Your Greatest Race Blog

When Nancy and I are out and about meeting new people, in the course of getting to know them we are asked the polite and familiar question, “What do you do?” When each of us faces that common question, we usually answer about our work or career. Then, according to social custom, we ask the other person what they do for a living. Most of us invest a large amount of our time into our work, so one might think that knowing what you do helps determine who you are. But does it really? Are we defined by what we do for a living? If our identity is based on what we do for a living or how successful we are at work, what happens if we lose that job, get sick, can’t work that career anymore, or our efforts fail to meet expectations? Life circumstances change. We may find ourselves in a situation where we’re not as active or productive by the world’s standards as we were previously. If our worth and value are tied up in what we do, that can lead to a devastating emotional roller coaster. I can personally relate to this. For most of my adult life, I was in a career that yielded a high income. I had multiple houses, cars, a boat and often took luxury vacations. Although I was a believer in Jesus during those years, I viewed my identity, worth, and value based on how much money I made. My pride in my worldly success was made evident by the outward trappings. When I responded to the Lord’s call to ministry and left my business career, I struggled with the dramatic reduction in income and financial prosperity my wife and I had been accustomed to. This negatively affected my view of myself, and I went through a season of questioning who I was. What was my value based on now that I wasn’t producing that kind of income anymore? I battled against thoughts in my mind, such as “What kind of husband are you? You’re not fulfilling your role as a provider.” “You used to be somebody – people respected you, and you had a nice comfortable life. Why don’t you give up this pipe dream and do something valuable that makes money?” “You can’t cut it as a minister – you should just go back and get a real job.” As Bible-believing followers of Jesus, we understand that we have an enemy who is constantly prowling, seeking whom he can devour. His efforts are to rob, kill and destroy us, and he often attacks us in our thought life. He whispers lies and accusations into our minds, preying on our insecurities, anxieties, and worries. The enemy will use a variety of tactics and attacks on our mind to discourage us. His goal is always the same, to cut us down. He will tell us that we are not enough, we’ll never measure up, and we don’t have what it takes to make it in this life. He works hard to undermine our worth, value and confidence, attempting to thwart our walk with the Lord. That is exactly where I found myself. Holy Spirit began working in my life as I cried out to Him. He reminded me of Paul’s words to the believers in Corinth about our powerful spiritual weapons, which are mighty in pulling down strongholds the enemy sets up in our mind against God. We are instructed to take every thought captive and bring it into obedience to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I soon realized I don’t have to listen to, or accept as fact, those fiery dart-thoughts that the enemy launches into my mind. By His Spirit, I was able to fight them with the powerful weapons I’ve been given by my Lord and Savior. I often had to stop and remind myself that not every thought that comes into my head is my own. Holy Spirit spoke to me about the armor of God in Ephesians 6. One of the pieces of armor we’ve been given is the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. It is one of the most potent defenses against the enemy’s attack on our identity. As I renewed my mind with the Truth of what God says, I came to see that our identity is not in what we do, how successful we are, how much money we make, or what others say about us. Our true identity and worth are determined by our Father. He made us and He owns us. He, alone, gets to determine who we are in Him, and He understands how truly valuable we are to Him. Let’s hear some of what He says about us and our true identity, worth, and value: • For God so loved you that He gave his only unique son, that if you will believe in Him, you will not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16) • He himself bore your sins in his body on the cross, so that you might die to sin and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed (1 Peter 2:24) • He has saved you and called you to a holy calling, not because of your works, but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began. (1 Timothy 2:9) • You have been given every spiritual blessing in Christ. You have been chosen in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless. In Him, you have redemption and forgiveness, and He has lavished you with grace! (Ephesians 1:3-8) • In Jesus Christ, you are no longer a slave, but have been adopted as a son or daughter; as a son or daughter, you are now an heir to His Kingdom! (Galatians 4:6-7) These are just a few of the many truths contained in God’s Word about our true identity, worth, and value. It has nothing to do with what we do in this life or even what we do for Him and His Kingdom. It has everything to do with who He is and what He says about us. Each of us is fearfully and wonderfully made. We are incredibly precious to Him, and He loves us dearly. The choice is ours. Whose words are we going to believe? Those of the enemy or those of the One who gave His very life for our redemption? When we surrender and yield to His Truth spoken about each of us, His Truth will set us free from the lies and accusation of the enemy. When we walk in His Truth, we know who we are because of Whose we are. Photo by Iulia Mihailov on Unsplash

Authority is a funny thing. Most of us like it when we’re the ones carrying it. We believe we know best what to do and how it should be done. We feel confident in any given situation that if we were in charge, things would be different! But we don’t care much for authority when we disagree with the decisions of those over us. We tend to murmur and complain, gripe, and criticize those in charge for their decisions. Whether in our minds, words or actions, we are quick to point out how our ideas would work better. We’re used to this kind of thinking here in America, as the beautiful Republic we have inherited from our predecessors gives each citizen a vote and input on how we want to be governed. Theoretically, the governing authorities represent and answer to those who elected them. If not, they get voted out and replaced with someone who will. However, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, you are not ultimately a citizen of a republic or democracy, you belong to a kingdom. And things work differently there. Sometimes we can forget this and bring our democratic thought processes, our rights, and democratic attitudes with us into the Kingdom of God. We here in the West aren’t as familiar with the kingdom concept, although we read about it all through scripture. Jesus talked about kingdom all the time. Often, as he healed or delivered someone, he told them “The kingdom of Heaven has come near.” A kingdom, derived from “the King’s domain,” is ruled by the King, and the subjects, or citizens, don’t get a vote. We do what the King has decreed, whether we like it or not. We hope and pray we have a good King who is fair and just and merciful, because if not, our lives would be difficult. Many people throughout the world and throughout time have lived under kings and emperors, and either prospered or suffered at his hand. Thank God that our Heavenly King is full of love, compassion, justice, and mercy! Many of us followers of Jesus struggle with our place in God’s kingdom, wondering where we fit and how to live this Christian life. We want our prayers to be answered, to walk in more spiritual authority and power, and to live out the destiny for which He has created us. Yet, many of us find that we don’t have that kind of power and victory in our lives, and often feel defeated and discouraged. We read about the victorious Christian life through Jesus, but our reality doesn’t quite match up. Part of the problem may be our attitude toward authority. There is a powerful story told in the seventh chapter of Luke about an encounter that even surprised our Lord Himself with great delight! Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore, I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well. This man understood authority. He was commander over one hundred soldiers and carried significant respect, power, and influence in that occupied town. He was an important man, and even the other Jews paid this man tremendous respect and gave him honor. He also feared God and acknowledged Jesus as the promised Jewish Messiah. And yet, when this man came to Jesus, it wasn’t with arrogance or entitlement. It was in humility and submission to one he recognized as his authority, one in perfect alignment with God the Father. In the Roman military, this man was used to following orders from his commanders – the lieutenants in charge of legions, the generals, and ultimately from the Emperor himself. He also knew how to give orders and walk in the authority of his position with those under his command. They had trained and tested this authority structure in the heat of battle, with lives on the line. If one of his soldiers disobeyed him, swift punishment would come, backed up by the power and hierarchy of the empire. The Centurion knew if he disobeyed or sowed discord in the ranks by picking and choosing the orders he wished to follow, he would soon be demoted or removed from his position that afforded him privileges, provision, protection, influence, and power. He would be cast aside at best and imprisoned or killed at worst. He understood that his power and blessings flowed as long as he stayed in proper alignment and obedience to the established order of authority. His humility and clear understanding that Jesus was the King of all Kings and Lord of all Lords caused him to respond accordingly; not even asking Jesus to personally come to the sick servant, but just to “issue the order.” He understood that this man was God Himself and the decree would be carried out immediately once it was spoken. He understood that when one is obeying authority, he can then walk in authority. As one who wants to walk in more spiritual authority, this was very convicting to me. A key in this story is learning to walk as a man under authority to my King. The more I learn to submit to His authority and quickly obey His commands, the more He can trust me to wield Heavenly authority and power. As American believers, do we pick and choose which commandments we will follow? Do we conveniently ignore or rationalize away those that we don’t like and stick with the ones we’re most comfortable with? Do we look for reasons not to obey our Lord, or are we quick to submit when the Spirit or Word prompts us? How are we at obeying earthly authorities or those in church leadership, even when we don’t agree with their laws or policies? Practicing quick obedience and submission to our King will train us and mature us to be trusted with more authority in His Kingdom. Let us be like the Centurion, and walk as men and women under authority so that we can more effectively exercise the authority of Heaven! Photo CC BY-NC-ND (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.) Defender salute > Eglin Air Force Base > Article Display (af.mil)

Have you ever talked to people who wondered why God destroyed everyone on earth but Noah’s family in the great flood, or why He called Joshua and the Israelites to wipe out the Canaanite tribes completely, men, women, and children? Was the God of the Old Testament genocidal, or is there more to the story? Some years back, I learned something that helped me better understand these acts of God and reconcile them with God’s proven character of love, mercy, and grace. The key is in chapter six of the book of Genesis. It says, “When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose… the Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.” This is a bizarre passage, and as biblical scholar, Dr. Mike Heiser often says, “if a passage is weird, look deeper – there is something important there.” Some try and explain these verses by saying the “sons of God” were the godly line of Seth, while the “daughters of men” were Cain’s ungodly line. However, this doesn’t hold up biblically or when you look at the result of these unions. The Hebrew for “Sons of God” is “Bene ha Elohim” and refers to angels. We see this in Job 38:7, where God is rebuking Job and recounting planet earth’s original creation. He says, “when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God (angels) shouted for joy.” Humans were not present and celebrating the initial creation of the planet. Job 38 and Genesis 6 are both clearly talking about angels, not humans. The Hebrew word “Nephilim” translates both to “fallen ones” a well as “giants.” The children born from these unsanctioned unions were immense giants. A simple marriage between two human lines would not have produced giants. Interestingly, giants are part of the legends of virtually every ancient civilization on earth, as is a great worldwide catastrophe usually referring to a flood event. More information about this strange passage is given in the Apocryphal books of 1 Enoch, Jubilees, and the Book of Giants discovered in 1946 within the caves of Qumran and are commonly referred to as the Dead Sea Scrolls. These extra-biblical texts were included among virtually the entire Tanakh (Old Testament). Although not a part of our current Protestant Canon, the book of 1 Enoch, named after Noah’s great grandfather, is part of the biblical Canon within the Ethiopian Church. It was widely read and even quoted by the first-century authors of the New Testament. The first chapter of the book of Jude contains direct quotations from 1 Enoch, as does 2 Peter. This book heavily influenced the writers of the New Testament, and some of the early Church fathers even considered it holy scripture. Even if not accepted as part of the Biblical Canon, these scrolls have significant historical value and illustrate the biblical writers’ worldview and belief system, as well as that of the early Church. 1 Enoch tells us that two hundred fallen “Watcher” angels descended on Mount Hermon in the days of Jared, seeking wives from among the human women. In exchange for these unions, the Watchers gave mankind forbidden angelic knowledge and technology far beyond man’s natural ability to possess or handle. This included knowledge of warfare and weaponry, occult sorcery and divination, astrology, metallurgy, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. This knowledge corrupted humanity and led us away from Almighty God. The children born of this unholy union were hybrid beings, never intended by our Creator to exist. They were colossal beings of supreme intelligence, who were feared and worshipped by the people, and whose stories have survived through the ages. Ancient Sumerian, Egyptian, and Hindu records and legends all speak of these beings, as do the Greco-Roman pantheon of gods known as the Olympians, Atlanteans, or Titans. These legends and belief systems all stem from this unholy and unsanctioned union of angels with humans. These beings were not benevolent and wrought great terror and ungodliness on the earth. Fragments of the Book of Giants states that the fallen angels not only copulated with human women but also mixed their seed with animals, creating hideous monster hybrids, tales of which have also survived through the ages. The human and animal genome has been defiled. As these fallen angels and their monstrous mix of hybrids filled the earth, God “saw that the wickedness of mankind had become great in the earth, and that every intention of their thoughts was only evil continually.” He says that all flesh has been corrupted, and for that reason, He brings the flood, destroying these unsanctioned and evil beings. We are also told in 1 Enoch when these creatures died, their displaced spirits became the demons or unclean spirits we battle on the earth today. God preserved Noah and his family, whom the Bible says was “perfect in his generations.” This speaks not only of Noah’s commitment and obedience to God but also his pure human DNA. God provided a way of escape for Noah and a way to preserve the human DNA that would repopulate the earth and one day bring forth the Messiah, Jesus Christ. When Moses later led the Israelites into Canaan, they encountered tribes living in the land that were descendants of the Nephilim. We read in Numbers 13:33 that ten of the twelve spies said, “and there we saw the Nephilim (giants), the sons of Anak, who come from the giants: and we seemed to ourselves as grasshoppers, were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.” They describe Canaan as a land that devours itself and say the people are of great height. The Anakim, Rephaim, Zamzummim, Emim, Zuzim, and other Canaanite tribes described in the Bible were all descendants of the giant Nephilim that rebelled against God. This is why God instructed Joshua and the Israelites to wipe them out utterly. Amos 2:9 recounts God’s hand in destroying these hybrid tribes when he says, “it was I who destroyed the Amorite from before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars (of Lebanon) and who was as strong as the oaks.” Goliath and his brothers, as well as Og of Bashan, were all descendants of the Nephilim. In light of this, it makes much more sense why God would send a worldwide flood and charge the Israelites with destroying whole tribal nations in their conquest of the Promised Land. Not only does understanding this backstory keep us from improperly maligning God’s character, but it is also an important key to prepare ourselves for what will happen in the future. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 24:37, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” Now we know more about what it was like in the days of Noah. In our current societies today, we are rejecting God and His Word, denying His existence and authority, and redefining right and wrong to our own liking. Building on technology first given by Watchers and demonic spirit beings, we are feverishly working through genetics, robotics, artificial intelligence, and nanotechnology to “upgrade” humanity through Transhumanism. We are mixing species, altering DNA, and creating hybrid beings in our scientific labs that God did not sanction. Sadly, we are repeating the sins of Genesis 6, and we will be judged for it. In the last days, we as Christians will face spiritual evil via fallen angels and demons, humans who have partnered with those evil entities, as well as horrifying hybrid beings we have not so far seen except in Hollywood movies. Jesus warns us in Luke 21:26 that “people’s hearts will fail them from fear over what is coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” Spiritual warfare will take on a whole new meaning in those dark days, and wise followers of Christ will prepare themselves now for the future that awaits us. Those consecrated warriors of Christ will overcome the enemy by the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony, and not loving their lives unto death. We will do great exploits as Holy Spirit leads, and we are commanded to be bold and courageous, without fear; our conquering King and Savior Jesus will be with us through it all. Whether we serve Him in life or ultimately in death, we will be rewarded one day by seeing Him face to face and ruling and reigning with Him for all eternity! Rise up, warriors for the Kingdom. The war is not coming. The war is here. Photo courtesy of pxfuel.com

Well, Winter Storm Uri has finally passed after nine historic days of below-freezing temperatures, snow, sleet, and ice here in Texas. As the sun came out and the ice and snow began to melt, Nancy and I were finally able to get out and purchase some things we’d been needing. It’s been an interesting time, and it has left me with a profound sense of gratitude. While our situation was not nearly as difficult as many in the State who went without power, heat, or even water for many days, we did have some challenges to work through. Putting our heads together, we designed do-it-yourself solutions to frozen pipes, loss of water, brief power outage, no internet, damage to our outdoor patio cover, cramped quarters, and occasional cabin fever. We learned that we could live just fine without many of the modern conveniences to which we had grown accustomed. It’s been a long time since I really thought about how grateful I am to have shelter from the elements – just a roof over my head and a place that is warm and dry is a tremendous blessing. I think the last time might have felt this intense gratefulness was during a tent camping trip four years ago Nancy and I took. We got so cold in the tent that despite me wearing every article of clothing I owned, I still wanted to sleep in the truck with the heater running. This past week has made me seriously consider what a blessing it is to have somewhere to get out of the cold. Things I took for granted just a couple of weeks ago like heat, warm clothing, and running water now held special significance as temperatures outside got close to zero. Safe and warm in our cozy cabin, I thanked the Lord for these blessings with newfound appreciation. Fresh water to drink, the ability to wash dishes, and the joy of taking a shower took on new wonder, as we had to get creative a few nights. We heated bottled water to wash our dishes “camping-style.” Without the internet, we read our Bibles, other books, played games, and enjoyed the quiet without the usual outside input and distractions. I took a break from the news, and after a short period of withdrawal, it actually became nice, and I settled into the peace and quiet. While I’m glad that things are thawing now and getting back to normal, the experience has left me with a deeper level of gratitude and thankfulness for my Lord and Savior. He sustained us through everything, making sure we had what we needed. Maybe not everything we wanted, but our genuine needs were met. It was just a small taste of inconvenience, but it gave me a glimpse of the fragility of the system we live in here in the West. Although the lack of heat, drinking water, and the ability to get to the grocery store is a rare occurrence for us, there are many parts of the world where this is their everyday life. Even within the U.S.A., our infrastructure for energy, fuel and food is more fragile than we care to acknowledge. A visit to our local H-E-B was startling when most all of the shelves, freezers and coolers were void of items and the fresh produce section was nearly empty. I believe we will face hardships and difficulties much worse in the coming years. As I was thinking about this, the Lord reminded me of the words of the Apostle Paul to the believers in Philippi who wanted to help him in a time of need, “ Not that I speak from need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with little, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Thank you, Abba, for sustaining us and providing for each of us – you are a faithful Father! Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Early in our walk with Jesus, we learn about the “big” sins to avoid: Thou shalt not murder, commit adultery, steal, lie, covet, etc. To most of us, these seem pretty obvious. With varying degrees of effort, many who have been saved for a while can avoid these sins with consistency. But these and God’s other commandments go much deeper than our outward activity. As one who gave his life to Jesus Christ some 30 years ago, I can thankfully say I am not the man I used to be back then – thank God! He has brought me a long way from those early days. Most of the obvious outward sins I previously battled with have been overcome, and those areas are now consecrated to the Lord. They are not an ongoing struggle anymore. However, I’m aware in my heart that my battle with sin became more subtle and internal. I still sometimes wrestle with self-doubt, worry, and frustration. I caught myself the other day as a flash of anger rose within me over an aggressive tailgating driver. I can be sharp with my words, selfish and insensitive to my wife at times. Sometimes I wake up grouchy or irritated for seemingly no good reason, and it leaches into my attitude during the day. Although not considered outward gross sin, these attitudes and actions are all sins in God’s eyes, and I must confess and repent from them. I am not to rationalize them, justify them, or compare myself to others. Sin is sin, and it all leads to death. Our Lord calls us to put to death all sin in our lives and live holy as He is holy. An interesting fact about sin is that big or small, it all begins in the mind. Jesus spoke to us about this in Matthew chapter five, when He took a few of the Ten Commandments and explained how our thoughts and attitudes become sinful way before our bodies commit the outward sin. “You have heard it said to the ancients that you shall not murder. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.” While I might be tempted to congratulate myself because I’ve never murdered anyone, I can’t say I’ve not been angry with my spiritual brother or sister. By Kingdom standards, my very thoughts leading to anger count the same as the act of murdering. Our Lord goes on to say, “You have heard it said that you shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” I can thankfully say that I’ve never committed adultery against my beloved spouse, and that is wonderful – I’m sure she appreciates it. However, can I say that I’ve never looked at another woman or image and entertained a lustful thought? If I did say that, I would be committing another sin: lying. According to the standard set by Jesus Himself, our wayward thoughts are sin, just as the outward act is sin. Although these are just two examples, Jesus made His point. We can apply the same standard to the way we handle fear, anxiety, worry, doubt, hurts and wounds, offenses, our selfishness, etc. Our thoughts and attitudes matter very much in the economy of Heaven. As maturing Christians, we are not just to clean up our behavior, choices, and actions outwardly, but inwardly as well. Although this seems impossible, and it is on our own, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can overcome every sinful thought and have a victorious walk, outside and inside! Nobody but you and Him know what goes on inside your mind. This is the secret chamber where you must win the battle. When we first surrender our lives to Jesus in salvation and baptism, many of us have spent years in the world, with its carnal, fleshly temptations and practices. Our minds had been filled with the thoughts of the world, and our way of thinking was bent that way. When we give our lives over to Jesus Christ as Savior and Master, we come as we are – we don’t have to clean up our act first – that’s the beauty of grace. Hallelujah for that! But even though our spirit is reborn at that grace-filled salvation moment and Holy Spirit comes to live within us, we still can have a carnal and fleshly mind. It needs to be renewed, and that takes time and effort. Our way of thinking must be progressively changed to match the mind of Christ. Romans 12:2 says we are not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. How do we renew our minds? If we are to win the battle against sin, we must first win it in our mind when it becomes a thought-seed. This is the first impulse of thought or emotion that pops into our awareness. It is at that point that I must first recognize if it lines up with God’s Word and His character or not. In his excellent book, “Every Man’s Battle,” Stephen Arterburn compares our wayward thoughts to wild mustangs that we must corral. Paul describes this in 2nd Corinthians 10 that we are to take our thoughts captive and bring them into the obedience of Christ. This is not always easy, and it certainly takes effort and practice. These “wild mustang” thoughts can pop into our minds from all sorts of circumstances and impulses. They can result from something we see or hear, something we desire, or people who have hurt or angered us. We might think something ungodly on our own, or it could even be planted there from Satan and his demonic realm who continuously roam the earth, looking for whom they can devour. Not every thought that comes into our mind originates with us. Recognizing the author of a thought as it comes in is critical. Regardless of where this thought comes from, the first step is paying attention and recognizing whether this thought lines up with scripture and God’s character. If it doesn’t, we have choices to make. Do we entertain it, play with it, and let it bounce around inside of our head or not? If we do keep on entertaining sinful thoughts, we can easily slip into agreeing with it, and that gives Satan a foothold in our mind. Paul warned us about this in Ephesians 4:27 when He said not to harbor anger overnight, or it will give the enemy a place in our life – a foothold. A foothold not quickly eradicated can then lead to a stronghold, which becomes harder and harder to eject from our minds and lives. Many of us followers of Christ have done this in our lives and discover that we cannot truly overcome sin in a particular area of our life. We can have patterns of defeat and difficulty that seem to be beyond our ability to escape. This is where deliverance can be necessary. Our mind is the primary battleground for spiritual warfare in our life. This is the place where most of our hard work is centered, and it’s not just a defensive battle. We won’t be successful only by catching and avoiding negative sinful thoughts. We must go on the offensive too, filling our minds with more and more of Jesus and His Word, to crowd out the other junk, and foster a thought life that is pure and holy. The more we spend time with our precious Lord in worship, prayer, and conversation, as well as feeding on His Word, our minds will be transformed and renewed. We will find that His thoughts become our thoughts; His desires will become our desires. No longer will the things of the world and its patterns and desires have the lure and luster they once had. We will find that we are more and more attracted to our Abba Father and the things of His Kingdom. When we mess up, our Lord and King offers us sweet forgiveness and reconciliation. He forgives us when we humbly confess and bring our sin before Him in repentance. 1 John 1:9 says this so beautifully – if we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. This doesn’t happen overnight, but the journey is so worth it. Scripture tells us we have been given the mind of Christ, and by daily surrendering to Him in yielded obedience, He will help us to draw ever closer to this day by day! This will be a lifelong process. It begins today. Photo courtesy of Slgckgc on Flickr, CC by 2.0 Pennies | slgckgc | Flickr

Being raised on a ranch, I would often buy used tack at auctions. The random items had usually long been neglected, left on hooks or lying around through all the seasons, probably in an old barn somewhere. The pieces were dry, cracked, and stiff. Bringing them home, I would spend time cleaning them up before beginning the long process of restoring them. To do this, I would use various oils, depending on the purpose of the specific piece. Sometimes I would use linseed oil; other times, I would choose emu oil. Regardless, long hours of working the oil into the weather-worn leather would commence restoring flexibility and usefulness. This makes me think of the times when my heart feels like those old pieces of leather that had been left too long unattended. I can also start feeling dry, like I’m losing my ability to bend with what life may bring my way. Where once I was able to move with agility easily to face the challenges, I feel stiff, unable to fulfill my purpose. In those times, I’ve learned to run into the arms of my Abba. He always greets me with great love, acceptance, and joy, even when I’ve failed Him. As He leads me beside the still waters, making me lie down in His green pastures, and He begins to pour His healing balm into those dry, cracked, hard places of my heart. He’s master at restoring my soul. One of the ways He does this is through His Word. He may give me a specific passage that speaks exactly what I need to hear or bring to remembrance verses I’ve learned over time. Regardless, it’s like warm oil being rubbed into the deep places of my being. This was the case for me this past week, and this is what He spoke over me from Psalm 103. Quiet yourself and let His Words pour over you like sweet oil. Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The LORD executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. The LORD is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, So the LORD pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting, On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them. The LORD has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all. Bless the LORD, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word. Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, You ministers of His, who do His pleasure. Bless the LORD, all His works, In all places of His dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul! As my spirit soaked in the power of these words spoken by the One who holds my soul in the palm of His hand, His strength seeped into the weak places of my heart. My eyes were lifted up above this realm into the very Kingdom of God. He is there, high and lifted up, ruling and reigning from His Throne. He is my shelter, my strength, my strong tower, and my refuge from every enemy. He is for me, He loves me, and He is leading me by His hand. What a beautiful, powerful treasure we’ve been given through His Word. May we take the time to stop, rest, and soak it all in. Photo by Gage Walker on Unsplash

Fear sells. Look around – the news is full of it. COVID fears, economic fears, protests, riots, new laws and policies coming out of Washington, this current crisis, and the next anticipated one that may or may not even happen. We are bombarded with fear-inducing media from all sides. Even within our Christian circles, this dynamic operates. While the reality of the evil in our world today is cause for alarm, and some things people dismiss as “conspiracies” are actually rooted in truth, the net effect is the same: fear. Fear drives us, inducing anxiety and causing us to worry about our future. What will become of us? Once we engage in this thought process, our survival instincts kick in. In that state of mind, we are vulnerable and open to making irrational decisions fueled by the lurking fear. Being aware of what is happening around us in light of scripture and the prophetic timeline is good. We should be prudent and wisely prepare to care for our families and friends considering the prophetic times in which we live. However, these actions should be made prayerfully, not driven by fear. As I was reading in the book of Isaiah, the Lord highlighted the eighth chapter starting in verse 12. God tells Isaiah (and those who follow the Lord), “Don’t call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy. Don’t fear what they fear, and don’t be terrified. It is the Lord of heavenly forces whom you should hold sacred, whom you should fear, and whom you should hold in awe.” Fear had infected the land of Judah, fed by corrupt leadership that had led the people away from God. King Ahaz had little regard for the Lord, desecrating the Temple and following pagan idols and gods. The Northern tribes of Israel and Syria had aligned themselves together against Judah and were coming to destroy the Southern Kingdom. They had already done a lot of damage and had killed many Jews. Naturally, the people were afraid and determined that the situation looked hopeless. God sent Isaiah to encourage and strengthen Ahaz and the people not to fear their enemies but to put their trust in Him alone. He underscored this difficult situation by having Isaiah give his newborn son a bizarre name: “Maher-shalal-hash-baz,” which means “Hurrying to the spoil, he has made haste to the plunder.” The people of the land were so afraid that they were consulting mediums and occult practitioners to tell them what would happen, hoping for a different prognosis on their situation. God hates this practice, mocking it and asking the people why on earth they would try and consult the dead to guide the living, when He is right here to turn to in times of trouble! He warns that those who seek this kind of occult guidance will find themselves dejected, hungry, in distress, and in overwhelming darkness. While the dire circumstances were very real, God saw that their fear was misplaced. Rather than looking at the dangers that loomed on the horizon, He directed their attention by a holy fear toward the One they should truly be afraid of – Him! He goes on to tell them, “God will become a sanctuary – but He will be a stone to trip over and a rock to stumble on for the two houses of Israel; a trap and a snare for those living in Jerusalem.” In other words, if we will get our focus off the things that are stoking our earthly fears and instead surrender our hearts with awe and reverent fear looking to the Lord, He will protect and defend the people through the coming attack. He instructs them to “bind up the testimony; seal up the teaching among my disciples,” and calls them to wait for and hope in the Lord. As we direct our attention to Almighty God and His Word, we will find that our fears of earthly dangers fade in comparison. However, those who will not humble themselves before Him will find Him to be a stumbling block that will trip them up, and they will fall. Who and what do you fear? If we fear the message of gloom and doom that is shouted from the various media sources more than we fear the Lord, we will find ourselves tripped up and falling headlong into despair, like the Jews of old. As followers of Jesus, there is good news! We can stop the fear from taking hold of our heart by repenting of the sin of seeking the world as our source of Truth. We can shift our eyes and hearts from the circumstances around us and fall on our knees before our Creator. He is seated on His Throne, far above principalities and powers, rulers of the nations, and kings of this world. As we put our trust in Him, we will see Him move on our behalf in power demonstrated by signs and wonders that defy our imagination in the midst of our difficulties. Our story in Isaiah 8 continues with the Lord bringing the Assyrians to destroy Syria and then Israel because of their continued rebellion. Within a short time, Israel was utterly scattered and assimilated into the empire that had conquered them. God’s prophetic promise of protection for His people was fulfilled. He punctuated his faithfulness by having Isaiah name his other son “Shear-jashub,” which means “A Remnant will return” (i.e., be protected and preserved). However, because Ahaz and many within Judah feared the enemy more than God and did not trust His Almighty hand to protect them, God allowed the Assyrians to march through much of their land, subjecting them to tribute and oppression for years. Although God will discipline our disobedience, He is always faithful to protect and preserve His children who truly surrender to Him in obedience. He raised up Godly King Hezekiah to lead the people back to the Lord and usher in revival in the land. Malachi 3:6 says, “I the Lord do not change.” Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” The God that protected His people in the past is the same Lord ruling over the kings of the nations today. He will defend His people when they cry out to Him, fix their gaze on Him, and put their hope in Him alone. When we find ourselves getting anxious and fearful by the things that are happening in the earth, let us bring these worries to the One who can bear them. Our Lord did not give us a spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind! Our King Jesus is ruling and reigning at the right hand of the Father, and nothing escapes His eyes. He knows exactly what is going on past, present, and future. No matter what unfolds in our lives, our families, or in our nation, the safest place to be is smack dab in the center of His will, with our eyes and hearts fixed on Him. Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash

Have you noticed all the voices shouting at us, nearly swallowing us up with intensity? It’s like the SHOUTY CAPITALS have come alive and are stalking us every moment of the day. News reports, media blitzes, radio talk show hosts, articles, prophesies, sermons, dreams, visions, and yes, blogs galore. It seems everyone has something to say, a direction to give, an edict to issue. “Go here, be there, do this, don’t do that, hurry, slow down, peace and safety, impeding doom,” the voices cry out, vying for the listener’s ear. Many claim to have the silver bullet to end all woes, while others claim to know the path each of us is to take – just follow them. In the midst of all this noise, confusion abounds. We want to do the right thing before God and our families, but which way is the right way? This is a genuine question many are asking themselves. In perilous times, which voice do I follow? Jesus said to the Pharisees when they would not accept who He said He was, “But you don’t believe because you’re not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” John 10 In one of Jesus’ final teaching moments with His disciples, He tells them of the wonderful gift of His Spirit that will follow His leaving them. “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. However, when the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come.” John 16 Why is this important? Jesus tells us that we can know Him intimately by His Spirit, who will speak to us. His Spirit will lead us into all truth, comforting and guiding us. This was a treasure He gave to all who call upon His Name in salvation. Even more precious as Jesus knew we would face tribulation in this world. “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." John 16 Our Father desires to speak to us, His children. We may have good people in our lives, speaking truth and holding out encouragement. This is a beautiful gift. However, nothing replaces our responsibility to learn to hear the Voice of our Savior for ourselves. This gift isn’t only offered to a chosen few; it is a part of our inheritance through Jesus Christ. We know Him, and He knows us, speaks to us, leads us, and guides us by the power of His right hand as any good Father does. Now, more than ever for this generation, it is imperative for us to walk in intimacy with Abba, developing that sweet, close, and personal relationship and learning to hear and know His Voice. His promise to us is that He will order our steps, making the path clear as we seek Him with all our hearts. When we hear and know the Voice of our Lord and Savior, we can discern the false voices from His Truth. We are clearly warned in the Word of God, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” I John4 We do this is by taking what we hear and testing it through the Word of God. Does it align with the whole counsel of God from Genesis through Revelation? As we train ourselves to hear the Voice of Holy Spirit, He will quicken our hearts to keep us from falling into the traps of the many voices that surround us from thousands of sources. This understanding brings our hearts into a place to rest in His peace. A dear missionary named Darlene Rose describes hearing God’s Voice like this. Darlene and her husband served as missionaries to Papua, New Guinea before and during WWII. She was taken as a POW while serving there. After being arrested, she and her husband were separated, and he was later killed. Darlene was taken to a women’s camp and endured tremendous hardship. When she was liberated several years later, she was taken by ship to the United States. Once in the refuge center, she was allowed to call home, asking her parents to come to get her. It had been such a long time, Darlene wasn’t even sure her parents still lived in the same place. She dialed their home phone, and her mother answered. Even after four years of brutality and torture, nothing would keep her from recognizing the familiar voice of her mother. Later, as she traveled and shared the testimony of her time in the camps where she talked about hearing the Voice of her Lord, people often asked her how she knew the Voice of her Heavenly Father. In response, she would recount this story. She would say, “His Voice is as familiar to me as the voice of my precious mother.” Darlene gained this sweet intimacy with her Lord as she spent time knowing Him and had dedicated her life to following Him. As we learn to recognize His Voice, we can walk in bold confidence that our God is leading us. He holds our hand and He will keep us from falling in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation. He goes before us and makes the crooked place straight. He lights up the path we are to walk, and He leads us in His peace. Amid the many voices that are screaming for our attention, the most important one for us to hear is the Voice of our Lord and King, Jesus Christ. “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it, when you turn to the right hand, and when you turn to the left.” Isaiah 30. Photo by Daniele Levis Pelusi on Unsplash

It’s easy to focus on the events transpiring all around us and be overwhelmed. It’s hard for us to imagine anyone ever experiencing what we see unfolding in our nation and the world today. Yet, the Word of God assures us our circumstances are not altogether unique from other difficult times that transpired upon the face of the earth. Today, we could write a narrative much like King David wrote many generations ago, “Help, LORD; for the godly man ceases; the faithful and trustworthy fail, they cease to be found, from among the children of men. They speak vanity every one with his neighbor: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak. The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaks proud things: Those who said, “With our tongue will we prevail and do mightily; our lips are our own: who is lord or master over us? For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, I arise, says the LORD; I will set him in safety from him that puffs at him (with arrogant words). The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. You guard and keep them, O LORD, You preserve them from this generation forever. The wicked, those who are wrong, walk on every side, when the vilest men, when worthlessness, is exalted among the sons of men.” Psalm 12 The wickedness and evil that resides in an unregenerate heart is not an anomaly to present-day humankind. It should not take us by surprise when wickedness rises up to crush righteousness. This is an age-old battle that began long before God created the world. Truly, there is nothing new under the sun. In every generation since Adam, the righteous ruling of our Heavenly Father has been resisted by the proud and arrogant who will not bend their knee to His Lordship in this realm. The hearts of the rebellious join with the cry of the principalities, powers, and wicked rulers in high places in a resounding shout that echoes across time, “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.” Psalm 2 Those who walk in the redemption of Jesus Christ have squared off with the rulers of darkness in each generation. They faced persecutions to varying degrees, some outright brutality, torture, and horrific deaths. Some faced more subtle tactics but just as deadly, such as the dogma of tolerance, socialism, and compromise. Regardless of the wicked scheme, each battle was designed to lure hearts away from the Kingdom of God. Every man, woman, and child has had to choose which God they will serve. Brothers and sisters, as evil continues its fierce battle against the elect of God, we will face our time of choosing. This may be a daily choosing or even moment-by-moment as the wickedness continues to surround us. The enemy intends to overwhelm and wear down the saints, to make it easier and more comfortable to give in to the evil devices. May we cry out like King David, “Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto You, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.” Psalm 61 In those moments when we are overwhelmed by the chaos that is rising like a flood around our ankles, may we be found standing amidst the faithful, the great cloud of witnesses, who overcame by the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony, and loved not their own lives even unto death. Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash