Fools Hate Knowledge

Fools hate knowledge. Now, before you think I made a rude comment by calling someone a fool, you must know that those are not my words. Those words were quoted directly from God's Word and stated in Proverbs 1:22. In fact, The Word has a lot to say about a "fool." Here are some:
A fool utters all his mind.
A fool has no delight in understanding.
A fool despises wisdom and knowledge.
A fool has anger resting in his bosom.
A fool will perish.

According to The Word of God then, I have seen a lot of fools. You probably have as well. Two of the truths above that really stand out to me are, a fool DESPISES WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE, and a fool WILL PERISH. It is becoming rare these days to run across someone that is truly hungry for the knowledge of God. People are more than willing to read an instruction booklet learning how to operate their smartphones, I-pad's, or digital TV's, but are not willing to read the Bible, much less to even open it! They have no desire to know or attain the wisdom necessary to guide their souls. There is no interest to learn prudence, discernment, or common sense, etc. God said, "fools hate knowledge." In fact, the Bible goes a step further. Read this closely and let it sink in, "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18). Break it down. Fools hate knowledge and hearing God's Word preached. To them it is foolishness, a joke. But these are they THAT WILL perish according to the Proverbs. Hmm. What about you? Are you uninterested in the Bible? Have you called it lame, stupid, or boring? Does it take real effort on your part to open it, read, or dedicate any quality time to it? Have you no desire to know what God has spoken about the end of days, the times in which we live, his signs in the sun, moon, and stars? Because I have to tell you, it's all there (and more). Maybe you would want to know the Bible if you did not perceive it as something too deep to understand? Can it even be understood? Of course, it can! Have you noticed that some people face no challenge understanding and following the scriptures, while others cannot understand the simplest concept like....we are lost without Christ. Why? Does our inability to understand God's Word come down to a flaw with how the Bible was written or a problem with us? If we are honest with ourselves, the answer is, us. Proverbs 1:23 says, "TURN you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you" KJV. There is a key to knowing and understanding God's Word.



The key is, God offers reproof (correction) through His Word. You'll often see the same meaning throughout the Bible as rebuke or reprimand. It simply means correction. God's "reproof" is intended to make you realize you are required to "turn" (from your former ways) and not to remain in them. For every Christian and those who desire to know the Bible, His Word is not meant to punish us, but to lead, guide, direct, and correct. The same thing was true when you were living in your parent's home. They had certain rules they wanted you to be aware of and follow. Their rules were not intended to spoil your fun or make your life miserable, they were rules carefully calculated to guide you to the correct path you needed, which in turn would give you a solid foundation on which to stand as you went out into the world. The foundation they laid would be the very rock that would keep you grounded as you faced the storms of life. Spiritually in the same sense, God's Word is the Christian's guide throughout their lifetime ... the spiritual "parental hand" if you will, meant to guide, shape, and correct through its teachings. Again, God's reproof is intended to unfold to us how we can turn from our ways through the knowledge and power of His Holy Spirit. To begin to know and acquire anything from God will involve you turning. You will not succeed through your own merit, effort, potential, skill, or capability. Only God can do that. When you make the decision you're ready to change and come to Him with your heart asking forgiveness, seeking His Word, it is then He will reveal His knowledge to you and scriptures can be understood


Picture parenting a six-year-old. Do you give them want they want if they will not listen to your instructions? Or in a spiritual sense, do you really expect to get anything from God (knowledge, answers to prayer, favor, etc.) if you rebel and refuse to read what He has to say? How can you know what He says if you ignore what is written in His Word? To "turn" implies a correction in your course and action. It definitely involves you changing, however, it is a continual, gradual, process in life with the help of the Holy Spirit. God rarely gives us much information at one time. You didn't expound the working of the universe with your three-year-old! Their learning, understanding, and obeying your instructions was gradual. Once they understood what was expected, they understood and began adapting their behavior accordingly.
In my own personal journey, I have had to make many course corrections as I continued and still continue my walk with God. The farther I go, and the longer I have listened and changed with God's continual help, the more UNDERSTANDABLE KNOWLEDGE God has opened up to me. Looking back at the things I could not understand when reading The Word years ago, seem like the simplest things now! It's almost embarrassing. I am continually amazed at how easy His Word really is to understand if you desire to know it, James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." IF ANYONE LACKS KNOWLEDGE OF THE SCRIPTURES OR ANY PARABLE JESUS SPOKE, ASK GOD TO REVEAL WHAT IT MEANS. HE GIVES ABUNDANTLY TO ALL WHO ASK OF HIM. THERE IS NO NEED TO FEEL SHAME OR CONDEMNATION. ASK! HE WILL ANSWER.


"He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding" (Proverbs 15:32). If you will go back and notice, Proverbs 1:23 ends with God making known His Word to us AFTER we turn. The middle part of the verse says if we turn, then God will POUR (not trickle, not sprinkle) but POUR out His Spirit upon us! And it is this "spirit," HIS SPIRIT, that reveals the deep things of His Word. We can clearly see and understand that in order to know God's Word it will take the Spirit of God to reveal it to us. From the verses listed below I have learned several spiritual truths. I will list 10. This is what I learned from Proverbs 1:22-23.
1) The Bible is not simple to the carnally minded!
2) The simple do not understand the Bible!
3) Fools do not want to learn the Bible!
4) God offers all of us reproof!
5) We must turn and make changes in order to Learn!
6) If we make an effort to change, God will pour out His Spirit upon us!
7) The Bible contains hidden and concealed information!
8) God will make known secret things to those who are actively searching for Truth.
9) Only with God's Help will we know and understand God's Word!
10) Understanding the Word of God is conditional! (Come, repent, seek, find)

Not only is there knowledge and wisdom to be discovered in The Word, but discernment! YOU NEED DISCERNMENT. What is discernment? It is the process of making careful distinctions in our thinking about truth. Failure to distinguish between truth and error leaves the Christian subject to all manner of false teaching. False teaching then leads to an unbiblical mindset, which results in unfruitful and disobedient living. Without discernment, we are at risk of being "tossed to and fro and carried away by every wind of doctrine" according to Ephesians 4:14. We must be careful about what we hear even in our present-day churches for many are introducing damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that paid for their souls by His death on a cross (2 Peter 2:1). Other examples for your learning can be found in 2 Timothy 4:3-4; 1 John 4:1; 1 Timothy 6:3-5; 2 Corinthian 11:13-15; 2 Timothy 3:5; 1 John 4:1-6; Matthew 7:15.
I do hope Christians and non-Christians alike acknowledge and understand that we need spiritual knowledge, wisdom, and discernment which comes only through the Word of God alone. Many Christians need to check their egos and become open to God's correction and reproof. Being chastised is not easy for anyone. Even admitting you were wrong in believing what you may have been taught by a wayward preacher will certainly be another challenge. What is the message here? Don't be a fool.
Until next time,
-Pat-

Wrath or Love?

Unfortunately, there are some people of the opinion that anyone who has faith in Jesus Christ uses that "religion" as a crutch, and even more misinformed that Christianity is a system of control through strict and overstretching commands. I have learned by reading God's Word that, "Now the Lord is that Spirit, and where the Spirit is, there is freedom" (2 Corinthians 3:17) OR John 8:36, "So if the Son has set you free you are free indeed" completely contradicting that notion. I could give many more examples but you get the idea. The opinions of the world are both sad and misinformed but the opinion that really cuts to my soul is the belief that God is not loving at all. Frequently the world points to things like destructive weather or babies born with diseases to support their opinions. Is God a God of wrath or is He a God of love? To be honest, the Bible presents Him as BOTH, but God's 'wrath' is not based on vindictiveness as worldly wrath is. This can be seen, as an example, in the 6th chapter of the book of Revelation when The Lamb (Jesus Revelation 1:29; 1:36) opens six seals of the scroll of history. There we read, "Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountain and rocks, "Fall on us from the face of Him who is seated on the Throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the Great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?" (Revelation. 6: 15-17). The real question? Is the word wrath as we use it in society the same "wrath" as spoken of in Revelation? When we use that word if ever, we refer to anger based on revenge for something done TO us. An angry wife might burst out, "He will feel my wrath for cheating on me." However, the "wrath of God" is not born from a seed of revenge! Christ died to save this lost world; He did not come to get revenge on you. There is a huge difference. It is the disobedient rebels in this life against God who perceive Him as mean and cruel, without any reason to pronounce righteousness judgment of any kind. They do not see Jesus as "The Lamb Who was slain," Who by His sacrificial Blood "ransomed people for God from every tribe, language, people and nation" (Revelation 5:9; 5:12; 13:8). They don't see Him as loving but rather wrathful. They unjustly look upon their only hope (having that knowledge or not) and perceive unjust judgment. They only see a cruel God with a heavy hand who enjoys throwing people into hell.

