The Year of Decision - December 27, 2015

Isaiah 6:1 - In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.

What will this new year bring for us? Many I talk to are cautiously optimistic about their future. Others are feeling that 2016 looks to offer no more hope then they experienced in the previous year. Things many have counted on in the past to offer them security  have suddenly shifted in their present situations. Stock portfolios are not as robust as they once were and housing values struggle to maintain a semblance of their former value. Whether we wring our hands in despair, or lift them toward heaven in loving trust, God sees and knows all. No matter what goes on around us, we will only experience true hope and security through the Hope-giver. That means abandoning our expectations in anything except Christ and dying to ourselves and our ambitions. Retiring to any possibility less than this is futile in the light of eternity and prone for disappointment.

In his youth, Isaiah the prophet probably held similarly high hopes for his future as many do today. Born into a wealthy family, he was educated and trained in the priesthood. His imminent expectations undoubtedly looked good. However, Isaiah would have an encounter with God that would change his life forever. In this turning point of Isaiah's life we see a progression of "NO, WOE, and GO." Before this fateful day -- when the prophet saw the vision of the Lord "high and lifted up" -- he was what we today might consider a "good" Christian. However, in the year of King Uzziah's death, the paradigm of faith shifted in Isaiah's life forever. Uzziah's reign will always be symbolic of rebellion, pride, and arrogance as he tried to act like a priest and God smote him with leprosy (II Chronicles 26:18-20). This dreaded disease of ancient Israel is a metaphor in the word of God for sin and all its consequences. Isaiah deliberately tells us that he was diametrically changed in the year Uzziah died. Allegorically, it was the year of his death to what he thought a good follower of God should be.

Before the death of "king self" typified by Uzziah's death, he said, "NO, not me Lord!" He was probably happy with his life as a well-educated priest. But now something changed. He saw the Lord high and lifted up in the subsequent verses of this chapter and said, "WOE is me!" seeing himself in the light of God's knowledge. With godly understanding now guiding him, he accepted the role as prophet when God told him to "GO." His total disregard for his own life and total concern for God's mission became his prophetic legacy. Because of his obedience, we have his writings which have lasted more than 2700 years. God's influence on an obedient man will last well beyond his lifespan as  was the case with Isaiah.

We are not told when this epiphany came to the prophet that redefined his life, but only that it came "in the year" of the king's death. Often, we will not know exactly the time or place of God's moving in our lives. We may only know it happened in a certain season, possibly over a period of time. Isaiah did not associate his vision with a particular day, because that was not important. What was critical was to know how he allowed the juxtaposition of his sin and rebellion (typified by the king) with the holiness of God and his mission as a prophet. The result was a deputation empowered by the zeal of the Lord. This was not to be just a casual prophetic word, but years of prophecy that would eventually result in Isaiah's physical death (Isaiah 6:8-13)(Hebrews 11:37). 

How many of us need to come to the "year of King Uzziah's death" in our lives? How many of us need to quit being "good" Christians and see our flesh for what it is? Seeing our badness is step one. Then, it is imperative we then see His greatness which cleanses us. We must understand how the Lord has made us the righteousness of Christ in God. This, beloved, is what truly sets us free. Revelation of this sort can only result in a desire to go, say, and do whatever the Lord might lead. Is this the year of our death to any and all of our own ambitions? Is 2016 the year when we rid ourselves of the flesh and see the Lord "high and lifted up" in our lives? If we ask, He will reveal Himself. It is the great desire of His heart to reveal the truth of ourselves and of His awesome majesty!

Lord God, Holy Father, will You reveal Yourself to us in this upcoming year? Will You show Yourself to us in Your mercy, revealing our hearts while showing us Your great love? Grant us wisdom, Lord. Give us understanding according to Your Holy Spirit. Allow us to walk in great faith as we see You in Your majesty in 2016. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Christ Child - December 20, 2015

Matthew 2:18 - A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; And she refused to be comforted, because they were no more.

When we read the story of Christ's birth, it is full of wonder and hope. Shepherds and wise men rejoice over the birth of the Savior. Yet, in the midst of this glorious event, tragedy taints the most important advent the world has ever known. Other families in Bethlehem and its environs had similarly celebrated the joyous coming of their babies in those days. However, they soon would see their children's lives ruthlessly taken from them. No one really knows for certain how many. The Martyrdom of Matthew states 3,000 babies were slaughtered by the command of Herod. The Byzantine liturgy claims more than 14,000 male children under the age of two were massacred, while Syrian tradition places the number at 64,000! Not to diminish the horror of this event, but the number was probably quite smaller. Biblical archaeologists believe from their findings that Bethlehem's population on May 14, 6 AD (the date claimed by Clement for Christ's birth) to be around 300 persons. If that is the case, then children under two years old would probably equal less than a dozen. However, no one really knows for sure. How far around Bethlehem did Herod's murderous edict extend? While it is doubtful 64,000 children lost their lives, it is equally as doubtful in my mind that just a handful of children were killed. Nevertheless, no matter the number, a life is precious and the heartache of those whose children were taken in such a cruel manner was no doubt heartbreaking beyond words.

As the Christ child escaped to Egypt with His parents, we read in Matthew's gospel how the innocents were slaughtered by a madman. Herod was one of a long line of megalomaniacal kings in Jewish history who sought to maintain his rule at any cost. Since he was crowned ruler of Judea by the Roman government more than 40 years earlier, he had killed scores of persons he considered a threat to his throne. The slaughter of the innocents was merely the crowning achievement of his murderous ways in the twilight of his reign. This man schemed and connived his entire life to ensure his rule and that of his posterity. When he gave the command to destroy the male babies in Bethlehem, this was nothing horrendous in his eyes whatsoever. This was merely the last of a long series of murders to ensure his kingdom rule.

We often look at this event as appalling, but it was the most natural reaction of evil for this malevolent king to perpetrate. While this unspeakable evil was done, the Son of God was safe far to the south. Some might say, "Why did not God intervene on behalf of the innocents while He protected the Son of God? Isn't this hypocritical on God's part to show favoritism to His own Son, yet allow the innocent to perish?" The same questions have been asked of God throughout the millennia. While many believe He sits safely in the heavenlies while continual injustice occurs here on earth, some would suggest this proves He is an unjust God. However, those who would question God in this way do not understand He is not only a God of mercy but one of justice. His character demands that He allow mankind to go the way we have chosen since that fateful day in the Garden. God told Adam and Eve that death would be the result of disobedience, yet they chose to go their own way. Even so, we have chosen to go our own way and the result is carnage and death on a worldwide scale. Why does God allow children to die? Why does He allow babies in Uganda to suffer and die by the hands of cruel men and evil regimes? Why does God allow entire communities with thousands of children to starve to death in the Sudan? Why does He allow terrorists in Belarus to destroy an entire orphanage of children? Because evil exists in the world and we as a species have embraced it! The result of this prevalent evil will result in the death and exploitation of the innocent. It always will. The problem is compounded when we as the human race believe we are not all capable of this type of evil.

Whether we are saved by the Prince of Peace, or are joint-murderers with the prince of darkness is our choice today as it was on that infamous day in Eden. We will either join ourselves with God and look toward the day when He will once again make everything whole. Or, we will continue to join ourselves with the devil and blame God for all the woes of our world. The innocents will continually be the tragic victims of our foolish decision as a race. What we need to do is put the blame where it belongs -- on ourselves, and submit to the Christ Child who can make it all right once again. Instead of saying, "Why" to God over the calamity of this world, we should be praying "When will you come and set things right?" When we look to Him for the solutions, we will understand so much more than those without God. The evil will still be unacceptable. But we will understand its origin and its final demise as we trust in God to one day rid the earth of those who would prey on the innocent, much as Satan preyed on the innocent in Eden's garden. Then, the blameless will be righteous before Him, never to be exploited by evil again.

