Who is Your Life?

Sunday, October 23, 2011, 8:58 a.m. – The song, “Your Love Offering,” was playing in my mind when I awoke this morning. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Colossians 3:1-17:

Rules for Holy Living

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

My Understanding: Paul began this section of his letter to the Colossian church by stating that, as a result of the fact that they had been raised with Christ, they were to set their hearts and minds on things above (where Christ is seated), not on earthly things. Basically what Paul was doing here was presenting them with an argument for why they should now have a change of heart, mind, attitude, behavior, and priorities, etc. Jesus Christ had died for their sins. With his blood he purchased their salvation. He died so that we could go free from the penalty of sin (eternity without God in hell; spiritual death), so we could go free from the control of sin over our daily lives, and so we would be free to love the Lord, to worship him, to obey and to serve him as our only God. Christ did this for us in taking upon himself our sins on the cross, crucifying and burying them with him, and then in triumphing over them in victory over hell, Satan, death and sin, via his resurrection from the dead.

So, when we come to faith in Jesus Christ via his grace, his Holy Spirit does the work of transformation in our hearts in cutting away our old sin natures, in changing our way of thinking, and in giving us new hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. This faith involves repentance (turning from sin) and it involves a decision of our wills to turn toward Jesus Christ in obedience, and to now follow him with our lives, instead of following our sin natures. That is why we were crucified with Christ so that we no longer live, but Christ lives within us, i.e. it is now his life on the throne of our lives, and he is our Lord and master, instead of sin and our selfish wills being in control our lives. This is what it means to be raised with Christ. We are dead! Christ is alive within us, and he is living out through us.

So, on the basis of that knowledge and understanding of what it means to be truly raised with Christ, our hearts and minds should not be centered upon or focused on the things of this world, but we should have our hearts and minds set toward pleasing God and doing his will, and in bringing other lives into his eternal kingdom. Obviously we must eat and have a place to live, and we must work to pay for our food, housing, and clothing – basic essentials. Yet the things of this world are not to be what we live for and die for. The things of this world are not to consume us and to make us their slaves. We are not to get caught up in worldly matters but should be concerned about pleasing our Lord Jesus. We must live in the world, but we must not be of the world, i.e. we must not be partakers with the world in sinful things or in matters involving the things of this world. This world is not our home.

Your Life

The reason for this, Paul stated, was that we died to ourselves, and our lives are now hidden with Christ in God. And, then he said, “When Christ, who is your life…” And, I had to stop there and think about that phrase, “Christ, who is your life.” This is not merely stating that Christ Jesus is in our lives, is a part of our lives, or even that he is on the throne of our lives. What this is saying is that HE IS YOUR LIFE… or he should be. If something is my life, it is what gets me up early in the morning. It is what keeps me up late at night or gets me up even in the middle of the night when I truly want to just keep sleeping. It is what I talk most about all day long. It is what is uppermost in my thinking and in my emotions. It is what I want to do above all else. It is what consumes my conversations with my closest companions, if they are willing to listen. It is what I give the most time to; spend the most money on; give my heart to; give my energies to; etc. Can we truly say that Christ is our life if he takes a back seat to everything else going on in our lives, and/or if we don’t inquire of him to find out what pleases him, and/or if we don’t do what he requires of us to do?

Put To Death

So, for Christ to be my life, I must first of all put to death the things in my life that belong to my earthly nature. If I am in Christ, and I am reading this list of sins, for instance, I pray for God’s convicting power in my life if there is even a hint of any of these in my life. This calls for a prayerful heart examination and truth in our innermost being to hear what the Spirit says to our hearts, so we can not only acknowledge our sins before God, and perhaps before man, too, but so we can turn from them, and we can do an about face in turning toward following the Lord Jesus, in honestly making him Lord and master of our lives. We used to walk in these ways of sin, in the life we once lived before we came to faith in Jesus Christ, but now we must rid ourselves of such things. We do this through repentance and through obedience to our Lord’s commands. We make a conscious choice of our wills each and every day to say “No!” to sin and to say “Yes!” to Jesus Christ. And, if we said “Yes!” to sin, to immediately confess and repent of our sins and to begin following the Lord again.

When we come to faith in Jesus Christ, this is about our death as much as it is about our new life in Christ. If we have not died first, how can we live? When we come to Christ, it means that we have taken off our old self with its sinful practices and “we have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” So many people today are teaching salvation absent of this understanding of what it truly means to be in Christ. I had a man tell me one day, “I don’t have to repent. I just have to believe.” Well, that says it right there! His idea of believing in Jesus Christ had nothing to do with dying to his sin and to taking off his old sin nature with its practices. His idea was just that you put on the new self without first eradicating the old self. Jesus Christ had to die first so that our sins could die and so he could be resurrected in conquering our sins. And, when we come to faith in Christ, we are crucified with Christ so we (“I”) no longer live, but Christ lives in me.

Put on Love

One of my most favorite chapters in the Bible is found in the book of Ephesians, chapter four, but some of it overlaps into chapter five, too. The same theme that Paul discussed here in Colossians 3 he also discussed in Ephesians 4, only in Ephesians 4 he made it more practical, I think. He explained more thoroughly what it means to put off our old sin nature and to put on Christ and how that is lived out in all practicality. Then, in Ephesians 4, Paul proceeded to give us a list of the kinds of things we should put off and what kinds of things we should put on in place of them. Many Christians fail over and over again in the same sin areas because they try, oftentimes in their own flesh, to put off sins, but they are not transformed in their thinking about the sin, and they don’t put on something else in place of the sin, and eventually they fall right back into the same sin pattern as before. If we want to stop telling lies then we need to get into the habit of telling the truth. If we want to stop saying mean or nasty things to people, then we need to get into the habit of saying kind and thoughtful things to them (in truth). We cannot stop sinning if we don’t change how we think about the sin, and we don’t replace the sin with godly habits and practices.

So, in place of the list of sins here in this chapter and in other chapters in the Bible, we need to put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and most of all the kind of love with which God truly loves us and gave himself up for us. Previously I have made two columns on a piece of paper. I asked the Lord to show me the things in my life I must put off and any scripture passages having to do with those sins. I listed those in the first column. Then, I asked the Lord to show me what godly qualities and practices to put on in place of my sin habits and verses to go with those, too, and I listed those godly qualities in the second column opposite the respective sin problems. And, I referred to it frequently to help me to remember whenever I was tempted to sin that I needed to reject the sin and I needed to put on the godly quality or actions that stood opposed to the sin. And, I testify that it worked! Understanding Ephesians 4 revolutionized my Christian walk.

Peace of Christ

Lastly, in this section of his letter, Paul said that we should let the peace of Christ rule our hearts. That means we should not be anxious about anything (no worrying and fretting), but in all things, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make our requests known to God and his peace, which passes all understanding will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (see Phil. 4:5-7). The Lord is still working on me in this area, as he sometimes needs to remind me that I am being anxious and that I need to give my circumstances over to him, and then his peace truly does rule my heart when I give over the driving wheel to him. As well, we are to be thankful in all things, no matter what we are going through.

We are to let the word of Christ dwell in us. To dwell means to live; abide; make as its home; is comfortable there; etc. And, the way the word of Christ dwells in our hearts is not just through studying it or memorizing it, as good as those things are, but we must hear the word (daily), we must heed what it says, and we must do what it says, i.e. we must live it. Then, it is really home in our hearts. We need to do this, not only for our own relationships with Jesus Christ and our Christian experiences, but we need it as we teach and admonish (warn; caution; advise; alert) one another with all wisdom (that comes from Christ and his word), and as we sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in our hearts to God so that we know experientially what God’s word says.

And, then, whatever we do, whether in word or deed, we are to do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Christ for all that God has done for us.

Your Love Offering / An Original Work / September 13, 2011

Thank You, Lord, for Your love,
Dying on a tree,
So we’d be forgiven,
Live eternally.
Thank You for Your kindness,
Your love offering,
When You shed Your blood,
So we could be set free.
Thank You, Lord, for Your cross,
Dying for our sins,
So we’d live in vict’ry,
Purified within.

Thank You, Lord, for Your life
You gave for our sin,
Giving us a new life,
We’re made whole within.
Thank You for Your mercy.
You paid what we owe.
When we turn from our sin,
Your grace freely flows.
Thank You, Lord, for conq’ring
Death and sin and hell,
So we’d walk in freedom,
With You now to dwell.

Thank You, Lord, that You will
Soon come for Your bride.
Perfectly You made her
To with You abide.
Thank You for Your Spirit;
Our God, three in One,
Giveth us salvation,
Through God’s only Son.
Thank You, Lord, for Jesus!
He’s our King of kings!
He will reign forever!
Our praise to Him bring!!

Song Lyrics @ Public Domain

Audio, song lyrics and sheet music:
https://sites.google.com/site/psalmshymnssongs2/home/songs/your-love-offering

Song on video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoAahWniTgE

Your Life

Your Life / An Original Work / October 22, 2011

Based off of Colossians 3:1-17

Set your hearts and minds
On things up above
Where Christ sits with God;
Not on earthly things.
For you died and your life
Is now hidd’n with Christ.
When Christ, who is your life, is seen,
You will be with Him.

Your sins, put to death.
Don’t walk in these ways.
Don’t lie to yourselves
Or to others, too.
Since you have taken off
Your old sinful past;
Put on the new self in Jesus,
Get rid of such things.

Therefore, holy ones,
Put on gentleness;
Kindness; patience, too;
Be compassionate.
Bear with one another;
Forgive others, too.
Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
O’er all, put on love.

Let the peace of Christ
Rule in your hearts now.
You were called to peace.
Be ye so thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell
In you richly now
As you teach and instruct others;
Sing songs unto Christ.

Spoken: “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col. 3:17 NIV 1984).

Song lyrics @ Public Domain

Audio, song lyrics and sheet music

Song on video

The Musical Production

Friday, October 21, 2011, 8:00 a.m. – The song, “Remain in Him,” was playing in my mind when I awoke this morning. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Colossians 1 for my quiet time with the Lord:

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Supremacy of Christ

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant…

A DREAM: I also woke this morning from a dream – My daughter was involved in directing some type of play or musical production. I watched as some people rehearsed their parts. I had difficulty hearing the two men, both named David, so I was busy checking the microphones and turning (switching) them on and off to try to get the right balance of sound, I believe. And I discussed the microphones, and how I was not hearing the David’s very well, with my daughter. The two David’s, I thought, had loud voices, so I was surprised that I was not able to hear them very well.

I knew that I also had a part in this play and I had a song to sing, yet I had not yet been given my lines in the play or the song I was supposed to sing. It was the night before the performance, I believe, so I was getting anxious to make sure that I found my daughter and that I learned what I was supposed to do in this production. So, I tracked down my daughter. She was with another person outdoors, and they were both doing some kind of outdoor maintenance. I opened up my backpack to get out some paper so I could write down what she told me. It appeared to me that she had not yet decided on the part for me to play or the song I was to sing. So, I asked her if she was so last-minute with her other performers. I guess I was feeling slighted in some way.

So, we talked about what song I should sing. She had or I had the musical score to a musical I had heard or had seen previously, so I knew the songs. I just needed to know which one I was supposed to sing so that I could practice. So, we went through the songs. I was showing her which ones were my favorites. Then, we came to a wedding song. I loved this song! I asked her, though, to sing the beginning lines of the song for me so that I could hear how the song began, as I had forgotten. So, she did. And then, all of a sudden, she was in a white wedding gown (dress) with veil. I sensed I would be singing this song with her also on the stage in this dress, but that maybe she would be kind of in the background.

At some point in this dream, maybe when I drove to find my daughter, I drove into a parking lot and parked my car. My car was green, and it was maybe a Toyota Camry or a Honda Accord. The car had places on it where the bare metal was exposed, like the paint had peeled off or had worn off. Someone in the parking lot remarked to me about my silver car. So, I told this person how I had a green car; that something had happened to it, so I got a silver car, but that now I had my green car back, only now it didn’t look like it did before. END

My Understanding: I prayed for understanding of this dream, I read the passage of scripture and then I read several news stories, which I will reference below. The following is what I understand so far to be the meaning of this dream in all practical application of this passage of scripture to our lives and world today.

My daughter represents the New World Order, which includes factions of Washington, D.C. and it also includes The Department of Homeland Security in the U.S., under the leadership of Janet Napolitano, the Secretary of Homeland Security in the U.S. As well, this New World Order (or whatever name you want to give it) is equal to these transitional governments in these countries where there have been uprisings and takeovers of governments. Yet, I believe the Lord Jesus has often shown me our own department of Homeland Security in the U.S. as our “transitional government”, too. Basically, this “Alliance” of nations spoken of in the news is the N.W.O. (a global government body) which is taking over the nations and governments of the world one at a time so that we all come under a global government (the Beast) and we, as individual nations, no longer operate as independent nations.

I am representing the U.S., the U.S. delegation, and the Obama administration, and I am part of or I am at least meeting with NATO’s governing body, which is also this “transitional government” in the countries of the world, yet I seem to be taking a lesser role and am even being slighted in some way, it appears. My daughter, the N.W.O. (transitional government in the nations of the world; NATO’s governing body; our Department of Homeland Security; factions in D.C.), is directing a play; a musical production. I am supposed to be part of this production, yet I have not yet been given my part (my role) that I am to play or the song I am to sing. This sounds like the U.S. (the Superpower of the world) is being pushed out and the N.W.O. (the transitional government) is now taking over as the one on top. This is not the first time the Lord has shown me something similar to this.

I read two news stories about Gadhafi, his apparent death and the situation in Libya. As I prayerfully read through these news stories, the Lord kept drawing my attention to the fact that nearly everything, if not all, that is being shown to us in our news with regard to what has occurred in this nation over the past seven months of U.S. involvement there has been a production (a play) in which actors were playing roles. In other words, the news we receive and the stories we are told are mostly lies and made up stories to give us the impressions of what is going on around the globe, and in our own country, that our government wants us to receive. The Lord has given me many dreams or visions concerning the events in Libya, and in each case he showed me that what was being reported was not what was really happening over there. We are not the good guys going in there to help these people or the people of any nation to become democratic nations. We have, at least up until now, been party to the takeover of these nations by the N.W.O.; to the killing of innocents; and to the confiscation of their lands, governments and natural resources.

I saw this delay in the burial of Gadhafi, for instance, as this delay in me getting assigned my part that I was to play in the production. I saw the decision to be made as to where the body was to be buried as this decision that my daughter still must make concerning what role I am to play in this production. I saw the pictures of Gadhafi’s last moments in the hands of his enemies as my daughter’s last minute decision concerning the role I would play in the production. The raised questions moments before his death I saw as the questions I raised to my daughter concerning my role, what song I was to sing, and why this was so last-minute, asking her if she treated the other performers the same way. Gadhafi was supposedly driven from power into hiding two months before his death. I saw this in relation to me driving a green car, then a silver car, and then driving the green car again into a parking space in a parking lot, only the car (vehicle; means to accomplish something) had a different look to it, but the “vehicle” was the same and both the green and the silver cars were Japanese cars (same source). So, the new government has the same source and is of the same vehicle as the old government, only it just looks different on the outside.

As well, I saw that the rebuilding, from scratch, of Libya’s institutions by its “transitional leaders” as this green car with the bare metal now showing through where the paint had either peeled off or had worn off. I also saw Gadhafi’s body being strutted on a car as this bare metal that was now coming through on my car (same vehicle as before). The article stated that it appeared as though Gadhafi had been wedged in crossfire. In the dream, it “appeared” to me that my daughter had not yet decided on the part I should play in the production. The article also stated that it was uncertain who shot Gadhafi, and in the dream, it was unclear to me what song I was to sing or how to begin the song. The article also stated that NATO’s governing body had a meeting to decide how and when to cease their 7-month terror crusade in Libya. I saw this as me meeting with my daughter and her making the decision as to my role in the production. The article also mentioned a military maneuver of NATO (the terror crusade) whose success has helped revive the Alliance, which I saw as this performance, play and/or production in Libya helping to revitalize this N.W.O.

The Wedding

This first article mentioned two cellphone images – one with Gadhafi alive and another with him dead. I immediately saw this as the two Davids in my dream and how they were performing and how I was turning their microphones up and down to try to find the right balance, because I could not hear well either one of them. In a subsequent news article, it mentioned a list of governments and their leaders of less importance and a list of those who were on the rise. I saw this in relation to the turning up and down of the microphones for the two Davids. David was a king in the Bible so the Lord often uses that name to represent kings and/or kingdoms. One of the Davids, in real life, is truly loud and boisterous, while the other David is quiet and mild mannered. The “Davids” on the rise (turned up volume on microphones) included China, India, Brazil and Russia. They were still performing with the use of micro (small) phones (could be cell phones or earphones/headphones or a means of communication). One of the Gadhafis was dead and the other alive in these cell phone images, so I saw that possibly the killing of leaders was a way of turning down their volume, as well, though I don’t know if Gadhafi is truly dead or alive. Time will tell.

This first article, in referring to the U.S. as the globe’s solo lasting super power, mentioned that its enemies were kicking, resisting and/or opposing the U.S. I saw this in relation to my daughter’s apparent attitude toward me in not having yet assigned me a role in the production while the other performers were already playing their parts in rehearsal. Then, the article stated that as long as the U.S. sustains its governing role (part in the play) in global matters… I saw this in relation to the questions I had with regard to what role I was going to play in the (global) production, which will lead me to the last news article in just a second here. The last note that I had on this second article, the one that was subsequent to the first article, is how it mentioned that a decayed or collapsed or wrecked economy in Libya was impaired in its functionality due to decades of Gadhafi’s leadership. Yet, the green (economy) vehicle was mine and I was the one driving it, and what looked bad on it was that the paint (the coverup) was peeling off or had worn off and the true nature of the vehicle was beginning to come through, i.e. the N.W.O. and/or those elitists who really run the world or the true colors of the economy as being a global economy, perhaps, was now coming through. In other words, the new interim governments in these nations are the same as the old, just with a different exterior, i.e. they have the same source as before.

Now to the last news article, it stated that the Obama administration is increasing force on Pakistan to go after militants. I saw this in relation to me (U.S.) pressuring my daughter (the one directing the production; N.W.O./NATO/HOMELAND SECURITY) to decide on what role I am going to play and what song I am going to sing in this production. Then the article mentioned that Pakistan had a crucial role to play in supporting Afghan compromise and in ending the conflict in Afghanistan. In other words, we are putting pressure on Pakistan, supposedly, but the pressure is really the N.W.O. pressuring nations (their supporting role) to compromise with the Alliance (the international community; the N.W.O.) in yielding their sovereignty as independent nations over to this global rule of government.

Yet, on another front, in relation to this specific dream, the Lord is showing this pressure as the U.S. putting pressure on the N.W.O. to assign us our role in this production. And, the end result was that my daughter ended up being the one wearing the wedding dress (the one getting married) and that was her “supporting” role in the compromise deal, and my role was to be the one singing the wedding song, so I don’t seem to be a part of either the bride or the groom. Interesting! In other words, the N.W.O. is the bride and the compromise is really the wedding of the governments of the world to the bride and my role seems to just be to sing (tell about something; proclaim something) the wedding song.

Then, Hillary Clinton quoted a saying or an old story that basically said that you can’t possess or retain snakes in your back yard (which I saw as my daughter in the background on the stage in the wedding dress as I sang the wedding song) and anticipate that they will only kick (as in our enemies kicking us) or bite into other nations. The implication is that they might come back to bite us, too, such as what I believe is being implied here with my daughter (the “transitional government”) taking over, not giving me much of a part, and taking a more important and significant role than mine and one that I sensed would take over mine somehow. I believe all of this is leading up to the rule of the Beast of Revelation.

To The Word

In Paul’s letter to the church in Colosse, he stated that “All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing.” I believe the Lord has shown me over and over again that believers in Jesus Christ are being persecuted and killed throughout the world for their faith in Jesus Christ and for their testimony for him, and at the hands of NATO and the U.S., too. Yet, I believe the Lord has also been showing me that, as a result of this persecution of the saints of God worldwide, the gospel is spreading and that many are coming to Jesus Christ. So, that is the good news in all of this!

Paul then shares with the church what he is praying for them, which I believe are the Lord’s words of encouragement to the church worldwide today, as well. He is praying for us to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will for our lives, that we may live lives worthy of the Lord and the calling we have received of him and that we may please him in every way, bearing fruit in every good work. As well, Jesus is interceding for us to the Father that we may be strengthened in God’s mighty power at work within us so that we may have great endurance and patience, and I see this particularly as being applied to what is coming in the near future to America and how we will, especially then, though now, as well, need this.

Then, Paul stated this truth: “For he” (Jesus/God) “has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” I believe the Lord is showing me that “dominion of darkness” via these dreams when he shows me the evils of men and of our government and NATO and this N.W.O. and the great deception (the production) they perform every day for our benefit in order to try to deceive us, and they are very successful at it, too. Yet, Jesus set us free from that dominion so that we are no longer deceived, so that is why we need to be filled with all his wisdom and knowledge and understanding so that we don’t fall into the devil’s trap and believe Satan’s lies. We need to pray for much discernment and we need to come out from the world and be separate instead of becoming one with it.

And, then Paul stated another very significant truth. Jesus is God. He is the creator of all things, including thrones, powers, rulers and authorities. He is before all things and in him all things all hold together. In other words, God/Jesus created the angels who he knew would turn on him and would fall and would thus become demonic spirits and Lucifer would become Satan. He created man, who he knew would turn against him and who would follow the lies of Satan. And, God places all human leaders in authority and rule and he is the one who will give the Beast of Revelation rule over the earth and power over believers in Jesus Christ to persecute and to kill them. So, none of this is happening except for God is allowing it, he is allowing it for a purpose, and he is absolutely in control and nothing can happen to us that God did not forewarn us was coming and/or that he is not capable of seeing us through it.

Yet, God has not left us hopeless. He provided the way of salvation for us through Jesus’ shed blood for us on the cross. We can come to him in faith and repentance and we can receive his grace to cleanse us from our sins and to give us new hope and new lives in Christ Jesus, including forgiveness of our sins so that we no longer have to be controlled by sin’s deceitfulness. Yet, there is an “IF” included in this plan of salvation. Salvation is not some prayer we pray at an altar in order to get our “get out of jail free card,” nor is it a one-time emotional experience or intellectual decision we make or even a head acknowledgement of who Jesus Christ is and what he did for us in dying on the cross for our sins.

The Bible is real clear that salvation is continuous – we are saved; we are being saved; and we will be saved – and that it begins with repentance and a decision to walk in obedience to Christ, and it is lived out and proved genuine in our lives by our fruits, and yet all of this is given to us as a gift from God and he does the work within us as we yield control of our lives over to him. So, “if” we have this kind of continuous faith, established and firm in our relationships with Jesus Christ as Lord and Master of our lives, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel, then we are reconciled to God by Christ’s death in order to present us to God free from accusation. This is what it means to truly be a servant of Christ and a servant of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And, for those of us who have not been living in this kind of continuous faith, God is calling out to us to do so now while we have today.

Remain in Him / An Original Work / September 23, 2011

Based off of John 15:1-17

VOICE ONE:

Walk with Jesus.
He’s your Savior.
He invites you;
Be His servant.
Obey His word.
Do what He says.
Sit at His feet.
Worship your Lord.
Call Him master.
Obey Him now.
Turn from your sins.
On your knees bow.
He’ll restore you,
If you ask Him;
Forsake your ways;
Your cross bearing;
Follow Jesus.

Follow Jesus
Where He leads you.
Abide with Him;
His words in you.
Remain in Him,
Bearing His fruit.
God will hear you
Because He cares.
Be His foll’wers.
Stay in His love.
Peace He’ll give you
From up above.
Love your neighbors,
Enemies, too.
You’ll be God’s friend.
He won’t leave you.
He appoints you.

VOICE TWO:

Walk in fellowship with
Jesus, Savior and friend.
He’s invited you to
Be His servant again.
Obey all His commands,
And do all that He says.
Sit at His feet each day.
Worship Him for always.
Call Him master and King.
Obey Him in all things.
Turn from all of your sins.
Live in vict’ry again.
He’ll restore you today,
If you call Him and pray;
Forsake all of your ways;
Take up your cross today;
Follow Him for always.

Follow Jesus your friend
Where He leads you today.
Abide always in Him.
Let His words dwell within.
If you remain in Him,
Bearing fruit from within,
God will answer your prayers,
Because for you He cares.
Be His followers now.
Remain in Jesus’ love.
You will know peace within;
Comes from heaven above.
Love your neighbors and friends,
And your enemies, too.
God will call you His friend.
He will ne’er forsake you.
He has appointed you.

Song lyrics @ Public Domain

Audio, song lyrics and sheet music:
https://sites.google.com/site/psalmshymnssongs2/home/songs/remain-in-him

Song on video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMnxopsr1Nw

Resources:

Gadhafi's burial delayed for further investigation
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_LIBYA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-10-21-08-18-26

Gadhafi is gone but other US foes remain
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_WHITHER_DICTATORS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-10-21-08-01-05

US boosts pressure on Pakistan over terrorism
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_US_PAKISTAN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-10-21-06-13-46

Fear Not!

Fear Not! / An Original Work / October 20, 2011

Based off of Philippians 4

Rejoice in the Lord!
Gentle be always.
The Lord is near you.
Fear not in all things.
But in ev’rything
By prayer, with thanksgiving,
Share your requests.
God will guard your hearts
With His peace always.

Think about these things:
Whate’er is honest;
Pure and is lovely;
And is praiseworthy.
Whate’er you have learned,
Or you have received, or
You heard from Christ,
Make it your practice.
God will be with you.

I can do all things
Through Him who gives strength.
Whate’er I go through,
Satisfied I’ll be.
My God will meet all
My needs according to
His riches in
Jesus Christ, my Lord.
Praise Him forever!

Song Lyrics @ Public Domain

Audio, song lyrics and sheet music at

Song on video

Press On

Thursday, October 20, 2011, 1:40 a.m. – The song, “Lord, Move Me,” was playing in my mind again this morning when I awoke. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Philippians 3 (NIV 1984) for my quiet time with the Lord this morning:

No Confidence in the Flesh

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.

Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Pressing on Toward the Goal

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

My Understanding: Paul began this section of his letter by first of all calling upon the believers to rejoice in the Lord. And, then he followed that statement by telling them that he was writing something to them that he had written previously, but it was a safeguard to them that he should write it and remind them of this again. Paul addressed several areas of concern and/or areas where he wanted to offer words of encouragement and counsel:

Watch Out!

He told them to watch out for those “dogs,” those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. He was referring obviously to the circumcision group who were insisting that Christians must also be circumcised and follow certain Jewish customs, laws or religious rites in order to be saved. Paul often disputed this false theology on the basis of God’s grace as our only means of salvation. These Judaizers often aggressively opposed the gospel of grace. The term “dog” was a derogatory term often used of the Jews in reference to Gentiles, and it was a term of reproach. Paul used it in reference to false teachers. The picture was one of a pack of wild dogs devouring their victims, and of its destructive results.

Paul also concluded this section of his letter with a solemn warning against false teachers, which could also include now those teachers of a libertine approach to Christianity, which is the opposite of legalism. So many today, especially, in order to steer away from legalism have gone the opposite direction and have, in their teaching, given a license to continue to live in sin and yet have a ticket into heaven. They teach a false grace which says that God requires nothing of us and that he does it all. Whereas it is true that we are not saved by our own human efforts but by God’s grace, yet it is through faith, a gift from God, that we appropriate to our lives what Jesus Christ did for us in dying on a cross for our sins. When we understand the Biblical meaning of the word “faith,” we come to learn that faith is synonymous with repentance and with obedience to Christ’s commands, and that they are inseparable. Yet, even the ability to repent and obey are gifts from God and are the working of the Holy Spirit within our hearts as we cooperate with that working.

Paul describes these false teachers as those who are self-centered, who follow their own selfish and sinful appetites and desires, and over concern for others, and who have their minds set on the things of this life, instead of having their minds set on Christ, with eternity’s values in view. I see them as another type of mutilators in that they inflict serious injury upon the body of Christ by removing or destroying parts of it, i.e. they remove the need for repentance and obedience in salvation and they destroy the true working of God’s grace in people’s hearts and lives, thus giving them a false hope of heaven based upon a false theology, which leaves them in their sin. A true understanding of God’s grace and the faith he gives us is neither on the side of legalism (adding to salvation) nor is it on the side of libertinism (taking away from salvation), but it follows Christ’s teachings and the teachings of the New Testament concerning salvation as taking off the old flesh nature, being changed in the attitude of our minds, and putting on the very nature of Christ, in his likeness.

True Circumcision

We read in Romans and in Colossians that the true circumcision is not the circumcision done by human hands, but it is circumcision of the heart, done by the Spirit of God, not by the written code (see Rom. 2:29). A person who is circumcised of the heart has his praise from God, not from men, as was the case with physical circumcision as a requirement for salvation. As well, when we are circumcised of the Spirit, our sinful nature is put off and cast aside, our sins are buried with Christ, and we are raised with Christ through our faith in him, in the power of God, to new lives in Christ Jesus, our Lord (see Col. 2:11-15). So, our worship of God is done in spirit, not through rites and rituals or following a set of man-made rules and regulations. We glory in Christ Jesus, i.e. all our praise, admiration, adoration and honor belong to God and to God alone. Our desire is for him only. And, we no longer have our confidence or reliance upon the flesh of man or our own sinful flesh natures.

Whatever was to our profit in and of our own selves, we now consider loss for the sake of Christ. In other words, we don’t glory in our own social status, financial status, religious affiliation, religious rituals and rites we perform, our own achievements, talents, intelligence, knowledge, education level, etc. Instead, we give our praise, honor and glory to God for all that he has done. This is what it means to forsake our sinful natures, to have them buried with Christ, and to be raised to new life in Christ, and in the power of God. The things and the pleasures this world has to offer us are not worth holding on to in order that we may know Christ Jesus in all his fullness within us and living out through us. To know Christ is so much more than just knowing about him, having intellectual knowledge, or having made a decision to accept him into our lives as Lord and Savior. We come to know Christ through our daily lives when we take up our cross and follow him wherever he leads us. This involves daily repenting of any known sin and daily choosing to follow Christ. And, this also involves sharing in the fellowship of his sufferings – persecution, abandonment, rejection, misunderstandings, mockings, beatings and death for the sake of the gospel.

Reality Check

Yet, we must realize that we are still in fleshly bodies and we will not be made perfectly perfect until we are in our glorified bodies with Christ in eternity. Yet, we press on to live and walk in this kind of faith and obedience to Christ Jesus and in getting to know him experientially in our daily lives for the purpose of taking hold of the things for which Jesus Christ took hold of us. In other words, he died so that we could go free from the ultimate penalty of sin, but also from the control of sin over our daily lives. He also died so that we could be resurrected to new lives, free from the control of the old sinful nature and free to walk humbly in obedience to Christ. This is why he died, and so we press on in Christ’s working within our hearts and lives to live for that which he died, i.e. to be free from the control of sin and to be free to live for Christ Jesus in true righteousness and holiness.

The way in which we press on toward living for Christ is that we forget what is behind and we strain toward what is ahead. In other words, we no longer glory in the things we once gloried in and we no longer follow the ways of this world and the desires of our flesh. We forgive ourselves for the things we have done in the past, we forgive those who have sinned against us, and we accept God’s forgiveness for all our past sins. We close that door to our pasts never to open it again. And, we move forward in God’s grace and his strength and power within us to accomplish what he has planned for our lives in all holiness and purity. We live up to what we know. So many times we are not lacking in knowledge, but we are lacking in application of that knowledge to our daily lives. James described this as seeing our reflection in the mirror and then walking away and forgetting what we look like. He was speaking on the subject of being doers of the word and not hearers only. If we want to follow Christ, we need to do what we already know to do and then he will teach us more.

Lord, Move Me / An Original Work / October 16, 2011

Be my desire, my heart set on fire,
Lord, move me to worship You only, I pray.
Fill with Your Spirit, my heart overflow.
Lord, may I long for You; Your word to know.
Teach me to walk with You, Lord, in Your power,
And may I serve You, Lord, right now in this hour.

Lord, how I want to obey You forever.
Help me to hear You, Lord, so I will not stray.
Teach me to love You; adore You always.
Envelope me, Lord, with Your grace today.
Meet me in my need, and show me Your mercy.
Forgive me for all things, as I humbly pray.

Counsel me, lead me, direct me, and guide me,
So I follow You, Lord, where’er You lead now.
I love to hear You speak Your words to me.
I am so grateful that You set me free.
Wash me, and cleanse me, and make me like You, Lord,
And I will live with You for eternity.

Song Lyrics @ Public Domain

Audio, song lyrics and sheet music at:
https://sites.google.com/site/psalmshymnssongs2/home/songs/lord-move-me

Song on video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K-0kezkuEg

Unity

Wednesday, October 19, 2011, 8:30 a.m. – The song, “Lord, Move Me,” was playing in my mind when I awoke this morning. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Philippians 2:1-13 for my quiet time with the Lord:

Imitating Christ’s Humility

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Shining as Stars

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

My Understanding: The word “unity” is a buzz word today in the church, in the government and in the international community (with the U.S. and its allies). There is much being taught, and strongly (often forced) encouraged, on this subject of unity both in the church and in the government, yet so much of what is being taught has little or nothing to do with Christ Jesus, but has everything to do with man, his goals, dreams, desires and visions, and with rallying the people around these man-made visions.

Any “dissenters,” who would dare to disagree or to challenge these man-made teachings, in light of the teachings of scripture, are considered “disunifiers” and outcasts, and they are often encouraged (strongly) by the church leadership to “go someplace else.” The disagreement or the challenge to these man-made goals and visions does not even have to be outright or forthright, but can be a direct result or the effect of one’s committed life to obedience to Jesus Christ and the teachings of his word, which often stands in stark contrast to these man-made goals and objectives for the church (or for nations).

Nonetheless, the unity spoken of in this passage of scripture is not a forced unity revolving around the goals of men, but comes out of pure and committed relationships with Jesus Christ and with him only. This unity is based upon the believer’s unity with Jesus Christ, not just in a salvation experience, but in thought, word and deed. This unity begins at the cross of Christ where we make the conscious decision of will to leave our former lives behind us (our sinful lifestyles, that is), to be renewed of the Holy Spirit of God in the attitude of our minds, and to put on Christ; to put on the new person, created to be like Christ in all true holiness. This unity agrees with God about our sin, and it accepts what he did for us in dying on the cross for our sins, not only in how he paid the penalty of our sin so we don’t have to pay for our own sins, but in how he conquered hell, Satan, death and sin via his death and resurrection so that we no longer have to be mastered by sin, but we can be free from the control of sin over our lives – free to allow Jesus Christ to now be the master of our lives.

If being united with Christ and his teachings, therefore, conflicts with the teachings of men, then we are to follow Christ, not men, even if it disunifies us, because the desired effect of unity in Christ is that we are unified with his desires, goals and will for our lives, as is taught in his word, the Bible. Jesus said that he did not come to bring peace, but he came to turn even family members against one another. What he meant, I believe, by this statement is that he did not come to bring peace with the world but to set his children apart from the world, and the result of that will be divisions even in the church and in families because some will follow Christ and some will follow men or their own selfish desires. There cannot be true unity in the church if we are not first of all truly united with Christ in all things. Any other kind of unity is a false substitute for what Jesus intended, and this false unity is what truly divides Christ’s church (and nations).

The unity that this passage is speaking about does not compromise the gospel for the sake of “unity” within the body of Christ. It does not make consolations with the world in order to unify the “church.” This is not about making peace with the worldly church so that there is “unity” within the “church.” We are not to desist from divisiveness if the divisiveness is a direct result of true obedience to Jesus Christ and to his revealed word, in the Bible. We are to come out from the world and be separate, says the Lord. We are not to join hands with the worldly church in agreement with their goals, if their goals are based off of following the ways of men over and above the ways of God and his word. The only way true unity can exist in the church is when believers in Jesus Christ are first of all united with Jesus Christ in heart and mind and with his purposes for our lives, and we are walking in pure fellowship with the Lord Jesus in commitment to obey him in all things. When we are united with Christ in this way, we will be united with one another.

Our Attitudes

We are called, in this passage of scripture, to have the same attitude as that of Jesus Christ. He is God the Son, the second person of our triune God. He is the creator of the universe, the beginning and the end; the I AM. He is our holy God who was seated in heaven with God the Father, yet he did not consider his position in heaven something to which he must hold on to. Instead, he humbled himself by taking upon himself the body of man (human likeness), thus making himself a servant. When he became a man, though, he did not cease to be God. He was very man and very God at the same time. Not only did he take upon himself human flesh, but he willingly gave his life up for us in death, and even a humiliating death, as though he was a common criminal, and thus was hung on a cross. He became obedient to this death on the cross so that we could go free from sin and so we could be free to walk in unity with him in obedience to his will for our lives.

He set the example for the kind of attitude of heart and mind that we, too, should have. We should not be so proud of position, education level, social status, heritage, etc. that we are unwilling to make ourselves servants to others in showing them Christ’s love. We don’t have to compromise who we are in Christ or our values, beliefs, etc., though, in order to serve man. Yet, we must be willing to lay down our lives, i.e. to give up our human rights, time, resources, heart, emotion, etc. in order to serve others out of love for them and for God. And, this laying down of our lives may get us rejected, misunderstood, abandoned, pushed aside, told to “go someplace else,” and even killed for our testimony for Jesus Christ. Yet, we must willingly give of ourselves to others for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ so that they can know Christ and the power of his resurrection and so they, too, can be set free from the control of sin over their lives and can be free to walk in obedience to Christ.

Because of what Jesus Christ did in willingly giving of himself so we could go free, God the Father exalted him to the highest place of honor, so that one day, at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. This will happen when Jesus Christ returns one day in judgment on the world and in the completion of our salvation when he comes to receive his bride and to take his church, the saints of God, to be with him forever.

Our Salvation

Following this dissertation on the subjects of unity and humility (attitude), Paul said, “Therefore,” which means “as a result of,” “consequently,” or “for that reason,” etc. So, as a result of what Jesus Christ did for us, his example he set for us, and of our relationships with him in unity and all humility, and for that reason we are to continue in obedience to Jesus Christ, and we are to continue to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling.” This is not works-based salvation. It is not working for our salvation. When we invite Jesus Christ into our hearts and lives to be Lord and Master of our lives, we are making a heart commitment to follow him in obedience and to live lives pleasing unto him in all things. We do not do this in our own flesh or in our own strength or will. What we do when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives is we appropriate (assume; seize; adopt) what he did for us, in dying for our sins and in conquering the power of sin over us, into our daily lives, character and actions. Basically, we give God permission to do his work of saving grace in our hearts, for it is God “who works in us to will and to act according to his good purpose” for our lives. And, we do this with the holy fear (honor; respect; awe) of God in our hearts so that we shudder even at the idea of giving way to sin in our lives once again.

God is calling out to his church to have this kind of unity with him, and with him alone, which produces unity of spirit among the children of God. He wants to be the desire of our hearts, not for us to live by our own selfish desires and/or to follow the selfish desires and wills of men. He wants to move us in our spirits to lead us to worship him, and him alone, if we will let him. He is calling out to us not only to forsake the ways of men and the ways of this world, but he is calling us to forsake our sins and to walk with him in full obedience to his commands. This is the prayer of my heart. I pray it will be yours, as well:

Lord, Move Me / An Original Work / October 16, 2011

Be my desire, my heart set on fire,
Lord, move me to worship You only, I pray.
Fill with Your Spirit, my heart overflow.
Lord, may I long for You; Your word to know.
Teach me to walk with You, Lord, in Your power,
And may I serve You, Lord, right now in this hour.

Lord, how I want to obey You forever.
Help me to hear You, Lord, so I will not stray.
Teach me to love You; adore You always.
Envelope me, Lord, with Your grace today.
Meet me in my need, and show me Your mercy.
Forgive me for all things, as I humbly pray.

Counsel me, lead me, direct me, and guide me,
So I follow You, Lord, where’er You lead now.
I love to hear You speak Your words to me.
I am so grateful that You set me free.
Wash me, and cleanse me, and make me like You, Lord,
And I will live with You for eternity.

Song Lyrics @ Public Domain

Audio, song lyrics and sheet music at:
https://sites.google.com/site/psalmshymnssongs2/home/songs/lord-move-me

Song on video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K-0kezkuEg

Chains

Tuesday, October 18, 2011, 5:25 a.m. – The song, “Lord, Move Me,” was playing in my mind when I awoke this morning. Then, as I was praying for the salvation of a loved one, the song, “I’ve Discovered the Way of Gladness,” began playing in my mind. This second song was written in 1937 by Floyd W. Hawkins. The song is about the joy of the discovery of finding Jesus Christ as his Lord. He described how mankind daily searches for something new to bring fulfillment and joy into their lives, and how he found what he was looking for in the living way, the Living Word, when he found Jesus Christ, his Lord. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Philippians 1:

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus…

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Paul’s Chains Advance the Gospel

Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly…

Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain…

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

I got up out of my seat to take care of something and then I remembered a dream I had in the night, which is a very familiar theme to me from many previous dreams. THE DREAM: I was planning to sell our house, and then I decided to take some money we had to renovate the house first, and then I would put the house on the market to sell. I could see very old wallpaper on the walls that was peeling off. I believe the wallpaper was a flower print. END

My Understanding: In praying for understanding of this dream, in relation to this passage of scripture and its practical application to our lives today, I read several news stories, two of which I will reference below.

In the dream I was planning to sell our house. To sell something means to unload it or to get rid of it; dump it; market it; and/or retail it. A house is a place where you live. This was not my physical house or a house that I recognized. So, the house either represents the USA, the US government (if I am representing someone in the US government, which I often do) or the church, as the house of God, I suspect. Or, it could be a house that we own or that we possess in some fashion somewhere outside the USA, and thus it belongs to us.

I decided to take some money I had come in possession of to renovate the house before selling it – before putting it on the market for retail sale. To renovate something means to recondition it; repair it; revamp it – give it a facelift or overhaul it; and/or to remodel it. Oftentimes this process involves tearing some things apart first – removing the old to make room for the new. Once the renovation was complete I would put the house on the market to sell.

The only visible thing I noticed that needed to be repaired in this house was old wallpaper that was peeling off the walls. The wallpaper was of a flower print. A wall is a barrier or a divider; a fortification. Paper can be news, a document or article, so this is perhaps speaking of some kind of news story or a document of some kind that serves as a barrier to something or that serves as a kind of fortification or that has been covering or serving as a cover for the wall. A flower is the symbol of something that is flourishing, developing, blossoming, and/or budding. And, in I Peter 1 it says that “All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.” The wallpaper was peeling. To peel something means to cut away or pull off the skin or outer layer of something.

Clinton in Libya

I read a news story about Clinton in Libya offering a new aid package. I saw this new assistance packet as this money I had that I was going to use to renovate the house before selling it. Aid is also a word used for the word “support” and the article also spoke of increased U.S. assistance for Libya’s new leadership.

I believe the Lord has shown me many times over that the U.S. government is working in cooperation with the international community (the New World Order) in Libya to overtake this nation, to gain control of its government and all its natural resources and lands and that we are involved in killing innocent civilians, believers in Jesus Christ who are taking a stand for their faith, and anyone who stands in the way of the goal of the New World Order in taking control over the entire world and all the governments and people of the world. So, the new leadership in Libya is the N.W.O., I believe, and the U.S. has increased their support for the N.W.O. and what it is doing in Libya to take control of the country. And, I believe this is the “renovation” being paid for by this “aid” money.

These articles about Libya paint a picture for us of troops and people loyal to Gadhafi against those who want a new government in Libya and that we are over there in Libya to help facilitate the Libyan people’s freedom from their oppressive leader and to help pave the way to yet another democratic government and free and fair elections. The Lord continues to paint a different picture for me and that is one of the New World Order (international community) of which our government is a part taking over the nations and peoples and governments of the world by force through trickery, war, faked and staged uprisings, not-so-natural disasters, and/or staged terrorist attacks or foiled attacks to instill fear in the people so we will believe that we need to be in these wars to protect the people of America.

So, when these news articles speak of strongholds (the wall) and resistance (the peeling of the wallpaper, perhaps), and they talk about Gadhafi’s forces against the uprising, this is really speaking of the New World Order, or whatever you want to call it, coming into countries not theirs and taking them over by force, killing at will, raping, pillaging, etc. We are not the good guys and we are not there to offer aid to the people of Libya. We are there to take them over and to “renovate” them before we “dump” them. Yet this is about much more than just Libya. This is happening all over the globe and it is coming to America, too. It is just a matter of them having all the right people and plans in place and then the hammer will strike. So, the resistance is really those who are pulling away (peeling) from the stronghold of the New World Order, which includes believers in Jesus, and they are being killed because they are not willing to bow.

Obama

I read another article about Obama on the campaign trail in N. Carolina and Virginia. The article spoke of him selling himself, which brought to mind that I was going to sell the house after I renovated it. Money was mentioned here, too, for infrastructure spending. An infrastructure has to do with the structure of an organization and the foundation of that organization. I saw this as related to the wall from which the wallpaper was peeling (the resistance). And, then the article mentions that, on the campaign trail, Obama had the freedom to engage in retail politics, which made me think again of the sale of the house. Obama represents the USA, he signifies the office of the president, he is the chief over our government and thus he is a figurehead for the USA government, so what is being renovated and eventually sold, I believe, is the same as with Libya, i.e. our government and form of government within the USA is being renovated and is being sold out to the N.W.O.

The Word

Paul stated that he was in chains (imprisoned) for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet, he said that what had happened to him had really served to advance the gospel. He said that, because of his chains, most of the brothers in the Lord had been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. He prayed that Christ would always be exalted in his body, whether by life or by death, for to him, to live was Christ and to die was gain, because that meant he would be with Christ. He longed to be with Christ in glory, and I so empathize with that longing, yet he also knew that God had work for him to do yet on this earth and that he was to continue what he had been doing for the spiritual progress, encouragement and joy in the faith of the believers.

When we read the New Testament of the Bible we learn that those who gave their lives to Jesus Christ often became the targets for persecution and even were killed for their faith. We don’t know much of that yet in the USA, but it is there and it is going to get worse. Yet, people of other nations for generations have experienced this kind of persecution and targeting for death because of their faith in Jesus Christ. And, in the Bible times and even now, I believe, this kind of persecution has the positive effect of furthering the gospel, which could very well be related to this wallpaper, as flowers were a picture of something budding, growing, and blossoming, as well as flowers Biblically represented man and the idea that just as flowers will die, so men die, but the word of God is what remains.

Paul offered many words of encouragement to the believers, and I believe one of the main purposes of this writing is to encourage the church, too, to stay strong in the faith because God, who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until Christ returns. We should be growing in our faith and in our love for God and others so that we may be able to discern what is best and may live pure and blameless lives until Christ returns, not willfully giving into fleshly desires which war against our spirit. As we grow in our understanding of who Christ is and who we are to be in Christ, we should be encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly, even in the face of great persecution and the real possibility of being killed for our testimony.

Paul also offered words of encouragement and counsel when he said, “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” For many of them, the “whatever” was great persecution and the martyrdom for their faith in Christ and their testimony for him. So, even in the face of this, we are not to shrink back in the sense of pulling away from our true foundation, Jesus Christ, but we are to continually conduct ourselves in a way that is reflective of the life of Christ within us and the truth of the gospel. We are to be unified in our unrelenting stand for Jesus Christ, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel and we are not to be frightened away, by those who oppose us, from our pure devotion to Jesus Christ and from testifying about our Lord.

If we are not living for the Lord and our Christian experience is more like a social club, religious activities we perform, and/or rituals we go through, but our hearts are far from God or they are certainly not where they should be, we will not be able to stand when this kind of persecution and the true takeover of our nation by the New World Order hits America. We have to stand as one man, contending for the faith of the gospel and not frightened easily by opposing forces for our own sakes, as well as for the advancement of the gospel and for the sake of the salvation of human lives for eternity. So, I pray we will all examine our hearts before God to see if we are conducting our lives in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ or if we are just going through the motions but our hearts are far from God. I pray we would all make the conscious decision of our will and heart today to pray for God to move us to worship him only and for him to teach us how we can live for him.

Lord, Move Me / An Original Work / October 16, 2011

Be my desire, my heart set on fire,
Lord, move me to worship You only, I pray.
Fill with Your Spirit, my heart overflow.
Lord, may I long for You; Your word to know.
Teach me to walk with You, Lord, in Your power,
And may I serve You, Lord, right now in this hour.

Lord, how I want to obey You forever.
Help me to hear You, Lord, so I will not stray.
Teach me to love You; adore You always.
Envelope me, Lord, with Your grace today.
Meet me in my need, and show me Your mercy.
Forgive me for all things, as I humbly pray.

Counsel me, lead me, direct me, and guide me,
So I follow You, Lord, where’er You lead now.
I love to hear You speak Your words to me.
I am so grateful that You set me free.
Wash me, and cleanse me, and make me like You, Lord,
And I will live with You for eternity.

Song Lyrics @ Public Domain

Audio, song lyrics and sheet music at:
https://sites.google.com/site/psalmshymnssongs2/home/songs/lord-move-me

Song on video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K-0kezkuEg

Resources:

Clinton in Libya to offer new aid package
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_US_CLINTON_LIBYA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-10-18-08-11-41

Obama basks in Southern hospitality on bus tour
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA_ON_THE_ROAD?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-10-18-06-52-18