place to be other than being hot or on fire for the Lord. At least with a cold, icy heart the Lord is able to reconcile himself to a sinner by showing him or her the lack of love by the presence of His great mercy. For example, if a man's heart has become so embittered against their family or friends or life at large, then the Lord can invade this man's conscience with His presence. By the very lack of love, the Spirit of conviction can show this man his extreme disparity of anything of God, thereby bringing him to a saving knowledge of Christ (John 16:8).

While humankind's hearts will continue to grow cold in these end-times, there is still hope for their redemption. As stated, God's laws and His love are inextricably linked. It is impossible to have one without the other. The hope for all mankind is that they would discover the law of liberty (James 2:12) which ultimately allows a man to truly live as an individual, accountable only to God. Only in Christ, is there true liberty. Only as we follow the Lawgiver can we know true freedom. Though hearts be cold and stony, God has promised that He can break into these ungodly lives. He only needs the fire of His love, that is bound to His laws of mercy and forgiveness, to come into a man's heart and to melt and mold him for His good pleasure. He waits, He longs, and He will not relinquish His quest to bring us the to His law of love. May we all yield to His irresistible, powerful presence that will truly set us free!

Lord God Almighty, thank You for Your laws because they draw us to Your infinite love. Help us to be on fire for You, always embracing your law of love. In Jesus Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Jesus the Messiah - January 30, 2011

2011-01-28T16:15:00.003-06:00

The following is the message text and audio recording of a sermon titled "Jesus the Messiah" delivered to the homeless at the Kansas City Rescue Mission Chapel on January 27, 2011.

Jesus the Messiah - January 27, 2011

Matthew 23:39 - "For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, 'BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!'"

As the adage goes, familiarity often breeds contempt. Ask those who are hosting in early December, how they might feel when their visitors are still house guests in early January. As Solomon stated, The end of a matter is better than its beginning ... (Ecclesiastes 7:8). In the case of the aforementioned illustration, this is undoubtedly true in many cases. However, the end of something can also bring regret that particular opportunities were not seized, or worse yet, lost altogether. Jesus' woes to the Pharisees regarding their stiff-necked resistance to the Gospel was a manifesto of their eternal doom. Hopefully, a few heeded the warnings. Unfortunately, we can surmise that collectively they remained hard-hearted toward Christ's rebuke. The religious order of that day had undoubtedly taken for granted the Person that none should discount or dismiss. And by their ultimate denial of Christ's Messianic personage, they received a promise yet to be fulfilled from the Lord regarding their rejection. Until the Jewish people could receive Jesus as the Messiah, they would not see Him. Until they could say in all humility, "Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord", their hope of salvation was hopeless.

While Christ's pronouncements were directed primarily toward the Pharisees, his indictment also rang true for many of those in Jerusalem who were either Pharisaic followers or who were guilty by indifference. Many of those who were looking for a messiah that would ultimately restore the state of Israel and its former glory were undoubtedly dismally disappointed in this "Son of David" who had made his triumphant entry only days before. They wanted a savior that fit into their own lives, irrespective of what God desired or sought on their behalf. When Jesus didn't fit their expectations, many undoubtedly fell in behind the religious order, dismissing the true Savior as another messianic-wannabe. Jesus was quick to point out to all in his heartfelt cry for Jerusalem that they would not see him until they had eyes to see their folly (Matthew 23:37-39). His heart broke over their obstinacies, yet He would never force compliance. By their freewill, He knew that someday the Jewish remnant would cry out with passionate hearts of love, embracing His return with the same zeal as the rest of His end-time Bride. As Paul states in the book of Romans, an end time remnant will be saved (Romans 9:27). However, this won't happen until the fullness of the Gentiles (or the ingathering of the nations) occurs (Romans 11:25). The Gentile church has a remarkable opportunity of "seeing" the truth before the end. It is all about seeing Christ through an acknowledgement that He is the Savior of all mankind.

