LET THE SUNSHINE IN

Do you ever get tired of cold, rainy, cloudy days? It has been like that around here for the last few weeks.  This morning I was complaining to the Lord about His weather, "Lord don't you think enough is enough?  I am getting a little tired of the cold, damp rainy days."  I no sooner spoke those words when a brilliant string of light flashed through my living room window.  It got my attention. "Lord, You don't like my complaining.   Who am I to question Your weather patterns. What about the people who have lost their homes with some much rain. Where is a grateful heart?"

Then this thought came to my mind, "The sun was there all the time, behind the clouds and rainy days.  I didn't need to complain, just wait.  The clouds will pass and the sun will shine again.  I love my mother's saying,  "rain is like liquid sunshine". She was a cheerful person.

The sun continued to intermittently shine between the clouds.  It was a good feeling to know that the sun was again beginning to shine. Wait a minute. " Is this show and tell, Lord ? What are You really trying say.  I get  it."

There are days and seasons in my life when You allow the rain to pour and the clouds to cover the Son, wondering where You are?  How foolish of me. You have been there all the time, right behind the clouds.  The SON is always shining.  You are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Your  presence  is with me no matter what  circumstances are effecting my life. 

When the trials get long and it feels like it will never end, it is a good feeling to know that the SON is right behind those clouds.  The clouds will lift and I will see the SON again.

A CLEAN HEART VS A PURE HEART

It is exciting to me when the Lord reveals a new revelation of the truth. The last week I was watching a video by Jacob Prasch, a Hebrew scholar and a Messianic Jew. He is like a St. Paul and not afraid to speak the truth.  He tells it like it is.

On this particular video he explained the Hebrew interpretation between a pure heart vs a clean heart.  Jesus said in Matthew, "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." In Psalm 51 King David says "create in me a clean heart".  Is there a difference?

He explained that the Kings James Bible got it wrong in Psalm 51 and why. King David was crying out for a pure heart-- a heart without mixture. David had a heart after God.  He did not want any mixture of the spirit of this world, his flesh or the devil in it. He knew that only God could create such a heart in him.  He loved the Word of God and desired nothing more then to obey His God with all his  heart, soul and might. 

A clean heart could imply a dirty heart made clean.  Even after many washing, the heart would be clean but not pure.  There was a difference and David knew it.  Only God could create such a heart--with a single minded, focus on the Lord and His glory. 

Now I have a better understanding of what Jesus meant when He said, "Blessed are the pure  in heart for they shall see God."  It is the mixture of this world, self and the devil that has kept me from seeing more of God.  I have been  double minded--in love with the world and the Lord at the same time.  The book of James says, "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Jesus asked Peter, "Who do you say I am."  he answered Him  "Thou art the Christ, son of the Living God." That is the truth without any mixture. This is the foundation we build our faith--Christ alone our cornerstone.

THE TRUE ABUNDANT LIFE

As an American christian ,it is easy to think that the abundant life is a new house, a bigger house, a new car, fancy designer clothes, an Ivy league college education, an influential circle of friends and a 6 figure salary. It doesn't get any better than that.  Thank you Jesus.  But, what if you were living in Africa, India or South American?  Would you feel that the Lord didn't care about you and was giving His leftovers to you?  What is the abundant life that the Lord is speaking about in John 10:10?

I would like to propose the real abundant life is not a WHAT, but a WHO.  Jesus said in John 14:6 that He was the way, the truth and the LIFE. I believe that Jesus is the abundant life and that His desire is to give to ALL His children, in every nation, Himself, if only we would believe His Word." Jesus came to give us life, and life more abundantly. Is this eternal life?  It could be at some level, but He didn't say, I have come to give you 'eternal' life,  but an 'abundant life'. We already have eternal life through our new birth, and no man can snatch us out of His hands.

 However, we are still on earth with trials and tribulations.  Is Jesus enough to take us through our testing times? When we are sick, struggling with a disease, or a besetting sin is Jesus enough?  How can He help us.?  Where is this abundant Jesus? It is written, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth  and the truth will set you free."  Free from what?  I believe we are free from the consequences of Adam's sin, which is sin, sickness and disease. Jesus is our redeemer, healer and deliverer. We are NOT under the Law, but under Grace. We are children of a New Covenant, born again in Christ Jesus.  That doesn't mean we don't sin, get sick and contract some disease.  The Good news is  Jesus has overcome the world.  He died and absorbed into Himself all our sins, sicknesses and diseases that we inherited in Adam. By faith in His resurrection He gives to us His abundant life. Truly, it seems like an uneven exchange, but it is true.

It grieves my heart when I sin to know that it cost My Lord His life.  There is only one answer I know, "It will cost me my life," and I can't continue to sin.  I hate my sin.  It is wicked. I am very grateful for the gift of repentance and being able to take responsibility for my sin of unbelief, rebellion, self-righteousness,, self-pity, pride, arrogance, unforgiveness, hate, anger,  and complaining. The list goes on and on.  I don't feel condemned, but graciously forgiven and am being changed from the inside out from glory to glory.

Yes, Jesus is the abundant life no matter where we live. He has 
overcome the spirit of  the world, our flesh (sin nature) and the devil. Satan no longer can hold us in bondage to our sin, but only what we consciously or unconsciously give Him.  Apart from the Lord, we can do nothing that is holy, righteous and good. He is the new life in us that produces the fruit of  love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, gentleness,kindness, goodness, and self-control. He is our health, our provider, our righteousness, our wealth, our hope, our faith, our love, our forgiveness, our mercy, and our ABUNDANT LIFE no matter what nation we might  live in.

When your faith is challenged

 Martin Luther was one of the great religious reformers of the 16th century.  His faith was challenged many times.  The following is a response to the devil when the enemy accused of being a sinner.

"When the devil accuses us and says, "You are a sinner and therefore damned,' we should answer, 'Because you say I am a sinner, I will be righteous and saved.'  'No,' says the devil, 'you will be damned,'  And I reply, 'No, for I fly to Christ, who gave Himself for my sins.  Satan, you will not prevail against me when you try to terrify me by setting forth the greatness of my sins and try to bring me into heaviness, distrust, despair, hatred, contempt and blasphemy against God.  On the contrary, when you say I am a sinner, you give me armor and weapons against yourself, so that with your own sword I may cut your throat and tread you under my feet, for Christ died for sinners.  As often as you accuse that I am a sinner, so often you remind me of the benefit of Christ my Redeemer, on whose shoulders, and not on mine, lie all my sins.  So when you say I am a sinner, you do not terrify me but comfort me immeasurably."

I love it.  Satan lost.  Salvation is ours and we can stand up and proclaim from the roof tops, "It is finished"  Jesus won the battle and we are to stand and occupy until the Lord comes again. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness there of.  Jesus won back what Adam lost. The Holy Spirit is with us and in us to stand fast in the truth.  The enemy hates us, and that is a good thing.  The Lord is our protection and on our side.(Psalm 91)  The devil has NO authority over us.  We belong to the Lord Jesus and to Him alone. Rise up church and proclaim our God is great and greatly to be praised.  He is above all gods. There is no one but OUR GOD!  May He continue to enlarge our hearts to contain more and more of Him for the glory of God, and turn America back to Himself.