Author: Travis Manhart

Luke 24:2-8

“And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher.
And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, — behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
Saying, the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

And they remembered his words,”

Luke 2:8-14

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men, ‘to whom the Lord is please ( some translations add these last words).’”

Aside from these verses being some of my favorite verses I am convinced that between “remembering His words,” and knowing that God’s intent is “peace, good will towards men” that we carry the heart of the gospel. In dealing with people, especially people who have been jaded by life or maybe hurt by the church we need to help them understand that God’s intent towards them is that of peace and good will. In so doing a door could open and  a bridge of trust could be built.

However we first must start by living a life that represents the Gospel, a life that remembers His words and a life that is marked by peace and goodwill. Then when we speak our words have credence and truth to them. And whether people ask us about our faith, or remark regarding it we have created an opportunity for dialogue. When they have a need to know more an open door exists. A door that allows us to explain God’s heart and intent for them. That God seeks peace and has good will towards them, and that peace means much more than just the absence of conflict. Peace or “Eirens,” goes to the heart of what peace is. When a parent and child, one of our strongest bonds are divided can either one of them really have peace till unity is restored? It is the same between the Lord and us. We have become divided from Him because of our sin nature and until we are united back through the provision of forgiveness through faith in Christ’s work, abiding peace will allude us.

After Christ sacrificial death, “becoming the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of man,” man’s rebellion was atoned for. Animal sacrifices were no longer necessary. Prior to Christ the sacrifices pointed to Christ, but they could not change man’s heart. Only the indwelling Holy Sprirt is able to give man a new nature. Sacrifices were a reminder of the seriousness of sin. That blood had to be shed from an innocent animal to “cover over” for the consequences of man’s ways. Much of what I am sharing I have heard since my youth, but as I have matured in my walk the story of our Saviors birth and sacrifice is the dearest thing I hold. I hope you feel the same.

Therefore “Eirens,” takes on a far greater significance. It means to be one with God or to be in right standing with Him which is huge, something that we taken for granted. By revelation, Paul who championed the faith to the Gentiles understood this.

In the medical field Eirens means to mend or to set a broken arm or leg. To “make one again.” And whether it is a broken limb or a broken soul the need for unity is required. The love and forgiveness of the Father is what repairs our broken soul which began at Christmas with the miraculous birth of our Savior. And via His willful sacrifice and our faith in Him we are granted “Eirens,” or peace, unity with God, that is a miracle; sinful man made right with a Holy God. Now via the Holy Spirit man now man has a new Friend and a Vida4U “The Eternal Message”

Luke 24:2-8

And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher.
And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, — behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
Saying, the Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

And they remembered his words,

Luke 2:8-14

The Shepherds and the Angels
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men, “to whom the Lord is please ( some translations add these last words).”

Aside from these verses being some of my favorite verses I am convinced that between “remembering His words,” and knowing that God’s intent is “peace, good will towards men” that we carry the heart of the gospel. In dealing with people, especially people who have been jaded by life or maybe hurt by the church we need to help them understand that God’s intent towards them is that of peace and good will. In so doing we could open a door to build a bridge of trust.

We must first start by living a life that represents the Gospel, a life that remembers His words and a life that is marked by peace and goodwill. Then our words have credence and weight to them. And whether people ask us about our faith, or remark regarding it we have created an opportunity for dialogue. If and when they want or have need to know more an open door exists because of our example. A door that allows us to explain God’s heart and intent for them in greater detail. That God seeks peace with His prize creation and that peace means much more than just the absence of conflict.

 Peace or “Eirens,” goes to the heart of what peace is. When a parent and child, one of our strongest bonds are divided can either one of them really have peace till unity is restored? It is the same between the Lord and us. We have become divided because of our sin nature and until we are united back to God through the provision of forgiveness through faith in Christ, abiding peace will allude us. After Christ sacrificial death, “becoming the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of man,” man’s rebellion was atoned for. Animal sacrifices were no longer necessary. Prior to Christ the sacrifices pointed to Christ, but they could not change man’s heart. Only the indwelling Holy Sprirt was and is able to give man a new nature. Sacrifices were a reminder of the seriousness of sin. That blood had to be shed from an innocent animal to “cover over” for the consequences of man’s ways. Much of what I am sharing I have heard since my youth, but as I have matured in my walk the story of our Saviors love for us is the dearest thing I hold. I hope you feel the same.

Therefore the word for peace “Eirens,” takes on far greater significance. It means to be one with God or to be in right standing with Him which is huge, something that we take for granted. By revelation, Paul who championed the faith to the Gentiles understood it.

In the medical field this word means to mend or to set a broken arm or leg. To “make one again” is the overall meaning of this  word. And whether it is a broken limb or a broken soul that need the love and forgiveness of the Father to heal us. Christmas begins this miracle with the birth of the Savior. And via His willful sacrifice and our faith in that grants us “Eirens,” or peace, oneness with God, that in itself is a miracle. Now via the Holy Spirit man now man has a second chance. We no longer need to follow or capitulate to our sin nature. To have God’s Divine favor is beyond awesome and  thus we become people with whom God is pleased.

Question, why do you think it’s hard for us to show God’s goodness, could it be because we have not experienced it? Know that we cannot give what we do not posses, and also it might be difficult  for some of us to believe God loves us – especially if we had a difficult childhood. Therefore comments about God’s goodness and love are in danger of becoming just talk to us.  We hear it so much we become conditioned to it, but the reality of living out and receiving this truth wholeheartedly escapes us. This needs to change, for we are not only doing harm to ourselves but to others we know who need to be connected to the Lord.

For “Peace on earth Good will towards man” was too expensive of a gift to not receive it in its fullness. God’s goodness if I was to give it a human expression would be like having desert at a dear friends house and they just don’t give a piece of pie, they give you a serving for three people and the ice cream with the whip cream is about to roll off the plate.  It is lavished on. Such can be our relationship to the Lord. If it is not, and mine wasn’t always, it is

because we are wanting other things as well – idols. We are not exclusively His. The lyrics of Johnny Lees’ song “Looking for love in all the wrong places,” describes many of us. There’s only one place for Agape love, the highest and purest of all loves. Our soul seeks to be fully loved and fully known and He alone has the exclusive rights on Agape. And given His sacrifice, He has the right to seek  exclusivity with us. He doesn’t demand it, but to the degree He has to share us is to the degree His blessings are cut short in our life. To truly experience what it is like to walk with Him and know Him means as far as we know ourselves we are all in. That’s what He wants, and it is not because He is selfish but it’s because nobody, and no idol can love us as He has, does and can. Revelations puts it this way, a sobering verse that brought me to tears when I first heard it  for I knew I was lukewarm.

Revelation 3:15-21
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.
Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

This Christmas and the coming New Year take time to reflect on the things that hold us back from a deeper relationship with God.  Ask God to search your heart and reveal to you the  “others” you may have in your life that compete with Him. May you have the wisdom and the courage to remove whatever hinders and realize that it doesn’t compare to the greatness and love that God has for each of us. For those of us that struggle with knowing that God loves this will be a matter of faith for you and until the Cross becomes personal – that He died just for you. That if you and Him were the only people on planet earth He would have been born your just for you. He would have allowed you to reject Him, beat Him and crucify Him just so that you could be saved from yourself; until the Cross becomes this real to you, you will struggle in your walk with Christ.

  May this Christmas and the days ahead find us growing in faith and in the love, peace, and joy of the Lord which is our rightful inheritance as His sons and daughters. May God, though it be somewhat painful, purge from our hearts the unequally yoked relationships we have made with the world.

Lastly, I publish a monthly article in House2Home, many of you are aware of that, but for those who do not we write a faith based article each December’s. Please go to our company website, executivecareinc.com, click on publications and read “Foundations Part I and Part II.” I would be honored.

May you have a Blessed Christmas, more joy than ever because you have made a decision to follow Christ with a whole heart. Amen

1 Samuel 1:25-28

And they slew — a bullock, and brought — the child to Eli.
And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord.
For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me — my petition which I asked of him:

1 Samuel 3:19
And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.

We have journeyed with Hannah through her struggles because of her failure to bare a child for her husband, which especially in that time was a woman’s purpose and identity.  Without children to raise and care for, she had no purpose. Yet Elkanah her husband, in contrast to societies dictates, never demeans her but speaks words of tenderness and kindness to her, “I’m I not better than 10 sons.” These words not only show he held no bitterness toward her but it shows his character as being compassionate. However despite his kindness, culture is something that not even Elkannah’s kind words could not surmount. Culture and her own upbringing dictated that she must bare children, at least one son. Hannah did not know that God had “shut her womb” for a specific reason. Sometimes the acts of God appear less than kind, however that is when faith comes in. When one truly knows God, one knows that God is anything but unkind, it’s just not in His character. However, He knowing our weaknesses and self focus tendencies needs to cause or use circumstances to bring a spiritual awakening in us. And in reality something within Hannah needed “birthing” prior to conceiving Samuel. Samuel’s birth was symbolic of the completion of that work.

Soon, the pain of being childless became unbearable ontop of witnessing the awful behavior of the priests. These two pains is what the Lord used  to bring to “birth” an attitude in Hannah that would allow God to entrust her to conceive and raise Samuel. Hannah expressed from the depth of her soul a prayer that she would have never prayed if it were not for these two combined trials. Prior to this moment her prayers centered around her own need, her own insecurity, the need to fit into the culture etc.  Yet  because of the spiritual decline being so serious in Israel she could no longer pray just for herself, but for the nation Israel. Now her prayer took on a far greater purpose. It was now about God’s name and having a man that would execute God’s justice; Israel’s  future was at stake. Maybe her thoughts were this, “Lord you need a man to lead us more than I need a son to make me feel like a woman. If you allow me to conceive a son, I will give him back to you.” How often does God withhold something that in itself is a good thing, just so He can give us a better thing? Are we even aware of this grinding down process, do we even know that the trial we are in is to get our eyes off ourselves and onto a much bigger purpose. To go from “I want this for me (though we would never say it so directly, that is really the truth) to Lord glorify Yourself through this and in me,” and now the prayer of years gets answered.

 And so it was, her focused changed to what God needed and a “deal” was made and she conceived. I have prayed since my teenage years to be a pastor, even to tears and through the many years of unanswered prayer I finally came to understand my error. Trying to make what I do fulfill me, not who I am fulfill me. Who I am is much more important than what I do. What I do is a matter of provision, but who I am is a matter of life, for it determines my decisions and my behavior and brings meaning and purpose to whatever I do. We are always seeking meaning from our careers or from what we do, where as in reality our meaning and purpose needs to come from our relationship to the Lord. This rightly adjusts our approach to everything we do, from our jobs, to our marriages, to raising kids, or now in our case helping to raise grandkids. This approach brings honor to the Lord and keeps me from “burning out.” By “being” God’s adopted son by Grace, which is my foundation and core identity, it brings to me honor and strength and gives me the perimeters or the boundaries of my life allowing me to make right decisions, decisions that are much bigger than just me, giving my life a far greater purpose and direction.

This right foundation is critical, for it determines how we view ourselves and the value we place on others – and how we relate to our world in general. Though the job of pastoring and teaching His Word would thrill me, He didn’t die on the Cross for me to teach His Word. He died on the Cross so that the LORD and Arthur could have a relationship. That’s why He died, and thus understanding the purpose of His sacrifice it lifts me above my natural tendencies of being self centered to see and live for a much bigger picture. A life that has the awesome privilege of doing LIFE with my Heavenly Father. Of growing old in His love, and taking that love and sharing it with others. From being a liability of need to becoming an asset of love and care.  Without these intense struggles, such as what Hannah went through, most of us live our whole lives being a liability to God. Life becomes all about my world, my job, my family, my home, my interests, my, my, my. Instead of how Jesus taught us, ” Let Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” As believers we need to ask ourselves, how is God’s Kingdom being realized through me? And part of that is being responsible for our family but it’s easy to become “only focused” and not be “other focused” as well.  God’s Kingdom is seen through us, “given flesh and blood, character and purpose” brought to earth through us.  if it is not seen through the actions of His people, then who? We are His hands and feet. Bringing God’s Kingdom to earth through our relationship to Him first, is what being a Christian is all about. In John 15:5 Jesus said, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can — do nothing.”

This is the chief purpose of every believer, how are you doing with that?

I fear that this next statement is true of many that “warm the pews” in church.  John 15:6

If my fear was not true then how is it that all the plagues of society are not decreasing, divorce, pornography, drugs,- both legal and illegal, sex etc., to just name a few. We are called to be salt and light, and we should be reversing this trend. In Matthew Jesus speaks of our collective representation in society 5:13-14&16

“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid….
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

The weaning of a Hebrew child was much different than today. Hannah probably continued to nurse Samson until he was close to 4 years of age. It was a long process and  I’m sure a very intimate time between mother and son. I often wonder what Hannah said to Samson. I know she repeated the story of his birth to him, so Samuel knew that even before he was conceived God was mindful of him. How did that knowledge impact his life? For truly as he matured he became a pillar of faith for the nation of Israel. Hannah also must have told him the stories of Moses, how God used one man to deliver Israel from the bondage of the Egyptians. The miracles that God did through Moses must have intrigued him as a young child and the battles won through Joshua’s leadership, though the armies they fought were much larger because he trusted in God. These stories must have cemented in his mind the importance of trusting God, regardless of the circumstances.

I’m sure she filled his heart and mind with these stories so from his young age he was being taught to know a God that knew no limits and could not be defeated; that He only needed one man to trust Him. And through that one man He could change the coarse of history. Hannah also realized that she had few precious years to impact her son and then he was going to be raised by the High Priest who completely failed at raising his own sons. It is difficult for me to tell by the language of “boy” or “young” to determine Samuels actual age when Hannah brought him to the temple. My guess based on the context would be shortly after he was weaned so maybe between four to six years of age. The definition of the word young does indicates a child, but of an age capable to assist.

1 Samuel 1:26-28

And she said, Oh my lord, ( speaking to Eli) as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord.
For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me — my petition which I asked of him:
Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he ( Eli?)  worshiped the Lord there.

 We also know by the story that Phinehas and Hophni, Eli’s sons, were worthless and deserved judgement which Eli the High Priest would not do. He valued his corrupt sons more than the holiness of The Lord. So this very dysfunctional environment was to be Samuel’s new home. Not what any of us would want for our child.

1 Samuel 2:17

Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great — before the Lord: for men abhorred — the offering of the Lord.

In the text it appears that Eli is trying to correct his son’s. However in the following verses, not man but God, directly exposes Eli’s failure as a father and hence the consequences for his failures are severe and irreversible.

1 Samuel 2:27-29

And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house?
And did I choose — him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father — all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?
Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honorest — thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? (*ephod – part of the high priest sacred articles that contained 12 gemstones representing each tribe of Israel worn over the robe of the ephod.  Exodus 28:31-36)

When we start losing the fear of the Lord, we start down a slippery slope that will not end up well. Unfortunately the failure of our leadership will affect others, ones that we love. And though they are not responsible for our failure, our failure will create a void in them that will create actions from them that will have negative consequences. The charge that each husband/ father has from God is a serious charge.

Ephesians 6:4
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord ( nurture with admonition is the complete spectrum of raising a child, from discipline to praise with the overarching premise “in the Lord,” so that the child grows knowing and loving the Lord ( I know physical discipline, a spanking, has mixed opinions however the scriptures advocates spanking for behavior that is defiant. Proverbs 13:2 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him quickly.)

Unfortunately many men do not take God’s charge seriously, and hence the problems we have – which are manifold. From our young people growing up without reverence for the Lord( which is the root problem), to our daughters displaying themselves seeking for the attention and love that should have come from us; to our sons not being honorable men because of our lack of example and guidance. We fail our families  when we prioritize other persuits before them.  And the “fall out” goes deeper and wider as it affects generations to come all because we compromised our walk with God. Without  reverence for The Lord, which leads to knowing His love and a respect for self which gives us a sense of value and worth (security). Our kids grow up to be but shadows of the men and women they could have been, all because we favored our comforts and dreams over a life that feared God. Eli’s lack with God and hence  with his sons will cause his life to end bad. His sons are killed in battle, Israel is defeated, the Ark of God is taken and Eli breaks his neck.

This  is no way for a High Priest to die, however his actions and lack of actions determined his death, a death without honor. How do we want to be remembered and how do we want our days to end? It’s starts now as we sow value or lack of value into the hearts of those around us. Parenting can be daunting, especially to the caliber of what the scriptures call us to. Yet, if as parents we make knowing the Lord our priority, He will parent us and we in turn mirror His parenting to our children. So it doesn’t have to be difficult, and parenting God’s way there is one overarching rule: We cannot give what we do not have. If the wisdom and love of God does not abide in me how then am I going to guide my family, especially in those critical moments? We won’t be able to. However if we maintain our integrity before the Lord, becoming His usable tool, He can speak through us. The right words and or actions can change the course of our love ones life, or anyone for that matter. I know, I’ve been there and have been so, so grateful that God was able to use me.

“and honorest — thy sons above me, ” if God was to speak to us as such what thing or person  would He say that we honor above Him? Would it be our jobs, our spouses, girlfriend/boyfriend, our kids, a sport or hobby or ourselves? I know many people live together, even Christians. Rather than obeying God’s command to be married we compromise what His Word says and expect to receive His full blessing. It doesn’t work that way, His full blessing comes with full obedience, they go hand in hand. And this is just a few things, there are numerous things that we reinterpret for our own convenience, from drinking to taxes where we honor ourselves above His Word. As we  give serious thought to this ask Him to reveal where you or I are compromising His blessing in our  life. When He reveals something to you be quick to surrender and repent. God says of King David that he was a man after God’s own heart, not because he was perfect, for he committed far greater sins than many of us ever will, however God said he was a man after His own heart because David was quick to repent. Convicted by his sins through Nathan the prophet, David was quick to say ” I have sinned against The Lord.” Let’s be the same, be a man or woman after God’s heart, quick to repent. We were and are designed to run our best on holiness and a compromised life cuts off God’s best for us. We are the happiest, the most peaceful and strongest when holiness is what we pursue. 

 A very easy saying to remember is this, ” A man or woman, young person or child that honors the Lord, The Lord will honor. With our lips we praise things, cars, jobs, people, movie stars, music groups etc., however the chiefest praise and the highest purpose of our lips is to praise The Lord. There is no greater purpose or honor and because Samuel had set his heart on the Lord, guided there by the careful and diligent instructions of his mother, Samuel’s coarse went true and straight in spite of the dysfunction of his new home.

How about us? I find that our Christian faith is challenged by all the materialism and distractions that abound. It’s almost easier to be a Christian in a poorer country. Yet whether we live in a country where we are persecuted for our faith, or here where we have freedom of religion but the idols of materialism and lust abound, we still have to make a stand. Can we stand with Joshua as he says in….

And so the choice is ours. Daily we make choices. We can chose to substitute our relationship to the Lord by staying busy with activities because it makes us feel important and needed, which is a basic human need. Or we can choose to set a hollow time aside to be with the Lord and allow His love and approval for us fill that void. And if being busy is all it takes to distract us from seeking the Lord, then say hi to a life of business. Often our lifestyle choices remind me of a hamster on a wheel; we are working so hard for what, for things that can be taken away?  We have seen this in Napa/ Santa Rosa, Texas and Florida which is tragic,  however treasures gained here are subject to the limits of this life. While treasures gained  in Christ are ours for Eternity. Let’s not be penny wise by over emphasizing this life and dollar stupid by under emphasizing the importance of having a heavenly mindset. If you struggle with this or anything that we have been discussing, do not make this a guilt thing. Remember condemnation is not of the Lord, “for there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus our Lord ( Roman’s 8:1). However we do need to heed the conviction that God uses to steer us in the right direction. Ask the LORD to help you make Him first in your life. To begin to  rightly prioritize our decisions is critical to maturing faith. The sincerity of your words will be tested.

My devotion time with the Lord has always been my lunch time which means I have said a lot of no’s to my colleagues who have  invited me to go out for lunch over the years, causing me to be seen as the odd one out, and so I was. However, it was always interesting that my colleagues came to me when they were having problems. On the weekends my devotional time is the first thing In the morning. These  times work for me, you will need to prayerfully consider what times work for you.

In ending, I want to keep us reminded that on top of all the normal stresses of life we have brothers a sisters, be it here in Napa/Santa Rosa, or Dallas, or parts of Florida, Puerto Rico etc., that have been displaced from their home or no longer have a home. Let’s keep them in ours prayers as well as many people outside the faith that are struggling. May this be a teachable time for us all to understand the importance of fostering a life with Christ over the persuit of the “American Dream.”

Father,

Teach us humility so we can see the truth and the importance of faith. Let us not build our house ( life) on the sands of this changing world but on the rock of Christ which is immovable, eternal and ever present. Thank you for Your love.

 In Christ name,

 your sons and daughters.

Move Forward in His Grace

Arthur

1 Samuel 1:1-6

And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there.

And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:
But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion ( some translations say a double portion); for he loved — Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb. And her adversary ( Peninnah) also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb.”

For those of us that have had a problem or are having a struggle getting pregnant you can relate to Hannah. It is so painful to go out to the malls or the playgrounds etc., and see everyone with babies and or children and you and your spouse without. This was what Hannah faced daily and to make it much worse there was the jealous taunting accusations of Peninnah. Peninnah realized that Elkanah loved Hannah more but she had his sons. The household was a mess because of this and it appears God didn’t seem to care. In those days children were a sign of God’s blessing and they were displayed as assets, wealth, much like us driving around in expensive cars or wearing an extra size “rock” on your hand. This was very painful for Hannah, and especially painful when  they went to Shiloh to offer sacrifices to the Lord. A time of supposed rejoicing became a time of shame and pain. A woman who could not provide her husband with a son was not even welcomed among the other women. It was probably on par with being an outcast (people with leposy were outcasts) and it was clearly her “fault.” This was such a terrible burden for Hannah to carry.

Where was the Lord, why did He not hear her many prayers? She probably exhausted herself praying and to no avail. Did God not care, was He not a good God, loving in all His ways? How was this being loving, or was He using this intense pain for a much greater good?

At this point  I want to break from the story line. I titled this Vida and the one’s that will follow ” The Reason for Pain.” It would be rather presumptions of me to say that all pain will be for the conclusion we are going to come to.  I could not say that. There are many reasons for pain, some of it is our own doing. Other pain has been inflicted upon us by others, and pain can come through natural disasters, a car accident, or a work injury etc., and there’s different types of pain, physical and or emotional and many times it’s both. Therefore our goal is not to answer every reason for why we experience pain, but why Hannah experienced it and see if we can make application to our own life. If not now, I’m sure opportunity will come for God seems to use pain to get our attention and it definitely does do that.

Proverbs 18:14 has an interesting comment, “The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity ( sickness) but a wounded (or broken) spirit who can bear? A broken spirit can happen for a number of reasons. A divorce can cause it, the lost of a child, rejection or betrayal by a friend and the list goes on. In my case it has occurred numerous times throughout my life. As a child I was blamed for my younger brother’s drowning, my mother regrets having said that but it has taken me thirty  years to come to terms with it and forgive myself – that’s a long time for a child becoming an adult to carry such a weight. The upside, how God has used it in my life, and without trying to sound morbid is that death has become a near and present reality, it is very real to me. Therefore having gone through that I have no anchors in this life, even my family which is dearest to me I have committed 100% over to The Lord. I tread lightly in this world and heavily in the one that is too come. That has become, if you would, my “coping mechanism” for what was once excruciating pain.

I have also struggled with deep insecurity, not because I was not loved growing up, but for years of my adult life I felt God had rejected me, or at the least found me unfit. I have forever wanted to be a pastor, and to this day I have the same desire. God had called several of my friends but He never called me, so the enemy took that and turned it into rejection or and unfit vessel for such Holy work. I needed to overcome that for it was breaking my spirit, much like Hanna wanting to have a child.  The Holy Spirit sat me down one day after years of struggling with it and forced me to look at the Cross. He lovingly but firmly made me to know that His lack of calling me into the ministry had nothing to do with being “fit or unfit,” we are all unfit. He  said, “I didn’t want to lose you.” At first I was confused, how would You lose me, I am in the ministry, it’s all about You. His response was telling, ” because you would put the job of ministering and teaching before me, you would study the scriptures to preach a sermon but not to know me. You would get your sense of worth from the ministry but not from just simply being my son.” I cried, so deep was His spoken word to me and so tender and yet so true, a truth that I didn’t even realize about myself. His no had been anything but rejection. Now being anything other than His son I am no longer interested in. My self esteem would no longer be based on what I did, my title, or any worldly praise or ambition, but it would come solely from His approval over my life; being His adopted son by Grace would become the sole joy of my life. From heavy weights of inferiority and guilt to wings of freedom and joy, that day, long in coming, changed my whole life.

Learning to be His son has become the adventure of my life and the sole “education” for my life, for nothing else matters.  As His son I seek to be not just good, but excellent in all that I undertake. From caring for my wife and family to caring for His people, to being a boss, to performing my job as a landscaper and creating great designs and caring for my clients. Taking the high road in all things is what a son of the Most High King could not help but do. Paul said he was constrained by the love of Christ, in 2 Corinthians 5:14

As if to say I have no choice in the matter, this is the path I must travel, there are no other options.” This is exactly how I feel, I have no options, nor do I want any. The narrow road with all its constrictions, pain and struggle is just fine for me, for with each difficulty or pain my ” sonship” is deepened.

Often we think someone who is close to The Lord does not have the normal every day struggles with family, work, neighbors etc. I have come to find that the opposite is true. The closeness to God comes as a result of these struggles. A commentator on Abraham’s Lincoln life said if it had not been for the churlish  ill nature of his wife he would not have had the character and the where withal to hold the struggling nation together. Those years of his presidency were difficult and dark years. The struggles in his marriage drove deep his dependence upon the Lord, building within him a character that was able to endure and provide the leadership the divided nation needed.

In my family, wife and two girls, we have definitely had our struggles. My oldest left home at eighteen. She left home with a broken spirit. I knew in that state she would be an easy mark for any lies or traps Satan would put before her, and he did.  For three years I cried daily, so deep was the pain.

 However I never cried like this before, I cried in the inside. I still needed to get up and run the business, met clients etc., yet I was so conscious that my inner person was continuously weeping over my daughter, as if she had died. I could not understand the pain. It was so very intense and as I sought the Lord to understand it I saw in my mind cows being branded on a ranch. I saw the red hot iron of the brand, I heard the cow crying as the brand marked its skin. I heard and felt it. The branding though seemingly cruel, marked the cow, it belonged to that ranch now and from that ranch came its provision. It wasn’t just any cow, it had an identity, a home and it belonged. God was using the pain to brand me as His. I accepted that but then the pain intensified and I cried out to Him again. I saw myself on a table, as if in a surgery room and again I saw the red hot brand with my chest being exposed and then I saw the doctor plunge the red hot brand unto my chest and everything in me freaked out, the pain was beyond anything I could imagine. I cried, shouted for it to stop but steady was the doctor’s hand as he keep the force of the brand on my chest. I fought with all my might but in time I grew exhausted and mentally beyond and all I remember thinking is that this nightmare had now become my new reality. Where I found the strength to get up and go to work I will never know other than it was God’s super natural strength that was carrying me during those years. My steps were heavy and my interaction with others was limited as I sought to do only what I had to do. I found that the more I spent time in prayer the more I was able to cope with life and the pain.

 Prayer became an hour long event each day after dismissing the crews to work. Rain or shine, cold or hot it didn’t matter. I had a place I front of my shop where I walked that became my meeting place with the Lord. I began to pray for other parents having struggles with their kids, my brothers and sisters in the faith that suffered persecution in communist or Moslem countries also. And finally after months of prayer as to the reason for such pain the Lord gave me another picture. I saw the figure of a man with a shovel in his hand digging into my heart and with each plunge of the shovel piercing pain insued. I cried out to the Lord to tell the man to stop, His reply was that He was the man. He was using the pain to dig a well in my heart so that I could hold more of His love. I cried, never ever anticipating that answer and though the pain did not lessen, knowing the reason allowed me to welcome it. He wanted to love me on a deeper more intimate level and He was using this hardship  for this reason. I did a lot of crying during this period, it was unlike any period in my life.  God was doing an upheaval, dethroning Arthur and placing Himself squarely on the throne of my heart with a much larger capacity to receive His love for myself and in turn to genuinely love others.

The pain continued as if I was in bereavement, and my prayers continued to be my source of strength. I felt His presence with me. Upon ending my prayers each day I felt as though I had to come back to earth, so focused in the realm of prayer. I often felt that I was before His throne. I had never felt that prior to these times. I learned that He cried with me. The Holy Spirit was leading me through  a “desert period” of my life where intercessory prayer became my source of life and strength coupled with the Word. I learned to pray both in the spirit but mostly in English and  Spanish, Spanish being my first language. Through prayer I was able to participate with the Spirit in bringing my daughter back home. She would come over to visit and tell Lisa that she could not understand why she didn’t enjoy “sinning” like her friends, she just wasn’t  into it. And those exact words would be my focus for the week. I shared my prayers with no one so I knew that this was God encouraging me. If Satan was going to mess with my daughter he was going to get the fight of his life. I grew bold and more confident as the Lord continued to confirm to me He was hearing my prayers  and not only for my daughter but for others parents as well. It has been a long process, but now I can confidently say, ” Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.” I have no fear now, where as before I feared greatly.

In the third year of this period my youngest daughter lost her finance in an auto accident. He was a police officer and was run over by a drunk driver.  I loved him and grieved for him, but even deeper yet I was grieving for my daughter. I felt as if Matt died twice in my heart. I was “trained” in personal death given by background, but I had never anticipated grieving for my daughter’s lost. To share how God used this period requires another Vida but it was miraculous to say the least.

In ending part one I want to emphasize that all pain has a purpose when you commit it to the Lord. It doesn’t have to crush you. It can be the very thing that gives you wings toward Heaven. If you are in a bevreavement period I have learned that lost or pain comes in stages, we are not able to coup with it all at once, it’s God’s protection mechanism for us. Therefore know that it takes time, and the time it takes is personal for each one of us. Following the pattern I shared, making time for prayer and for the Word, drawing close to the Lord is where you will find your strength. God’s presence is the greatest healing mechanism we have.

Father God,

I pray for all my brothers and sisters who are struggling right now. Allow them to find the peace that only comes from You. Don’t let them believe the lies of the enemy that say that You don’t care. The Cross proves without a doubt that You care so much that You died so that You could help us with life’s struggles. Thank you and Amen.

Move Forward in His Grace – love you, Arthur

For these verses I am using the American Standard Version translation.

Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, to be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having ‘put on the belt of’ truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saint,” 

“For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” In high school I had a couple friends that were wrestlers, one in particular was very good; he was built for it. He made it all the way to state before someone was finally able to pin him. I watched him a few times and it is a grapplingly sport. You are in the other guy’s face and every body part can be used for you or against you. If both wrestlers are equaling skilled then victory goes to the one that is in the best condition. It’s an exhausting sport. I appreciated watching him especially since he was so good, but it never appealed to me. However I totally understand what Paul is saying, that we are in a life time wrestling match with the enemy of righteousness. We are wrestling with an opponent who doesn’t tire, who is a master of deceit and makes lies sound like truth, and has studied us and knows what moves to make to pin us. He is a “worthy” opponent, skilled in every way except for in righteousness and can withstand any force put against him except for prayer and the Word of God, as Paul says in James 4:6-7

Ephesians

For these verses I am using the American Standard Version translation.

Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, to be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having ‘put on the belt of’ truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saint,” 

“Put on the whole armor of God,” on the onset of reading these words it should at the least alert us to the fact that there is something we need to do. Sometimes the message of Christian duty gets muddied. We say Christ has done it all, which is true but then we read verses such as these from Paul in 1 Timothy, ” study to show yourself approved as a workman rightly dividing the Word of God,” and “I buffet my body least after having preached to others I myself should become disqualified.” The word buffet is a serious word, it means to give yourself a black eye as if your eye is out of line. There is definitely effort in both these two verses, plus our verse, ” Put on the armor,” involves effort.  So which is it, is it Christ’s work or mine? In the context of scripture it is quite clear. Salvation alone is the work of God in Christ. He and He alone is the only one able to save us by atoning for our sins via His own blood. No amount of effort of any proportion could ever accomplish what has been won because of the Cross, period. No debate, no discussion, it was the truth then, it is the truth now and it will forever be the truth.

However bending our ways, making time ( prioritizing ) to seek the Lord is our part. Growing our faith through scripture reading and exposing ourselves to the public teaching of God’s Word is how we partner with the Lord in growing our faith, and of course the Holy Spirit is involved every step of the way. Consistency is our best friend;  as the farmers of old use to say, “put your hand to the plow and don’t look back.” This is the “temper” or type of faith we need. As long as we see seeking Christ as optional we will flounder as believers. Furthermore if our faith does not make us different, then we are not following this verse. If we are not doing this then it’s questionable whether we believe what follows after it

In general the concept of the devil seems to be either overplayed or not discussed at all depending upon the church you attend. Ever since Bill Crosby coined the phase, “the devil made me do it,” the concept of the devil took on an almost humorous notion. That’s unfortunate, for even in the definition of “wiles” one can see he is no laughing matter. The Greek word for wiles is ‘Methodeia.’ We get our English word method, and its definition is “the following or pursuing of an orderly and technical procedure in the handling of a subject.” 

In High School one of my F.F.A projects was to raise chickens (100 of them) for consuming. I had to not only raise them but sell them, kill them, pluck them and then deliver them. We had feathers all over our side yard. It was the worse project I ever had, no wonder why I love plants so much. However in the process I learned how to cut up a whole chicken in pieces, just like in the market, and there is a method to it. The same method I used then is the same method I use now. And the end goal is the same, separate the pieces from the whole. Satan has the same method, to separate us from the Lord and from one another; burden us with guilt, sin, depression, worry, insecurity, fear, lust, false beliefs etc. These are some of tools in his bag and if he doesn’t get us with these, he has more.

A thief follows methodeia as well.  One of the first things any thief wants to do is make himself invisible. Dressing in dark colors, working in darkness, shealthly moving etc., he wants to make you think he doesn’t exist. If Satan can silence his name among the church, then he has become invisible and can have all the freedom he needs. In war if you don’t believe your enemy exist then likely your dead before you even fire your first shot. Hence the reason why so many of us are held captive to lust, pride, materialism, bitterness, fits of anger, bad language, or language that does not honor our Lord, or we lack the joy of living for Christ. We are trapped and we don’t even know it because Satan does not exist. There is no such thing as spiritual warfare, powers or principalities, or demons etc., when in reality they are very, very, real. They HATE GOD and HATE anyone who follows Him.

 I have a neighbor who hates me, he blames me for something I did not do. We are going on eight years of this foolishness. It is a weight to my spirit every time I walk past his house to get the mail and as such God seems to organize our time so that we see each other often. At the grocery store, riding bikes, out with my grand kids etc., I don’t even see my Christian neighbors that much. The sense of being hated is an ugly feeling, fortunately Christ love is much more powerful. I can only imagine how much more intensely the devil hates those who faithfully follow Christ. So it is imperative that we believe that there is a devil who will do anything to destroy us, Jesus believed so. In John 10:10 -12

The thief and wolf in the passage is Satan and through ‘methodeia’ he steals our joy, peace, assurance, our freedom and even our faith to where we even doubt that the Bible is God’s Word or even that God exists. Ultimately satan’s goal is to damn our soul. This is not a game, the stakes are real and the consequences eternal. One of the best ways to play all this down is to deny that sin even exists, that we just need to become more enlightened and that eventually everyone will get there. This is one of the most ignorant lies to believe in. Just look at the world, look at history as far back as this lie has been told, man has not improved, changed, or learned to value his fellow man any more or less than he always has. There have always been givers and takers and those inbetween. Except for periods of revival, life on earth has continued with me being first and you being second. Only when a heart has truly been touched by Christ does that order change. Another lie is that Christ did not die for sin, but to set an example of perfect selflessness. Though Christ himself said while on the Cross, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” There is no end to the twisting of the truth and through methodeia he seeks to deceive the weak or injured of heart. Christ clearly said he would give his life as a ransom for the sins of the world, that he would be the final atonement for man. Via His death He would create the way for man to come back to a Holy God. Christ words as quoted by Peter,

For the Christian who does know the scriptures the Christian life is very much a struggle. Victory, saying no to sin and yes to God is probably few and far between. Without the Holy Spirit we are no match for the deceptiveness of the enemy. We are like puppets in the hands of the evil puppet master. To even recognize what sin is, is difficult. Most people acknowledge the Ten Commandments as a benchmark for sin, but sin is more than that. If I was to ask what is the worse sin possible we would all have our own opinion. However the “biggest sin,” the one that goes unrecognized is rejecting what Christ did for us on the Cross. For the unspoken statement that says, ” I don’t need a Savior, I’m good enough,” is the number one sin that damns man and from that rejection follows all the crimes of man. If the tree is bad, the fruit will also be bad. Faith in Christ turns us into good trees. It’s a process for sure, one that I really wished we would take more seriously.

Being good is not good enough. Their are those who do charitable work that are not necessarily believers and at times their selflessness puts us to shame. However be that true, we still must distinguish between good and righteous. Good is the work of man and to the highest and most noble it can be, it does not compare to God’s righteousness. Unfortunately it is the rumble and hay that burns at judgement, which saddens me greatly because I know some of these people. They would give you the shirt off their back if you needed it. Yet work done through Christ and for Christ because of a changed heart by Christ is what will make it through the fire. Anything less  will not. Without walking with Christ this statement is at the very least hurtful, however when one gets a glimpse of God Holiness it is understood.

Peter understood, even if it was for a moment. Jesus after teaching all morning Peter’s boat asked Peter to take out the boat to go fishing. Peter and the others just spent the whole night fishing, when it was the best time, and caught nothing. Fortunately for Peter he obeyed, it could have easily said no but at the Lord’s command they went out and casted  their nets. They caught so much fish that the boat began to sink. Peter could of had several reactions at seeing such a great amount of fish, “great Lord thank you, now I can pay off my house,” or ” I will sell this fish and from the money take two years off” etc., but nothing of self interest was said, instead he said ” get away from me Lord for I am a sinful man.” For in that moment Peter understood that what just happened only God could do and faced with the Divinity of Christ his sin was glaring at him and it  was beyond what he could take. We are not free agents like we would like to believe, but are easily manipulated if we are not being guided by the Holy Spirit.

Do yourself a great favor, believe The Holy Spirit’s words. The wrestling we engage in is the unseen battle that exists in the minds and hearts of man. Lust, hatre, gossip, evil speech, covetousness, sexual misconduct, fornication, adultery, pride, even complacency are all weapons the enemy uses to take ground in our souls. He burdens us with guilt and low self esteem, thereby making us weak and unable to fight. These and more are the tools in his bag.

Therefore how do we fight an enemy that is as beguiling and invisible as him? And it is not just how to fight, but how do we win? How do boxers win, kick boxing athletes, or karate contestants, you train till your the best and in the process you get beat up, but if **we continue with the Lord and do not get discouraged it becomes part of our training. As Proverbs says, “one man sharpens another.” Each time we get beat up it exposes where we are weak, so we must train to strengthen those areas. After a while there are no more weakness, God’s Word is in you and we have become battle tough. It takes time, consistency in the Word and prayer and not just when we are in need, but a discipline of study and prayer. As mentioned prior, Paul said he buffeted his body so that after preaching to others he himself would not become disqualified from the race, 1 Corinthians 9:26-27,

**To really start becoming disconnected from the world in the sense of not valuing what the world values, takes time. To truly know that if you have Christ you have everything is a sign of maturity. That we do not need the latest car, the nicest clothes, a big house or a important title at work to feel we have value or worth. None of these things do we strive for or value as we value as having Jesus. With Him and with Him alone, I am wealthy. I truly have what material wealth or worldly value cannot provide. We buy into the world’s list of values because we are weak or young in the faith. We believe by having those things we will be happy, peaceful, loved, important etc., yet the world’s goods or title do not bring the continued peacefulness or love we are seeking. They are fleeting and come with their own set of problems. To know that you have everything your soul needs when the Lord Jesus is front and center of our life takes time, our soul needs to be purged of its worldly desires and pride to develop this conviction. However it is a wonderful goal to pray towards and surrender to and it’s a goal we will never fully attain to here in this life but as the peace of Christ and the presence of God grows in one’s life the assurance of walking in the truth brings much joy. And if through faith, hard work, skill and integrity we have wealth, nice possessions and/ or a position at work that leads others, these are then seen as stewardships that I use to honor my Lord. However my identity and standing is firmly placed in Him; nothing exceeds being His son or daughter.  “My righteousness” therefore comes from “having put on the breastplate of righteousness,” which ever strengthens as my faith grows. The more of me that is found in Christ and the less of me that identifies with the world’s lusts and values, the more “battle ready” I become. My armor “fits,” and I become part of an advancing threat in my Father’s army against the darkness that seeks to rule over the heart of man.  (Amen).

Father God,

Thank you for this study. Materialism and a comfortable life has never made a good soldier, only those who seek to pamper themselves. Let us, the church, repent violently of this indulgent life and possess this life as not possessing it, ” as sojouners, or strangers.” We are truly just passing through; easy to say, hard to do – help us Father.

Thank you and Amen.

Move Forward In His Grace – Arthur

For these verses I am using the American Standard Version translation.

This is a marvelous passage and there is only one other in the New Testament that addresses our spiritual warfare. In 2Corinthians 10: 3-6 it talks about capturing our thought life which often is in rebellion to God’s Holy standard and “casting down vain imaginations.” Here’s a word picture of ” casting down.” Imagine being in your car with your family and an africanesed bee flies into the car and your whole family is allergic to bees, especially an africanesed bee that can sting repeatly. Your immediate reaction would be to catch it and kill it. No thinking, no pondering as what to do next, just kill it! That is the emphasis of this verse. Our weakness is we ponder temptation, we think about it, we ask is it really wrong? That’s what Adam and Eve did, they pondered and now look where we are.

If it is insecurity we struggle with, we need to go to The Word to strengthen ourselves. Most of the time we don’t we just continue to live with our insecurity and be controlled by it. Like puppets on a stage, our emotional strings are pulled controlling our thoughts and actions. The Bible calls these repeated weaknesses in us strongholds. In 2Cor. 10:3 we read , “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;).” And in 2Timothy 1:7 

A stronghold can simply be because we lack maturity, or it can be a repeated sin that initially we did for pleasure or curiosity, yet in opening that door it became an addiction. Drinking, drugs, sex, pornagraphy, all these have the ability to become strongholds as well as many many other things. Negative thoughts can also be strongholds, tapes that just keep repeating in us, normally since childhood become thought patterns of insecurity that lie deep in our character forming challenging strongholds to overcome. However from, ” I can’t do that, to I can do “all things in Christ Jesus” is completely possible through study, prayer and time.  It is a very attainable change. My personnel belief is since insecurity is common to us all, it is the result of the fall. Adam and Eve were in the ideal state of their being, in perfect fellowship with God; they had no worries, God provided for their needs on all levels. Can you imagine the huge void that occurred when God’s Spirit left them? Once sin entered, God could no longer indwell them. It was an awful moment when they realized what a devastating lie they bought into, it changed the whole course of humanity.  Keep that in mind when you hear, “oh it’s no big deal, it’s just a little sin,” that’s how it is always played. Therefore we struggle with insecurity, something that the Lord did not intend for us to deal with along with a whole host of other deviate emotions. However no matter the insecurity or the struggle, GOD is the answer and there are verses in the Bible that we can meditate on to strengthen ourselves and by the quickening of the Holy Spirit we can conquer  them. We do not need to continue to live being controlled by our strongholds.

In  Psalms 119:9-11 we have this great verse that I personally have cherished since my youth,

We must literally reprogram our thinking so we can reprogram  our emotional responses. The biggest change starts by changing our view of ourselves. Do we truly believe we are God’s son or daughter by Grace? For if we have truly accepted Christ in our heart, then  from that point starts a lifetime  process, the process of sanctification. The more I respond to life’s blessings and challenges from my new identity, the more Holy will be my thoughts, decisions and actions. What I have experienced in my life for that to happen is a complete tearing down of all that was Arthur and a new foundation, a sanctified foundation being built by the Master Builder. And there is nothing more fundamental, or ground zero than one’s view of them-self. “On Christ the solid rock I stand everything else is sinking sand,” so go the lyrics of one of our most foundational hymns. On God alone and His promises with His love infused in all of it does the rebuilding process begin, continue and forever be. To say with truth that I am not who I was ( Amen) nor am I who I will become,( another Amen) is a statement from a believer that has made time in their schedule to be with the Lord and has experienced the sanctification that comes through the Holy Spirit in fused Word of God. Exchanging our weaknesses and carnality for His strenght and truth. I am now on my 45th year of being His son by Grace and know that there is no end to this journey. God is so vast and our need so unending that our adventure will go on for Eternity.

Now to our study.  It has been said that Paul probably wrote these verses while he was in prison chained between two Roman guards. He had plenty of time to study their armor and in so doing saw parellels to the spiritual armor a Christian must wear to overcome the battles we fight. I have heard many sermons on these passage and there is no one explanation, but there have been many good insights that I took to heart as I was maturing in my walk. It however has been years since I have heard a sermon on these passages and it is definitely overdo. I would like to make some broad applications initially then get into the Greek of the passages. Lord willing by the end of the studies  we will be Green Berets for Christ.

Broad picture, we are in a battle and the biggest problem is the enemy lives within. It’s us, our carnal nature that is at war with the work that the Holy Spirit wants to do. And the one we spend the most time with will be the victor. In Galatians 5:16-17 We have a very insightful passage…

“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

So taking my above statement. If I only hear the scriptures when I am sitting in church and there is no other time I am in them, yet day in and day out I engage and hear the messages of the world who do you think will have the greater pull, God or the world? An obvious answer no?

Deuteronomy 17:16-20 ( rules for a King)

Kings are normally kings because of blood line, not for their belief in God. However God’s king was that because of his obedience to the Lord. King David had the longest and most successful rule if you gauge success by the nation’s fear of God. King’s after him ruled, some for a time but never too old age as David did. Often their reign ended because they sinned against the Lord. Solomon David’s son lost the 10 tribes of Israel because of his disobedience to the Lord and he would have lost the tribes of Judah and Benjamin  if it wasn’t for God keeping them with him for King David’s sake. You are replaceable with God, though God was and is very patience.

The role of king is very clear, spelled out in several passages. However the main passage, the one that determines the quality and make up of a king is this one. I have shared parts of these verses in recent Vida’s but never all of them, and though I will never be a king I love these verses and believe that whatever is required of a King I want to do. I want to take the highest road and see where it leads, something that we all should consider. Leadership for me started in High School as Student Body President. Right after graduation I entered the work arena and promoted up from various positions till I became a department manager while continuing my education at night. Every few years I was changed to another department while working for  a large wholesale nursery. I was the youngest to hold these positions, I know it was because of my commitment to these verses. God allowed me to find favor with those above me. We can never go wrong by taking the high road which according to these verses is reading, writing and memorizing the scriptures often, daily if possible. Whatever measure we give God from a willing heart will never come back void. God takes it and multiplies it blessing you and others, and the greatest position gained is not the title  man gives but what the Father gives when He calls us sons and daughters; no title exceeds that.

A large part of my motive for studying the Word has to do with a personal need. I so wanted a Christian dad growing up that I adopted God as my dad. Though I was very grateful for the things my dad did with me as a child and especially because I knew he loved me, I still wanted someone to father me in the ways of God. Therefore to know the Lord I needed to spend time with Him and His Word is what brought Him close to me. In studying the Bible I  learned His values, I saw how He judged – what He defined as right and wrong and most importantly to see His love demonstrated. In a very literal way I asked him to finish the job my dad started in raising me, teaching me not only the scriptures but their application in every day life; His way of living. For the last 35 yrs. part of that schooling has been a commitment to read a chapter of Proverbs almost daily.  There is no better instructions on life than what can be learned from Proverbs.

 In most of my management classes, especially the ones in college I would fall asleep ( partly because I was exhausted between work, school and dating my soon to become wife) yet on test day the teacher would separate me from the class so no one could copy. I consistently received the highest scores and that was because of Proverbs. I already understood personnel relationships and Proverbs not only teaches on that but on being a husband, father, neighbor, friend etc.

My best friends are the following  scriptures; I have repeatedly used them for challenges at work, Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established,” and vs. 9 “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps,” and lastly Proverbs 3:5-6

with this last verse being my go to verse for everything in life

People will say that you cannot take the scriptures literally and to some extent it’s true. Revelations or poetical books such as the Song of Solomon are symbolical or allegorical, but overall I believe people say this just as an excuse to not follow any of it. With the exception of what I just mentioned, I  know no other way than to take the scriptures literally. “Committing my works,” communicating with the Lord what it is I need to accomplish  and asking Him to establish my thoughts on how to do it, ‘ I will consider my ways Father but you direct my path according to thy wisdom.’ In all my undertaking I acknowledge and seek His guidance first. Specific body language and procedure that I follow to this day; kneeling down to pray before I start a landscape which my men see and know that I am asking God for wisdom; or kneeing at my desk before I start billing or writing up an estimate, or taking a moment before I come into the house to thank God for the day, whether it was good or bad and now requesting His help to be a good husband, father or grandfather. These habits have been established in me because of these verses and I feel blessed because of it. And I don’t feel blessed because it makes my day necessarily any easier, I feel blessed because I know it makes my Father happy – it’s just the right thing to do and there is joy in doing the right thing. Whether it makes money or not, whether it makes my day any easier or not it makes my Father happy. However I do know that doing the right thing time and time again does bring benefits here and a spiritual harvest in Eternity. However a word of caution. To do something right so as to get something from God seldom works, however to do something for no other reason than it pleases Him gets you everywhere.

Each landscape job we do is very beautiful, capturing both the beauty of design and creation and it is because “He establishes my thoughts.”I know this very hands on approach to living out the scriptures is what He seeks from each of us; to work side by side with Him in whatever our profession is, or in the home raising the kids and whatever the day may bring we go it with Him, not without Him. Living as such you learn that you are truly always in His company and it’s a great feeling – truly a confidence builder.

And for you stay home mom’s, something that I desired to have done with our girls but was not able to God gave me this verse in Nehemiah to keep me focused on the grand-kids. Nehemiah is speaking, chapter 6 vs.33

“And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?…..” The enemies of the Jews did not want them to build a fortified  wall around the city so they planned to lure Nehemiah away and kill him causing the work to cease. Their plan failed for Nehemiah valued God’s calling on his life and we must do the same. His voice is clear in scripture and children are a top priority, raising them in the love and admonition of The Lord.

The children are to be taught the truths of God as we live life, going through the good times as well as the hard times. They also are not to get the leftovers, but the best that we can give at that moment. Of course our “best” will vary, but our intent is to be present with them. So you stay home mom’s and parents in general though your job often is tiring and at times mundane, it is extremely important. Day in and day out you are sending a message to them of their worth and when they are old enough to understand the message of God’s love for them they will believe it because you made them feel valued.

At the core of so many of us we struggle with the concept of God’s love for us because we never felt valued growing up. Personally I believe the whole playboy/ porn industry would not exist if these girls felt valued by their fathers or the number of unwed mothers would drastically drop off if these women felt loved as children. Moms and dads you play such a critical role in the early formation of the child’s view of themselves, especially dad’s with their little girls. And when the extended family, grandparents, uncles, aunts all give the same message of love and value it will only build confident children that can receive the message of God’s love for them.

Thank you for this study in your Word and as we bend our ways to You we will receive more of your joy, more of your peace, and more of your wisdom. All the truly good things that this world does not have, nor can it give. It only masquerades as having it. You are the Real Deal Father and no one or nothing else can compare. Thank you and Amen.

Move Forward In His Grace – Arthur