Jesus told the Jews in the twenty-third chapter of Matthew that they wouldn't see Him until they possessed the humility to do so. Comparably, those who are of the Gentile nations (who is anyone that isn't a Jew), have the privilege of seeing Jesus NOW through the spirit of humility and trust. Many who aren't Jews fall into the same category as their Semitic counterparts by looking for a messiah that will fit into their belief system. Some might say, "Jesus demands too much ... He is too narrow-minded and doesn't give me the power of self-expression. I want a god that will let me be me!" Unfortunately, the devil made this same claim upon the God-head, touting his prideful independence and rejecting humility before the Most High. Every other religion in the world is based on this demonic lie of self-assertion through self-awareness. It's all about actualizing their own "god potential". Jesus rejected this mind and heart-set with the Pharisees and He continues to do so today with everything that would raise itself up against the wisdom of His salvation. This "narrow-mindedness", as labeled by some, is the kindness and mercy of God that leads many into His saving grace (Romans 2:4). Rejecting Christ and the "narrow way", is denying one's blindness and the inability to see Him for who He is. Christ will never be what our sinful natures desire to see, but He will always be the changeless Savior that will restore our sight to see and understand His great salvation if we will only heed His grace.

As Jesus dealt with the stiff-necked Jewry in ancient Palestine, He likewise deals with those in our present age who refuse His grace. Conversely, those who will humble themselves, confessing that the "messiah" they've been seeking is a self-centered counterfeit of the true Messiah, to these Christ has promised to give them eye salve to spiritually see (Revelation 3:18) and a heart to repent. While we still have breath and before His second coming, we all have the opportunity to say, "Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord". By saying this, we lay down our rights of assuming what our Savior should resemble. We give Him the liberty according to His irrefutable Law to be the Messiah according to His loving will. May we all see Jesus as we bless Him for who He is, as we wait expectantly for His great appearing.

Lord Jesus, thank You that You are the Messiah. Thank You that whomever will come to You with humility and contriteness, You will grant eternal life. Help all these who don't know You to acknowledge that You are indeed the Savior of mankind and that You desire none to perish. Help those of us who know You to continue to submit to You as our Eternal Savior, knowing that Your return is imminent. Give us all eyes to see the Blessed One in all of His glory. In Your Name, Yeshua, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Divine Repentance - January 23, 2011

2011-01-21T19:21:00.002-06:00

Isaiah 30:15 - For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, "In repentance and rest you will be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength. ..."

Do you recall the joy of your salvation? Do you remember when God lifted the burden of sin from your life. How glorious was that day! The sky looked bluer, the grass greener, and no one could dampen your spirit, for your love-struck heart ascended to God with every breath. And the catalyst for this joyous reunion with God was a total abandonment to Him through humility, or to say it biblically, we repented of our past life and received Christ into our hearts. We turned to God with all our heart and the light of His love. In return, He filled us with the joy of His presence (Psalm 16:11). As the weeks, months, and years slipped by, many experienced a different dynamic occurring when humbling oneself over sins committed. Many times there was an unmistakable absence of the closeness of God after we confessed our sin to Him and desired to move back into His presence. I believe this is why believers often get disillusioned with God and their faith, and many backslide and forsake the Almighty. They feel the Lord has let them down -- that somehow they are doing what's expected of them and He is not delivering by filling their heart once again with His joy.

Simply put, if we are not experiencing the closeness of God then there is a problem on the receiving end, not the giving. And, the scripture is clear that those who come to God must come with humility -- that He desires to cleanse us from all unrighteousness as stated in I John 1:7: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. However, verse seven precedes this repentance verse, which is an important lesson of faith that must accompany humility. I John 1:7 tells us ... if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. This scripture implies that the "Light" is critical to fullness of relationship with our Lord. We may love walking in the light of his love when all is going well, but when we sin, many turn toward the darkness because somehow they feel unworthy to enter His presence with faith and humility. This is precisely what the devil desires -- that we believe God's redemption is conditional regarding how we feel about ourselves rather than what Jesus tells us. Our Lord's promise in Matthew 11:28 is that He will give us rest in His presence. We simply must "come to Him". Our state of coming only requires faith that He will do what He says.

Some might say, this is easier said than done. However, coming to Christ in times of repentance will depend largely on how we come to Him on a daily basis. Are we developing a loving relationship with Him when things are going well? Are we spending time in meditation, gazing into the face of Jesus? Are we spending time in His word and ruminating on His love promises to us? If we will do some simple things to maintain our relationship with Him, then we will not experience our soul withdrawing from Him in false humility. If true contrition is not coupled with faith, then it is sorrow that only leads to darkness and death concerning our relationship with Him. If, however, faith is married with humility and love, knowing that He will never cast us away, then we will come into His presence with confidence that we are forgiven as we bring our sin to the light. Paul states in II Corinthians 7:10: For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. God's will is certainly for us to be sorrowful over our sin. However, His greatest desire and will is that we would appropriate the limitless grace that He provides through the death and resurrection of His Beloved Son.

We should ALWAYS turn toward the light of His love, whether in good times or bad. There is no exception. Only as we practice coming to Him everyday, no matter our state, only then will we possess the faith to come to Him in our greatest trials. Repentance of sin should never be without a joyful conclusion, otherwise it is a false repentance that will merely result in more separation from our Savior. Just as we experienced the lightness of load when we initially came to Him and gave Him our hearts, so should we experience His joy after every failing. We must simply keep "coming to Him" no matter how we might feel. We must turn our affections toward Him and believe that His love is incomprehensible and without measure for His beloved. May we all come continually to His light, trusting His word that He has truly paid the cost for our sorrow by becoming the Man of Sorrows (Isaiah 53:3) for our sin. He only desires to restore to us the joy of our salvation (Psalm 51:12), if we will but come!

Heavenly Father, thank You for the privilege of living continually in the light of Your love. Even when we fail, O Lord, You woo us back to the light so that we can once again fellowship in Your love. Help us to know that repentance without joy is a lie from the pit of hell. Keep us continually coming to Your light so that we might experience life abundantly. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Divine Forgetfulness - January 16, 2011

2011-01-14T19:17:00.004-06:00

The following is the message text and audio recording of a sermon titled "Divine Forgetfulness" delivered to the homeless at the Topeka Rescue Mission Chapel on January 12, 2011.

Divine Forgetfulness - January 12, 2011

Philippians 3:13 - Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.

Forgetfulness can be both a blessing and a curse. Many believers burden themselves excessively and unjustifiably with the weight of their past sin. Their memory betrays them regarding what they should forget and what they should recall. These would do well to remember that Christ paid their debt and has removed our transgressions as far as the east is from the west (Psalms 103:12). Unfortunately, the enemy of our souls desires us to look through the lens of guilt rather than to focus our gaze through Christ's filtered light. When we gaze at our past through Jesus and what He has done, then we view the past correctly. Satan is not the only one who desires us to view ourselves outside of God's grace, but often there are those from our respective pasts that will always see us as they perceive -- through eyes that haven't experienced the depth of forgiveness it takes to look beyond their own failings. These often project upon others their own feelings of inadequacies because they are trapped in looking through lenses that are demonically tainted.

Probably no one understood the need to appropriately remember and to forget better than the Apostle Paul. The third chapter of Philippians is a testimony of Paul's ability to look into his own past, yet not be excessively burdened by his former life before knowing the Savior. This man of God knew that it was no longer he that lived, but Christ lived in Him (Galatians 2:20). Therefore, he could look with a sort of detachment at his past, circumspectly seeing a person that held no further sway over his resurrected life. Paul notes his past resume' in Philippians 3:5-6, stating both his favorable accomplishments as well as his past crimes. In verse six he admits to being a persecutor of the church, which was the huge irony of Paul's life for those who knew him before and after his conversion. Our first glimpse into the life of Paul occurs when he attends to the cloaks of those stoning the first martyr, Stephen (Acts 7:58). One might say that Paul didn't actually murder Stephen, but most assuredly he was an accessory to his murder. (Much in the same way that a driver or the "wheel man" of a bank robbery didn't hold up a bank, yet still he aided and abetted the holdup.) We are told in chapter nine that this singular act of hostility against the church was not enough to satisfy the young zealot. Acts 8:1-3 tells us how Paul obviously felt empowered to persecute the church in Jerusalem by having untold numbers thrown into prison. In Acts 9:1 we are told that Paul was "breathing out threats and murder toward the disciples of the Lord". He was undoubtedly much practiced and perfected in the persecution, so much so that he received the "nod" from the Sanhedrin to expand his "business" to Damascus. Scripture does not reveal how many (if any) were put to death through Paul's zeal against the church. However, if they were martyred, then Paul's list of heinous crimes became a point of revelation and sorrow on that fateful day on the Damascus Road (Acts 9:3-8). The horror Paul must have felt when Jesus revealed Himself to the soon to be apostle! He knew then that God had chosen the worst of the worst to represent Him and His message.

I have often wondered what the relatives of those who were imprisoned or martyred through the hands of Paul had to say to the man after his conversion. Especially, those who were not saved and didn't know the gift of forgiveness in their own lives. How would they have treated Paul? Probably with suspicion and contempt, to say the least. No matter what seemingly good things he might do, there would always be some who would see the "Old Paul". But of course this didn't keep Paul from KNOWING who he had become in Christ. While undoubtedly remaining patient with all men, regardless what they saw or didn't see in him, he continued to preach Christ crucified and newness of life to all who would believe. Therefore, he could speak confidently as he did to the Philippians regarding who he was and whom he had now become. Philippians 3:13 tells us that Paul was desirous to forget the past when it reared its ugly head and required justice for his crimes. Paul would simply point to the cross and declare, "I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me". Paul had learned the secret of knowing his past and yet not being in debt to it. The Lord had given him divine forgetfulness regarding his past sins -- a forgetfulness of the guilt and shame, but a remembrance of the price that Christ paid to absolve him forever. This is how Paul can say that he forgets the past laden with regret. In his words, it is now time to reach forward to what lies ahead.

Many of us who have come out of sordid backgrounds will undoubtedly have a few folks that will never be persuaded by our new life in Christ. No matter the distance we put between our lives today and that old way of living, there may be some who will be suspect of our change. If Paul were here and speaking with us, I'm certain he would say it doesn't matter. What does matter is that we don't live under the guilt and shame of a life that has been crucified and buried through the Lord's sacrifice. What He did is sufficient for us all, no matter how awful our lives before Christ might have been. The devil, along with others that don't understand, will desire us to look through that lens of guilt to attempt to atone for our misgivings. It can never happen. Jesus already paid the price for us to view our past with divine lenses that forget the shame and remember only what He has done on our behalf. Are you forgiven in the Lord? Then rejoice that the shame is gone and let no demon or man place it on you again. For we, like Paul, possess Christ's reality about our position in Him -- one that looks not with dread at a purposeless past but one that looks to the future with eternal hope!

Lord Jesus, thank You for Paul's example. Thank You for taking the worst of the worst and making an example that we all can follow. For You took a man full of crimes against You, and turned him into an impassioned apostle of Your grace. Lord, we look to ourselves and know that if You can do this for someone like Paul, You can likewise help us to forget the past and reach forward to what lies ahead with great anticipation. Thank You for Your divine forgetfulness and Your holy remembrance of what You've done for Your beloved. In Your Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives

Honoring God - January 9, 2011

2011-01-07T18:58:00.002-06:00

Psalm 50:23 - He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; and to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God.

