God's Piercing - February 2, 2014

Acts 2:37 - Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?"

The conviction of God in a wholesale manner is a rare thing in western Christendom today. While we read instances of God's moving of His Spirit in the the Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th centuries, respectively, most of us today have not witnessed a supernatural moving of God's Spirit over a large group of souls. John Wesley and George Whitefield would testify of wave after wave of conviction capturing the hearts of their hearers in the first Great Awakening of 18th century Britain. Jonathan Edwards preached his famous sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God in the midst of pre-revolutionary war New England, which caused men and women to cling to the pillars of the church in Enfield Connecticut that hot summer day in 1741. Such was the conviction of the Spirit in this Sunday service that groans and cries were heard from the congregation as many imagined themselves sliding into the hot abyss without hope. David Brainerd, betrothed to Edward's daughter up until his early death of tuberculosis in 1747, would preach to the Indians in his missionary quest for their lost souls with such a conviction that there would be continual wailing from the listeners until a sweet peace would fall over those granted repentance. Charles Finney, great revivalist of the 2nd Great Awakening of the mid-19th century, would speak with similar results at his tent and camp meetings throughout the eastern United States. In the forward to Power from God by Charles Finney the editor writes:

His words seemed to fasten like arrows in the souls of men. They cut like a sword. Like the power of a hammer, they broke down strongholds. Multitudes experienced this power. Often, just a look or a single sentence would bring conviction and result in an almost immediate conversion to Christ.

All of these preceding examples have their biblical roots from that day nearly two thousand years ago when the Holy Spirit added 3,000 souls on the day of Pentecost and the church of Jesus Christ was birthed. A true move of God cannot be divorced from the conviction of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8-11). It doesn't matter how many healings or so-called manifestations of the Spirit are occurring -- if people are not being saved and changed to live godly lives then the purported move is suspect at best.

When the Holy Spirit moved the day the church began in Jerusalem, Luke records this moment by describing hearts being "pierced" by the conviction of God. The Greek word for pierce in this scripture is katenugēsan meaning to prick violently. God made Himself abundantly present in the hearts of these soon to be converts that He was not playing games. He didn't merely want them to "make a decision for Jesus", but he wanted to stab them violently with the realization that they were guilty of the Son of God's death and that without Him they would be lost forever. Even as the prophet Malachi stated that the Lord would come suddenly into His temple (Malachi 3:1), even so the Lord broke in on the bodily temples of these respective 3,000 souls and made the declaration that He was going to inhabit them for eternity! Oh, that God would raise up those that would preach like Peter and be pierced without pity! The reason we see so little of God moving in this manner in western Christendom is because we would rather be pleaded with to make a "decision" than to be pierced by the arrows of God. We would much rather remain stupefied under the watered-down gospel of the "me theology" than to be stabbed by the sword of the Spirit that can give life. God weeps for souls while we wonder what's on TV tonight! Beloved, the reason there is not more piercing is because there is not more praying. God give us Your heart to know that nothing else matters but to satisfy Your longing for redeemed souls!

If one looks at the instances of the Pharisee's reactions to the apostolic movement of the birth of Christ's church, you will see a much different "slicing and dicing" occurring. After Peter and John, by the power of God, gave the lame man legs to walk in Acts the fifth chapter we see an irate and hostile back lash from the religious order of the day. Peter took the opportunity to testify of the Lord Jesus and His healing power regarding why this lame man stood before them totally restored. The apostle also accused them of murdering the Son of God which drew hostile intentions from the Pharisees: But when they heard this, they were cut to the quick and intended to kill them. (Acts 5:33). Later, we find when Stephen at his defense accuses them of their hypocrisy and murder, that they react in a much similar way: Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him (Acts 7:54). The etymology or origin of "cutting to the quick" means to literally cut someone so deep in their emotions that a harsh reaction is nearly always warranted. In this case, it was a murderous conspiracy because of the pride and arrogance of these religious hypocrites. While "cutting to the quick" deals with a severe blow to the emotions or to the very psyche of a person, this does not precipitate a spirit of redemption when dealing only with the soul of a man. As shown in Acts 2 as well as in other examples previously stated regarding the Great Awakenings, the spirit of a man, woman, or child must be "pierced" not merely emotionally "sliced". There must be the work of the Holy Spirit that finds a humble heart, allowing Him to pierce, stab, and ultimately heal a heart that is ready for His work. That is why the work of the Holy Spirit is so critical in salvation and is impossible without Him. Even as the scripture in Hebrews states: For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). This, Beloved, is how God saves -- by the very separation of soul (emotions) and the spirit of a man. For only then can God redeem a lost human being in the humility that is so necessary for redemption.