Later in the book of Revelation, we read that the same people REMAIN in rebellion against God all their life choosing to curse the Name of God. They never repent but are left without the redemption that comes from the Lamb's Blood by grace through faith and they are left with only a "fearful expectation of judgment" (Hebrews 10:27) and "a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries." So yes, God is a God of wrath to those who deny His sacrifice and Sovereignty, however, it is a retributory punishment of merits NOT ONE OF REVENGE. For all we've ever done, some still do, God could wipe us out in a heartbeat if His punishment was one of angry revenge. Instead, the earth keeps spinning despite all the rebellion, hatred, filth, murder, perversion, and corruption. And why? Because God is and has been long-suffering, slow to wrath, patient, loving, and hopeful ... He's waiting for as many who will come to the truth that He and He alone is God and our hope of salvation. "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). But time is drawing down. And despite the fact God's wrath will fall on some, He doesn't choose it. WE DO! His mercy and love can be seen in the very next chapter, Revelation 7:15-17 and He shelters those who came to belief. "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the Throne will be their shepherd, and He will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." You and I have a choice. That choice is called free will. Free will is a wonderful thing because it proves God is not trying to control us. We control our own destinies. God desires for us to love Him because we want to, not because we have to out of fear of revenge or punishment. If we perish without Him, we choose to perish. No one gets to enjoy heaven who doesn't love God. That has to make sense even to a non-believer! Just as you would not leave your children's inheritance to a complete stranger or a neighbor who might only know your name, God will not reward His eternal treasures to those who totally disregard Him or in passing say they have heard of Him in church but are not a part of His family.

One day at the judgment seat of Christ we will be in one group, "saved" or "unsaved." "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what we have done whether good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10). You may be wondering who then can be saved if final judgment is based upon the good or bad that we've done because the truth is, we've all broken laws set forth by God in one way or another. The Word of God verifies that "ALL have sinned" (Romans 3:23). That's just it! Without Jesus, YOU CAN'T BE SAVED. The only thing separating you from God or His Kingdom ISN'T YOUR SIN, it is your rejection of Jesus Christ! Let that sink in. I'll explain. As one example, why am I promised heaven but an atheist is not? I have committed as many sins as an atheist! What exonerates me and not an atheist? It's my choice to believe or not believe that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life and then follow Him (John 14:16). I personally choose no other way. I've rejected every other religion, practice, belief, goodness, or merit. The Bible tells us Jesus is the propitiation for our sins: 1 John 2:1-2 (KJV) "If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins." Propitiation means atonement. Jesus is our atonement, our sacrifice, penance, recompense, OUR PAYMENT for the sins we've committed. He suffered and died for YOUR sins so that you wouldn't have to! Jesus gets you off the hook (so to speak) no matter what your sins are or were, no matter how bad, or how seemingly unforgivable. The truth is, without Jesus as your atonement, you will stand before God unrepresented and your sins will be uncovered; exposed! God will see them all. When a person has a change of heart, believes and accepts Jesus as the only way to heaven, his sins are "covered" never to be seen by God. Anything that person has ever done wrong in life was wiped away at the moment of belief, repentance, and conversion of heart! He stands before God at the judgment seat pure as the driven snow (Isaiah 1:18). Paul said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). The Apostles did not preach to be saved you must be good, or kind, or generous, or live a decent life. Our deeds are not good enough no matter how noble because they are incapable of erasing sin! Being kind or generous doesn't erase the fact we are cheats, liars, thieves, adulterers, murderers, drunkards, child molesters, etc. Our sins drove his nails!


Jesus offers you forgiveness without cost! You don't have to clean yourself up first to come to Him. You come as you are because you are incapable of cleansing yourself! No amount of goodness, good works, or even church attendance, will do it. You have to realize and admit that you cannot clean yourself up; you must admit that apart from His grace, sacrifice, and mercy, you haven't a shot in Hades! Like the atheist, followers of cults, religions, other beliefs, gods, or philosophies, cannot stand blameless before His holiness and expect exoneration without Jesus. Period. And for those who describe themselves as Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterian, or whatever, if you have not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, but you're relying solely on your denomination, your label means nothing. You likewise, will perish in unbelief because your sins will be revealed, unmasked, brought to light. Somebody has to hear the truth.
Until next time,
-Pat-

Follow Me

FOLLOW ME. That's what Jesus invites us to do. What exactly is meant by those two little words follow me? In short, "follow me" is more or less saying. 'imitate me.' If you follow Christ you'll listen to and do as He commands so to live your life in accordance with His example. How many times have you ever sat at a table when someone was trying to explain instructions written on a piece of paper and they said, "follow me here." Instinctively you knew to lean in closer, listen better, and absorb what was being said. Another example would be if you were sitting in a room with someone you trust and they stood up and said, "Come here, follow me." Most likely in blind faith, fully trusting them, you would get up and trail right behind them no questions asked. When we decide to become followers of Jesus, we make a decisive break with our old way of living and turn to a new way of life. As Christ comes to live in us everything begins to change. Our will changes and our desires change. Sound too difficult to do? It would be if we relied on our own strength but that's the beauty of it. When we decide to follow Christ, He gives us the ability to change our ways through the power of the Holy Spirit. For the first time, we realize who God is, what Jesus has done, and how much we need Him. The sin we once loved we now hate, and the things of God that we thought corny or old-fashioned we now love. We spend our lives in uncompromising obedience to His Word. In essence, it's laying down our lives. And even though it is contrary to our human nature to submit, His Spirit slowly transforms us in a way that helps us do the things that please Him. In time, pleasing Him takes precedence over pleasing ourselves, and doing what is right becomes less difficult. Jesus does not ask us to die for Him, rather change our ways for Him, to "FOLLOW."


Ultimately the call to follow Jesus is a call to die to oneself and to die to the things of this world. It calls for repentance and change. Repentance is an elemental transformation in someone’s mind, heart, and life only capable through God's help. When people truly repent, they turn from walking in one direction to running in the opposite direction. From that point forward, they think differently, believed differently, feel differently, love differently, and live differently. Again, not through their own efforts or strength, but through God's power VIA the Holy Spirit that He gives to those who commit to following Him. When you come to Jesus, He not only forgives you of all your sins, but He also fills you with His Spirit. God has promised his people, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. . . . I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” The meaning behind these words is mind-blowing. When you come to Jesus, He puts the source of His life in the center of your life! A miraculous transformation begins. Yes, we die to ourselves and the sinful pleasures we once engaged in but we also live to experience full joy when we follow Him.


It is His Word that brings transformation to our lives. When we come to Him as we are, He places the source of His life at the very core of our lives. We don't need to change to come to Him, we come just as we are ... broken, lost, strapped with problems, engulfed in sin and vices, etc. To come to Jesus, or to believe in Jesus, is to look to Him to satisfy your soul forever. To come to Jesus is to taste and see that He is good and to find Him the end of all your desires. To believe in Jesus is to experience an eternal pleasure that far outweighs and outlasts the temporal pleasures of this world. You have no idea what He is about to do the moment you leave things behind and choose to follow Him. His ways are too great to describe in words. He satisfies your soul forever when you come and believe in Jesus.


I speak from experience when I say there has been a total transformation of my mind, my desire, my will, and my relationships. I am compelled by His love for me to not only tell others about His Word and how it changes lives but also what the life of Jesus looks like in action. I am challenged to follow the footsteps of Jesus and bring a complete transformation over my life. I'm a work in progress, ever-transforming, ever-changing! Simply, God saves a person, fills him with the Holy Spirit, and then says, in effect, “Now you work it out in your life, and be faithful to Me, even though the nature of everything around you is to cause you to be unfaithful.” To become more Christ-like begins by beholding His glory in His Word. That’s why it’s so important to regularly take in Scripture. For as we read or listen to God’s Word the Holy Spirit transforms us into Christ's image without us realizing the work is being done in us! The sin that was once appealing becomes easy to walk away from. If you read through the Bible regularly, you will have the full counsel of God at your disposal. You will start to have the mind of Christ. So when the temptation to commit sin comes knocking, all you'll have to do is draw your sword (which is the Word of God-Ephesians 6:17) aim, and fire those words directly at Satan and the thoughts coming into your mind. In several places, the Bible also tells us the best way to resist temptation is to flee from it (1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 Corinthians 10:14; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22). Yet still, if you fall from time to time, and you will as you transform from glory to glory, repent quickly. Jesus isn't looking for you to be like other Christians, He's looking for you to "follow" and be like Him.

Until next time,
-Pat-

Fearful Of The 2020 Pandemic?

I'm not sure about you, but in my household, words like plague and pestilence have never been a part of our terminology. Yet today with the Covid 19 here we are. As strange as these words seem, they are not as uncommon in the Bible (depending on the Bible you read). For example, Psalm 91 NIV speaks directly to the notion of plague or pestilence three times, boldly claiming, “For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence” (verse 3), “You will not fear . . . the pestilence that stalks in darkness” (verse 6), and finally, “No evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent” (verse 10). I like the New Living Translation (NLT) which reads, "He will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease" (verse 3), "do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday" (verse 6), "no evil will conquer you, no plague will come near your home" (verse 10). With the fatal worldwide pandemic of Coronavirus, how do you read the promises of Psalm 91 during this global "pestilence"?

It's good to note that Psalm 91 was written by David, who spoke these words of hope and comfort as one who had personally experienced refuge and security by trusting in God in the midst of fearful circumstances. His Psalm begins with a picture of God’s people dwelling in the shelter and shadow of the Lord, "He who lives in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty" (NLT). David's words paint a metaphorical picture ... God is a refuge, God is a fortress, God’s faithfulness is a shield, and God even has wings that cover and provide security. The important thing to remember here is that David is creating figurative relationships between God and the created world that shape a new reality for the fearful. These creative images draw us out of our fear-entrenched perceptions into a new world that redefines our source of protection and peace! Verse 3 in the NIV plays into this figurative imagery by likening us to a bird that will escape the net of the “fowler” (a term used to describe a bird-catcher in ancient times). In a parallel line, we are told “he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the deadly pestilence.” Just as we should understand the first line of this verse as figurative language which communicates a general picture of deliverance, so should the second.

I also want us to grasp the language in verse 5 and 6 of David's Psalm as he mentions "terrors in the NIGHT" and "arrows that fly in the DAY", "disease that stalks in DARKNESS", and "disaster that strikes at MIDDAY" (from the NLT). To the close observer, David has covered morning, noon, and night with his verbiage. This 24-hour protection is a promise made accessible and obtainable to those who LIVE IN THE SHELTER OF THE MOST HIGH and make Him their refuge. Who is this? It is the obedient believer. It excludes the non-believer. Verse 9 clearly lays out a contingency, "IF you make the Lord your refuge IF you make the Most High your shelter, (then) no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home." Not only will no plague befall you, but it also won't even come near your home!! Just as the blood of an unspotted lamb or goat was sprinkled on the doorposts of the Israelites (to distinguish those from the Egyptians) so that the angel of death would pass by (Exodus chapter 12)., in like manner we symbolically "sprinkle" the Blood of the Lamb (wherein lies power) and His spoken WORD (scriptures of promise) over our lives which protects believers from worldwide pandemics. The "disease" that stalks in darkness

As those who live in the presence of God by the presence of the Spirit, we can testify with the apostle Paul that “no evil” will ever come upon those who love God and are called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28). It is important to remember here that evil and hardship are not synonymous in the Bible—think about Job and Jesus. As God’s people, we read Psalm 91 with confidence, knowing that God’s providence toward his children is always good, not evil. We are wise to follow Jesus’s lead in reading Psalm 91 as a beautiful picture of God’s power and protection for the faithful. Sometimes we struggle with passages like “no plague come near your home,” wondering if the words could really mean what they say. Does this mean believers can’t get sick? NO, of course not. Our flesh is susceptible to harm and illness, however, Psalm 91 is specifically pointing out plagues and pestilence. Plague is a contagious bacterial disease (Bubonic plague as an example.) Pestilence (a virulent infectious disease) They are both epidemics in nature and both can be referred to as a "plague." They are not your normal colds, flu, or your typical illnesses. In scripture, plagues and pestilence are generally allowed by God to send a message to either wake-up or repent. Rather than looking at is as punishment, it is used as a wake-up call. In the NLT, verse 6 of Psalm 91 describes these as "the disease that stalks the darkness." What could that mean? Something that seems to creep along as if in the night; that is, where one cannot mark its progress, or anticipate when or whom it will strike. The laws of its movements are unknown, and it comes upon people as an enemy that suddenly attacks us in the night. Like Coronavirus. And if You make the Lord your refuge, according to verse 7, WATCH CLOSELY, though 1,000 fall at your side and 10,000 die all around you, these evils WILL NOT TOUCH YOU! These are the beautiful promises of God to His faithful ... they are "your armor and your protection" (verse 4).


We can rest assured of our protection under the shadow of the Almighty when we belong to Him. When you read Psalm 91, remember that the greatest danger in this world is anything that keeps us from the next. With that perspective, read Psalm 91 and find refuge in the gospel which makes all of the glorious promises of this psalm yours in Christ. Still fearful of things going on in the world today? You don't have to be!

Until next time,
-Pat-

The Implanted Word

Perhaps you've heard other Christians say, “The Bible is important, but it’s not all there is to a relationship with God.” A relationship with God? A relationship as in He/me, me/He? Yes! It’s certainly true that our relationship with God cannot be limited exclusively to mere book knowledge, even if that book is the Bible. It’s imperative that we take what we read in the Scriptures and make those words the foundation and blueprint of an active life in Christ (Gal. 2:20; Gal. 5:24; Gal. 6:14).

The Bible itself says it is the “implanted word” that is able to save our souls (James 1:21). IMPLANTED! Did you get that? To implant is to insert or fix into a person's body. To implant God's Word is not merely the “read and understood Word.” How many people occasionally read their Bibles, perhaps memorize some favorite verses, tell others they can identify with certain scriptures when hearing them quoted by someone else, and then believe as long as they have read, know or recognize some scriptures it's all that is needed to have a relationship with God? Is that you or someone you know?

You see, the doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in the inspired Scriptures are intended to complete us as servants of God, and equip us for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Discipleship is not merely an educational exercise — it is the process of allowing God’s word to transform us into the likeness of Christ (Romans 12:2; Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18). Transformation is a process that continues throughout a lifetime as we change from glory to glory. Glory to glory is not moving from one state of euphoria to another. It is not going from one state of being lost in the spirit to the other. To go from glory to glory - to be ever-increasing in glory - is to continually be changed into what you were created to be. It is infinitely more than studying as though for an academic exam — it is being recreated into a “new man who is renewed in knowledge” by means of the instruction and direction of God’s word (Colossians 3:10).

Consider the words of David as recorded in 2 Samuel 22:31: "As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust Him." We’ve all learned many valuable things from our parents, teachers, and other persons of positive influence, but would we say of any of them that everything they taught was perfect? However, when we follow God’s Word — unlike the frail, self-serving words of humankind — we can be one hundred percent certain that what He says is true. We can trust Him. We can count on His Word as being 100% foolproof. Regarding the unchanging character of God, Moses wrote in Numbers 23:19: "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. He has said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" Moses continues in Deuteronomy 32:4: "He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He."
God’s Word has been proven: “The words of the LORD are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times” (Psalm 12:6). No one who ever relied on God’s word in humble faith and right understanding has ever been disappointed by it. While it’s true that many have suffered from unreal expectations and false interpretations, the true Word of God has been honestly tested time after time and has never been found wanting (lacking). The Bible has withstood every onslaught of skeptics and infidels who have died long ago — but the Bible still remains: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Matthew 24:35). BY NO MEANS! That's very specific.


As those who inhabit this planet we can choose to place our confidence in many things — our own feelings, which change from moment to moment; the theories, religions, beliefs, philosophies, and ideas of other people who are as prone to error as we are; or we can choose God’s perfect and proven Word, delivered through His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2). Our Lord Himself said: “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). It shouldn’t take a great deal of thought nor a higher degree of education to determine which way is wisest and best. To have a "relationship" with Jesus Christ requires more than skimming through the pages of the Bible. It’s imperative that we take what we read in the Scriptures and make those words the foundation and blueprint of an active life in Christ through thought, meditating on His Word, spending time with Him in prayer, and acting in obedience to what we learn as He reveals it to us in a slow unfolding manner. And when we do there is a lasting peace the world cannot give.