It has been said, "to sacrifice your happiness for the happiness of the one you love, is by far, the truest type of love". While this is a noble aspiration, it nonetheless smacks of humanistic endeavor. Happiness is contingent upon outward circumstances rather than an inward sense of well-being. Jesus never promised happiness in this life, but He did promise joy as we would abide in His presence (Psalm 16:11). To live a joyful existence is to recognize that Jesus gave Himself as the greatest sacrifice known to mankind. He offered Himself up as the sacrificial lamb to honor the Father with the promise of many sons and daughters. While we can never equal His sacrifice (by living a perfect life and then laying it down for others) we can humbly honor the the Lord by continual thanksgiving for His most gracious gift of eternal life. As the Son honored the Father by giving His life, so we must honor Him with daily sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving for His mercy and grace. Giving Him praise is a selfless act that takes time away from ourselves and gives it back to God. To remove oneself from vain pursuits in order to invest time worshipping God, is the noblest endeavor of a child of God. However, everything that is at enmity with our Maker will seek to distract us from this undertaking.

We are all called as priests to serve before the Lord, continually offering up our sacrifice of worship and praise to the Lord (Exodus 19:6; Revelation 5:10). A few take this calling seriously and with earnest, while the vast majority of believers believe that their "priestly" duties, if any, are nominal and reserved for an hour on Sunday morning. What determines a true priest and a false priest to the Lord is our sacrifice of time, or if you will, our very lives in all that we do. The household of Eli in the second chapter of the first book of Samuel gives us a look at the apostasy in 1100 B.C. Israel as well as a parallel to the passion-less, religiosity of much of the westernized church today. Eli lived a compromised life as the chief priest at Shiloh, while he allowed his sons to live lives of robbery and debauchery. A man of God came and prophesied to Eli that surely his priesthood would not endure as the Lord had formerly promised because of the sins of Eli's sons. In Samuel 2:30, the prophet pronounced judgment on the House of Eli: Therefore the LORD God of Israel declares, "I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father should walk before Me forever"; but now the LORD declares, "Far be it from Me -- for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed." This prophetic word declared that very soon the sons of Eli would end their robbing God of the praise and honor due His name, as God was raising up another (Samuel) who would do all that was in the heart of God. No longer would God be dishonored by a priestly order that was at best, compromised. Through the order of Samuel, God would accord Himself honor through a model life that spoke thanksgiving and praise from a heart that was totally the Lord's.

The prophet declared the word of the Lord to Eli with a promise. Samuel was to prove this promise and walk in it all of his life. When God states that He will honor those who honor Him, it is not an idle statement. The Lord raised up Samuel above all others in Israel and made him a judge over the land. There was no other more honored and respected then Samuel. However, this wasn't something that happened overnight. Samuel set this dynamic in motion early in life, allowing it to mature in his latter years. Through Samuel's faithfulness to offer up righteous sacrifices, rather than those taken by robbery by the House of Eli (I Samuel 2:29), he was able to command the people's respect and more importantly, God's. Through his integrity, he offered up sacrificial offerings that "cost something". After all, a sacrifice that is not sacrificial in nature is not a sacrifice, but merely an offering. Samuel knew what it meant to sacrifice daily for the people by living obediently, praising and worshipping the Lord with a heart to honor the Almighty. Thus, no man could dishonor him, for God had first and foremost honored His servant.

Truly, we are all called as priests to serve before the Lord. It is our choice whether we serve as priests of the House of Eli or those of the House of Samuel. Those who dishonor God, He will dishonor. Likewise, those whom honor God, He will also honor. As noted in our lead verse, a life that is sacrificial in giving thanks to the Lord is a life that honors Him. It is not only lip-service, but a life committed to stand in the gap between God and mankind -- a life that is freely given for His glory. This, beloved, costs everything we possess. Are we willing to be priests like Samuel? Or, are we content with compromise and living lives of excessive selfishness? Only as we sacrifice everything will we find true honor. May we all find this place of high distinction before our God as we lay down our lives as Jesus laid down His, both today and throughout the rest of our earthly lives.

Lord God Almighty, help us to honor You with a life of sacrifice. May our worship and thanksgiving be a continual testament of lives that are totally yielded to You. May we honor You always, not looking to be honored ourselves, but accepting it with humility and grace as from Your hand. We give You thanks and praise. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Bare Soul Archives