While we hear many talking and seemingly desirous for a move of God in the western church, we must decide what we truly desire ... for God will give us what we seek. Are we wanting to witness once again the moving of God's Spirit where souls are ushered into the kingdom "suddenly"? Or, do we just desire to see an "educational" variety of Christendom where changed lives are not the norm, only changed vocabularies at best. It is one thing to talk like a Christian, it is quite another to walk like one. We desperately need a move of conviction that will once again shake the foundations of hell and cause heaven to resound with rejoicing not heard from the church in America and western Europe for some time. It is time to move God's heart -- to usher in that power from on high that will once again be the norm to "pierce" the hearts of men. Are we willing to pray, fast, and seek Him until the sword of the Spirit can do it's work? I pray that we would all be willing vessels to beseech the throne of grace until a redeemed, sanctified body of believers becomes the heritage of the church in the west. May He receive all the glory as we give ourselves for His most noble work!

Heavenly Father, we pray and boldly ask for the work of your Spirit to pierce hearts as we have read about and now desire to see. Use the Sword of the Spirit, the Arrows of the Lord to bring conviction and lead many to Jesus in our Laodicean western church. Cause your Holy Spirit to once again pierce asunder between soul and spirit and to have His way in men's hearts. We pray all this in Jesus' name and for His glory. Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Hope of Glory - January 26, 2014

Colossians 1:27 - to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

There is an innate desire in humankind to be partakers of beauty and splendor. We can be inspired by the grandeur of a setting sun over the expansive Grand Canyon, or be in awe of the beauty and majesty of the crashing surf along an idyllic coastline. These can be glorious settings that are merely expressions of their Creator and His very nature. To truly understand these awe inspiring scenes that we behold in His creation, one has to know the Maker who replicates His character over and over again to the visible eye. He hints to us of His glory and the immeasurable splendor of His majesty by these visual tokens. He beckons all, stating that paradise lost will once again be paradise regained if only we believe. What we now see is only a miniscule portion of the glory yet to be revealed to the chosen of God. Paul understood this when he spoke in context of what seemed like suffering in this present life compared to the one to come: For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us(Romans 8:18).

As Paul states, we will never know on this side of the veil the glory to be revealed. One thing is clear, however, that no one has experienced the fullest measure of His glory in human form. Even Moses was told by God that he could not experience God's presence to the fullest or death of his mortal body would be certain (Exodus 33:20-23). Sinful flesh cannot experience the fullness of God's glory because of the holy nature of the manifest presence of God. Paul tells us in another place in Romans that all have sinned and "fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Whatever God had designed for His people was aborted by sin and its effects. The perversion of iniquity created a wall of separation that gave us eyes of sin that could never behold the true beauty of His revealed glory. That's why eyes that can only see the natural will never truly understand that there is a supernatural God of glory behind the beauty revealed all around us. It takes eyes of faith that can only come through a relationship with our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

