If You See Me Wallowing in the Mire...

Let's say that you are walking one day and you find me on the side of the road.  There I am, in a huge muddy pit, just sloshing around in the dirt.

Although it initially looks like I may be struggling to get out as my members contend with the weight of the caked on debris all over my clothes, skin, and hair, you are just not sure.  As you watch me roll around in the mud, you wonder if in fact I might actually be enjoying it...and maybe to a certain extent I am.

Each day, you walk by and find me in that same muddy hole.  Each day I seem to be a little deeper in it.  The degradation of my condition worsens, and the stench from the pit soon becomes overwhelming.

You eventually discover that I have resorted to eating the mud around me, for lack of any other nutrients nearby.  Yet each day you walk by, and if only for a brief moment, our eyes meet.

In such circumstances, can I ask you a favor?

Sincerely Wrong vs. Willfully Ignorant

A brother called recently to talk to me about the story of Job.  He shared how - at the end of the matter - God never told Job why he was allowed to suffer.  His three friends insisted that his suffering must be the result of either his sin or his children's sin.  They claimed that this was a judgment against Job because he really didn't serve the Lord at all.  Yet, each of these friends were wrong (Job 42:7-8).

God starts off stating that Job was a perfect & upright man (Job 1:8) and He ends by justifying Job and blessing him anew (Job 42:10-17).  Yet here is the kicker: There were still things God needed to work out in Job.  Job needed to learn that God is sovereign (Job 38:1 - 41:34).  God does what He wants to do and He owes us no explanation...even while His hand of protection remains upon us.

The point here is that - through this process of suffering - Job was convicted and brought to repentance over having spiritual pride (Job 40:3-5, 42:1-6).  Job was a righteous man, but there were still things in his heart that God wanted to reveal so that Job could be further purged and cleansed (Job 33:14-29).

God is not primarily concerned with the things that are wrong within us; these are no surprise to Him.  He knows there are things in us that are are not in alignment with His will & His ways.  That is why He sent Jesus to be a sacrifice for our sin and the Holy Spirit to be a sanctifier of our hearts.  Perfecting God's people is something only the Lord can do, and He is faithful to complete the work He has started in us (Philippians 1:6).  However, in order to be perfected, we must stay sincere before Him.  Our job is to yield to Him as He does His work.

This is how we are able to live blamelessly before God, even with there still being things which need to be set right within us (Luke 1:6; I Corinthians 1:8; Philippians 2:15, 3:6; I Thessalonians 5:23; I Timothy 3:2-10, 5:7; Titus 1:6-7; II Peter 3:14).  Being upright is not about having no sin, but about not being in covenant with sin...and that is a big difference.

Songs of Joy

Esther Mui has just put out a new album called "Songs of Joy".  About this work, she says:

This selection of Scripture passages put to song wholly resound with praise towards our God and the joy that comes from being in communion with Him. May the words of the psalmists, prophets and apostles uplift your spirits.

Let us remember that joy comes from Him alone, our God of mercy and our defense. Let us be glad in Him and give thanks to Him because he is the deliverer of our souls - our Wonderful, Mighty God. May we be vessels of honor for His glory and praise!

May this be a blessing to you and may Esther & her family continue to be blessed of the Lord for their ministry.

Broken Ribs

In Don't Forget Deborah - Part 3 (The Beauty of Submission), I wrote the following:

When God was creating woman, He took one of Adam's ribs in order to form her. This small point is not insignificant. Again, God does everything for a reason.

The ribs provide one main function: protection for the heart and the lungs. Both the heart and lungs are critical to the life of the body, yet the nature of their work requires that these organs be soft, delicate, and pliable (and thereby in need of protection).

The heart keeps blood flowing, ensuring that life reaches other parts of the body. It also provides a place of refreshing where the blood can get re-oxygenated or revived in order to continue its work. As such, the heart needs to be sensitive and flexible enough to the respond to the body's electrical impulses regarding contraction in order to keep the blood pumping. It is strong and is one of the largest muscles in the human body. It is an involuntary muscle meaning we do not have to consciously tell the heart to beat. It is created to anticipate the needs of the body and does so automatically.

The lungs are the place where gas exchange occurs within the human body; it collects the oxygen needed to give energy to the blood and expels toxins such as carbon dioxide. Similar to the heart, the lungs must be elastic enough to inflate/deflate as needed to support the inhaling and exhaling of air. Again, the lungs are involuntary muscles and expand/contract without willful thought by nature of their design.

The heart and lungs work around the clock, processing on average 8,000 - 9,000 liters of blood and air respectively a day. When they don't work properly, it impacts the whole body's ability to function as it should.

Understanding the functional purpose that these delicate organs serve and how vital their work is to the health of the body, it is clear to see why God - in His infinite wisdom - encased the heart and lungs under the protection of the ribs.

However, what happens when the ribs are broken?  I mentioned in a recent comment that God has been emphasizing obedience lately.  A number of women have even written this month to ask what it means to obey their husbands. Further, I have seen other women claiming to be obedient to God, but rejecting patriarchal authority and going off in rebellion against Him.  They are in fact in "obedient" to a perverse demon spirit, even while claiming to be serving the Lord.

Take time to listen to this message.  The calling of women is so evident in Scripture that you would have to want to be blind not to see it.  Only those who enjoy rebellion and do not want to be cleansed from sin will turn a deaf ear.  If there is any resistance in your soul to this, then that is the very thing which God is trying to deal with in you.

It is past time to get this right.  We need to examine ourselves to see who - and whose - we truly are.  We must lay bare our hearts before God and be desperate enough for deliverance that we are willing to deal with those things that God despises.  It is time for women to once again become life in the church by joyfully understanding and embracing who we are designed by God to be.

The Joy of the Lord

"[[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.]] The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!" Psalm 21:1

My family has been dealing with a situation for which we have been asking God for wisdom and guidance.  This week, we have been meeting with "experts" at a center, seeking to understand the scope of what we are dealing with and options for addressing it.

Our first day at this center, a stranger approached me and started a conversation.  In part she said, "This place is so anointed.  The Lord has definitely led you to the right place."  I said thank you and we parted ways.  I then prayed in my heart to the Lord, "Lord, if that was supposed to be some kind of confirmation for me that we are to follow the advice of these people, then I am sorry but you are going to have to make it more clear than that.  That just didn't do it for me."

The next day, another stranger came up to me and started speaking.  In part, she said, "This place is just wonderful.  I can't speak more highly of it.  With the Lord's help, you will find all that you need here."  Again, I responded, "Thank you."  However, yet again, something was missing.  While comforting, reassuring, and encouraging, the words these women spoke just did not resonate with my spirit.  They were nice platitudes, but did not have the power that words from the Lord usually have.

You see, everybody has a "word from the Lord" these days, but they are not all from the Lord.  We must seek to be in tune with God at all times in order to know what is of Him and what is not.  A word is not from God just because it makes us feel good or tells us nice things we want to hear.  The enemy himself can even transform himself into an angel of light in order to lead you astray (II Corinthians 11:14).  A real word from the Lord will slam into our souls, confront our perceptions, and bring about a major change and assurance within us.

I began to question the Lord more urgently.  "Lord, Friday is the day we get the feedback from these experts and their recommendations, yet I feel no closer to knowing what we should do."

Praise Him

No matter what, praise Him.


Praise Him from thelatterdays on GodTube.