What does it take for you to believe?

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness,and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.   ( this spoken to the Pharisees and Saducees those who presumed to know God.)

     We are saturated in this country with the Gospel of good news; the kingdom of God has come upon you! In my town  alone here in the west we have at least 50 to 100 churches of all denominations.  So the news of the Kingdom is out there.  But what of it?  Is the news accurate? Is it truly tellling the story, or is it just tradition, rote and only necessary to relieve one's conscience? A balm only applied during the Holy days of the year?  

     Indeed we are living in a day in which our religion is just that..'a-religion', a set of traditions and teachings we hold to with a posture of pretense and perhaps perform without thinking about but containing all of the truth's that  Jesus and his disciples lived and taught that if believed  would set you free.  

The question is do we believe it enough today to live it?  And is there time too? We are all busy and time is valuable.  Months and years go by and we are (I) am amazed at how quick.  Our families, jobs, friends take the pre-eminent positions and our time as well.  For those of us on a spiritual journey seeking answers to hard questions or those who are hard pressed in their lives, perhaps they like Jesus said are entering the Kingdom first!  Why?  Because they have come to a certain point when the need in their particular situation forces deeper questioning. A deeper and inner empty space they need to fill.  And like the Adultress in the scriptures, she needed forgiveness and a lifting of her sin and guilt.  And she received it.  Forgiveness was made available and she recognized it for what it was and received it.  There was power.  Plain and simple, God's Spirit at work to transform, heal and allow people to repent.  In the absence  repentance, there can be no transformation.  We have to come to know that we are broken vessels first.  Or at least see someone else who is  and then look at the results in them when God begins to work.  I did....and I was skeptical like many others but finally saw for myself................. Grace and peace.

     

Be Ye Kind: It's Thanksgiving!

9 “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am theLord your God.

11 “‘Do not steal.

“‘Do not lie.

“‘Do not deceive one another.

12 “‘Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am theLord.

13 “‘Do not defraud or rob your neighbor.

“‘Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight.

14 “‘Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the Lord.

15 “‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great,but judge your neighbor fairly.

16 “‘Do not go about spreading slander among your people.

“‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the Lord.

17 “‘Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt.

18 “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

19 “‘Keep my decrees.

“‘Do not mate different kinds of animals.

“‘Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed.

“‘Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.

2026 “‘Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it.

“‘Do not practice divination or seek omens.

27 “‘Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.

28 “‘Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the Lord.

29 “‘Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will turn to prostitution and be filled with wickedness.

30 “‘Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the Lord.

31 “‘Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.

32“‘Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord.

33 “‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. 34 The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

35 “‘Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity. 36 Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah[d] and an honest hin.[e] I am the Lordyour God, who brought you out of Egypt.

37 “‘Keep all my decrees and all my laws and follow them. I am the Lord.’”

Footnotes

The CurseBreaker

     I am the cursebreaker.  I rolled into town, unnoticed, undercover, in disguise, and annonymous unrecognized.  My mission: to undue the curse, set free, make, alive, re-new, and return hope to those who fell under the curse.  My first job, get those who would stand by me, recruit them tell them who I am, but not right away, they have to be worthy.
    They are by the waysides, on the outskirts, outcasts, poor but rich in heart.  I called them one by one, they came, no questions, all it took was asking, telling them, follow me. And I will make you cursebreakers too.
     They came followed and stayed with me three years.  They learned but not quickly. It took lessons, learned over and over again. Who are you? They asked?  Again and again I broke the curse. Over and over again I revealed to them just what it was I am.  I am from old, no beginning and no end.  Ever present, ever giving, revealing the nature of the cursebreaker.
     My enemy, hides in plain site.  But they do not see.  Blinded he works his death, his curses to bind to envelop and put into bondage all that are mine by right.  He will not win.
   My enemy knows me well.  And I know him better. My strategy, is weakness. He will attack, and I will relent, or so it seems, to him.
     The last day, I am about to do the impossible among men.  My fellow cursebreakers, ever asking, is today the day to which you will return the Kingdom without the curse forever?  My answer, hurts, because I know it already.  " It is not for you to know the times for when this happens I tell them."  But yes today is really the day.
   He comes for met at dusk.  When I am at the weakest point. I am drowsy, alone, for all  my fellows save one are slumbering.  I have just enjoined the one who could help me but for the first time I am unsure.
    Nevertheless I am bound, led away and humiliated, all infront of those I called years ago.  Will they see?
                                                                 Maybe, I am calm
     I am about to restore, renew, and rebirth this flesh I am in and all those who are mine!
                                                          THE CURSE IS BROKEN,
                                                               I'm alive forever more!
                                               As are those who are with me, not against me!

FINGERPRINTS

I Left Behind My Fingerprints

So The Many Would Not Be Ignorant

 Always Within Reach

To Those Who Beseeched

For Those Who Loved Much

I Sincerely Touched

 The Blind, The Lame, And The Weak

 All Become Meek

They Too Will  Inherit The Earth, A Land Now Filled With Mirth

I Go To  Ascend On High

My Name Written Across My Thigh (Revelations)

Washed

"The nature of man, if it be not sanctified, is the worst nature in the world next to that of devils."
Attributed to Matthew Henry's commentary on the book of Matthew chap 10.

     Are you sanctified by Jesus? Do you believe in all that he did and died for? Is there really any transformation when one believes him or is it hogwash!  I say, yes transformation is possible only and only if you receive the Spirit made possible by Christ's death on the cross.  It was bloody, gruesome, slow and extremely painful, to hang with the full weight of one's body by nails affixed to a wooden cross.  Not only did Jesus suffer physical pain, but extreme emotional pain in the form of desertion by his" Father in Heaven", who at this point in Jesus's life ignored his cries and left him there to die.  All the miracles, all the teachings, wisdom shown and mercy unrestrained and given to the throbbing crowds ever surrounding Jesus he was always "doing the will of his Father."  He could do nothing else.   This time forsaken, for all of our sakes!
    If Jesus did not suffer in this way to fulfill all of the Law and the Prophets, then we would be forsaken too.
Left to our own intentions we would be a most miserable race.  If you do not believe, simply refresh your memories of the recent deaths by beheading of the innocents caught up in the turmoil that is the Middle East.
Do they show mercy? Do they reveal a heart after God!  A God who says "Mercy triumphs over judgement." I do not thinks so.  Their God is what they make him to be in their own image.
     The religious war is the nastiest of all wars.  It show no mercy when belief cannot be changed and when challenges only become more hateful.  That is why Christ told his disciples to "Love your enemy."  Huh?
How in the world do we do this when they only want to kill you?  Love is disarming.  If we show mercy to our enemy yes they may kill you but in return, God will have his final say and judgement in the end.  We are to be sanctified and be holy because he said " Be Ye Holy, for I am Holy."  Nuff said.  We cannot return evil for evil and that is what sets a true Christian apart.  It is never enough to 'perform' and have a form of Godliness but no power.  Christ gives the power to over come.  He has too, he knows us inside and out.  Is your cup only washed on the outside?
   
     

Confession of heart:

Jailer: Do you renounce your God?

Prisoner: I do not.

Jailer: Why do you not?

Prisoner: Why is it a consequence to you what I renounce or do not renounce?

Jailer: Don't you know that I have the power to kill you or set you free?

Prisoner:  The only power you have is what has been given to you from above.

Jailer:  And who is that?

Prisoner: Christ

Jailer:  Enough! That is not true!  I do not believe it!

Prisoner: Then there is nothing that I can say to convince you otherwise, it will be you that will stand before my God and give account for what you do today.

Jailer: You would have me believe that I will give account to Your God! I do not think so!  It is you who stands in my judgement chamber right here, right now! And you would convince me to set you free on your God's mercy?  You who kill and make war in the name of your God?  Your tanks and men come into my land and take my people's lives!

Prisoner: That is not me.  That is the Government of my country only. You think they are all like me, Christian?  They are not.  But like in the days of Pharoah my government's heart can be hardened and used by my God for his purpose.  Like right now.  See I tell you of a merciful God, Yet you do not hear, or choose not to.

Jailer: And this Christ...will save my soul too?  Even when I do this to you?

Prisoner: Yes,  Even you, because you do not do this of yourself.  Do you?  Are you not subject to your commander who tells you to keep me here like this? Bound up for my beliefs?  I think yes.

Jailer: Ok then, now I believe you. Only because you, I think you do not lie in a place like this.  Why would you? When you know what would happen to you!  Will you save my family too?  Will you tell them of this God you speak of while you are my prisoner too? I can make it so you will not be harmed under my watch.

Prisoner: I will........................

Praise be to the God in heaven who uses any and all circumstances for his glory!  

THE LAW!

Johhny! Slow down, you're speeding!

Put that down, if you break it, you pay for it!

Stop, don't walk on the grass!

Mommmmmy! Why can't I have it? It's so pretty?  Because we don't have enough money right now! But it's soooooooo nice I'll just take it then!  NOoooooo you don't not if you want to end up in jail young lady!

Bobby, I want you to give that right back to Jonny right now i'ts not yours!

This court has found you guilty on all charges!  Your sentence commences today and you are to be incarcerated in federal prison, with all Rights and privileges suspended for as long as your sentence is deemed in force by this court and those peers who have found you guilty on all charges!
  Small offenses but lessons learned early prevents what could be a life in bondage.   Don't be surprised. If not for good parents we would all have charges against us!

So what about law? 7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.......
   Pauls's gift to the Romans!
 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin...

 But thanks to Christ, we have been set free from the law of sin and death!

Uncover Your Eyes:

Uncover your eyes and the search the skies
Unwilling to believe you search and you weave
In your heart you think are wise
But in reality lay the lies
The one who makes blind
Smiles ever so kind
Never to reveal, never to repeal
The sentence of death is on his breath
Open your eyes if you are wise
And see the one who was, who is , and is to come..............................