So how do we experience God's glory? Moses was awarded the honor in scripture to be called the "friend of God" (Exodus 33:11). This prophet and leader of Israel is a typology for the believer to understand that we too can experience the intimacy of God upon this earth while waiting for the manifestation of glory beyond the veil that separates the mortal from the immortal. Just as there was an intimacy between God and Moses, Jesus also called us friends if we kept His commandments (John 15:14). If Jehovah revealed Himself to Moses, how much more will Jesus reveal Himself to those who love Him and obey Him? The former covenant that Moses delivered through the law was beyond keeping -- it was impossible for any son of Adam to fulfill in the sinful flesh inherited from the first man. However, even through 40 years of disobedience and rebellion, God allowed Moses and the children of Israel to continually behold His Shekinah Glory in the cloud of His presence by day and the fire of His glory by night (Exodus 13:21-22). This was such a manifestation of the visible glory and splendor of God that the children of Israel cried out at one point that they were in danger of death if they continued in God's presence: Then they said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die." (Exodus 20:19). However, Jesus Christ, through the new covenant by His blood brought us near to God to experience Him with the very eyes of faith that He has given to all who would but believe (Ephesians 2:13). Even so, the "hope of glory" that Paul speaks of in our lead verse is full of unfilled desire or longing regarding seeing with faith-filled eyes. It is spiritually charged with the yearning that hope creates but is also peaceful and trusting in the assurance of its revelation by the faith given by our friend, Jesus. No longer do we need to fall short of His glory, Beloved! He has purchased us and befriended us if we will but obey. There will be no need for us to say to Jesus, "Show us Your glory!", for He has given us every spiritual blessing both in this life and the one to come (Ephesians 1:3). We merely need to believe and open our eyes to begin to experience the greatness of His glory here on earth as we will also experience one day in heaven (Ephesians 1:17-19).

While the beauty of this earth will always be resplendent in its own glory, there are other wonders that God desires to show us if we will but yield Him the eyes of our hearts. The viewing of nature becomes a "SUPER-natural" experience once we put on the eyes of God. If we will but open up our minds and hearts there is so much more than nature that He desires to share. To be captivated by the heart of God and to live daily experiencing His glory in all things around one's self is an adventure that only few will ever know. God desires that none of us would fall short of His glory. He longs for our daily participation in His glorious works, while always hoping for the day when we see Him in all of His splendor. We are always growing toward that wondrous day if we know Christ -- if He is truly in us and moving through us. For only as we know that Christ is living within, only then will we experience His glory day after day and hope for that glorious day of revealing!

Heavenly Father, thank you that Jesus Christ died so that we might live always in Your glory. Thank you for Your works of splendor here on earth and the glory to be revealed beyond the veil. Keep us ever mindful of the gift of glory You have given for all to share who would but believe. Praise to You ... the all Glorious One! In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

Eternal Life - January 19, 2014

I John 2:25 - This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.

Life on earth without the Spirit of God's indwelling is merely life -- a passing shadow of the eternal. Life testifies to the greatness of God and is His constant reminder to us that life eternal awaits all those who would but trust in His Son. The vast majority of humankind go through their daily lives without a thought that everything around them testifies of God, speaking to them continually regarding His greatest gift to all -- eternal life in Jesus Christ. The air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat are all temporal reminders that we are sustained by something much greater than ourselves. We are mindful that we need these basics to continue to experience life as we know it. How much more their eternal counterparts? We all need oxygen to continue to fill our lungs, just as the Holy Spirit desires to fill our "spiritual lungs" with His presence. Even as Jesus breathed on His disciples after His resurrection to receive the "breath of God" so He is ever desirous to give the same eternal gift to us all (John 20:22). Jesus told the woman at the well that He would give her eternal water that would forever satisfy her need (John 4:14), and later at the great feast He cried out that rivers of living water would flow from the very spirit of those who would believe (John 7:37-38). Finally, Jesus tells us that He is the Bread of Life and that no man will ever hunger or thirst who comes to Him (John 6:35). God gives us the gift of life that sustains us here on earth and offers us freely their eternal counterpart if we will but believe. Even until the night before His crucifixion, Jesus spoke this message of eternal life through faith in Him. Jesus' desire along with His Father's was that all who would believe would be one with Them (John 17:21). To be one, Jesus knew that He must swallow up death and sin by His death, burial, and resurrection. He must now become the Life Giver for every man, woman, or child that would trust in Him for their eternal sustenance.

