Divine Rescue - October 2, 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick


The Bare Soul Archives

Godly Perception - September 25, 2011

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

Godly Perception - September 21, 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick


The Bare Soul Archives

Obtaining the Witness - September 18, 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick


The Bare Soul Archives

Why Does Revival Tarry? - September 11, 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick


The Bare Soul Archives

A Broken Heart - September 4, 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick


The Bare Soul Archives

Songs of Deliverance - August 28, 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick


The Bare Soul Archives

The Glory of God - August 21, 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

Your Barefoot Servant,

Rick


The Bare Soul Archives