Until next time,
-Pat-

Monsters Under The Bed

As a child, how many of you thought there was a bone-chilling monster under your bed? That one hideous creature, who, with tentacle fingers was just waiting for you to hang your leg over the side so he could grab and pull you into the abyss? If it wasn't THAT monster, then it was the clown in the closet, right? In reality, as adults now, we know there wasn't anything under our bed or in our closet that was going to get us. At the time, FEAR ITSELF was the monster! It was fear that crippled us. It was fear that kept us trapped under the bedsheets and as a result, made us afraid to move. It was fear that skewed reality and made actual truth non-existent in our own minds. Fear is an emotional response to situations we don't think we can control that will do us harm.
Here are examples of fear we experience:
1. "I'm afraid to stand up and give a speech" (Emotional response: I'm scared. People might laugh).
2. "I'm afraid to commit to marriage" (Emotional response: I'm scared. We might become a divorce statistic someday).
3. "I fear Christianity is just not for me" (Emotional response I fear I'm not good enough. My sins are too bad).

Fear is a crippling force and so is anxiety. Anxiety is the emotional response we have when we try to control the uncontrollable. Here are examples of anxiety:
1. "I'm a nervous wreck because I don't think he loves me anymore."
2. "I'm so worried it's going to rain on our wedding day." "
3. "I can't sleep when my daughter is out with that boy!"

Anxiety is the gap between what we expect things to be like and the way things are. Read that again and let that sink in. The wider the gap, the greater the anxiety; and the greater the anxiety, the harder and more desperately we will search for a "savior" from it. If we are truthful with ourselves, we sometimes disbelieve that God can work things out so we step out of faith and try to solve our problems and worries with other things or idols. Unfortunately, things and idols don't really solve the problem, they just temporarily numb the fear. And that's as good as it gets! When believers don't take God at His word or His promises there is no true cure for anxiety - there are only distractions, delusions, or drugs of choice utilized like a bag of tricks that helps us sleep at night.


Jesus didn't have to say this, but He did: "Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matthew 6:34 ESV). The bottom line is, if we dissect the monster of FEAR and ANXIETY, it's practically atheism. Why would I say that? Because our unwillingness to believe that God 'can' and God 'cares' causes us to behave as if God doesn't exist at all! Or, if He does, we need to convince or bribe Him to pay attention and help us because otherwise He would be unwilling or we would go unnoticed. Who hasn't tried to bribe God at some time in their life? I certainly have in my past. ('God if you do this for me I'll never miss another Sunday service' -- 'God if you get me through this I'll never drink again' -- 'God, if you'll just let me have this one thing I'll tell all my friends you're real'). This may be the way of the Gentiles, hypocrites, maybe even people that need to control things, but it should never be characteristic of those who are citizens of the Kingdom of God. Jesus did not merely suggest we not be anxious. No, He gave a command! BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING. His command is clear. DO NOT BE ANXIOUS is not a suggestion. However, the words, "You might want to reconsider" or "You should probably think twice about that" ARE suggestions. When we believe that God can and God cares - even when in the midst of injustice, pain, loss, doubt, or any other kind of scary monster that paralyzes us, we don't have to be overwhelmed with fear or anxiety. We can actually experience His peace. You might be thinking how could a child who truly believes there are monsters under his bed have any kind of peace? I'll answer that with this example: Have you noticed how a child is calmed when dad walks into the room and assures the chid there is no monster under the bed because dad already drove them out of the room before the child's bedtime ever came around? God said in Isaiah 41:10, "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." This Word is true in the storm or out of the storm! That's God's promise of peace to you. "My peace I give unto you, not as the world gives, give I unto you" (John 14:27) And He said, "Greater is He that is in Me than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4) That's a Father, who by His Word, has the power to destroy the monsters in your life. And we have His Word, THE BIBLE! His Words are our weapon against fear, doubt, or anxiety.


God's Word is able to guard our hearts against future fear, anxiety, doubt, indecision, nervousness, uncertainty, alarm, panic distress, etc. When we BELIEVE that God can and that He cares, we are reminded of the reality of the peace He promised which already belongs to us because we belong to Him! His promises are able to calm our hearts and allow us to make stable, faith-based decisions instead of fear-based ones. I have experienced this peace and can describe it for you like this. A child can be afraid of the dark, but as soon as daddy enters the room and sits with him, promising he won't let anything happen to that child because daddy is stronger than the monster, something happens. The child falls back to sleep with dad right there. Believing God 'CAN' produces that same feeling of protection and assurance! Your fears and doubts just melt away. God's assurance is also similar to a wife struggling with something that has brought her to her wit's end. Her husband steps in and assures her everything will be okay because he'll fix it, he'll take care of it. SHE BELIEVES HIM BECAUSE SHE TRUSTS HE'S TOLD HER THE TRUTH. She then begins to relax because her husband has reassured her he's got it. It's the same when you truly trust God. It's the peace of God's promises and assurance. It's the calm of knowing since God has done the greater thing of giving us His Son Jesus, that He will also take care of the lesser things because we belong to Him. How wonderful! When we believe that God can and that God cares it gives us the perspective we need on life to be able to live peacefully in His provision - whatever it may be. "You will keep in perfect peace the mind who is stayed on Thee" (Isaiah 26:3 NKJV).


Believing God's Word has given you the power over every monster in your life, and it's the peace that sets you free to walk into any circumstance and know you are loved and protected! That's why we can rejoice in Him always - not because our lives are perfect, but because He cares for us because we belong to Him. We can ask Him for anything we need and trust that He knows what is best for us and will give it to us at just the right time no matter what that is including confidence in the midst of travail. We don't have to get His attention, we don't have to bribe Him, we don't have to convince Him that we are worthy of Him answering our prayers. We can simply walk through life in His perfect peace because we believe that He is Who He claims to be and will do as He promised. We are children of The King (Galatians 3:26, Romans 8: 17-19). We are blessed with adoption, inheritance, salvation, enlightenment, fellowship, renewal, knowledge, citizenship, reconciliation, sanctification, holiness, faith, righteousness, anointing, peace, forgiveness, a sound mind, every good work, power over darkness, etc. The only enemy is fear and we have to make the conscious choice every single day not to buy into its schemes and plans. Finally, every emotion is powerful. Some say fear stands out from all the rest because it is the only one that holds us back. As a believer, I believe fear is no more powerful than any other emotion. Why? It is the power YOU GIVE IT that makes it strong. Think about that! (Psalm 23:4, Isaiah 41:13, Exodus 14:13, Deuteronomy 31:6, 2 Timothy 1:7, Psalm 27:1, Hebrews 13:6, John 14:27). As a Christian, You have always had the power within you to overcome fear!

Until next time,
-Pat-

"Colonoscopies and Spiritual Cleansing"

Before my employment as an office manager for a psychiatrist, I had both medical training, schooling, and employment in the field of gastroenterology. That simply means I worked in a branch of the medical field that deals with healing disorders of the esophagus, stomach, colon, and rectum. As such, I participated in the procedure rooms and observed some rather unpleasant things. If you think preparing for a colonoscopy is unpleasant, you should try viewing one. Before a colonoscopy, the patient is sedated. When I had one years ago, I was administered a medication before the procedure called versed. Versed is a "conscious sedation" meant to relax and block pain. During a routine colonoscopy the physician looks for abnormalities such as polyps (growths) on the walls of the colon that can become cancerous if left untreated. Colonoscopies are considered preventative care. There are all kinds of tests and preventative care for our physical bodies, but are there preventative cares for our spiritual health? Is there a procedure that would delve into our spirits to pick out unnoticeable issues that, if left alone, would grow into deadly problems in the years ahead? Is there some kind of spiritual surgery that could excise a "root of bitterness" or uncontrolled anger, lust or pride before it "springs up causing trouble and defiling many" (Hebrews 12: 15).

Good news. The answer is yes! There is a spiritual procedure I like to call a spiritoscopy (pronounced spirit-os'-copee). I simply refer to it as God's Word! Hebrews 4:12-13 says, "The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the dividing of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." That's some scalpel! When we submit ourselves in obedience to the Word of God, whether by reading it, through a minister who preaches it, or by others who teach it - that living and active Word cuts into us, laying our thoughts bare, exposing us and convicting us if something isn't right such as a root of bitterness, uncontrolled anger, lust, pride, etc. I allow myself a "spiritoscopy" often by going to the Word and asking God to show me if there is "any grievous way in me" (Psalm 139:24). I desire His piercing work so that any offense against Him may be excised from me through prayer and forgiveness. The Word of God not only heals but can be used as preventative care. In a spiritual sense God frequently uses "nurses and assistants" (if you will) to wield His "scope" searching the thoughts and intents of our hearts. These "preventative care assistants" are those in the Church body around you as teachers, preachers and evangelists who show you the Word, share the Word, preach the Word, teach the Word then used to convict and correct the deadly things that can spring up to trouble and defile you (Hebrews 12: 15).


Paul tells us, "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3: 12-13). I find it interesting that God's Word describes sin as something that hardens the heart putting us in grave spiritual danger. Why? Because in the physical sense a real tumor is generally harmless until it hardens into a hard mass which then puts us in grave physical danger. Did you notice in the scripture I just mentioned that the warning from Paul is plural? His message is to all of us (brethren). All of us are to take care of our spirits. We are to search ourselves, making sure there is no spiritual growth such as an evil unbelieving heart or grievous root growing in any of us. We are to help each other see what we cannot see for ourselves. We are to help, guide, and assist to excise those issues when they arise and do so without a judgment. At the same time we are to exhort, encourage, comfort, and stand alongside one another so that we can help each other to grow in faith. In this way, sin won't deceive us or harden our hearts against God and against one another. This is why I write these blogs. I want us to learn, grow, mature, and change through what we learn from Gods Word! I want our lamps to be burning and filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit, shinning brightly when Jesus returns. Each blog is intended to be like a spiritual screening, where you can exam yourselves to determine if you need to schedule an appointment for prayer and get yourself under the Great Physicians' hand so that His Word can heal and restore you to spiritual health. When was your last spiritoscopy? It isn't always pleasant, sometimes it's even bothersome to hear you have a sin issue, but spiritoscopies can help protect a neglected soul from a deadly spiritual illness that can metastasize. Which by the way is much worse than any disorder of the physical body! Just as colon disease is treatable if caught in a timely manner, all spiritual illness is correctable if dealt with early and not allowed to take root. If you let it go, if you continue to neglect to apply the Word of God, your sin, as a disease, will dig so deep you become entangled in all it's roots causing you to slowly fall away from your original faith. Don't let that happen! Exam yourself daily. Purge out any weakness or any sin by calling on our Great Physician to cleanse, heal, forgive and restore you. And He will!
Until next time,
-Pat-

Don't Waste Your Breath

When God created man out of the dust of the earth, He created a living, breathing being capable of thinking, feeling, dreaming, loving, and living forever (Genesis 2:7; Genesis 37:5; Genesis 29:18; 1 Corinthians 15:35-53).
It’s also important to note that when God breathed into Adam, He gave more than the breath of life — He gave him an important reason to live, and that is to worship and praise Him. As David declared in his psalm:

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (Psalm 150:6).

This means that we waste our breath when we use it for something that doesn’t honor the Lord in whom “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Our life is a gift from God, but not just our whole life, but every single instance, every breath we take. There is absolutely nothing we could do to make us take one more breath if God did not allow it. Think about that for a second! That breath you just took – and the one you are taking now – is only possible because God is letting you breathe! That’s right, it is not your right to breath, you cannot demand God to let you breath one breath longer, it just isn’t up to you. So what are you doing with that breath God is giving you right now? Are you using that breath to swear? To lie or gossip about others? Are you using it to do anything negative against a person when you should be trying to lift them up? If we adopt the mindset that as Christians we are Holy and set apart from the rest of the world and that every breath we take is meant to bring honor to God - meaning with every single breath we should be loving God and our neighbors- if we truly believed that, then how different would our actions be?

Although we cannot blow life into a handful of dirt as God did, we can use our breath to speak words of encouragement to the discouraged, help the sick (Matthew 25:36), and console those who grieve (John 11:14-19). Case in point. Recently I had a health setback where I was forced to be bedridden due to a painful nerve condition. Not only was I incapacitated and discouraged because of unbearable pain, but my spirit was lamenting being unable to sit up and fulfill my calling in writing blogs. Through my anguish, I was blessed to have friends who stepped up and continually used their breath to pray for me. Others sent cards, text's and emails of encouragement. Those little acts of love helped me through my ordeal. Through their prayers of inspiration and motivation, they were honoring God by walking in love, "Walk in love, as Christ also loved us, and has given Himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor" (Ephesians 5:2).

With our breath, we should be bringing glory to God by our actions, our words, and our attitude. If not, then we need to pray that we will start to live out the faith that we proclaim, that God would work through us in some way every moment of our day. When we use our breath to honor our Creator with the unique combination of talents, abilities, and opportunities that He has given us, we will never be wasting it. You never know how one kind word will be the one breath that lifts another person out of despair and brings honor to your Creator. John 15:12, "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you." AND "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves" – Philippians 2:3

Until next time,
-Pat-

All The Stupid Stuff

Recently I was reminiscing about a really nice man I befriended on Facebook years ago. Unfortunately, he suddenly and prematurely passed away to the shock of myself and many others. During the course of several conversations, he told me he had been brought up in church and was given a basic religious foundation, although he did make it clear, "I'm not a believer like you are." I felt led to introduced him to my Sunday blogs which generated many discussions regarding world religions, various belief systems, and especially my faith in Jesus Christ. Although he was very curious about my faith and asked for several explanations of Bible passages he struggled desperately to understand true Christianity. He admitted to having one roadblock that would always leave him doubting any Biblical principle I shared. That roadblock was LOGIC! He admitted, "Certain things just don't add up for me. It's all the stupid stuff you're told to do as a Christian, like baptism. I don't understand it. It's not logical. If a person is baptized as a baby, why re-do it as an adult? Does it not take the first time?" As I was scanning my memory of things he asked me over the course of our online friendship, I thought to myself, maybe there are readers out there with friends or family members with this same question, "Why do I have to get baptized again if I was baptized as a baby? Or why get baptized at all?" In reality, those are great questions. How would you answer someone who asked that of you? Would you know what to say? I want to talk about the act of baptism in hopes of clarifying any confusion or doubt about why it is significant. Even Jesus Himself was baptized!

If someone ever asks why they should be baptized or even re-baptized, remember this little explanation. It might help.
In South Africa as a baby or even a young child, you are not entitled to a passport of your own to fly to another country as we are here in America. A baby born here in the U.S.A CAN get its own passport once a form DS11 is filled out. But in South Africa, you have to be added as a dependant on your mother or father's passport. Doing so then entitles that baby to go where their parents are going. However, when that baby reaches a certain age, they have to apply for their own passport. They now would have the freedom to go where they please by producing their own passport when they wanted to travel to other countries. The border staff or employees at the airport would no longer accept that they travel on their parent's passport.

Consider at my example from a spiritual perspective. When you were a baby, if your parents initiated you into their religion you became a part of their "redemption" because you were not in a position to make such a decision yourself. The Bible never offers suggestions and regarding this subject, it clearly states, "repent and be baptized" in Acts 2:38 "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." As a baby, you cannot repent as commanded by the Bible because you have no knowledge of God's will and cannot make choices or conscience decisions between right and wrong. Baptism has to be a conscience, free-will based decision to commit your life to Christ which an infant cannot make by their own free will. Therefore, if anyone is baptized as an infant or even a child without knowing true commitment, the baptism cannot be honored. Personally, my parents had me baptized into Catholicism when I was just a few months old. I had no way of knowing what was being done. I was incapable of commitment and I certainly wasn't exercising my free will. Yet, because of the personal beliefs of my parents, I was considered "baptized." I WAS NOT! I was riding on my parent's spiritual passport.

The truth is, at some stage in your life, you are or either will be confronted with various truths about a relationship with Christ just as my friend was. It may present itself in different ways but nonetheless, it reaches out to every heart. The Word of God is everywhere today: on TV, radio, cassette tapes (still around), through missionaries, through Internet applications, on gadgets like The Wonder Bible, smartphone applications, etc. In fact, the entire Bible can be download to your smartphone! At this point, you have to make a decision because you can no longer ride 'piggyback' on your parents' decision for you. Figuratively speaking, you must have your own passport. By making a decision to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, repenting of the sins you've committed and then being baptized, you have made the conscious decision to use your passport. No longer can you lay claim to your baptism as a child, you must now take the step of commitment yourself - your parents cannot sign for your passport, you have to do it yourself. "We may never be martyrs as in the days of old, but we must commit to die to self, to sin, to the ways of the world. This is the significance of baptism. Symbolically we die with Christ and raise to new life." In short, Christian baptism is the means by which a person makes a public profession of his faith and discipleship. It is in the waters of baptism we declare without words yet in action, "I confess my faith in Christ, Jesus has cleansed my soul from sin, and I now have a new life of sanctification." Baptism is not "stupid stuff." Symbolically, as the sinner confesses the Lord Jesus, he dies to sin (Romans 6:11) and is raised to a brand-new life (Colossians 2:12) that represents the cleansed, holy life -- the new start that follows salvation. Romans 6:4 puts it this way: "We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death IN ORDER THAT, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life" (emphasis mine). Very simply, baptism is an outward testimony of the inward change in a believer's life. I hope something here will help you or someone you know understand the things we sometimes interpret as "all the stupid stuff."

Until next time.
-Pat-

Uncertainty and the COVID-19

Human beings like certainty. We are hard-wired to want to know what is happening when and to notice things that feel threatening to us. When things feel uncertain or when we don’t generally feel safe, it’s normal to feel stressed. This very reaction, while there to protect us, can cause all sorts of havoc when there is a sense of uncertainty and conflicting information around us. Because of the recent Coronavirus pandemic, this is a time of uncertainty. Nations across the globe have imposed travel restrictions. We are only allowed to shop for necessities as infrequently as possible. We are instructed to use delivery services instead of venturing out. A large majority of our population has been advised to work from home and even home-school our children. People cannot meet with family or loved ones who do not live with them. Churches are closed. Weddings have been canceled, baptisms canceled, sporting events virtually shut down. But in the midst of all this unpredictability, we do not have to be afraid because we can know for certain nothing will harm us. As believers in Jesus Christ, as members of HIS family, we have His promise of protection against this virus.

This blog will remind the followers of Christ of just that!

Remember in the Old Testament, Exodus 12:23 specifically, when the angel of death was to be released to strike down the Egyptians but that there was protection only to God's people that would cause the angel of death to pass over them and them only? What was it? Let's refer to scripture: Exodus 12:21-23 "Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssops, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning. When the Lord goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, He will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and He will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down." What spared some and not others? It was THE BLOOD of the Passover Lamb sprinkled on the top and sides of the doorframes of the believers that spared their lives when death came into their "neighborhood." I want you to see the connection between then, and the angel of death, destruction, and interruption now known as COVID-19 (Coronavirus).

In Exodus 12, the symbol used against death and destruction was the blood from a "Passover lamb." In the New Testament, Jesus is called the PASSOVER LAMB in 1 Corinthians 5:7. Jesus was and is the sacrificial LAMB, who was slain, and whose blood saves us from death (John 1:29). Now, it's interesting to note that the Bible tells us "life is in the blood" Leviticus 17:11 "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul." In the Old Testament, lambs were sacrificed and their blood used as atonement for sin. Today, it is Jesus' LIFE Blood needed to save you. HE IS YOUR PROTECTOR AND SHIELD. Jesus said, "Drink my Blood," did He not? HOW CAN WE POSSIBLY DO THAT? How can we drink Jesus' blood?? John 6:53, "Jesus said to them, "Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you." His blood = LIFE! Follow me now! Jesus also said, The words that I speak are spirit and they are life" (John 6:63). JESUS WORDS ARE LIFE! His spoken words are protection if you dwell in Him, but you must dwell in Him. His words must live in you. His words are powerful. His spoken words can literally move a mountain IF you'll only believe (Matthew 21:21). Those who dwell in Him (and He in them) have the power of His spoken word over death, destruction, illness, and anything meant to harm us, including the Coronavirus! He promised these things in Psalm 91. It's a beautiful promise to the believer. Let's go over it. Every practicing, obedient believer should believe and recite this prayer daily and the Coronavirus will not come near you!

1. He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. (you must live in Him, dwell in His Word and you will find rest/peace.)

2. This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust him. (He is your only refuge. Your only place to be safe.)

3. He will rescue me from every trap and protect me from deadly disease. He will cover me with his feathers. He will shelter me with His wings. His faithful promises are my armor and protection. (Like a mother hen that outstretches her wings to protect her young, so too will the Lord cover you. What He has promised the believer through His Word you can bank on! His words are your armor; your protection. USE THEM!)

4. I will not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at my side and ten thousand die all around me, these evils will not touch me. (The Coronavirus cannot touch you if you dwell in Him, follow Him, and believe what He just told you. No matter how many are dying around you, that evil WILL NOT TOUCH YOU!)

5. If I open my eyes, I will see how the wicked are punished. (Just as the Egyptians doorposts were not covered by the Passover protective blood and they were punished, so too will those that created this horrific virus receive their due reward.)

6. If I make the LORD my refuge, if I make the Most High my shelter, no evil will conquer me; and no plague will come near my home. For He will order His angels to protect me wherever I go." (IF ... and I say "if" you are a follower of Jesus Christ, read and dwell in His words of promise, this prayer applies to you in every sense of the word. No evil can conquer you, no plague or pandemic can even come near your home!! Why? Because He has promised to order His heavenly angels to protect you wherever you go.

YOU HAVE HIS PROMISE OF PROTECTION FROM THE CORONAVIRUS! Now, find rest (peace) in His promises that you are safe under the shadow of His wings!

Until next time,
-Pat-

What's With You And The Cross?

I was taken aback this past week when someone made an unusual comment after I changed my Face book profile picture (which I often do.) The picture I'm referencing is the one above. The comment was, "About this new picture, with the cross. Are you trying for sainthood?" Two days after that comment I was sent another impolite question by the same person but this time it came through a private instant message which read, " What's with you and the cross?? Have you joined some New Wave religious group?" Needless to say, I cannot think what would incite a person to ask such a question because of the above picture when that person has known me for 31 years and I've never been shy about my faith. The negative context and logic used lack spiritual incite. I know many Christians experience unprovoked attacks both verbally and physically on a daily basis. Some are severe and brutal. It comes with the territory, "If the world hates you, remember it hated me before it hated you" (John 15:18). So in this blog today I will attempt to help clarify WHO I am, WHO WE ARE as believers in Christ Jesus and as members of the Body of Christ; His Church Body. In no way do we "try" for sainthood.

The Church is not made up of people who believe they are better than others, but rather it is made up of those who realize that they should be better than they are and must continually strive to do better (Philippians 3:12-16).

The Church is not made up of perfect people, but people who realize they are following a perfect Lord and therefore must do the very best they can (1 Peter 2:18-22; 1 Peter 1:13-16).

The Church is not made up of people who never make mistakes, but those who often acknowledge their mistakes and then forsake them (1 John 1:9; Proverbs 28:13).

The Church is not trying to withdraw from everyone, but rather to draw everyone into its fellowship and love and encourage them to walk in the light where God the Father and Christ the Son are found (1 John 1:3-7).

The Church is not trying to set up arbitrary rules to hinder anyone, but rather to show the rule of Christ which helps everyone (Gal. 6:14-16; Philippians 3:7-16).

The Church is not trying to take the joy out of your life; it is trying to put real joy into every life it touches (Philippians 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 5:16; 1 Peter 4:13).

The Church is not trying to separate you from your money; it is trying to keep your money from separating you from God (1 Timothy 6:6-10; Proverbs 10:22).

The Church is not trying to become the master of your life, but is trying to get you to master yourself (1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 2 Corinthians 10:3-6).

The Church is not trying to rob your life of priorities but is trying to allow you to put real priorities in your life (Matthew 6:33).

The Church is not discouraged simply because you miss service regularly but is fearful that you will miss heaven completely (Hebrews 10:23-31).

True Christians know they cannot earn, gain, obtain, or work for sainthood so that they might enter eternal rest in heaven. There is absolutely nothing we could ever do to acquire sainthood or earn eternal life. Nobody can! We are simply not good enough, "As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10). “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, NOT a result of works, so that no one may boast" Ephesians 2:8-9. Paul said in Romans 5:16 “… For Adam's sin led to condemnation, but God's free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins." Sainthood (if you want to use that term) IS A FREE GIFT made possible by Jesus Christ and available to anyone who believes it, accepts it and is baptized into the faith based on biblical principals.

It is truly disheartening to think that posting any kind of a picture expressing faith in God would incite the response it did. My wish is that Christians and non-Christians alike will carefully examine the list above. As a follower of Christ I do not take the points I made above lightly.

Until next time,
-Pat-

In The Midst Of Coronavirus

Millions of people are working from home. Schools and businesses have closed. Grocery shelves are eerily empty and toilet paper has become the number one commodity. The culprit? COVID-19; Coronavirus. Normal people are anxious in the midst of this global pandemic and I can only imagine it will become much worse before it gets better. Fear and uncertainty are the hallmark response to things that people don’t understand and that they feel threatens their safety and the safety of their loved ones. Where can we turn to in these troubled times when we're not even allowed to interact with one another? I think we can learn a lesson from the psalmist David.

David was one guy that often described himself in a state of great adversity. His pleas for help are unmeasured. As an example, David once cried out to God, “Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me; for my soul taketh refuge in thee: Yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I take refuge, Until these calamities be overpast. My soul is among lions; I lie among them that are set on fire, Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword” (Psalm 57:1, 4). Do any of you feel like that right now? Do you feel you are encompassed by calamities IE: Your employer has told you to go home indefinitely. The government has told you to "shelter in place" and not to leave your home except to buy groceries or medication. Your local store shelves are stripped and you cannot find needed items for your pantry or medicine cabinet. You're afraid you won't be able to feed your family, pay your rent or mortgage, or keep your utilities on. Your parent's health is compromised and they are in the age group where the virus is killing the most people, etc. ?? What do you do at the height of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty?

How did David cope with all his adversity? The occasion that prompted him to write this psalm was the desire of King Saul to kill David. Saul was jealous of David and wanted him terminated. David spent much of his early life fleeing from the wrath of Saul. Was it through complaining, feeling sorry for himself, or having the “woe is me” syndrome? No! Amazingly, David overcame adversity by putting his trust in God, and by “Praising God!” David proclaims, “They have prepared a net for my steps; My soul is bowed down: They have dug a pit before me; They are fallen into the midst thereof themselves” (Psalm 57:5-6). Who in the world feels like thanking God, praising God, or singing to God in the midst of adversity, distress, anxiety, tribulation, or catastrophe? NO ONE! Yet, this is the answer to remaining calm. Why? For one, "GOD INHABITS THE PRAISES OF HIS PEOPLE" (Psalm 22:3). When you praise Him, He draws near and is in your midst. Psalm 34:17-18 "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Now is the time to draw near to God, not to complain or panic. What was David’s reaction to all of his troubles? Was it a voice of complaint? No! He praised God! “Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let thy glory be above all the earth. My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing, yea, I will sing praise. I will give thanks unto thee, O, Lord, among the peoples: I will sing praises unto thee among the nations” (Psa. 57:5, 7, 9).

There is a valuable lesson to be learned from David’s reaction to misfortune. In the time of trouble, we should praise God! Do you remember what Paul said, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that through patience and through the comfort of the scriptures we might have hope” (Rom. 15:4). We all too often, when trouble comes our way, stoop to complaining, feeling sorry for ourselves, or lose our minds with worry. But this is not the way that God would have us to react to difficulty. When Peter and the other apostles were confronted with hardship – what was their reaction? “They, therefore, departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name” (Acts 5:41). When Paul and Silas were thrown into prison, did they complain and feel sorry for themselves? No! The Scriptures say they prayed and sang praises to God (Acts 16:25)! Are you feeling sorry for yourself? Have you become fearful, anxious, and unglued? Have you forgotten what God has given you? I'll remind you, "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but power, love, and a sound mind" (1 Timothy 1:7). If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, if you believe His Word and obey His Word, He will take care of you and make a way where there seems to be no way. In the toughest of situations, this seems to be God’s specialty. He’s working on our behalf even when we can’t see it all. He has a plan and purpose in whatever we walk through. He can cut a clear pathway through anything. He can carry us through any storm. He’s the God of miracles. He never changes. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8) and He fights for you today! Aren’t you thankful?
I sure am.

Until next time,
-Pat-

What Does It Mean To Be In The World Not Of The World?

I was asked an interesting question the other day by a fellow Christian I would like to share. It was, "How can we honestly live in this world and not be a part of it as we are instructed in 1 John 2:15-17?" It is written in scripture like this, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." Then she went on, "Isn't that unrealistic? I mean, the world is all around me. How can I not be a part of it?" It's a legitimate question!
First of all, we must understand the context in which Jesus used the word 'world.' Of course, there is our physical earth: the physical globe, the physical universe (Hebrews 1:2; John 13:1). We can see these as concrete objects. However, most of the time when the Bible speaks about the world it is referring to the humanistic, corrupt value system that is at odds with God (Matthew 18:7; John 15:19; John 4:5). Confusion may arise for some when they read GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD. That sounds like a contradiction if we're asked NOT to love the world but God does? To the worldly or unlearned, it is a contradiction! But in reality, it is not. We have to keep things in context.

The Bible also informs us, "Satan is the god of this world." Satan is the god of everything that's wrong, everything that's evil, not concrete things in and of themselves. Satan's value system is contrary to God's (2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 2:16). When the Bible says God so loved the world, it is referring to the human beings who live here (1 John 4:9). The scripture which says, "Satan is the god of this world" is something entirely different. It is the corrupt moral system of the world we are not to love because Satan's world promotes: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life: 1 John 2:16, "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." Every sin imaginable can be summed up in those three evils. As examples: envy, adultery, pride, lying, selfishness, etc. These are not concrete things. These deal with the spirit /heart/mind of man, not his physicality. So we can see then, Jesus is asking us not to love the things which will destroy our soul and they most certainly will if we remain in them. He is not telling us it is a sin to play golf, enjoy wholesome music, be successful, or enjoy a glass of wine. God is concerned with the inner man. For if the inner man is rotten, the entire body is spoiled.

Think about this as an example. I love the outdoors. Many years ago I owned a tough-skinned, 10-foot inflatable raft that had a wooden floor and was propelled by a boat motor. Every Saturday I would Bungee cord it to the roof of my Jeep and take it out to the lake. My raft was designed to float and to protect me from the water - not sink. And though I was surrounded on all sides by water, water was not to infiltrate my raft, otherwise, great harm such as death from drowning could occur. The key was, the raft was only as safe as the inside was dry ... as long as no water could leak in despite the fact I was surrounded on all sides with great danger. In the same sense this example can be applied spiritually. We are in the world (raft) but we are not to be of it (the lake water). As soon as we let the things of the world enter us (like a boat filling with water) we will drown in our sin. Your only hope after your boat fills with water and begins to sink is a life jacket. Your only hope when you're drowning in sin is JESUS, your life preserver.

Our goal as followers of Christ is to actively engage our culture with the Gospel, by living the Gospel, without allowing the culture's ungodly morals, values, attitudes, and behaviors to infiltrate our lives. So, how can we live in a way that impacts the world for Christ without allowing the world to impact us? Admittedly, being out in the world but not like it can be brutally difficult-much like paddling upstream. Which I've done! But some days it may be more like trying to go up Niagara Falls. Well, to help us live in this world, we can refer to these words of Jesus for comfort. He was praying to the Father for us and said this: “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them, I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:15-21)

Jesus did not ask the Father to take His followers out of the world. In fact, Jesus commissioned them to go into the world as His ambassadors. Instead, He asked the Father to protect them from Satan and his schemes, to guard them against temptation, and to make them holy through the truth of His word. Did you notice that Jesus’ prayer was not just for that handful of disciples? Jesus included you and me in that prayer! He said, “I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one those who will believe in me through their message.” The truth principles also apply to us. We must guard our own hearts and lives against temptation. Take an inventory of your life. Where are you weak? In what areas are you most tempted? Ask God to help you identify those weaknesses and then take steps to protect them. Take precautionary measures. Find an accountability partner. Take things out of your life that constantly cause temptation. Patch the holes in your boat! And so importantly, immerse yourself in God’s Word. Know the truth inside and out so you can recognize lies when you hear them. Obey what God shows you in His Word so your life will be holy and above reproach. Then get your boat in the water! There are some drowning souls in need of rescue.
Until next time,
-Pat-

First Love

When I first became a Christian, I was very excited about being saved. In my zeal, I wanted to go out and teach the Word to the whole world despite the fact my family thought I had lost my senses. So much so, my parents offered to pay for psychiatric therapy. I simply loved the Lord and wanted to share Him with everyone (Acts 9:17-22) even though being new to Christianity I knew nothing. Being a "babe in Christ" I was unlearned in His Word and didn't know any discretionary principals when approaching people. As I look back today, it is no wonder my parents thought I was crazy! My enthusiasm was all over the place. The simple fact was, Jesus had become my first love.

Is your zeal the same today as it was the day you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior? When a believer does not depend on God daily, his love for God can grow cold. Jesus addressed this issue when He spoke to the church of Ephesus. Jesus said: “I have somewhat against you because you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you art fallen, and repent, and do the first works.” (Revelation 2:4–5). If you find yourself lacking the zeal you once had or if walking with Jesus isn't appealing any longer, you can ask God to look upon you with understanding to rekindle your love for Him.

If the fire has gone but you feel you want it back, be encouraged that the desire to get back to where you were, is a gift in and of itself. That desire is the planted Word (seed) waiting to spring forth once again. The seed of God's Word is still there and has rooted itself in your heart. After a dormant winter when spring arrives, a plant pushes itself up through the soil once again. Though it seemingly died and disappeared for a season, the roots never did and that plant regenerates again. It's the same with every soul who has the Word living in them. I went through many rough years where it seemed the world around me was crumbling away. I faced broken relationships, depression, bitterness and resentment, lost friends, and my faith suffered. I was on the edge of walking away, but I always knew I wanted to be back where I was, where I loved Jesus and felt secure in His love. I knew I wanted to have a zeal for God again. He took that little spark and kept working away until I came out of my winter season. I’m richer now for having gone through it. And I can see now how my faith is deeper than my circumstances, it’s woven through the core of my innermost being.

We must learn that we serve the Lord by “abiding” in His teaching: “If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed” (John 8:31). This needs to become a daily habit. If you have never struggled with a loss of passion, you will. There will be a day when you experience the cold of "winter." (Maybe you're there now!) You'll lack enthusiasm. Reading the Bible will seem like an extra chore. Staying faithful may lose its appeal. Reaching out to God in prayer may feel like it requires more energy than you have. The bad news is, that day will come. The good news is, it will pass. When it does, you’ll be richer, stronger and more satisfied. Stay in His Word. Don't give up! You’ll have a greater understanding of what it means to live for Christ, a greater appreciation of all He’s done, and a rekindled flame to be about His business.

There's no doubt our walk with Christ can be filled with struggles and victories but it's what do you do when the struggles come. How do you handle those days where you’re not as hot for Jesus as you use to be? How do you maneuver through bad days, draining thoughts, and emotions and feelings that don’t serve you? How do you shift gears and start driving again when you just don’t feel like it? What do you do when you see that you’re going in the wrong direction? How do you get back on track when you see that you're drifting away or after you have fallen? Stay close to God by crucifying your flesh daily, mortifying its deeds, getting power over it. What exactly do I mean? That the deeds of the body are put to death (forsaken) one by one as they come to light. In other words: I stop doing things when God's Word reveals them to be wrong (Romans 8:13; 1 John 1:6-8). Pray without ceasing. Make the Bible a part of your daily and/or nightly routine, and dedicate a specific time to God and keep that appointment. Remember you are a work in progress, so continue making adjustments. And if you fall, bounce back quickly, and realign yourself with Christ. But remember, without consistency, you'll be prone to wander off again.
Until next time,
-Pat-

"You People Are Weird Freaks!"

"You people are weird freaks. Freak!" That may seem like an odd title for a blog, but in reality, these have been actual words directed at me. Not once, but several times throughout my life. And what for? In one recent case, I defended my Christian view on abortion against the beliefs of a liberal who vehemently held that a woman has the right to abort her baby even up to the ninth month if she so desires. Today isn't about abortion. It's about being "weird." First, let's define the word 'weird' from the Merriam Webster dictionary. WEIRD: of strange or extraordinary character. Adjectives of the word weird are: abnormal, freak, odd, different, or peculiar. Contrary to popular opinion, I like being called weird, odd, or peculiar! Why? Because it is proof my thinking, beliefs, and opinions are in line with God's! In the King James Version of the Bible, Deuteronomy 14:2 reads as follows: "For you are a holy people unto the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a peculiar people unto Himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth."

We read in the scriptures that God has always demanded of his people that they be different. In Deuteronomy 14:2, Moses tells the children of Israel that they are different. From the scripture above God is telling us we are not only peculiar (by the world's definition and or standard) but that we are also "holy people!" The word “holy” means to be set apart, different. God wanted the children of Israel to be a “peculiar people.” The new English Standard Version translates this phrase “treasured possession.” Certainly, something that is a treasured possession is different from everything else one has and is set apart. That's the Church, CHRISTIANS, Jesus' Body of Believers.

In the New Testament as well, Peter quotes from this passage in Deuteronomy and applies it toward “Spiritual Israel” – also Christians. Peter writes, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). God wants us, as Christians, to be different! Paul writes to Titus these words regarding Jesus, “Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” Titus 2:14). Jesus died so that we could be different; set apart. We read in 2 Corinthians 6:17-18: “Wherefore come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord, and do not touch the unclean thing; and I will receive you. I will be a Father unto you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” In order to be God’s children, The Church must be separate, distinct, unique, different, and that is what seems weird in the eyes of the world.

So, are we different? Yes, we are, and I am glad that we are. Today we live in a time when denominations around us are conforming to the world. We hear of denominations who condone abortion, homosexuality, fornication, and adultery. The church of Christ does not condone such activities because God’s word condemns these things. We follow God's Word, not what the world approves. Instead of conforming to the way that the world would have the church, the church ought to be demanding of individuals that their lives be transformed through repentance and renewal of the mind. Romans 12:2 tells us, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Are we different? Yes, we are. We are different because we have been transformed by Christ to be a people who are holy, the children of God, separate from that which is sinful; different from the way the world would mold religion in its own image today. It is our differences from everyone else that defines who we are as Christians! We should never be embarrassed about that! And though people outside of Christ call us weird, they also despise and hate us. Jesus warned us in John 15:18, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you." And so I wear the badge "weird" with pride. The world and the denominations may think us “strange” (1 Peter 4:4) but I wouldn’t have it any other way. One day, Jesus will return and all will bow (Revelation 5:13) and God will be glorified, not because of our similarities with the world, but because of our differences (Matthew 25:34).

Until next time,

-Pat-

Strength

Often I hear this scripture spoken by Christians at all levels of understanding, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." It's a quote by the apostle Paul and it's found in the book of Philippians chapter 4, verse 13. We like to say the words "I can do all things through Christ." And why wouldn't we? But oftentimes we don't give much thought to the latter part of that statement "WHO STRENGTHENS ME." I think we need to because of how we obtain this strength. There is a method of obtaining and accessing this strength.

The strength Paul spoke about was an inner power that sustained him even while undergoing the most serious physical circumstances (2 Corinthians 11:23-30; 2 Corinthians 12:1-10). Many present-day Christians have neither Paul’s confidence nor the strength of which he spoke. Perhaps it is because we do not know the answer to the question, “How does Christ strengthen us?” Actually there are three biblical sources from which we receive strength from the Lord:
1) The Word of God — Paul tells us that the gospel is not only God’s power to save but that we must continue in that gospel in order to be strengthened by it. To continue in it we must READ IT then ACCEPT AND OBEY what we've read (Romans 1:16; Romans 10:17; Ephesians 3; Colossians 1:1-11; 1 Timothy 4:16; 2 John 1:9).
2) Prayer — It is through the medium of prayer that Christians receive wisdom from above (James 1:5-6; Proverbs 2:1-6), and from that wisdom, receive strength to overcome trials and temptations (Proverbs 2:10-20). Note that we must ask for wisdom “in faith” — the source of that faith is the Scriptures (Romans 10:17).
3) Fellow Christians — Our fellowship with other Christians of like faith provides us the benefit of bearing one another’s burdens (Gal. 6:2; Romans 15:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:14), and receiving strength from one another (Hebrews 10:24-25; James 5:16; Numbers 11:1-2).

How does Christ strengthen us? By studying and making application of God’s word, engaging in daily prayer to God, and by giving one another strength and encouragement, we build up a bond between us that will survive even the fiercest of Satan’s assaults (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV; Hebrews 5:12-14; Philippians 1:3-6; Colossians 1:3-6; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-3; Romans 16:1-20; 2 Timothy 1:16-18). It's actually that easy. Not only does strength come from reading God's Word, so does faith for "faith comes in hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Do you lack faith? Then don't put your Bible down because you doubt it's worth, pick it up. Do you lack the strength needed to conquer a vice, turn from temptation, or walk away from sin? Then pick up your Bible and read. The words contained on those pages will begin to clothe you in spiritual armor needed to do battle. Always include daily prayer and fellowship with other Christians who are struggling and learning like you.

If you do these things, then nothing will be too difficult or too hard to overcome. You will be strengthened in His Spirit and might. My closing prayer for you comes from Ephesians 3:16, That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man."
Until next time,
-Pat-