When we know that we have been raised into newness of life (Romans 6:4), then we can begin to identify with the Person who has come to live within. For whatever God indwells, He makes eternal. When God's Spirit dwells within a human being, then that person takes on the character of the Indweller. No longer should we be bothered by trifles because God Himself is not bothered or worried about temporal life. He has everything firmly in control. The very power that raised Christ from the dead is now working in all areas of our respective lives for His good pleasure (Romans 8:11). The Holy Spirit's desire is that we would know that He is truly inhabiting our spirit to make us refined royalty of the Most High. To this end, we all need more revelation and understanding that the Eternal God lives within those who have trusted in Him. Furthermore, that the eyes of our hearts would understand that He has become so much a part of our spirit that it is impossible to separate the two (Romans 8:35). Take for example a tea bag and a cube of sugar and place them in cup. While they are both in the cup, they still have their own characteristics and properties. However, if one adds hot water, what happens? The tea and the sugar release their properties to the water. They dissolve and are intermingled to the point where one cannot distinguish between the two. They have become "as one" and it is now impossible to separate them. This is how God wants us to view His relationship as He indwells us. No longer do we just possess life, but our life has now become eternal by the very presence of the Most High God. Through the transformative power of water, both in our example and through the water of His Spirit, He has allowed us to be identified with His eternal life force both in this present age and the one to come.

Throughout His ministry, Christ continued to speak about the basic elements of life and how they paralleled the eternal. No where is this more clearly stated as when Christ spoke with Nicodemus regarding the new birth. This teacher of Israel was shocked to hear Jesus proclaim that unless a man was born of water and the Spirit that he would not experience life eternal (John 3:5). He could not understand that with every temporal explanation of human life there must be an eternal. Jesus then went on to speak specifically of the breath of life that the Spirit gives, the very pneuma (John 3:8) as stated in the Greek (where we derive our word pneumonia). A few short years later, Jesus would give up his right to these "elements" -- his very breath, the life-giving force of water as it created the blood that coursed through His veins, and finally His mortal body. Through His sacrifice, He chose to embrace the eternal in order that we all might be identified with everlasting life. The grave could not hold Jesus on that glorious Resurrection Day because He no longer was tied to earth by merely "life", but He was now overcome in His mortal flesh by eternality. When Jesus burst forth from the tomb, He no longer possessed the weak flesh of mankind but a body transformed and made perfect and eternal by His Heavenly Father.

An eternal life is a resurrected life. There is no other possibility for man. Even as Christ was raised from the dead, so we must also be identified with Christ in order to partake of life everlasting. We cannot breathe the "air of heaven" (which is nothing less than the presence of the Spirit of God [(Isaiah 59:21]), or partake of the living waters that proceed from His throne (Revelation 22:1), or partake of the marriage supper of the lamb (Revelation 19:9) unless we have first acknowledged that our earthly sustenance MUST transcend to the eternal. Unless we confess that the air we breathe is merely a shadow of the Breath of Life than we will die spiritually for lack of breath. If we don't see that the life giving power of water is merely a symbol for His Living Water, we will die of spiritual hydration. And lastly, if we don't understand that He is the Bread of Life, then we will truly starve to death spiritually. However, if we will but understand that He is the Giver of ALL sustenance, both temporal and eternal, then we too will live and reign through a resurrected life ... and eternal life ... never to languish but to be satisfied by His very life-giving presence!

Holy Father, thank you for life and the constant reminders that you are the Originator and Sustainer of life eternal. Help us to immerse ourselves and so identify with your holy indwelling that we become one, even as You and Your Son are one. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Low in the grave he lay, Jesus my Savior,
Waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!

Up from the grave he arose;
With a mighty triumph o'er his foes;
He arose a victor from the dark domain,
And he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

Eternity - January 12, 2014

Ecclesiastes 3:11 - He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

How does one grasp eternity? Even in all his wisdom, Solomon understood that time and eternity were as different as darkness and light. He knew enough to state the obvious yet not suppose that he possessed any great knowledge regarding the separation or their respective realities. However, he did know from experience that time was the keeper of "everything beautiful" that man enjoys upon this earth. In juxtaposition, the wise king knew that God had also put within the heart of humankind eternity -- a sense that they we are eternal beings yet encapsulated in time-bound bodies. As eternal beings, we groan within looking forward to the redemption of our bodies as they are transfigured into an eternal state (Romans 8:23). Mankind yearns and desires that place of immortality, for its the very center of our existence. Just as we all come from God, we all have a God-given desire to return to Him. Even as a rock when dropped will fall towards its center (i.e., gravitational pull to the center of the earth), so we too long to be once again "centered" within our Creator, the Eternal Father.

Approximately 200 years after the reign of Solomon, Isaiah the son of Amoz describes this place where the Lord God dwelt in all of His majesty. We are told in the sixth chapter of Isaiah that the prophet saw the Lord "high and lifted up" while the heavenly scene of seraphim and the heavenly host played out all around him. The seer saw himself, a time-bound being in the midst of the Eternal Creator that has no beginning or ending of days. Isaiah cried out in this place of eternal majesty, saying Woe is me, I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips ... (Isaiah 6:5). The prophet was changed from that day forward. He was no longer merely an earthly seer but he had taken on the "eyes of the Lord" and saw with broken contrition the plight of the nation of Israel. For the rest of his earthly life, Isaiah found himself standing and prophesying to a perishing nation, yet at the same time seated with the Majesty on High in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). Through the prophetic voice, Isaiah declares this eternal position of God Almighty with mankind. In Isaiah 57:15 (NKJV) he states: For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “ I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." The prophet knew that to dwell in the presence of the Most High meant one must live in a humble, eternal state of being. Time no longer mattered because God is the controller of the outcome of all things. The gift of humility (upon seeing the Lord as Isaiah saw) allows the beholder to die to self and to all the preconceptions of what we may think our lives should look like and to ultimately embrace a timeless, eternal life of trust in Him. No more will we wonder what our so-called ministry or "life purpose" might entail, for we will know that we must only live with Him in this place of eternity which He desires to reveal to us all.

St. Augustine is attributed with the quotation: Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee, O Lord ... . So true that rest is equated with dwelling in the very presence of God. For in His presence, we are no longer bound by the cares of this world or our own pursuits in the "Name of God". We have simply and reverently given ourselves to rest in that place of eternal abiding. While we share a place of solitude as we are "hid with Christ in God" in that eternal place (Colossians 3:3), we can also be about the Father's business as those making the most of our time, because the day's are truly evil (Ephesians 5:16). Whoever coined the phrase "That fellow is so heavenly minded he is of no earthly good" must have been working for the devil. Oh, for more Isaiahs that would have their minds and their hearts taken up with God in order to do the work at hand on a sin-soaked earth! That we would see hearts longing to be taken captive once again by the Lord Jesus Christ into that eternal realm, that they might be His agents to release captives of this present life that are like ticking time bombs ready to explode into hell. Beloved, we must experience the eternality of God before we can allow the Holy Spirit within to convince the unredeemed that their time is running out. For as truly as any reality that we will ever know, eternity awaits us all at one time or another. We can either deny its existence (Psalm 14:1), or accept its inevitability. Regardless, eternity will either be something we embrace and love through God and His eternal gift of redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ, or it will be something that will imprison us with horror upon our passing through the veil.

There will be a day that we will all pass from this life to the next -- that day when we step into our eternal homes, respectively. However, the transition to a heavenly abode can be seamless if we will but cry out to our God for wisdom and understanding while in these "earthly tents" (II Corinthians 5:1). If we will seek the Lord, to understand Him as Solomon or to see Him in all His splendor as Isaiah, then we too will glimpse eternity this side of Glory. Our sufficiency in all these things is God (II Corinthians 9:8). He is the One who will answer according to our cry and our desire. While He has truly given us all things to enjoy while in our "time capsule" bodies, He has also given us hearts to understand that we are eternal beings. We will never be truly fulfilled until we rest in that place of eternity with Him. It is our choice, by the grace of God that He gives to those who ask, whether we will rest in His eternity now or merely in the "sweet by and by". May we all find that place of eternal rest both in this life and the one to come. Maranatha (Come Lord Jesus)!

Heavenly Father, bring us to that place of eternity even now in our time-bound existence! Help us to live in that place of eternal rest, provoking others to desire that place of divine comfort. Cause us to embrace the eternity within us all, that we might lead others to life everlasting. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Impossibility of Doubt - January 5, 2014

Mark 10:27 - Looking at them, Jesus said, " With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God."

Jesus drew a proverbial line in the sand when speaking to His disciples regarding what man could do compared with that of God. Impossibility, as it relates to faith, lies only in the realm of what the Lord is able to achieve and what people will fail to accomplish. The word "impossible" is mentioned only one time in the Old Testament and that was in reference to man making themselves like gods when constructing the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:6-7). The Lord said that nothing would be impossible to mankind with their one tongue and combined knowledge. The mutual faith of humankind with a common goal was a direct confrontation to God. Humanistic thought of our present age states that we can return to that day before God confused the languages of the earth and achieve the seemingly impossible once again. However, as we know there is only one Creator while the devil only counterfeits God's creation. We were never meant to rely upon ourselves but to believe that by relying upon the Almighty, that all things were possible through faith.

While man can only achieve the possible, God will only move on man's behalf through seeming impossibility. While humankind can be bailed out through man's intervention, God will not lift a finger. And, so it should be. As God is the creator of all things, so He desires to display His omnipotence through His creative power. How can God demonstrate Himself through a situation that is rife with a possible human remedy? For example, God created medicine and doctors to assist with the healing arts. So, why would He heal someone if a person could just as easily visit a physician for their ailments? However, the impossibility of the situation might occur when the doctors have done all they can. Then, God can and often does step in if there is faith to invoke the seeming impossible. When man has exhausted all avenues of healing, then doubt of divine healing must either be broken or embraced. This is the point where God has us choose whether we will spend our faith on what mankind can muster, or instead look to the Divine Healer to create an impossible healing. A wonderful example of the impossibility of doubt is the paralytic that is healed as his bearers lowered him through the roof where Jesus was teaching. In Mark 2:1-12 we are told how four men carried the paralyzed man to see Jesus. Finding no way to get in to see the Healer, they open up a hole in the roof and lowered the man down in front of the Savior. Mark comments in verse 5 that Jesus saw their faith (Mark 2:5). The implication is that not only did the paralytic have faith but also those carrying him to Christ for healing. They had come into collective agreement that all was lost for their friend unless God moved on his behalf. Doubt, at that point, became an impossibility and God embraced their impossibility by providing for the man's divine healing.

As with the paralytic, the impossibility of doubt occurs when God moves beyond any possible explanation, creating a remedy that is conjoined in faith inexplicably between the Creator and the creature. There is such a oneness of trust, understanding, and Godly sympathy that erases any notion of doubt. At this juncture, the impossible has become humanly possible by the imbuing power of the Most High. Jesus stated to His disciples in Mark 11:23 an illustration of this dynamic of the faith of God. For a man to believe in his heart that a mountain could be cast into the sea by his spoken word, and it would happen, is to erase any doubt and make it an impossibility in the eyes of God (hint: impossible situations please our God!) Man cannot eradicate doubt anymore than he can create faith. It is a sovereign work of the Holy Spirit as He broods over a man's life. It is the target of the Lord to annihilate doubt by revealing the gift of faith within every believer. In a similar teaching, the disciples ask Jesus to increase their faith (Luke 17:5). The Lord goes on to explain that faith is not quantitative but qualitative! He states that if they possessed only faith the size of a mustard seed they would similarly cast a mulberry tree into the sea. A man's doubts may seem overshadowing and paralyzing compared to what the Lord requires the size of faith for a man to possess. However, once faith is seized upon, it consumes doubt and makes it an impossibility to dwell in the presence of God-ordained belief.

While many might speak about the possibilities of faith, many forget to mention the impossibilities of doubt once a man truly believes and rests all outcomes on the Lord's shoulders. Doubt becomes ludicrous and beyond comprehension to those who have relied upon the Almighty for the impossible. Always remember, beloved, that God dwells in the impossible from a rational, carnal mind's perspective. Eternity is an impossibility to the unregenerate, just as the idea that there is no eternal life is an impossibility to a believer. We function and grow in God when we dwell with Him in that place of impossibility. In turn, when we abide with Him in that place of wonderful creative power, then we will never doubt His ability. Doubt becomes the ultimate impossibility once we learn to abide in that most holy place. May we all learn the secret of the indwelling God that seeks to perform the impossible continually in our day to day lives. Thank God for the Creator who lives within to do the impossible, and to remove all doubts therein!

Heavenly Father, may we understand by the Spirit of wisdom and revelation how You desire to live "impossibly" through us and to affect the miraculous in our lives continually. May Your faith that You give us for the impossible chase away any doubts of any other conclusion, helping us to never doubt again. Thank you for Your loving faith. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

New Beginnings - December 29, 2013

Psalm 118:24 - This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Many make new year's resolutions, while most hold little hope they will keep them. The problem with resolutions of this kind is they are inflicted with self-will which horribly handicap a favorable outcome. Oftentimes, they are things folks believe they SHOULD do ... like eating less, exercising, quitting smoking, and so on. However, these desires are more likely born out of a sense of guilt rather than from a genuine epiphany to change for the better. Change that is born out of perceived necessity often results in resentment. For instance, our doctor may tell us to lose a few pounds in order to live a better quality of life. While we may agree with our physician on this point, it is easier said than done. That late evening snack or that piece of pie after a meal seem to entice us as never before once we know what we SHOULD do. We may begin to resent those who don't need restraint in this area of their life and we might look with envy on their ability to take in calories indiscriminately. Unless we are stalwart in our resolve, it is easy to cave in to compromise and to justify why we are not as deserving as the next person to indulge in a "little" excess.

Dictionary.com defines resolve as "coming to a definite or earnest decision about a particular outcome". While this sounds good regarding a desired effect, the catalyst or the power behind this decision is critical concerning its conclusion. While one may set their mind in resolution to complete a task, the heart is what will more often carry it out (or not). For believers in Christ, this inner resolve comes most effectively through the working of the Holy Spirit. For it is God who is at work in us, both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13). As our mind, emotion, and our will (e.g. our soul) gets in line with God, then our new found resolutions collide with our old habits. Our sin nature cannot tolerate these new resolves so it must either surrender to God or usurp God's authority. (This struggle is depicted by the Apostle Paul in Romans 7:14-25.) No matter how "definite" or "earnest" we might be regarding our desire to rule over our old habits, they simply will not die easily. However, if we will take the high ground and defend our position with the word of truth and a song of praise, then we will indeed win the day.

Our lead verse clearly establishes a premise for creating a new beginning daily that will enable us to stay strong in HIS resolve. First of all, the psalmist declares the sovereignty of God over time. He states that "this is the day which the Lord has made". If He made this day, He has surely made all previous days and any yet to come. This simple declaration of God's ownership of time means that God is in control of whatever happens in our lives today, if we will but allow Him that right. By acknowledging the Holy Spirit within, we are declaring the Almighty as the Lord of our lives and therefore the Lord over all my "old ways" as well as my present and future resolves. All must be placed in His care. We must simply surrender the outcome to Him. If we fail or win in our day to day battle with sin then we humbly place both our failures and our successes in His hands and rejoice in Him. If we have experienced the victory today, then we should rejoice! If we have struggled and fallen short, then we must still rejoice in the victory yet to come for He will not forsake us. If we continue to give ourselves to Him in humility, He will bring us to that "large place" where there is freedom and fellowship with our Lord (Psalm 118:5).

Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand (Psalm 149:6). Once we recognize that the day is the Lord's, our only obligation is to praise Him while we weld the sword of the Spirit (or the word of truth [Ephesians 6:17]). If we praise the Lord in the resolve that is born in His heart, and humbly use His word to contradict the guilt and lies of the evil one, then we will know the victory no matter how long it may seem to take. While some will give up after a few short weeks regarding their new year resolutions, God's people should never faint regarding the timeline of deliverance from the old life. If we are in Christ, we are new creatures ... period! (II Corinthians 5:17) It is our heritage as believers to allow the Holy Spirit to work in us in His manner. We are being changed into His likeness if we are humbly submitting ourselves daily to His loving hand. As we give ourselves to His resolve, then we needn't worry about the outcome. He is the One who owns the day, the year, and our lifetime ahead. We must simply trust Him to complete the work He has so illustriously begun in all who call Him Lord.

Heavenly Father, thank You that You own the day! Thank You that You are our Lord and that You live in us to will and to work for Your good pleasure. Allow us to live, and move, and have our being in Your resolve in this coming year. Give us the grace to experience Your love in both our failings and our victories. For with You, there will only be success if we faint not. Give us Your strength as we rejoice in You this day. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick

The Christmas Star - December 22, 2013

Matthew 2:2 - Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.

The heavens have long held a fascination for humankind. For millennia, man has looked to the skies for both direction and hope. King David wisely stated in Psalm 19:1-2: The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. Arguably, the greatest manifestation the world has ever seen of the manifestation of the glory of God in the heavenlies is the Christmas star that appeared over the eastern skies at the time of Jesus' birth. By this glorious light, the Magi from modern day Iraq traveled to a non-descript city south of Jerusalem named Bethlehem. Through this beacon shining in the night, the wise men were able to ascertain the birth of a mighty king in Israel. Very possibly these holy men from the once mighty Persian Empire understood through the writings of Daniel more than 500 years earlier, that a future ruler who would ultimately save His people would be born at this very time in Judea (see Daniel 9:24-27). They understood the signs of the times and they took heed, traveling hundreds of miles to confirm that truly a ruler had been born in Israel that would be the Eternal King.

Throughout scripture, God uses stars as metaphors for his heavenly beings. Job refers to the morning stars singing together, and all the sons of God shouting for joy (Job 38:7). The psalmist tells us that God numbers and gives name to all the stars, implying that His angelic host is finite yet even so an assembly of myriads (Psalm 147:4). And Isaiah states that not all the "stars" in the heavenlies are good (Isaiah 14:13). As the prophet speaks about Satan's prideful rise and self-assertion toward God, John the Revelator tells us how a third of the wicked "stars" or rather the devil's mutinous collaborators fell to earth at the fateful time when the angels rebelled (Revelation 12:4). The greatest Star of them all is first prophesied (centuries before Daniel) to appear by a Mesopotamian prophet named Balaam. (This fellow is a good example of someone that started out right and ended up seriously wrong!) In the book of Numbers, Balaam is hired by the king of Moab to curse the nation of Israel, but instead he pronounces a blessing over the Hebrews. During his prophetic utterance, Balaam speaks about a Star that will arise in Israel and will reign forever: I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab, And tear down all the sons of Sheth (Numbers 24:17). The prophet was declaring a dichotomous fulfillment to his prophecy. First of all, he stated that this part of his prophetic word was not for the present but was for a later date. Undoubtedly, this was the revealing of the star that would herald the Morning Star (II Peter 1:19; Revelation 22:16) to be born in Bethlehem several millennia from his utterance. Secondly, it was a prophecy speaking of the return of Christ to be revealed at His second coming as He takes captive the nations of Moab (present day Jordan) and others that have raised their hand against His beloved Israel (see Jeremiah 25). Balaam's prophecy, as well as others, only confirm the inevitable in God's plan of redemption for both Israel and the Gentile nations.

Jesus tells us that in the same way as he departed the earth in the same way He will return (Acts 1:11). Even so, in the same way as he came the first time, so also will the heavens herald His return. Jesus both foretold and warned us of the great and terrible day of the Lord in the book of Matthew:

But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE SUN WILL BE DARKENED, AND THE MOON WILL NOT GIVE ITS LIGHT, AND THE STARS WILL FALL from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the SON OF MAN COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF THE SKY with power and great glory. - Matthew 24:29-30

This will truly be a day of great rejoicing for those who have believed, but a day of terrible reckoning for those who have despised His appearing. Just as the Son of Man appeared under the twinkling herald of a great light in the sky, so His coming will be in the twinkling of the eye and it will be a great light that will consume the darkness. The Morning Star will have arisen to create a new day where only He shall reign and no wickedness will stand before Him. For even as His coming was heralded two millennia past, so the sky will once again proclaim His glory as He sweeps the stars from the sky and He alone will remain to shine bright.

Throughout time, the heavens have been the place for man to turn his gaze to learn of God's glory. David knew this, Daniel also, and most assuredly the Magi. Now, it is our turn. Will we allow the Christmas Star to captivate our hearts until the Morning Star rises first within our spirits, and ultimately on a new earth in the age to come? It has always been and will continue to be our choice. Like the wise men, we must seek Him, traversing whatever distance is necessary to find Him. For only as we allow the Christmas Star to abide within, will we then know the Morning Star who desires to reveal His life to us all. Come, Lord Jesus, and reveal the very Star of David as we celebrate the birth of Christ in us all!

O Holy God, thank you for the Christmas Star that lives within all who call You Lord. Allow the bright and Morning Star to increase His brilliance in all of our lives until He returns in splendor. We thank You and praise You for Your wonderful gift to the world! In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick