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Saturday, May 26, 2018

Humility or Error

Psalm 62:2 "God alone is the mighty rock that keeps me safe and the fortress where I am secure." (CEV)
Pride is the most subtle enemy that we have.
It is patently ridiculous to think that you are immune to its wiles.
Loudly protesting that God alone is directing your life while choosing to ignore, down play, or even ridicule, a humbly presented caution against continuing in the path that you are on, is pride.
The faithfulness of God to His imperishable seed will bring destruction to the works of pride, but at what cost?

When giving a teaching on a certain understanding of scripture, I first seek out all the sections of scripture that seem to contradict or under cut what I feel I am being led to share.  It is the opposing view, the scriptures that don't seem to agree, that often bring me around to the truth.

We need each other.  
God totally designed the Body that way.  The voice of caution, the voice that says, "Let's put this on hold and pray about it." is a royal pain in the ass.  I've already talked to, bought, made the announcement, put it out there...pulling it all back now will make it look like I was running ahead of God and His will.

EXACTLY!  Humility would have us be open to that possibility.

And one of the only reasons you would totally ignore the word of caution is pride.

Later on in this beautiful song, verse 9 reminds us that we are all truly a vapor or actually lighter than a breath.  Anything that puffs us up to think of ourselves more highly than that is a lie.  Then verse 10 has the strange warning that we are not to be trusting in violence, oppression, robbery or wealth, wait a minute, why do we need that warning?  Because pride is so stinking subtle.  The dove is a bird that is easily scared away, when we push forward despite the humble warning not to, we are headed for a merciful destruction, brought about 100% by covenant love.  Oppression occurs when one assumes the position of authority and then runs things in a way that does not benefit those who are subject to that authority.  

Oh Father, have mercy and save us from such error.

Robbery is mentioned, because the Lamb will not resist those who run ahead of His leading and steal His glory.  He is in a state of rest, secure in His ability to redeem and gather back, but at what cost?

Wealth is the last of the subtle devices that this portion of scriptures warns us about.  How much can we take away from having the financial doors wide open to make a thing happen?

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

The warning is simple about riches, do not set your heart upon them.  The god of this world is 100% capable of providing 100% of the funds pride needs to do its thing!

Humility is our utmost need, and the body is one of the means to that end.  Mercy, Lord! 

Sunday, May 20, 2018

Those who are empowered by the life of the Lamb reflect His nature

Laura and I discussing how the servant of the Lord is to bring forth the word of the Lord.  It is to be presented with an open hand as a word for consideration since we are all aware of our humanness.  It can be posed as more of a question than a proclamation.  (Of course there are times for proclaiming, but they are far more rare than we make them to be.)


The word could be rejected simply because the presentation of it is from a place of arrogance and pride. 


I always wonder about tone of voice in scripture, knowing that Jeremiah had the heart of God and wept for the people he spoke to, I tend to think the voice is gentle that says, "you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.”



God's wisdom is diplayed in one who is broken by the word of the Lord.


Humility that receives the word of the Lord even though it means a change in plans or a great inconvenience is a God-given key to growing into the likeness of the Lamb.


James 3:17 "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without favoritism and hypocrisy." The King James says, easily entreated, in place of compliant, it is a gentle way of living, of being willing to yield to the voice of the Lord. It is a true and beautiful safe guard placed within the Body if only we will have ears to hear.

  Even when a truth is being proclaimed there will be a sense of brokeness on the part of the one doing the proclaiming. The message is presented as a part of the over all picture/perspective of God, it is given with an open hand, not delivered in a way that implies "I am the sole possessor of this and you need to come to my side."

  Matthew 21:44, "And the one having fallen on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." Isaiah 8:14,15 "Then He shall become a sanctuary; But to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over, And a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Isaiah 8:15 "Many will stumble over them, Then they will fall and be broken; They will even be snared and caught."

But what if one does not receive the word of the prophet?  They miss out on the prophet's reward, but from the perspective of God they could still be right in the center of His will and their life could be being used as a demonstration of the cost and effects of the stiff-neck response. 

This should give us pause and press us into the mercy of God, a living sacrifice is on this earth to give glory to God.

Saturday, May 5, 2018

Broken First, Truth Second

I guess every post from now on will be a combination of Laura and I, this one sure is.


Listening to a teaching recently and it was clearly a repeating of things that the speaker had heard, but he wasn't really just reading the text of the Bible and letting the Spirit speak to him.  Things were spoken that were wrong, just plain, not the truth.  The blind was leading the blind, and my thoughts were along the line of, what is my responsibility here.  I am a teacher, these passages contain key truths that are being missed and or twisted.  I was feeling that I needed to address these things directly with the person and then the wisdom of Laura entered into the situation.


I needed to come to a place of brokenness and even weeping over the person, and only then would I be released to speak a word to them. 


Love is not just correcting, it is lamenting and identifying with your brother or sister.  I get it now.