Holy Father, may we understand that the innocents will always be subjected to the worst kinds of evil. The hearts of men are given to do evil because they are children of their father the devil. They have chosen their parentage by their choice to follow him. There is a day, Father, when You will wipe the earth of this plague. Then, the innocents will be continually in Your presence, never to suffer again. May You come quickly, Lord Jesus. In Christ's Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

Running the Race - December 13, 2015

I Corinthians 9:24, 26a - Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. ... Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim;

In our day and time, there's a lot of discussion about race relations. In reality, when you "boil it all down" we are all more alike than different. Have you ever thought how appropriately we are named the "human race"? In our 21st century society, there is not a more fitting title for our species as we consume a great part of our day getting from point A to B and all points divergent. Some prefer to call it the "rat race" to better typify our seeming mindless behavior as we attempt to "one up" the Jones' next door. It seems as if many of us continue running and running throughout our respective days to finally collapse in the evening with a feeling of complete exhaustion. Furthermore, there is the haunting reality that nothing more than a series of similar days have been stacked one upon the other in our past and for our future. The "American Dream" has turned into the great American re-run as many seek solitude and a bit of reconciliation with themselves regarding why they continue to do what is not giving their lives a sense of fulfillment.

Jesus knew the hearts and lives of those in ancient Palestine just as He knows ours today. He did not mean for life to be a continual burden or a chore but that we "... may have life, and have it abundantly." (John 10:10). Paul recognized this as he described to the Corinthian church that life is within our grasp -- it is right here for the taking. However, it must be prized and sought after, even as a runner runs after the glory of victory. Paul was careful to point out that it was not merely skill and prowess that allowed the Grecian Olympian runner to win, but that it was strategy. Twice, within the space of two verses, Paul uses the phrase "run in such a way". When the Holy Spirit repeats Himself through Paul in the same metaphor about running, it would behoove us all to understand the wisdom behind this admonition. As a learning vehicle for this lesson, I believe the Holy Spirit has given us the acronym RACE to provide understanding of what He requires for us all to be successful on the journey as believers in Christ.

Resolve - Probably nothing is lacking in a greater degree in the Body of Christ today than the on-going resolve to follow Christ no matter what the cost. Olympic athletes, once they set their minds and hearts on the goal of their training never look back. They have become resolute in their goal and unflinching in their resolve to conquer their sport. For a Christian and a follower of Jesus Christ, there is no greater goal than to hear Jesus say on that glorious day when we stand before Him, "Well done good and faithful servant ... enter into the joy of your Master!" (Matthew 25:23). Paul proclaimed to the Church at Philippi that there was nothing more for him to do than to "press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14). This is the resolve and drive that God requires of us all -- to be so passionately desirous of Christ and His calling in our lives that we balk at nothing that might stand in the way.

Aim - Paul gives us one of the ways to run "in such a way" stating that we should run "not without aim". To run a race without running straight toward the goal is foolish, as we would all agree. What runner would run the course, zigzagging as he or she goes? What a waste of energy and direction to not head directly toward the finish line! Often times, we hear about believers who seek to run the race as a solo runner without any proverbial "coaching". These are those who think they always know better and are of no need of pastoring or shepherding. They think they have it all figured out. Unfortunately, they often "burn out" and become exhausted because they have not relied on the wisdom of others that know the course for them to follow.

Character - It is a common occurrence to hear of modern athletes using growth hormones, steroids, and any number of doping agents that would give one the perceived advantage to be the best. One can be resolute and be aiming toward the finish line of life, yet if their character is not sound then it will not bring them in a winning way to the end of the course. Paul warned the church at Corinth that they might be driven for the things of God, yet they lacked holiness of character which would ultimately allow them to be winners. In I Corinthians 6:9-10, Paul is desirous that his brethren not be mislead to think they can live one way on this earth, expecting entrance to the Kingdom of Light: Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. It is one thing to say you are a Christian and a follower after Christ -- it is another to live it out daily with integrity and honesty.

Endurance - Once a runner has done all that they can do to prepare body, soul, and spirit for the race at hand, they must then draw upon their inner reserves to complete the race ahead. Very little of our "daily racing" is sprinting, where we get the satisfaction of enjoying the fruit of our labors day to day. On the contrary, most of our daily (metaphoric) racing is part of a marathon where the daily achievements are more often just keeping pace with what God has in store for us on any given day. Personally, I see this metaphor played out constantly between the young and the old. Youth is impetuous and will burn up a track, running 400 and 800 meters with speed, joy, and abandon. However, I would bank on an older runner with the wisdom to "hold back" in a longer race, rather than a youngster who has not learned the strategy to pace oneself through the contest. Likewise, endurance will only come through experience -- doing the next right thing day after day and not expecting immediate dividends. Endurance is ultimately the fuel in the tank of the engine of Resolve that drives us to the finishing tape.

The writer of Hebrews tells us to not be entangled by the cares of this world or the sin which would so easily "trip us up" on life's race course, but to run with endurance the race set before us (Hebrews 12:1). As we set our affections upon the Author and Perfecter of our faith through our resoluteness, aim, character and endurance, we find that the race set before us is not a burdensome chore. We further find that life is not meaningless but the course is laid out for each and every one of us in the way of wisdom by our Creator. Once we understand the race before us, then we can take up Paul's admonition to run in "such a way" as to not only win, but to be more than conquerors through Him who set us on this glorious course of life. It is not a rat race -- it is our human race and it is simply an amazing one which He has given us all the grace and ability to win!

Holy Father, thank you for your words to us that we are all in a spiritual race. You would not have called us to this endeavor without the ability and grace to finish. And, to not only finish but to win. Thank you for making us victors in you, Lord, as we all pace ourselves toward the finish line in such a way as to bring you glory. In Jesus Christ's Precious Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

God's Volunteers - December 6, 1015

Psalm 110:3a - Your people will volunteer freely in the day of Your power;

Lots of folks volunteer for any number of things. There are a myriad of opportunities to give of your time to a charity, a cause, a needy organization -- the list goes on and on. Some will volunteer with an organization or for an upcoming event on a short term basis, while others such as Mother Teresa make it their life vocation. There are all types of people that help out for one reason or the other. But what does it really mean to volunteer for God? What does it mean to become so passionate about what God is doing that the first instinct is to run toward the opportunity that He offers? I will venture to say that when God gets a hold of someone, by His power, then they will never be the same. What had once been a "nice idea" to help someone or something has now become the driving force of their life.

The lead scripture tells us that the "people will volunteer freely in the day of Your power". This can be interpreted to mean that when God pours out His Spirit on all flesh in the end time move of God, that surely many will respond with a volunteer attitude. They will witness first hand the power of God with signs and wonders and the manifestation of His Spirit with mighty works of grace. Truly, there will be a great ingathering at that time merely because of the demonstration of His power. I believe wholeheartedly that this verse has a collective interpretation for the Body of Christ, but it also has an individual implication for the life of every believer. We only must understand "the call" that the Lord has placed on us as the saints of God and then comprehend how to walk in its revelation. The power to volunteer freely is available to every believer once they understand some basic fundamentals regarding who they are in Christ. More importantly, the grace that embodies that power is the fuel which will keep us passionate about our respective missions.

Isaiah is the classic example of a man who saw, understood, and was then launched into his life as a "volunteer" for God. In Isaiah chapter 6 we see the prophet's acceptance of what God desires for him to do as a prophet to the nation of Judah. Many call this chapter "Isaiah's calling", however I prefer to call it "Isaiah's Enlistment". Isaiah was not drafted into service as many of the Old Testament prophets. In Isaiah 6:8, God very clearly asks, "Whom shall I send?" and Isaiah spoke up with deliberateness saying, "Here I am, send me!" There are three clear reasons from this scripture why someone would so readily volunteer for the thankless, dangerous job that Isaiah signed on to do. They are as follows:

Visualization -- In Isaiah 6:1, the prophet-elect sees "... the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple." The glory of God is all about Isaiah as he sees the heavenly scene play out before his eyes as the powerful angels minister to the Most High. In the midst of this heavenly, holy revelation he sees his own filthiness in comparison with God's utter holiness. He cries out in Isaiah 6:5 that he is ruined because he is a man of unclean lips living amongst an unclean people. At this juxtaposition, between understanding God's holiness and his own unworthiness, he took the first step toward his candidacy as God's volunteer to the rebellious house of Judah.

Realization -- Once Isaiah understood the nature of God and his own nature as a fallen man in need of God's mercy and grace, then he could look beyond the "who" and start to understand the "what" that the Holy One desired. God Almighty was looking for someone to send to the rebellious house of Judah to reprimand them for their apostasies toward His holy name. Once Isaiah understood the need, he was then able to respond to God's query: "Whom shall we send" with an emphatic "Send Me!". This type of commitment can only come first out of an awareness of who He is, who we are, and then the realization that we are a prime candidate for His bidding.

Mobilization -- Once Isaiah knew God's heart and His will, it was time to partner with the Almighty. This is when Isaiah's enlistment or volunteering is actually confirmed by God with marching orders. The Lord tells Isaiah in verses 9 and 10 to go and to keep speaking to this stubborn people regardless whether they listen or not. Isaiah confirms his commission by asking in verse 11, "How long should I do this?". God answers him to continue his preaching until there is no longer any need to preach -- until the house of Israel and Judah have been taken into captivity. In other words, Isaiah was being told beforehand that he would not be successful in the eyes of man but that he would be a failure. (Beware of judging success in any way other than through God's eyes!) Isaiah was given a broad, generic plan from God yet the prophet accepted the mantle that Lord had given him and waited on Him to fill in the details.

Isaiah has laid out for us the road map to be a successful, passionate, unwavering volunteer for the Lord Jesus Christ. First, we must understand who He is and what He has done for us on the cross of Calvary. We must then accept his holiness in exchange for our wretchedness. This is a true understanding of both our character and His. Next, we need to realize that he has called us all to both LIVE and PREACH the gospel with our day to day living. That may be verbally, but often it will be by our witness and how we live in the midst of those who don't know the Lord. And finally, we must know that this is our life's vocation -- that it is not simply something we will do occasionally or when the mood strikes us, but it is a life to be lived with passion and desire to share the life of Christ no matter if ANY respond. If there is a clear vision of the Lord, a concise realization of what we are here on earth to do, and a stalwart mobilization of our affections and passions to that end, then there will truly be grace and power in our lives as we give our lives as one of God's volunteers. Then, we will be joyous as we cry out with Isaiah, "Send me, Lord," for it will not matter the height, or the depth, or the width or the breadth of service -- we will be His life-long volunteers through His grace and mighty power!

Lord God Almighty, reveal Yourself to us. Show us our own inability to affect anything that is lasting outside of Your strength. Through these revelations, grant us your own grace and power that we might enlist into your service with a lifetime of love and passion. In Jesus name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

Leaving It All Behind - November 29, 2015

Luke 5:11, 28 - When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him. ... And he left everything behind, and got up and began to follow Him.

Luke gives us a glimpse into the compelling nature of Jesus Christ and His ability to influence others to give up everything on His behalf. First, we see Simon, his brother Andrew, and the sons of Zebedee (James and John) casting aside their previous lives to follow this man from Galilee. Within the space of 17 verses we see the calling of Matthew with identical deliberateness. With the same verbiage, Luke describes the disciple-elect throwing off his former way of life in order to adopt a new way of living that was at the best, unclear. In both instances, the disciples are remarked upon leaving "everything behind". These are quite extraordinary statements regarding these first-century Israelites. Undoubtedly, Peter and Andrew as well as the Zebedee brothers caused great consternation and probably outright anger within their own families. Sons were raised to carry on the family business. If the family did not work, then it did not eat. Can you imagine the shame these families faced from the community? "What is this," the towns people might say, "that your sons are traipsing after this shiftless character that has left his own home and carpenter profession to pursue lunatic presumptions that he is a preacher and healer of sorts?" Surely, there was much head-wagging over the disciples' decision to leave everything behind and follow this Jesus of Nazareth.

Then there was Matthew. This tax-gatherer already had an unsavory reputation, so any move he would make regarding a vocation change would be viewed as an improvement. However, unlike the severing of familial and social ties that the fisherman encountered, Matthew must make the decision to break with his great love -- wealth. Tax-gatherers in ancient Palestine were notorious for not only exacting exorbitant taxes for the occupying Romans, but they would inevitably tack on additional "taxes" that were nothing less than extortion to be pocketed by themselves. In Luke 5:27-28, Luke tells us in the space of two verses how Jesus saw Matthew, called Matthew, and how he inevitably followed the Lord. As in the previous case with his fisherman brethren, the scripture states that he "left everything" and followed Christ.

Today, one might say that it was "easier" for them to leave behind their lives to follow the Lord. After all, He WAS and IS Jesus! In reality, however, it was still a huge risk for the disciples to leave everything behind and to follow this man they really knew little about. Their hindsight (as well as us as historical readers) confirmed to them that in time they made the right decision. However, in that initial instant and in the beginning when they had to decide whether or not to follow -- that was a huge leap of faith. In our present day, Jesus Christ is still looking for the same sort of abandon to Him as the early disciples showed by dropping everything and following Him. We might think we are much different today than those of early Christendom. We might think that our lives are much too enmeshed with our daily lives, families, businesses, activities, etc. to be able to dedicate such an abandoned commitment to the Lord Jesus. However, God's eyes are searching throughout the earth to find those whose hearts can be totally given to follow His Son in the way of these early disciples. In most cases, I believe that God is NOT calling us to become a St. Francis and give away all that we possess and to go follow Him. However, the Lord Jesus is desirous that we "leave everything" of the world behind in comparison to the devotion that we have for Him. To the degree that we can do this without covetous misgivings and follow Him, is the degree that He will share His life with us as he disciples us daily.

Few will know the calling of truly leaving behind everything and following the Lord in this lifetime. However, I will challenge us all with this statement: To the degree that we leave everything behind that is not of Him, is the degree that we won't be left behind in how God desires to use each and every one of us! As with God's universal law of giving and receiving, in just such a way will we receive back from the Lord blessings that we would never encounter unless we had "left behind" the life that was not in agreement with His divine will. Many concern themselves these days with the Rapture of the saints, or the great taking away of believers in the end-time (I Corinthians 15:52; I Thessalonians 4:16-17) . While this is certainly something to prepare for, it is nothing to be overly concerned. For as deliberately as we leave behind the things of this life, giving our hearts and lives to Christ, in the same measure we should have assurance that we will not be left behind. If one is frightened or is dreading the day of the Lord Jesus' return, then they probably have good reason since they have obviously not left behind everything to follow Him. However, for those of us who desire and yearn for His coming with unashamed, uplifted faces this will be a day of glorious deliverance. Those who have forsaken their old lives, leaving behind the encumbrances and the godless living of the past, these can be assured a lifetime of peace and happiness upon this earth and the promise of eternal glory in the life ahead.

Almighty Father, help us to leave everything behind all that is not of Your desire and to follow your Son, even as these early disciples. Sanctify our unsanctified lives that we often hold so dear, that ultimately keep us from full devotion to You. As we leave behind the things of this world, we glorify and rejoice in You that we will not be left behind in Your glorious plans for our life in this age and in the age to come. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

Thanks-living! - November 22, 2015

Psalm 116:12-13 - How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.

The more I give, the more I am blessed. No matter if it is just a smile or a wave as I am out on one of my daily runs, or whether it is interacting with my family or friends. Sometimes, home life can be the most telling regarding how much and how graciously we actually give. Familiarity can often breed contempt if we allow it. Sometimes, those we love the most we can take for granted if we choose.

I am so grateful today for my wife. We just celebrated an anniversary and it is with joy I say that our love grows daily because we nurture it. Not to say that all has been harmonious the past 18 years. Attempting to "blend" families with three of mine and two of hers that were entering teenage years when we married was a series of attempts and mostly failures. It is a tough undertaking to raise children these days, let alone trying to create a solid family unit when three households are involved.

Nonetheless, I am grateful today for all that the Lord has brought us through. As with most of us, this time of year brings reflection regarding our families, especially when we come together on Thanksgiving Day and share a meal. We may have certain expectations of the day that are sometimes not the reality once the day of thanks has passed. Often, resentments and longings for a more "functional" family can set in. We hope for a Norman Rockwell gathering but prepare for Clark Griswold pandemonium. The reality, for most of us, is somewhere in the middle.

As stated, expectations can be totally unrealistic. There will always be those dysfunctional folks in any family (present company included!) that will beg for patience and perseverance, if not audibly then by their unseemly actions. These, my friends, are "opportunities" to allow the Lord to increase our patience and long-suffering by practiced giving which in turn blesses all.

Giving brings fullness of life. It is a universal fact called the Law of Reciprocity. God has written into the very fiber of existence that whatever a person sows, they will also reap. If I am a giver of criticism, anger, and malice then I will receive the fruits of those actions and be pretty miserable. If I sow love, joy, mercy, and hope then I will reap good things in my life. The GIVING is so important for the LIVING.

During this time of thanksgiving, let us remember who gave the most on our behalf -- the Lord Jesus Christ. The greatest Giver to ever grace our planet gave everything -- not holding back even His own life. The Psalmist recognized the greatness of God and His all encompassing goodness to humanity, knowing that NOTHING could we give back to God but our gratitude and our love [obedience]. It is our privilege to worship God daily by reminding ourselves and thanking our Heavenly Father for sending His Son to earth to live, die, and rise again. In this season of thanksgiving, may we all consider our Divine Giver who gave us everything that we might have life and have it more abundantly. The wonderful irony of all we have been given as believers is this -- that the more we give, the more we truly receive. Thank God this day for the reminder of Thanksgiving for truly then we can rejoice in Thanks-living!!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

Gravity - November 15, 2015

Genesis 5:24 - Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

Infants are a joy to entertain. They often enjoy the simplest pleasures with glee while they give joy to those whom participate and observe. When my children were small, they loved for me to throw them skyward and catch them in my arms. They trusted me that I would always catch them, and then they would immediately say, "Do it again, Daddy!" They always wanted to go higher and stay up longer as they seemed to enjoy going up more than coming down. We spent hot summer afternoons in swimming pools as I would launch them into the air and they would try to make the biggest splash possible as they hit the water. I never had to teach them the concept that whatever goes up will come down. They instinctively knew it and anticipated the freefall. In pre-teen and teen years, a couple of my children still loved the sensation of freefall as they would always seek out those type rides at amusement parks. Their stomachs would drop as the sensation of gravity taking over would once again thrill their senses.

Gravity is something we all take for granted. But to someone from another planet who had never experienced it, gravity and its affects might seem "magical" or intoxicating as it did to my children in their innocence. This invisible law of physics is something that no one with any intellect would dispute, but it is indeed a scientific fact. A simple definition for gravity (or gravitation, if you like) is a naturally occurring phenomenon by which objects with mass attract one another. As we understand our earth's gravity, it is merely the downward force of gravitational energy against the earth itself, creating a constant pressure on all mass. Everything in the physical realm is bound to the constant force of the law of gravity. But what about the spiritual realm? What, if anything, is dominated by this physical law or how does the spiritual trump this law of perpetual downward force that none can seem to escape?

It is such a delight to read in scriptures when those in the past as well as those in the future defy the law of gravity by an even greater force. In our physical world, the only force that is stronger than gravity is magnetism. Just as the north and south poles are continually attracting magnetically, there is a constant magnetic charge coming from the poles seeking to capture and to pull toward their axis any and all iron-based particles. Theoretically, if one could build a large enough magnet and hang it in orbit to capture a large iron-oxide asteroid that was hurtling to earth to destroy our planet, one could offset gravity by preventing it from its downward gravitational pull. Consider for a moment that God is that "Almighty Magnet" that has the power and the force to not only to save us from destruction but to also sweep us away into His heavenly realm, both in the metaphoric and the literal sense. The bible is very clear about Enoch in Genesis 5:24, that God raptured him in his physical body to heaven to be with the Lord. The reason why is even clearer in 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. This man of God found out the "secret" of overcoming gravity on this earth, the kind of "spiritual gravity" that holds one to this world and the things of this world. Like the patriarch Enoch, we should all seek how NOT to be bound to this world in both a spiritual and physical sense. John tells us in I John 2:15 "... to love not the world nor the things of the world". This is played out daily in the mind of our spiritual being (what we think about and desire) and also in our bodies (what we choose to see, touch, taste, feel, etc.). Enoch found a way to walk before God that was so extremely pleasing and gratifying to the Most High that the magnetic force of attraction was much more powerful than Enoch's pull toward this earth. Elijah the Tishbite, God's fiery prophet was taken to heaven likewise in bodily form (II Kings 2:11). We aren't told why, however, it is easy to assume the template of Enoch's pleasing God as reason enough. Like Enoch, Elijah had cast off the things of this earth that would hold him down and that would try to keep him under its spiritual law. As his earlier counterpart, he was ready and willing when God called him to His Celestial City through the power of His Almighty attraction.

So what of us? Today, we all have the decision to either live our lives by the law of "spiritual gravity" that would seek to tie us to this carnal world and the lusts thereof. Or, we can use Enoch and Elijah as our models to aspire to -- models that show that one does not have to be bound to this earth but that we can truly fly away as our Father attracts us to Himself. No longer do we need to live our lives bound to this earth and its carnal laws, but if we know Jesus Christ we are truly seated with Him in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:16) and we have all the rights and privileges to walk as citizens of heaven on this earth today. We should always know that He is pulling us toward our True Center, not as the earth would pull a stone when dropped toward its core, but toward Himself. For He is our center and the place of most attraction for a believer that truly knows Him. Just as children love the sensation of flying upward from the arms of their father, so we too yearn to be drawn upward into our Heavenly Father's waiting embrace. We should anticipate this as our hearts soar toward Him, daily giving our lives anew to His love and walking with Him another day in newness of life. For one day, it will more than a spiritual soaring of our hearts and minds toward our Savior, but we will see Him in the sky and we will be changed, in the twinkling of an eye (I Corinthians 15:52), and we will fulfill the mighty attraction that He began in us when we were first saved by His blood. On that day, no power on earth, in the earth, or under the earth will be able to keep us from His awesome magnetic pull. There will be no disappointment of ever being drawn back to earth. We will all defy both physical and spiritual gravity for the last and final time, and soar to be with our Lord forever and ever.

Holy Father, we desire to defy the "spiritual gravity" of this world and the lusts thereof. We soar to you in our thoughts and prayers in an attitude of separation from this life that would seek to encumber us. For in your presence, that is where our true home lies. Continue to draw us by your loving attraction until we finally rest in your Eternal Arms. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick


(photo courtesy of www.thegravityposter.com)

The Bare Soul - A Divine Home - November 8, 2015

Luke 9:58 - And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."

Jesus never quibbled about his cutting of family ties and his seemingly "hobo" lifestyle. He was the first to admit His divine vagabond status to all who wished to follow him. The Lord had given up everything to become everything for those who desperately needed the salvation that only He could afford. He was on a timeline with destiny and knew He only had a short time to complete His mission on earth. Hence, the disciples found themselves with this "Jesus", who owned all yet possessed nothing, living like tramps as they followed Him for three years and ultimately to His crucifixion. Even after Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem at His last Passover, we might expect that some of the well-to-do disciples that met Jesus would offer the Lord and His twelve accommodations within the city walls. After all, He was like the HUGE guest speaker coming into town. Surely, they could put Him and the "boys" up in one of the finer inns of Jerusalem? Along with His lodging, shouldn't they take care of a "love offering" to provide for His needs while in town? The reality is diametrically opposed to what many today would expect a holy man of God to be offered.

The scripture tells us that Jesus and His disciples retreated nightly to Mount Olivet (or the Mount of Olives) which was close to the city (Luke 21:37). This limestone ridge runs about a mile in length, and in Jesus' day was probably well-forested with olive trees (hence its name). The Garden of Gethsemane was one area on the mount where Jesus and his disciples would regularly "lodge". (Compare it to spending a full day in New York City and then sleeping in Central Park, yet with not as much grassy undergrowth!) This area was a familiar "campground", if you will, for the poor, the hapless, and for many who had generally lost their way in life. Those who could not afford accommodations in the city would retreat to this area to bivouac under the stars. In this open-air hotel, there were no restrooms, no places to tidy up before lying down on the most comfortable place one could find in this uncomfortable setting. Places of this sort commonly experienced crime such as robbery and murder. On the night of Jesus' betrayal, it was just another night like so many others to the disciples. They knew that once again they would be huddled together for warmth under the boughs of an olive tree that would help keep the morning dew from covering them and chilling them to the bone. Yet, this night was different. There was a sadness that they had not known. Jesus said that He was going away, yet they did not understand. He told them not to let their hearts be troubled ... that he was going away to prepare a place for them and in this place were many mansions (John 14:1-2). Possibly, the disciples dreamed that night of sumptuous pillows and silken sheets rather than the sandy soil they were so accustomed as their nightly resting places. Even as they nodded off to sleep between their times of grief, their Lord was being betrayed into the hands of the ungodly. They would not sleep restfully for some time as they witnessed the One whom they had followed for three years being lead away bound by those with swords and torches to be crucified as a common criminal later that morning. Ironic to the crime of that area, they were the ones that were robbed of their friend and master that night in the garden and were at a loss when He was murdered by means of a mock trial.

Many in Jesus day could not understand the importance of Jesus giving up all to become everything for all humankind. They just didn't "get" that if someone was truly the Messiah and if they possessed all things, why it was necessary to become destitute in this life. Many today don't understand that about our Lord. They say it with their lips but it is far from their hearts. It is evident in the way a large majority of the religious class of our day shuns those who have nothing, and yet buddies up to the rich and affluent. The scripture is very clear that Jesus would not have spent much time or effort with these sort of folks. It's quite certain that Jesus' disciples would have enjoyed the home of a rich person versus sleeping on the hard Palestinian ground with a rock for a pillow! But Jesus knew that the things of this earth can never serve us the way we believe they inevitably will. They are an illusion and a vain piece of trickery set up by the evil one to cause us to waste our lives in these vain pursuits. Until one truly believes John 14 when Jesus said that he would go to prepare a place for us -- a place of exquisite beauty and richness like the world has not seen -- then we will all secretly crave the "good life" on this earth which is destined to burn with all the elements at his return (II Peter 3:10). We will pass up the most amazing "home makeover" ever to be devised as Jesus Christ promised He would accomplish on our behave in His Father's house.

St. Francis of Assisi was one of these that understood the importance of releasing and relinquishing all ties to his earthly home to gain an eternal one in the heavenlies. A final denunciation of his father's wealth as a cloth merchant led to a vow of poverty that the young man would never regret. Francis lived a life of abject humiliation toward all things temporal, taking great joy in ministering to the poorest of the poor which included society's castaways such as lepers, the blind, and the disabled. He understood that in order to attain to a true lodging that would never be swept away by fire, flood, or calamity that he must empty himself of all desire to become anything in this world and become everything to those around him. Hebrews 11:37-38 states that many others had likewise lived an example of homelessness upon this earth and were looking to an eternal abode: They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. Just as the world was not worthy of these, neither was it worthy of the One who gave up everything to live as the scum of the earth.

As in Christ's time and before, God is raising up many today that have no desire regarding how they might appear to their contemporaries. They have given up all things in order to look forward to that heavenly home that will out-dazzle anything here on earth. Does God want us to leave behind family and friends and live a life of abject poverty as our Lord? I truly believe that is the call for some. We see it every day as someone will commit their lives to serving as a missionary somewhere in the world. So what about the rest of us? Jesus Christ has called ALL of us to disenfranchise ourselves from the things of this earth, for in the end they hold no value. It matters not whether we have the nicest home on the block with the prettiest yard. What matters is what we have done for those around us by opening not only our homes to those less fortunate, but to open up our entire lives and to give unreservedly. God gives to us not to spend and consume on our own selfish ambitions, but to empty ourselves for the sake of others. Only as we truly understand that we are aliens and strangers on this earth as Jesus did, then and only then will we behave in compassion and humility to those all around us. It will truly give us a new perspective on those we might have looked down on, sleeping out in the open in a contemporary "hobo jungle" or under an overpass as those did, comparatively, in ancient Palestine. Our better judgment, born of true humility and understanding, would tell us that some of these might be like a band of twelve nearly two-thousand years ago who were looking for a more lasting home -- a divine home that their Savior has gone to prepare.

Father, thank you that your Son has gone to prepare a place for us. That by His death, burial, and resurrection on that glorious Resurrection Day so long ago He has been awaiting the day to welcome us to our heavenly home. Lord, we anxiously look forward to that day and are reminded that You have MANY mansions. Lord, help us to bring others to an understanding that this wonderful place of divine habitation awaits all who would believe in You. In Jesus' precious name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

Fools Rush In - November 1, 2015

John 18:10 - Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave's name was Malchus.

English poet Alexander Pope once stated: For fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Quite possibly the 17th century poet was referring to a juxtaposition between fear and faith. For with the spiritual eye of an angelic or supernatural being comes an eternal perspective, while a mortal fool can only grit his teeth, close his eyes and charge ahead not knowing the outcome. Impulsive behavior is not characteristically thought of as faith-driven, as demonstrated by Peter when he went into defense-mode for the Lord Jesus. While Peter's sudden burst of zeal to protect his Lord might look courageous and full of faith in the moment, we soon find that his supposed show of strength was nothing more than his own fear of accepting the stark reality of this dark hour in time. Jesus' admonitions to His disciples about His betrayal and death had become more emphatic and pronounced the weeks leading up to this fateful night. However, the true horror of the moment had not gripped any of Jesus' companions until that evening in the garden when they came for the Savior with torches and weapons. As the co-leader of this band of followers, Peter somehow must have felt a responsibility to "act", for certainly to do nothing would be a denial of the Lord Himself. Or would it? Oftentimes, the very act of impulsiveness or the need to "work for the Lord" can betray the very faith that we might claim in knowing Him. Actions often times speak louder than words, but not in this case. Peter's faith was aborted that night not by merely an impulsive act, but more poignantly by denying his Lord three times.

It is much easier to die for Christ than to live for Him, day after day. Death brings about a sense of the heroic sentimentality where our sympathies are drawn out toward those who would give their lives in the spirit of a martyr. Yet, giving one's life is final and complete whereas living daily for Christ requires a fortitude of courage and will that is uncharacteristic of the drama of this type of death. Jesus Christ did not dramatize His impending demise to His disciples, but merely stated its certainty. However, Peter conceived in his own mind that Christ's death could not be divorced from an earthly struggle, hence he took impetuous action against those who had come to arrest Jesus, in particular Malchus. (It's ironic that Peter lacked the "ears to hear" the Master's plan regarding His betrayal and death, and this is what the apostle took from the high priest's slave in his zeal.) Peter could only imagine dying for the Lord and not living without Him beyond that night. However, Jesus had planned that Peter would come to the end of himself that evening and to be stripped of his fear of abandonment by His Friend and Lord.

Impulsive actions and reactions often have their roots in fear. In personalities such as Peter, they manifest with a sense of bravado yet they are very much selfish in their origin. Often times, the desire is to "fix" something that might be broke or as in this case to reconcile a situation that has gone askew. Insecurity and fear of losing something becomes the touch point of this inward struggle that manifests in impetuous ways. As leaders in our homes, many men often feel powerless in the face of what seem to be overwhelming situations. We grow accustomed to making decisions and acting abruptly because we often feel that is what the situation warrants. However, there are other times when we need to step back and reassess. What if one of our teenage children becomes involved in something illegal and gets arrested, whether it be for underage drinking or drug use or any number of other things? Or, what if our unmarried daughter comes to us and announces that she is pregnant? How do we react, or better yet, act in such a situation. Oftentimes, as parents, we know it is best not to react or pass judgment in the moment. As a father raising teenage children, I came to a point where I would often defer "decisions" until the next day or possibly later. This was against my nature because I am not a procrastinator but I like to keep my proverbial plate clean at all times regarding life's decisions. By deferring action, the Lord was teaching me important lessons regarding self-control while I was not rashly saying or doing something that I would later regret. Death of self was coming in daily doses when I had to deal with such situations. It would have been much easier for me to rush in and appear that I had the whole affair under control, but this would have been merely a ruse and a dramatic flourish. Like Peter, I needed to learn that the drama of Gethsemane was not to be played out with weapons to inflict harm, but that the garden scene needed to be waited out until the perspective of the morning.

Beloved, we all have our areas of influence whether they be over our homes, our businesses or merely over our own souls. We must train ourselves through the Holy Spirit to not move impulsively but to wait on the Lord and His guidance. For some of us, that will be easier said than done. We must control the temptation of "fixing" something that very possibly might have a different perspective the following day. A night's rest has a remarkable ability to restore perspective as well as give us the grace to proceed in a spiritual way (Lamentations 3:22-23). While Peter's grief of acting rashly and denying the Lord was profound and life-changing in the end for the disciple, we can learn from his misplaced loyalty to his own self-centered agenda. We, as followers of Christ, must stop and reassess the situation when the "darkness of Gethsemane" surrounds us. For truly, the light of dawn will come which will give us new eyes to see what He desires. Then, and only then can we move forth with stalwart wisdom rather than the impulsiveness that is the hallmark of the foolish.

Lord Jesus, thank You for your wisdom and that we don't need to foolishly rush into life's problems that come our way. Help us to step back, take a breath, and come at the problem with Your faith and grace. If we must defer to the wisdom of the following day, Lord, give us the patience to do so. For only in your will shall we be successful and full of victory in any given situation. We thank you and glorify You. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Fruit of the Spirit - Self-control - October 25, 2015

Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Many would agree that our society is plagued by a lack of self-control. One only has to tune into the local news to hear about the latest shooting, stabbing, or abuse victim. Often, once the perpetrator has been brought to justice we hear how they somehow had "just lost control". Situations like these are often exacerbated by the use of drugs or alcohol which unlock the chains that are keeping a person's demons from taking over and reeking havoc. However, lack of self-control is as old as sin itself and was even Solomon's partner in his undoing as a godly king (Ecclesiastes 2:1). There's a particular reason that self-control is the last fruit of the Spirit listed by Paul the Apostle in the fifth chapter of Galatians. Without self-control the other fruit are constrained, so to speak, especially if the deeds of the flesh are allowed to usurp the Divine Nature. We should think of self-control as the "watchman" that ensures the old selfish sin nature stays dead (Romans 6:6; 6:11) and buried so that the Holy Spirit has free reign in our hearts to cultivate the other eight fruits, uninhibited. Self-control exists always in this lifetime to arbitrate between the life that we once lived as a sinner and that which the Lord desires we grow in as a believer.

Of all the fruit of the Spirit, self-control is the determining fruit that actually allows us to see the Lord in this life and the life to come. For without sanctification, or the manifestation of His fruits of the Spirit "no man will see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). In the book of Acts, Paul spoke to Felix regarding the Roman governor's eternal security. Acts 24:25 states: But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, "Go away for the present, and when I find time I will summon you." In this scripture, self-control is sandwiched between righteousness and judgment and for good reason. It is one thing to know the righteousness of God in Christ and it is another to live it out daily through constant acts of self-control. Paul stated in I Corinthians 15:31 ... I die daily. The apostle knew the importance of buffeting his outward man so that the inner man might be manifest. By living a self-controlled life, Paul knew that he was allowing the righteousness of the Lord to reign supreme thereby preparing himself for judgment not only in this life but in the one to come. Living the crucified life with the Lord Jesus means judging oneself in this lifetime and not waiting for the awful and terrible day of the Lord's judgments on the last day. By allowing the resurrected Lord to take the reins of our hearts, is to allow Him the rightful control and to focus us on finishing our respective races.

It is no secret that Paul must have been a lover of sports. In several passages he uses sports metaphor to convey a particular message. In I Corinthians 9:25 the apostle by the Holy Spirit states: Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. In the previous verse, Paul uses the example of a runner while making the point as to "run in such a way as to win". It is one thing to say that we desire to live a crucified life to our passions and desires and it's another to live out this discipline day after day. Ancient Grecian as well as today's athletes must lay aside their former lives of selfishness and wanton living and buffet their bodies with a new set of habits that will allow them to reach their goal. There is no substitution for a daily, rigorous routine that is marked by training meant to establish regular habits in accordance with their goal. In the same way, God requires of each of us who call Him Lord to daily turn over our will and life to Him -- that we would allow Him to coach and mentor us to that place of victory. Roger Bannister, the British running sensation of the 1950s was the first to break the four-minute mile. In Helsinki at the 1952 Olympic games, Bannister finished a disappointing fourth in the1500m. After the devastation of his failure, Bannister spent two months deciding whether to give up running. He finally decided on his new goal: To be the first man to run a mile in under four minutes. The following is a brief excerpt from a June 2002 interview with Bannister regarding how he developed consistent habits tempered through self-control which inevitably allowed him to reach his goal:

In those days, I didn't train very much. We didn't really know how to train in modern terms. There was this thing called "burning yourself out." I didn't want to burn myself out at 18, and I had a notion that if I looked after myself, trained carefully, I would go on improving, not by training two to three hours a day, but by training three quarters of an hour a day. It seemed to me logical that you could go on improving, and you didn't have to spend all day running.

This young athlete intuitively knew that overtraining could be as counterproductive as undertraining. So, he controlled his impulse to do neither but instead to discipline himself for a tempered approach. It took Bannister two years and several failures, but he finally hit pay dirt on May 6, 1954 at Oxford University. The audience waited with bated breath as Norris McWhirter finally announced Bannister's time of 3:59:4. The crowd erupted in joy!


There is a certain elation that we all experience as we develop new habits and we finally reach a point in our lives where these new character traits testify of the fruit of self-control as the Holy Spirit intended. In the beginning, it is hard and laborious. We may struggle but if we are patient we will reap the peaceful fruit of righteousness by allowing the fruit of self-control to be manifested. Just because self-control is the last of the nine fruits, it does not diminish its importance. Instead, it is the fruit that will ultimately allow righteousness to manifest through the other eight fruits. While the our planet continues to teeter on the brink of insanity, and as humans struggle to keep "under control" in an increasingly uncontrollable world it is comforting to know that our God has given us all the ability to live controlled by His Spirit. We only have to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and the fruits of His Life as freely given through a self-controlled man or woman given wholly to God.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Fruit of the Spirit - Gentleness - October 18, 2015

Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

When reading scripture about the life of David, it's not difficult to view the mightiest king of Israel as a "man's man". David became an aggressive warrior through years of warring -- from his early days of slaying Goliath, to engaging and conquering multiple enemies under his commander Joab. When David wanted to build the Lord a house for His Presence, the Lord stated that his son Solomon would build the house of the Lord, for David had too much blood on his hands (I Chronicles 22:6-10). While many kings and commanders in ancient Israel did truly great things, there were none as great as David. As no other ruler in Israel, we are allowed to see King David's life through the eyes of his own soul. Through the many psalms written by David, we can see how this warrior king was propelled to greatness. In Psalm 18 we read of David who was finally at peace with all his enemies round about about him, including Saul. The relentless pursuit of the former king and the consolidation of the kingdom of Israel was a daunting feat, fraught with much bloodshed along the way. However, David makes a startling statement in verse 18: You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your right hand upholds me; and Your gentleness makes me great. Consider this, beloved; that in order for the newly crowned king to have achieved the near impossible, that is rising from a lowly shepherd to become the ruler of Israel, that there had to be a steadying influence over David's heart. Otherwise, his own blood-guiltiness would have caused him to implode. That calming and patient influence was the gentleness of God. For as David experienced the Lord leading and guiding him through the mayhem of war, in the same way he was able to be gentle and loving while pouring his heart out to God through the Psalms. This in turn, caused him to be loved by his people as he united the nation. His greatness was rooted in the fact that he had learned gentleness from his Heavenly Father. David was merely giving back what he had so abundantly received.

David's gentle spirit coupled with his warring, kingly outcome can be validated through Jesus' own words. In Matthew 5:5 our Savior stated: Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. For King David, the only sure way to bring peace was through war. A good offense is oftentimes the best defense as is customarily the case, especially in Middle Eastern cultures. Yet, we know that David possessed a dual nature that seemed brutal on the one hand but gentle on the other. Jesus confirms that David inherited his portion of the earth by juxtaposing his war-like mentality with the gentleness of God which made him great. Gentleness HAS to be demonstrated from a place of strength otherwise it is weakness devoid of any real power. A more recent example of strength through gentleness is Dr. Martin Luther King. While King never used violence, he was still strong in his position and therefore could afford to show gentleness in his dealings with all men, regardless whether they agreed with his stance or not. Therefore, gentleness through strength is not necessarily the use of military power or force, but it is using the wisdom that God gives to reinforce one's position. The apostle James stated: Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom (James 3:13). Ironically, King Solomon alluded to this place of strength through wisdom. He states in Ecclesiastes 3:8 that there is a time for war and a time for peace. As his father found greatness coupled with gentleness through much warring, Solomon found the same gentle strength through peace and the "gentleness of wisdom".

Jesus will always be the quintessential example of someone possessing greatness while demonstrating sublime gentleness. Of course, since he was the gentlest man to ever live, He did indeed inherit the earth as previously stated. The example is there for us all to follow. A few chapters later in the book of Matthew, Jesus is imploring those who would seek to follow His example. In Matthew 11:29 the Lord promises us that if we will indeed take up His yoke that we would have the opportunity to learn from Him. He said that in so doing, we would find that he is "gentle and humble of heart". Jesus never had an agenda other than doing the will of His Father, which ultimately was to redeem humankind. Through this selfless life, we see the greatest man who ever lived with a strength unparalleled. Through His wisdom, He conquered all His enemies in the greatness of His humility and gentleness. The same can be said for our other examples, yet there are differences. Two of the aforementioned characters epitomize strength though gentleness. Both Solomon and our more contemporary Dr. King lived lives of peace, demonstrating the greatness of their wisdom by the gentle strength they exuded. Yet, there is an incompleteness to their destinies even through their peaceful legacies. It is not happenstance that Jesus is referred to numerous times in scripture as the "Son of David". While Jesus lived "gentleness in strength" better than anyone, there is a day when the Lord of Lords will come back to set things straight on this earth. Even as David not only conquered his foes and vanquished them to a place of subservient obedience, so Jesus Christ is coming back to vanquish those whom He conquered on the cross at Calvary at His second appearing. The greatness of His strength will be manifest as he ruthlessly deals out retribution to His enemies, yet gives comfort and compassion to those who have waited on Him day and night for His returning.

While the Lord tarries, how should we live in the fruit of the Spirit known as gentleness? We should look to our examples, who learned that wisdom in strength is not self-serving. David laid down his life for the nation of Israel and became their greatest king through his tender heart toward God and his people; Solomon prayed to the Most High not for riches and glory but wisdom to lead the nation of Israel; Dr. King laid down his life in peaceful protest; and finally, our Lord gave everything that He might redeem a people through the strength of wisdom demonstrated in gentleness. Beloved, that is our heritage. To not live as a self-serving church, but to lay down our lives before those who might hate and revile us. Our commission is to love these with a love borne from wisdom -- a life that is "yoked" with the Lord's and with his gentle, humble heart.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the strength in wisdom that You give us from a gentle, humble heart. Thank you for Your gentleness and the examples that you have shown us both in Your Word and through others that have gone before. Help us to be a loving people in the gentleness of wisdom. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Fruit of the Spirit - Faithfulness - October 11, 2015

Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Everywhere we turn in our current world-climate we see breach of faith. One cease-fire leads to one side or the other pulling the trigger and igniting the situation afresh. United Nations sanctions are snubbed as rogue nations state "good will" and right intentions in the beginning, and then turn around and openly defy the agreed upon edicts. Large corporations have destroyed the public trust by mismanagement and greed. Closer to home (so to speak) the institution of marriage is under siege both from those who would seek to destroy the God-given mandate between a man and a woman (Matthew 19:4-6) and those within said marriages who seem intent on breaking covenant with their spouses through their unfaithful behaviors. An 11 year old study states ... About 24 percent of men and 14 percent of women have had sex outside their marriages, according to a Dec. 21, 1998 report in USA Today on a national study by the University of California, San Francisco. While I am uncertain whether these statistics have changed remarkably in the past 11 years, I can state with reasonable assurance that they have not improved demonstrably. Rather than faithfulness on a wholesale level, we are seeing an unparalleled rise in anxiety and fear, which indeed is the opposite of faith or faithfulness. The scripture states in Luke 21:25-27 that in the end time, men's heart will fail them due to fear. In a world that is teetering on the brink of broken promises, lies, infidelity, and unfaithfulness there is still One who can be trusted as the Father of Faith. As He is the One that can always be trusted, His great desire is to produce within His beloved the same faithfulness that comes directly by living intent on believing and trusting Him for all.

God has always been faithful. It is impossible for Him to be otherwise. The scripture states that faithfulness actually surrounds the Lord Most High: O Lord God of hosts, who is like You, O mighty Lord? Your faithfulness also surrounds You (Psalm 89:8). Demonstrative of His nature is His behavior -- the faithfulness He typifies day after day. His faithfulness is written with unseen words that cry out through His creation (Psalm 19:1,2) as all nature speaks of the glory of God. The sun, moon, and stars are constant in their respective fixations within the heavenlies and the seasons know their times of appearing and waning. God is faithful in all things. In the same respect, He requires the same faithfulness from those He calls His own. Even as He has called us to be ... holy as He is holy, He requires His beloved to emulate all of His nature. Faithfulness is no exception.

In ancient Palestine lived a man turned prophet named Hosea. God spoke to this holy man in what might appear to some in a dubious manner. In Hosea 1:2 He tells the prophet to take a wife that is a harlot because the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel had committed flagrant harlotry against the Lord their God. Hosea's new wife, Gomer, bore Hosea two children and the Lord commanded they be named symbolically to epitomize Israel's unfaithfulness (See Hosea 1). The second chapter of Hosea is all about how Israel, as well as Gomer, is unfaithful to God and Hosea, respectively. The Lord allows the prophet to experience the grief of a faithless bride, demonstrating just a small measure of what the Father in heaven experiences through faithless Israel as they play the harlot with their innumerable idols. Ultimately, Gomer apparently leaves Hosea permanently and returns to her harlotry because Hosea is instructed in Hosea 3:1 to join himself with an adulteress. This is Hosea's second and last symbolic marriage. While the status of the seer's second marriage is never clearly delineated, it is very clear the message the Lord was attempting to send to Israel through His prophet -- that the Lord God was a faithful, true husband to His betrothed and He expected the same faithfulness in return. Though He was angry and hurt by Israel's unfaithfulness, yet He promised a complete healing and a restoration of their conjoined love. Hosea 14:4 states: I will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely, For my anger has turned away from them.

No matter how faithless Israel behaved toward the Lord, or for that matter, how the church of today might resist His wooing and lovingkindness, His faithfulness will never wane. Not only are the gifts and the callings irrevocable (Romans 11:29), but his faithfulness never expires! Psalm 100:5 states: For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations. As long as we are alive, God's faithfulness will always surround us. Solomon acknowledged that with the living there is always hope: For whoever is joined with all the living, there is hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion (Ecclesiastes 9:4). It is such a tragic loss of God's eternal, watchful gaze and His tender coaxing once a person dies without accepting Christ as their Savior. Isaiah clearly stated that faithfulness was only for the living -- once we have passed through the veil there is no longer any hope to change our eternal status. Contemporary to Hosea, he stated in the 38th chapter, verse 18 of the book of Isaiah: For Sheol cannot thank You, death cannot praise You; those who go down to the pit cannot hope for Your faithfulness. While the Lord desires that all be saved and come into the knowledge of His salvation, tragically the scripture states that few will accept His faithful gift of eternal love. For those who turn and receive the Eternal Christ into their hearts, these are the ones who can once again begin the restorative journey back to the heart of God and learn of His faithfulness in all things. Psalm 37:3 states that first we must trust in the Lord, secondly that we do good, and then finally to cultivate faithfulness. Infidelity and faithlessness are deeds of the flesh that took years to "fine tune" in our sin natures. In the same, way God wishes us to grow in the garden of His Divine Nature the faithfulness that surrounds His beloved. By cultivating the soil, or literally to dig into to who we really are, this allows God's watering to accomplish its desired result. Let not any whom He has called hide from themselves and allow their ground to turn "fallow", but may all rigorously confront their true nature and allow the Spirit to have His way.

Some would say there is little difference between the apostasy we see today compared to ancient Israel. Others would say it is much more pronounced today with the preponderance of not only false religions but also the idols of greed, lust, and the sin of Sodom -- careless ease with no thought for the Lord and those around them (Ezekiel 16:49). With the rise of unfaithfulness as seen in the media and entertainment, in the same regard the Lord Jesus Christ is raising up a Bride that has sown righteousness and cultivated lives of faithfulness. While infidelity continues to demonstrably pronounce itself in marriages, corporations, and national and international detente', Jesus Christ is calling together a people that have a deep sense of their own belonging in the very bosom of the Lord. These will possess a fidelity that is Divinely empowered and passionately engendered for the Lover of their souls -- a faithfulness that will not be compromised for it is rooted in the faithfulness of God's very nature.

Heavenly Father, we thank you that you surround those who are Yours with Your faithfulness. Our striving would be in vain without Your divine help. Open the eyes of our understanding to see You in all Your faithfulness toward us who believe. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Fruit of the Spirit - Goodness - October 4, 2015

Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

If questioned about the goodness of God, most people who believe in Him would say that God is a good God. However, if you continue to query them on how good God truly is then you might hear some vacillation. While most folks see God as a loving, good Creator they still may question some of His dealings with humankind and our world as a whole. They don't understand how a "good" God could allow pain and suffering in the world. As we discussed in The Fruit of the Spirit - Love, it has never been God's desire for humankind to be plagued by sin and sorrow -- this was a choice made long ago by the first man and woman. We inherited from them that choice through our sin natures. We perpetuate sin and sorrow in this world by our fallen state from His grace. However, even in the midst of all that tries human's souls, His grace is demonstrated over and over again by His love and goodness that draws us toward His presence. Oh, what a glorious redemption it is that He continues to woo and to draw all those whom He has called to be his beloved!

Of course, there will always be those who believe that the Heavenly Father is a mean tyrant that dealt them and everyone else a bad hand by even allowing them to be born. Amazingly and benevolently, God Almighty continues to allow these hearts that spurn Him to continue to beat. Even as millions and millions curse God daily, shaking an angry fist toward heaven, the air of life continues to fill their lungs as they enjoy the goodness of life that God continues to bestow. God loves all and as Jesus Christ stated in the gospels: ... He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45). While God is good and His goodness is poured out on all humankind, there are special relationships that He has with those He calls His own where His goodness is a continual and eternal outpouring of His Divine Nature. While there are many ways that the Eternal Yahweh reveals Himself and His goodness to those who know Him, let's look at three verses and the modus operandi of how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit reveals, enriches, and follows them who love and fear God. For truly, those who seek Him will find Him and know the fullness of His goodness.

God's Goodness Revealed to the Righteous

Exodus 33:19 - And He said, "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion."

Moses was the friend of God (Exodus 33:11). The relationship between close friends is a unique one even as that of Moses with the Most High. God knew that his friend Moses could be trusted with the knowledge of seeing and experiencing the goodness of His Nature. One might say, "I could never have the type of relationship that God had with this ancient patriarch!". By stating or believing this is to call God a liar if that is indeed the type of relationship He is calling you to. God said that He would decide with whom He would be gracious to and show compassion. It is not ours to limit God and His desire to reveal Himself to us. Embodied within His goodness is the revelation of His name and what that means. While Yahweh is the most widely used Hebrew name ascribed to the the Maker, He is also manifest in "attribute names" -- much like "goodness" is an attribute of the Lord. As God is all things creative and restorative, He manifests these through His name. Below are just a few manifestations of His name in attributes:

• Jehovah-Jireh -- "The Lord will Provide" in all instances (Genesis 22:14)
• Jehovah-Rophe -- "The Lord Who Heals" implies spiritual, emotional as well as physical healing (Jeremiah 30:17)
• Jehovah-Nissi -- "The Lord Our Banner" is the God who fights for us (Exodus 17:15
• Jehovah-M'Kaddesh -- "The Lord Who Sanctifies" is He who makes us holy (Leviticus 20:8)
• Jehovah-Shalom -- "The Lord Our Peace" is being in right relationship with both God and man (Judges 6:24)

God's Goodness Enriches the Righteous

Psalm 31:19 - How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, before the sons of men!

An everlasting, inexhaustible supply of everything that is good about God is laid aside for the believer. It is a treasure house or a bank account, if you will, that can never be overdrawn. The "shock and awe" of God's good Nature is the ticket to unlocking these storehouses of continual riches. Solomon stated that ... the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). Living a holy and upright life before the Lord and reverencing Him as the Almighty is the beginning of a successful treasure hunt of everlasting worth. Wisdom is undoubtedly the key to unlocking the storehouses of God's goodness. The scripture is very clear that this is not for some day in the "sweet by and by". No, beloved, this is for NOW as David writes specifically that this will be manifested ... before the sons of men! As we draw upon the goodness of God, may we provoke others to jealousy as they see the inexhaustible supply of goodness that the Lord continues to bestow. Then, we may say with the Psalmist to those who would be moved with desire for the Lord: O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! (Psalm 34:8).

God's Goodness Pursues the Righteous

Psalm 23:6 - Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

The remarkable thing about His goodness is not only is it always available to those who love and seek His presence, but it is working and active in our lives even when we don't realize it. The statement that goodness and lovingkindness is following or doggedly pursuing the righteous has the implication that it will overtake us on those days where we may stumble or become confused regarding where the path of life has brought us. It is comforting to know that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5) and that He always has His goodness "tailing" us, as it were, because He cannot deny the Spirit which He has put within us (II Timothy 2:13). He watches our every step and sends help in the form of all of His goodness to help in the day of trouble if we will but continue to call upon Him. Even as many have been abused and jailed by rogue governments, we have a "Heavenly Diplomat" that will rescue us no matter how unsavory a situation we fall into. He has the resources to extradite us from any situation that the enemy may conjure against us.

While most will admit that "God is good", few will experience the depths of what God's goodness truly entails. Most acknowledge a God of goodness yet live as if He were the God of continual retribution, just waiting to smash them if they make the slightest error. The Heavenly Father desires for us all to enter that place of friendship and trust with Him. He desires to not only reveal all of His wonderful goodness, but to also give us an everlasting storehouse to draw upon. And, even in those times when we become blind-sided by the world or the snares of the evil one, we can rest assured that our Heavenly Father through the Lord Jesus Christ is pursuing us and WILL overtake us with His love and goodness. We have been given the key to unlock the wonderful treasures of all his goodness if we will but surrender all our "supposed" treasures to Him. What He gives in return is the eternal and everlasting gift of His Nature -- a Nature so full of goodness that will never come to an end!

Heavenly Father, show us all your goodness as we surrender to You. Enrich us daily with the good things of Your nature, and pursue us and overtake us with your love and goodness now and forever. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick