God Surge and Word Impact

On the weather channel today there are a constant replay of scenes of reporters standing fighting wind and rain while describing the on-scene evidence of hurricane activity. Storms, earthquakes, and economy are the fruits of this world. It just never stops.

Psalm 91 is a beautiful song of deliverance to our hearts and contains so many embedded gems.  In verses 1 and 2, four names of God are used:

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High (elyon -possessor of heaven and earth) shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty (Shaddai - all-bountiful giver of grace).  I will say of the LORD (Jehovah who has a relationship with those who love him), He is my refuge and my fortress: my God (Elohim- the creator of heaven and earth); in him will I trust. 

When you read through the rest of the Psalm with these names in mind, it truly is a song! In the King James Version the word 'deliver' is used three times.

verse 3: Surely he shall deliver thee

verse 14: therefore I will deliver him

verse 15: I will deliver him

These are beautiful verses especially when you look up the word 'deliver' in each verse. These three are actually different words!

verse 3 is natsal (Strongs#5337) meaning to snatch, take away or strip from

verse 14 is palats 3 (#6403) cause to escape

verse 15 is chatats 3 (#2502) draw off or out, withdraw

We certainly could get the message if it was the same word, but as workmen there are special joys when we dig a little deeper to mine the diverse gems of truth and let God take care of His own commentary!

Work the Works?

In John 6 after the record about the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus had left the scene and people started looking for him.  When they found him, he told them (John 6:26-29):

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed (link-sphragizo). Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

I know so many people who have asked that question"what shall we do, that we might work the works of God?" Jesus Christ's answer is still true today. He is the living focus, path, and reality to us in this age also.

Gen X,Y,Z? What about A,B,C?

Recently I was reading an article on the subject of  the generation gap and I wondered what the Bible says about it.

As a high school teacher, I was constantly faced with understanding 'generational issues'.  This not only had to do with students, but also with younger teachers as I grew older. I never labeled generations as X and Y, but I do recognize every generation has it's unique distinctions. I grew up in the 60's. The youth of that time had it's distinctive characteristics due to the culture at the time. Every age has it's uniqueness and its contributions. They are not all the same.

 There are those who love to magnify generational differences and rationalize differences in corporate circles. The world seems to credit older people with seasoning experience, younger people with energy and enthusiasm. I have known many older people who have enthusiasm and energy, and I have known many younger people with no energy and enthusiasm.  I have also met younger people who seem wise for their age and I have met older people that are not so wise. It isn't about age, it is about what we learn and continue to learn. I am still growing up in my 60's because growing up will never stop.

The Bible says it is Christ who strengthens us as we believe. The secret that God had hidden became available to us after the resurrection and is fully taught in the epistles written by Paul and it transcends all age groups, from the youngest child to the oldest elder.

Colossians 1:26-27 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

A, B, C cannot live without X, Y, and Z and the rest of the alphabet for that matter to make words that communicate whole thoughts. The same is true for each member of the family of God in working together to produce genuine results.  Respect for the Christ in each other regardless of age, sex, race or whatever else tries to split and separate the body of Christ is important. It is without these obstacles and divisions that we can truly continue to grow and learn and the outcome will be:

Psalm 145:4: One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

In The Bubble

Bubbles are so much fun; just ask any kid!  They love to chase them and try to catch them! They are so kinetic and pretty.

When I read God's Word  and retain it in my mind by believing, I feel like I'm walking around in one of those beautiful bubbles. It is the bubble that God provides us as he reveals himself to us.

In Romans 12:2, Paul writes:

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

It is the renewed mind that is the source of all power.  It is one thing to read the words on a page, but it is quite another thing to have the words on a page transform your mind.  God's Word is no ordinary book. God's heart is magnified to us as we read and understand the truth that pertain to our specific situations, properly applied. It is 'gold' to us and puts us in the zone!

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. (Proverbs 25:11)

The bubble is transparent, we can see through it. We don't walk around blind to life. The challenges of any day can be seen and can seem to press against the curve of the bubble, but we can stay within its boundaries in our minds to accomplish whatever we have to do.This bubble doesn't have to pop! The renewed mind is not a 'grit your teeth and bear it' thing; it is living and acting in that deeper meaning of life, knowing and trusting the God that truly loves us.  It is really kinetic and pretty! That is when our life bubbles over to others.

Holding the Head

In light of the current news hype and dismal proclamations, it is a temptation to be drawn into the melancholy and frustration of the times. It is apparent that everyone seems to have the answer, but at best things seem unyielding, full of contention with constant striving and politico.
Thank God for for the book of Colossians! It is a 'seated in the heavenlies' view of real life and keeps our focus in the right place so that we don't get pulled off of our perch and into the muck. God warns us in Colossians 2 about several things.

Colossians 2:6-10 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit (link - apate), after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead (spiritual nature of God) bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

We are complete in him and he is the head and we 'hold' the head.

Colossians 2:18-19 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. 

E. W. Bullinger in his A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament  defines the word 'holding':

krateo - to be strong, powerful; to have power or rule over; to have and to hold in one's power, to be master of, and so, to hold, hold fast, to attain and maintain power over.

Thayer and Smith define 'krateo' as:

to have power, be powerful, to be chief, be master of, to rule, to get possession of, to become master of, to obtain, to take hold of, to take hold of, take, seize, to lay hands on one in order to get him into one's power, to hold, to hold in the hand,to hold fast, i.e. not discard or let go, to keep carefully and faithfully, to continue to hold, to retain, of death continuing to hold one, to hold in check, restrain.  

The head sits on top of the body. The body elevates the head. It is an interesting analogy and a nice 'holding pattern'.
Jesus Christ is alive today and at the right hand of God. We are part of a time in history where we are part of the body of Christ and Jesus Christ is the head. God set it up that way. It is a great way to be nourished, knit together and increased with the increase of God. In confusion and frustration we have peace and live above the fray because of what God has given us. That's plenty to be thankful about!

How much simpler could it be?

Acts 1:1-8

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach² until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. ³ After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. ⁴ On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. ⁵ For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” ⁶ So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷ He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” NIV

The kingdom of God does not refer to a political kingdom. It is a kingdom under God's authority. Jesus Christ shared with the apostles about the Kingdom of God over the 40 days he spent with them in his resurrected body. In addition he talked to them about sharing about him to the ends of the earth.

How much simpler could it be?

Homologeo is Good For The Soul

In I John , there is a great record for believing people on what it means to 'confess' (homologeo link - speak the same thing). In I John we are reminded of the oneness we have with God and Jesus Christ through the spirit. We share that same oneness with others who are 'born again' as we all walk in the light of the Word. We're 'on the same page' so to speak.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship (koineo- link) with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. ( I John 1:1-4)

Our joy is full when we allow God's life in Christ to rest in our hearts. However sometimes we get sidetracked from the full view of what God has in store and it feels like we've wandered out on dark scary road in the middle of the night. Do we just keep walking or do we turn our direction back to the warmth and comfort of the light of home. It just takes a recognition that we have wandered into someplace where we shouldn't be. Sin is being somewhere where we shouldn't be in both doctrine and practice. (You have to have both because just walking around with the doctrine under your arm instead of in practice can keep you out on that dark road.)

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth (katharizo in Greek; cathartic in English  meaning purging or purifying) us from all sin (a wandering off the mark).(I John 1:5-7)

If we walk in light we have fellowship with each other, we don't have to make fellowship with one another. God is light, there is not one micron of injustice, unkindness, failure, fear, politics (just had to throw that in), untruth, meanness or any other form of darkness you can think of. The Word of God can be more than just a flashlight lighting our path. It can be a noonday sun surrounding us with goodness and that's good for the soul!

Born Again Again

Recently, I was reminded by someone, how the Word has helped her through the years. I remember the first time many years ago when we had a conversation about God and salvation. There are many varied takes on what it means to be 'born again'. It is a popular expression. My friend had a lot of questions about salvation and the topic of the confession of sin came up. She was really scared that if she didn't confess her sins she'd never obtain salvation. God knows we all sin or miss the mark and he knows our hearts, but His wholeness and salvation is not about sin, it is about what we believe and who we look to for answers.

John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

In Romans 10:9 Paul writes about salvation and never mentions sin. He uses the word 'confession' (homologeo -see link) which means 'to speak the same word'. God is the one to look to to settle the salvation question.

Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

When I was designing curriculum for school, I used to love sharing things that worked with others. I loved it when they believed in what I was doing, used it and it worked for them too. What if instead those people shook their heads and began confessing how they had missed it and started crying about all the mistakes they had made? Why in the world would I want people to tell me what they were doing wrong? God is omniscient, he doesn't need us to tell Him what we are doing wrong. Repentance involves a change of mind in forward motion toward the high calling of God. People who lock into that mind-set tend to leave sin-consciousness behind.

There are religious people who believe that people need to be broken back before they can ever obtain salvation. That is not humility. That is about control. The true God does not control. Humility is freely committing to God's curriculum, not crying ones eyes out at the altar. God's curriculum is found in His Word. God committed Himself to His Word and that is where we find out about Jesus Christ. We love God because he first loved us. We are drawn to him because of love not because of sin. 

God desires success for our lives beyond what we can ever imagine. Jesus Christ is the key and represents the power that is ours when we recognize his lordship and utilize the same power that got Jesus Christ up at the resurrection.

My friend believed Romans 10:9 many years ago. God is a part of her life and her family's and it is evident. Why would we want to offer any less to people?

Revival !

There is much talk on Christian television and among churches about 'revival'. In our culture today 'revival' brings to mind a filled stadium with a charismatic preacher up in front bringing souls to the altar or home plate (or whatever!). The definition of the word 'revival' has changed through the years. It comes from the French word 'revivre' composed of 're'(again) and 'vivre' (to live).

Webster's Dictionary defines 'revival' as:
To return to life; to recover life or strength; to live anew; to become reanimated or reinvigorated.

The Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into again, and he revived. 1 Kings xvii. 22.

To raise from coma, languor, depression, or discouragement; to bring into action after a suspension.
To renew in the mind or memory; to bring to recollection; to recall attention to; to reawaken.
To restore or reduce to its natural or metallic state; as, to revive a metal after calcination.

In the Bible, the word 'revive' is used mostly in individual lives such as in the example in I Kings. In the gospels and the book of Acts there are several examples of large numbers of people paying attention to the things of God, but it starts with the Word becoming a reality to an individual that sparked the attention. Peter who had denied Christ at one time in his life, sat in the temple on Pentecost and received the gift of holy spirit. He then stood up with all boldness and shared what had happened to his own heart. In Paul's life, we can read about his awakening in Acts 9 where he sees the reality of Jesus Christ and what it means. Much of the rest of Acts shows the growth of Paul and his travels to share what God had done for him, culminating in his writing of the church epistles and more that affected many lives even until this day.

Those who hear the truth and believe, revive (isn't that what the popular term 'born again'(Link) means; to again live?) because of God's gift of holy spirit. The spirit of God energizes both the body and soul of a man or woman. It strengthens, comforts, encourages, enhances, provides wisdom and many other things too numerable to mention. That is what revival is all about.

I Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

I Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

the Love of God continued ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

The love of God is deep; it often moves behind the scenes. The most beautiful thing about it is that it knows exactly where to make its mark whether it is appreciated or not. When the love of God is active, it gets the task at hand done. It lifts people out of the mundane rut track and sets them above the fray. Love energizes believing. It helps people to do wonderful things when it is the motivation behind the utilization of God's spiritual tools, the nine manifestations.

Starting in verse 4 of I Corinthians 13, God lists the characteristics of His love. Because of its location between chapters 12 and 14, chapter 13 is very significant. It stands right between the scriptures that describe our spiritual abilities and the scriptures that describe those abilities in operation when people are gathered together. The love of God is central to all we do.

4Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

Think about why the love of God is patient and kind? The effects produced sometimes take time, but they are are enduring. There are times when God is working with us step by step and maybe we can't see the forest for the trees, but in the end it is plainly visible how he loves us and has been cheering for us. It the same when we love others with His love. God may show us how to bless someone with the right word or action and their immediate reaction might not be what we expected. They may never see the depth of that kind of love. It doesn't matter. Our action may be part of a long string of events that eventually produces the fruit. It is God who notices what you do and lifts you up. His promotion involves providing more unimaginable opportunities for you to take care of things for Him. The more you spiritually mature, the bigger the job.

In Acts 9, there is a great example of a man walking in love and believing for God. Ananias was called upon to minister to Saul/Paul. The scripture calls Ananias a 'certain disciple'. Was he a minister? Yes! Did he have a gift ministry(Ephesians 4:11-12)?  It doesn't say. That was between him and God. What is evident in his life is the love that craves to see God's intent come to pass. That love is not human love. The intent is the ultimate motive behind it all.

Things don't happen over night, that is why patience is an attribute of God's love. The proper use of the nine manifestations to genuinely help requires that settled enduring strength on the inside. God doesn't push and shove, he is deliberate and right on. It is worth waiting for and it yields magnificent fruit. The church epistles are evidence of that.

The Love of God

¹Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 

2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. (I Corinthians 13:1-2)

Interestingly these verses are set between two chapters devoted to the operation of the gift of holy spirit in the church. We have wonderful spiritual abilities, but without the love of God we are  nothing.

Now let's throw in a little sacrifice and charity work.

 ³And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

What good is that! Nothing! It all sounds loving in today's world. None of these avenues come close, not even one little micrometer, to the unfathomable love God is able to pour into our  hearts  to every nook and cranny of our being. It is real, authentic, unfeigned and powerful.


There are some great books on the market on how to have  better  relationships with people, but even if a person memorizes and quotes them verbatim, the old adage applies that 'you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear'. The love of God is an inside job.  It is resident in any man or woman when he or she makes Jesus Christ Lord.  It is God's love and it FAR EXCEEDS human love! It has perception, insight, vision, righteousness, justness and so many attributes that it is hard to list them all. God lists a few in the rest of the chapter.


The love of God is something you cannot practice, rehearse or robotically manifest. No one can tell you how to do it. There is no mistaking it because it is just so right, reassuring and is perfect justice, a complete truth.


So how do we share the love of God with others? First and foremost we need to really see how much He loves us. We need to have the contentment of knowing we are loved by Him before we can ever really help others. It doesn't matter where you've been, what baggage you are trying to lug around, you can let go and let God have free reign in your hearts by reading and digesting the church epistles.
We have to remember that we don't push God around, we don't bend Him, and we don't twist Him to suit our luggage. He is what He says He is in His word and we are what He says we are. Just read the first chapter in Ephesians, it's all there.