If we are the body? The truth about binding and loosing.

^{Matthew 16:19} And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

You hear it said often:

"Speak to your mountain."

"I bind that spirit...."

"I loose the power of God into...."

People love this kind of stuff. Preachers love to say it. It gives us a feeling of power and control. And why not? Are we not the "children of God?" Didn't he say that what we bind or loose, he will too? 

Not exactly.

Lets dig a little bit deeper here. 

The word bind here comes from the Greek "deo" and means: 
1) to bind tie, fasten

a) to bind, fasten with chains, to throw into chains

b) metaph.

1) Satan is said to bind a woman bent together by means of a demon, as his messenger, taking possession of the woman and preventing her from standing upright

2) to bind, put under obligation, of the law, duty etc.

a) to be bound to one, a wife, a husband

3) to forbid, prohibit, declare to be illicit

See, you say. We CAN bind the devil. Not so fast. We have the power to CAST out demons and resist them. But where is the scripture that says we can bind them? Where is the scripture that says we can rebuke them? Even the archangel Michael didn't take that kind of authority. He told Satan "The LORD rebuke thee." (Jude 1:9)

So, what about loosing? The word loose here comes from the Greek, lyo, and it means:  
1) to loose any person (or thing) tied or fastened

a) bandages of the feet, the shoes,

b) of a husband and wife joined together by the bond of matrimony

c) of a single man, whether he has already had a wife or has not yet married

2) to loose one bound, i.e. to unbind, release from bonds, set free

a) of one bound up (swathed in bandages)

b) bound with chains (a prisoner), discharge from prison, let go

3) to loosen, undo, dissolve, anything bound, tied, or compacted together

a) an assembly, i.e. to dismiss, break up

b) laws, as having a binding force, are likened to bonds

c) to annul, subvert

d) to do away with, to deprive of authority, whether by precept or act

e) to declare unlawful

f) to loose what is compacted or built together, to break up, demolish, destroy

g) to dissolve something coherent into parts, to destroy

h) metaph., to overthrow, to do away with

So, can we indeed "loose the power of God" into anything? No.
Not on our own.

I believe that the proper understanding of what Jesus told Peter (and by extension, the church) is found in Jesus' mission. We are "Christians" The word means "Christ-like." 

As I've said before, Jesus died to prepare a spiritual place for us so that WE could have the kind of relationship with the spirit of God that the son of God (the flesh) enjoyed. 

His intention was not to build a religious organization. Rather, it was to develop a "body of believers" that would- through HIM- be empowered BY him to do the things that he did. We are to be his hands and feet. Healing the sick, raising the dead, setting the captives free (through him), etc. 

Just as Jesus started his days (and many times ended his days) in prayer, we are to do the same. Even though he was God in the flesh, the secret to his ministry was the relationship of flesh and spirit that was built through prayer and time in the word. 

ALL our ministry begins in prayer and study. THEN, we are to obey his leading. WHEN we obediently act or speak, THEN all the power of heaven is released to back up our obedience to God. In this way, what we bind and loose on earth, is bound and loosed in heaven. 

The more we pray, the closer we get to him. The closer we get to him, the more we begin to be able to discern whether it's HIS voice, our voice, or the voices of our enemies we are hearing. If it's ours, we repent. If it's the enemies, we respond with the word (resist). If it's HIS, we submit and obey. 

We have become a presumptuous generation. We have bought into the "name it, claim it" falsehoods. God is NOT our servant to do as we please. We are HIS servants to do as HE pleases. We can't order God to heal someone. All we can do is ask. If HE says to say, "be thou healed", then say it under his power and anointing. But, we can't just say it and expect him to obey us.  

We are his body to do what he says. WE are to complete HIS mission through HIS leading. So, what was his mission? 

Luke 4:18-19

¹⁸ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

¹⁹ To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Notice, "heal the brokenhearted." 

Another definition of a "bind" is a bandage. A bandage stops further infection, keeps in the medicine, and allows healing to begin. When we "bind" the hurting, we are placing a holy bandage on their spiritual wound that allows inner healing in their lives. 

Binding is not, as some teach, an offensive weapon. It is a healing balm to the hurting.

Most sins begin through a response to pain. They are bound to that sin because of some past pains and hurts. If we will stay close to God and do as he says, we will be able- through him- to enable inner healing in the lives of many. This helps them to repent and takes away (eventually) the perceived need for the sin in their lives. 

Notice, "to set at liberty them that are bruised." When we set something free, we loose them. There are many in this world that have been bruised and battered by both their own choices and the choices of those around them. If we will walk close with the Lord, he will help us- again through him- to do and/or say something that will cut the ropes and break the chains from their hearts. This will allow them to begin to heal and be set free in Jesus.

So, the true order is this: 

HE says bind, we do or say as he told us to, he unleashes his resources to accomplish what he told us to do. 

When he says loose, we do or say as he told us to, he unleashes his resources to accomplish what he told us to do.

If we try to circumvent the first step in the binding and loosing cycles, then we mistakenly try to do the second, the third part doesn't happen.  

As Christians, we truly do have a lot of power at our fingertips. But, this power cannot be used arbitrarily and at OUR choosing. This power is to be used when HE wants and how HE wants. 

The popular song by Casting crowns, asks, "If we are the body, why aren't his arms reaching, why aren't his hand healing..." The reason is either a) we aren't his body (some that claim to be truly are not), or b) we are trying to improperly bind and loose.

God has limitless power and resources available for his body to use, but we can only access them through the patterns and ways HE has ordained. If we break from these, we are powerless against a dying world- and defenseless against an enemy that has sworn to destroy us. 

If we will truly submit to Jesus, then we can become his body indeed. 

We are his body, lets let him use us as he sees fit. If he speaks, then we should speak. If he says do something, then we should do it. Our ministries should grow out of our relationship with him and through him, not out of our own minds, attitudes, or popular methodologies. 

We plug into his power through the new birth, but we only use his power when HE turns on the switch, not when WE decide. 

Sometimes, real men need to sit down.

John 6

King James Version (KJV)

6 After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias.

² And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.

³ And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples.

⁴ And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.

⁵ When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?

⁶ And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.

⁷ Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.

⁸ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,

⁹ There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

¹⁰ And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

¹¹ And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

¹² When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.

¹³ Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.

¹⁴ Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.

My pastor preached "little is much with God" out of this section today. It was truly a very good message. However, I must confess that, as he read the scriptures, my mind went a slightly different direction. So, let's take a look. 

The first thing that caught my attention was the fact that it was NIGH Passover. In other words, it was very close to Passover. Without going into a great amount of detail, there was a lot of things that had to be prepared for Passover. 

             A) They had to find just the right lamb (unblemished in any way). This lamb had to be killed and prepared for their table in specific ways using specific herbs. 

            B) The unleavened bread had to be prepared (not a fast process, to say the least). There were also dipping sauces made with bitter herbs that had to be made. 

            C) The list goes on. 

Suffice it to say that to prepare for the Passover was not a microwave process. It could take days to prepare for this special and God-ordained day. 

Yet, what were these masses of people doing to prepare for this high Holy day? Following an itinerant preacher they knew little about because they had heard he was a miracle worker. 

Though this is a good place to start (Jesus did say, "Believe me that I am in the father and the Father in me, or else believe me for the very works sake." Translation, "believe what I say, but if you have trouble with that, at least believe the miracles.") but this should not be our stopping place.

Many follow Jesus for what he can DO for them. Indeed, to some, he's a spiritual candy machine: press the button (pray) and down drops the delicious treat. Again, Jesus says this is a good starting point. It's weak faith, at best. Those who follow him for what he can do, will soon stop following him because they didn't get the desired result when they pressed the prayer button.  

Back to our story. These people were following Jesus, but disobeying the law of God. Let that sink into your craw a minute. Jesus was (and is) God in the flesh, yet, on this day the masses that followed him were breaking the law because they were not preparing for the God ordained Passover meal. 

There were 5000 men (and who knows how many women and children) there who should have been out looking for that perfect lamb to use. The women should have been preparing the unleavened bread and sauces, getting the clothing ready, etc. Husbands and wives should have been using this as an opportunity to teach their young children about what God did on the first Passover, when he set his people free from Egyptian bondage. Yet, here they all were, following Jesus. 

Jesus, as the author of the law himself, had every right to condemn these people. He could have openly and strongly rebuked these folks. But, he didn't. He had a higher purpose in mind than the Passover formalities- though they were important. After all, he would soon fulfill Passover on a rugged cross. He was after their hearts and minds, not just mere legalities. 

Rather than rebuke or destroy them, he had mercy on them. He notices their predicament. These people need fed. So, knowing full well what he is going to do, he asks his disciples: Where we gonna get bread to feed all these folks? 

His disciples are flabbergasted! Are you kidding me Lord? All these people? Why even if we had close to 8 months of wages (a penny is a days wages in scripture. They had a 6 day work week. Do the math and that's about 33 weeks- or nearly 8 months- of wages), we could never feed this many, Lord.

Phillip had pointed out the lack of supplies to get the job done. Andrew then, showing a little more faith, points out that there's a young boy with 5 loaves and 2 fishes. 5 BARLEY loaves, at that. As my pastor pointed out today, Barley was the poor man's wheat and flower. The poor couldn't afford the good stuff. So, not only do they only have 5 loaves, but it's not very good quality stuff. Not much to work with, to be sure. 

Then Jesus decides this is enough for him (God almighty) to work with. He takes this little bit and feeds the multitudes with an abundance left over to boot. This little boy gave truly all he had, and God blessed it to bless thousands! 

But, there's something else he did first. He ordered the men of the multitude to sit down. Right there, in a field and on the side of a mountian. No comfy chairs. No Air conditioning. Just hard ground with a little grass to soften it slightly. These men should have been out providing the Passover meal for their own families. Instead, they are being told to sit down. In other words:

                          "Get out of my (Jesus) way and let me work! I'll have mercy on you and provide for your needs- even though you are disobeying me by being here in the first place." 

We men are told by God to provide for the needs of our families and help others with theirs. We are told, as preachers, to instruct and feed the flock of God diligently. Pray, work, give until it hurts (our all- not just money). 

But, sometimes, in spite of what we are supposed to be doing, God will find us in the wrong place, at the wrong time, doing (or not doing) our best to fulfill the burdens placed on us. Like these folks, we get sidetracked and find ourselves drawn away from what we should be doing. Before we know it, we're in a real fix.

Away from home and totally helpless. We try and hunt in vain for the provision we should give our families (physically and spiritually), to no avail. We are at the end of our rope with nowhere else to go. We will die, if there is no divine intervention. 

But Jesus, as he did for these men, calls to us men and tells us to....SIT DOWN. Take a load off. DO NOTHING. Leave it all to me.

If you find yourself in this predicament, take heart. Whatever your need, trust him to fulfill it. He will! He fed the multitudes full of rebellion and he will care for us and our needs, too.

These men could have thrown their hands up in the air and stopped following Jesus altogether. They could have struck out on their own, dragging their families behind them, in a desperate attempt to do what's right. If they had, they'd have been wrong- and they would've died apart from Jesus. 

We are the God ordained provider for our homes, but HE gives us what we need to give our families. Wisdom, food, shelter, godly instruction, it all comes from God to us. Our job is to do what we are supposed to do and follow Jesus. 

When we find ourselves hogtied by our situation though, our job is to pray and sit. Let him handle the struggle. He will come through in his mercy! 

A soft word: communication help for the hapless.

Proverbs 15:1
A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.


Matthew 5:37
But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.


We Christians are commanded to be honest in all that we do and say. We fight our human nature, which- if we're honest- desires to protect itself and lift itself up. 


We take great pride in "saying what we mean and meaning what we say." Yet, in relationships with others, this prideful bluntness can be very harmful. It can drive wedges between us and our co-workers, our spouses, our family, our friends, and our fellow Christians. It has destroyed careers and decimated families and churches alike. 


We love to say, "let your yeas be yea, and your nays be nay." When we say that, many times there's a smug self righteousness that sneaks through and is heard by others. What they hear is, "I'm gonna say what I feel. I don't care how you feel about it at all."


Proverbs 15:1, I believe, is the key to better communication. It is the method by which we can BOTH say what we mean AND not alienate most of who listens to what we have said.


While it is true that somethings we say, especially Biblical things, will hurt some people's feelings. This is a given no matter how nicely we try and word things. In these situations we need to remember: Proverbs 27:6
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

Some folks just need the unadulterated truth, even if it hurts them. We cannot short cut the word of God in favor of someones feelings- no matter how much we love them. 

By the same token, however, we cannot go around swinging our sword at all who come near. This hack and slay approach may make you feel good about how much you know and are telling the "godless heathens" around you. But, it truly won't win the vast majority to your cause. If you're married, or soon to be, then swinging your sword isn't going to gain you any good will with your spouse.

When we are speaking to others, we need to be prayerful about it and try to be led by the spirit of God in what we say and do. Instead of angry retorts, try rewording what you're saying in a way that both lets them know you care and helps them see what you're saying from a different angle.

We men, as heads of the home, truly struggle with this. There is a tendency for us to parade around as "the master of all we survey" in our homes. God has named us head of the home (understood to our male ego's as "Lord of the Castle") and "by God, they had better do what I say." This attitude belittles your spouse (who is your helpmate, not your doormat) and will drive your children away from you as well. 

Rather than giving orders, try prayerfully explaining your ideas and allowing both their feedback and (if there's time) time to pray and think about it, as well. Instead of telling them what they will and won't do "because I say so", explain your reasons for your conclusions and allow them to ask questions. They may see things in a way that helps YOUR understanding, as well. 

While the husband does have the final say (in Jesus) on what can and cannot happen with his family, it is far better (and easier) to do things in agreement. In this way you truly LEAD your family. You're not trying to force them into your will. Even God allows us freedom of choice.

Granted there are times in which you will have to put your foot down, or make a decision that only you agree with- making your family upset. However, when those times come, they'll be far easier for you than if all you do is force your will down the throats of your loved ones. Remember, scripture says that, Proverbs 11:14

"Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety."

If you allow your family, especially your spouse, to be a part of your decisions, they are far more likely to follow you when they disagree. 

Major decisions, if possible, need to be done only in family unity. If all do not have peace about it, then take the time to re-examine and re-pray about it. Minor decisions, too, should be made together as much as possible. 

We have a hard enough time battling the influences of the world and our enemy without forcing battles in our homes. So, to my wife and family, I love you and am still learning. Please forgive me the errors of my past. 

Rarefied Air

1 Corinthians 9:25-27

King James Version (KJV)

²⁵ And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

²⁶ I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

²⁷ But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

This blog post will be a fun departure from the norm for me. As most of you know, I tend to blog about Scriptures and how they apply to our lives. I try to be an encouragement to you, the reader, in your daily walk with Jesus. 

However, I am also a fiction writer (having published one book) and an avid reader of Christian fiction myself. So, to take a short break from reality, I'll pick up a good book and immerse in the world I find there. 

As Christians we are to be very careful what we watch, read, and listen to, so I tend to be very picky about what I choose to read.

Around a year ago, I picked up a copy of the book, "Lion of Judah", by Davis Bunn. I first became aware of his work when he did the "Song of Acadia" series with Janette Oke (an author my family has enjoyed for years). So, when I found this book, I was willing to take a chance. I was so glad that I did. It was a wonderful and engaging book and I wrote Mr Bunn on his website (http://www.davisbunn.com/) and told him so.

You can imagine the thrill I felt when I was given the opportunity to read and critique the sequel to "Lion of Judah." I was on pins and needles awaiting the arrival of "Rare Earth." 

As a former Army Medic and a preacher, I have long stood for the idea that Christians are not just patsies. We are not made to simply roll over and be killed like lambs to the slaughter. Rather, we are commanded to fight (sometimes physically, if need be) the evil in this world and make a difference in the lives of others.

"Rare Earth" is about a man, Marc Royce, who does just that. A strong Christian man, he is also an intelligence agent trying to correct injustice and make a difference in people lives- many of which he's never met. Yet, he does it because it's the right thing to do. 

Along the way, he must weed through the mine field of political intrigue, dangerous enemies, financial offers made to side track him, strange tribal customs, and even an erupting volcano. This story has it all: Mystery, danger, intrigue, politics, corruption, romance, action, and the main character has to make it through all this while still standing up for biblical living. Marc Royce has to pray and seek God's advice on who to trust and not to trust, something we can all learn to do.


The action is breath taking. The romance is subtle and sweet without giving in to the tendency of many books and being graphic (Thank you, Mr Bunn!) The politics are realistic. The danger is heart pounding. You can't help but find yourself rooting for Marc Royce to be successful. After all, the future of the Kenyan (and some Israeli) people is at stake and Marc has to figure out what's going on in order to stop it and bring true freedom to them all. Not to mention trying to stay alive himself.



There are many poignant moments that leave you thinking how you would react in that situation. There are many plot twists and turns that leave you guessing about what's next. 


The Characters are well written and have real depth to them. The descriptions of the landscapes are vivid enough that you can almost feel the volcanic ash falling around you. The action is fast paced and realistic. Marc is not made out to be Superman. He's just a man who loves people and God. 


I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I did "Lion of Judah"- probably because I was in Iraq in the 90's. I did very much enjoy "Rare Earth." I heartily recommend it for any Christian who wants to read some good fiction and stay away from all the junk the world tells us to read. 


This book is in rarefied air. My only question now to Mr Bunn is: will there be a third installment to the series? Please?

When the Lord refuses a sacrifice.

15 Samuel also said unto Saul, The Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord.

² Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.
³ Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.
⁴ And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of Judah.
⁵ And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.
⁶ And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.
⁷ And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.
⁸ And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.
⁹ But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
¹⁰ Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel, saying,
¹¹ It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the Lord all night.
¹² And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.
¹³ And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the Lord: I have performed the commandment of the Lord.
¹⁴ And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?
¹⁵ And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.
¹⁶ Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.
¹⁷ And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel?
¹⁸ And the Lord sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.
¹⁹ Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord?
²⁰ And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.
²¹ But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal.
²² And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
²³ For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
²⁴ And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.
²⁵ Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord.
²⁶ And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.
²⁷ And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.
²⁸ And Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine, that is better than thou.
²⁹ And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent.
³⁰ Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord thy God.
³¹ So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the Lord.
³² Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.
³³ And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.
³⁴ Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.
³⁵ And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.


Saul was given great position, blessings, honor, and responsibility. He loved the position, blessings, and honor. But, he tried to circumvent the responsibility. Therefore, he lost out with God.

Popular teaching today says that "God always honors our sacrifices." Really? He rejected Saul's. He rejected Cain's. Why? He rejects all sacrifices that are contrary to his word and ways of doing things.

When God's word says for us to live one way, but we reject that and live another, how can we expect God to bless what we try to do for him?

We buy into the popular theologies of the day that tell us of God's love for us, his desire for us to prosper, and all the blessings he wishes to give us. But, a half truth is a whole lie. These "doctrines" don't give the whole picture.

Samuel told Saul, "to obey is better than sacrifice..." The Lord is looking for a people that will submit and obey him. Many are the people who try, like Saul and Cain, to reach God their own way- without following the whole counsel of God.

Jesus' response to this attitude rings loud and clear: "narrow is the gate that leadeth to life, and few there be that FIND it.."

God's not gonna force us to live for him. He died for us. He'll help us to live for him and make heaven. But, he won't force us to obey. That choice is ours to make. We can give all we own to the needy, and still not make it. We can sing or preach to thousands, but be lost in the end.

We MUST obey him. The christian life is simple, really. It's a walk of faithful obedience to God. No matter what come our way or who comes against us, we must stay the path. If we will choose to obey him in all we do, we will barely make it in. Peter said, "If the righteous SCARCELY be saved..."

So, what is our choice? To obey, or not to obey? That is the question. (Sorry Shakespeare) Do we try Saul's way and go through the motions but cut corners off that we don't like? Or, do we pray and study and follow what we find there?

Time will tell. "As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord."

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I'm declaring my independence day!

2 Timothy 3:12
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.


Ephesians 4:14
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;


1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

I'm tired of it. I'm sick and tired of it. This life is very hard-especially living for God. Life is hard enough, but it seems that when a person decides to give their all for Jesus, the naysayers come out of the woodwork.

Living for Jesus is good and honorable. It is holy and righteous in the eyes of God. It all sounds fantastic to the young Christian. When the preacher/teacher begins to discuss living for God, the young child of God gets an almost euphoric feeling. They see things as rose colored and wonderful.

Then, when they begin- through prayer and effort- to implement the changes in their life that the scriptures declare they need to, it's "Katy bar the door" from their "friends" and "loved ones." Then comes the battles.
They begin to hear things like:

                              "Do you think you're better than us?"
                              "That's not how I raised you to live."
                              "It's not necessary to live that way."
                              "Don't you think you're taking this Jesus stuff a bit too far?"
                              "Well, Jesus loves us all and we don't all have to live that way."
                           
My personal favorite is when you've never said a word to the person about how they live. All you've done is change how you live. Then, they get mad at you? Ever heard this one? "How dare you tell me that I'm living wrong!" The truth is that your lifestyle is stepping on their toes without you ever speaking a word.

I've been living for God for nearly 22 years, now. I've made many mistakes in that time. I've stumbled and fallen along the way. I've hurt some folks along the way- unintentionally.

I've worried and lost sleep sometimes over the opinions of people that I love and friends that I care about. I've suffered from that very human disease- trying to win people's approval. Let me tell you that this has added more than a few gray hairs to my head.

Folks will share a scripture that they think contradicts what God has shown me, and I go through a time of worry. Am I wrong? Did I mishear God? I begin to pray and search it out. Sometimes, I discover that I was wrong and my understanding changes. Other times, I discover that the person who gave me the scripture was wrong in their understanding. I then gently try to explain the correct understanding- usually to an increasingly angry person.

This causes more stress to me. If the word of God tells us how to live. If the word tells us something different than how we've been living, don't get mad at the messenger. We need to change our lifestyles to adapt to the word of God. Not the other way around.

I'm tired of the finger pointing. I'm tired of the nay-saying. I'm tired of worrying about the opinions of others who have no heaven or hell to send me to (no matter how much they may personally wish me to go to either place).

Therefore, today- as we celebrate the July 4th holiday- I'm declaring my own independence.

No more will I concern myself with the opinions of others. No longer will I worry about the finger pointers and Pentecostal fruit inspector's alike. Let the chips fall where they may. As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord in word and deed. If folks don't like how we live, that's their prerogative. If folks don't like the way we look- don't look. Don't like what we say? Don't listen. Have issues with what I write? Don't read it.

Hard times will come. But, we will stand- stedfast and unmoveable. Nay-sayers will come and go, but we will stand for Jesus. It's not that I don't care about you, it's that I care about Jesus MORE than I care about you. I'm not trying to run anybody off, but if I have to choose between Jesus and you, I choose Jesus- every time.

It's a free country and you have a right to move on down the road if you don't like my house (or writing, or Facebook page). I'm done worrying about you. I'm free. Why? Because "he whom the son hath set free is free indeed."

Jesus- because he's God!

For those of you who pray for me and my family, thank you. We have had a lot going on of late. I was able to go back to work after nearly two months of being out with both gall bladder surgery and a very extensive blood clot in my left arm. The Lord has faithfully taken care of us. Our youngest daughter, Heather, is now engaged to an Apostolic Marine, so we have all the wedding planning to do. My second week back to work (last week), had me running 16 hour days and I am physically ill from the strain of it. So, rather than getting ready for church this morning, I'm sitting in my living room coughing and sneezing and writing this blog. We do covet your prayers!

But, as I thought about how faithful the Lord has been to me and my family, an old song began to ring through my soul. It's called "He'd still been God". You can find the lyrics and hear it here: http://christiansongoftheday.blogspot.com/2009/06/hed-still-been-god.html

You see, many of us, when we think of Jesus, we think of Calvary, or healings, or salvation, or deliverance. We thank him for all he's done and all he's gonna do. We praise him for all his mighty wonders. We exalt him for .... (you fill in the blank). However, I think there's something we tend to overlook.

Jesus is worthy of all praise and glory and honor, not just because of all he's done, but because of who he is.

Jesus IS God!

The old Testament declares it: Isaiah 9:6

Jesus declared it: John 8:56-59, John 14: 6-11

The Apostles declare it: John 1:1,14; Colossians 2: 8-10; Colossians 1:12-19; 1 Timothy 1: 15-17, etc

We should praise him for all he's done. But, we should also praise him for who he is! As the song so beautifully says: "Even if he never did another single miracle, Jesus would've still been God."

He is not a politician to be elected again to represent us because we like his policies. He is not a mystical servant who exists to serve us what we think we need. He is not some cosmic Santa Claus who is supposed to give us all toys to play with.

He is God alone. And we who follow him (indeed, all of creation- even if folks choose not to follow him) are duty and love bound to worship him- for he is God. He is an awesome God, but he is God.

If we love our spouses only for what they can do for us, do we truly love them? No. We love them for who they are. The things they do for us are the icing on the cake. If we love Jesus only for what he does for us, do we love him? No. The wonderful things he does for us are the tip of the iceberg. Let's remember who he truly is and love him for that.

The scriptures declare that: Philippians 2:⁹ Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

¹⁰ That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

¹¹ And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

We're ALL gonna bow one day. We may as well do it today from our hearts, rather than then because we're forced to.

So today as we worship him, let's just love him for who he is. He is worthy because he is God.