Today, while reading Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on a chapter in Proverbs, I came by the passage:

“The righteous must leave the earth as well as the wicked; but the earth is a very different thing to them. To the wicked it is all the heaven they ever shall have; to the righteous it is the place of preparation for heaven. And is it all one to us, whether we share with the wicked in the miseries of their latter end, or share those everlasting joys that shall crown believers?”

This world along with the problems that come with sin in a person’s life is all the heaven a sinner will see.  Even if their life has been one of sorrows and suffering due to sin, this life on this earth is still the best they will ever see, if they do not turn onto God.

For those of us who know Jesus, this is merely boot camp, it is training to prepare us for the Millennial Reign where the Christ, Yeshua, The King of Kings, Jesus when He shall rule here on this earth for a bit over one thousand years and then on to eternity!  But are we really learning or just living on furlough for our entire training period.  If so, what will happen when we run into situations where we need this training?

Maybe I am not noticing the glass half full, but I am having a hard time understanding this current Christian world.  On the surface, it seems that a large number of people are trying to live as close as they can to the world instead of trying to live as close as they can to God.

For and example, there are Christian musicians that either look and/or act like the secular bands (such as rock, hip-hop, etc) and claim they are trying to reach those that others do not reach.  I have to wonder if that is really the focus or perhaps there are issues they have not yet dealt with in their lives which allow their fleshly desires to justify their apparent secular longings.  We could justify such actions but would it not be better to focus on charging up the “church” and having them go out and win those souls.  Or even see the true power of God come back into the church and no longer need to go out and fetch them in, they will knock down the door to get in the churches.

Recently, a minister I have seen a bit decided for some reason to get a Christian tattoo (one with Christian symbols).  Right out of the gate here, I will say I do not believe that ANYONE who claims to be a Christian should go out and get ANY kind of tattoo.  That desire should not be in them and if it is, there is probably a root cause that needs to be dealt with, we should not be in that type of carnality!

There were a few other things that started to change a bit with him.  Now I find that he is growing his hair out down to his shoulders.  When I saw him, I would have equated him with a person in a mission or street person.  Okay, some will give that line above that maybe it is to reach some of those that others cannot reach.  I still find it hard to believe that a mature grounded Christian would desire to mark up their body for any reason, or find the need to look just like the darker side of life, more like those that do not know God.  It is not the tattoo nor the hair (I had long hair when I was first saved and continued until I met my wife who did not like it, but it was all I knew, it was not a change to try looking rebellious), it is more a seeming insecurity or whatever brought this change.  Maybe there is a cry for help in there shown by the desire for these changes.

Yep, here it comes:

Rom 12:1-2 ~ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  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.

We are not to be conformed to this world.  In other places we are called to be holy, to abstain from all “appearances” of evil, to be called out from among them, that we should walk with a newness of life.   If we are truly “Born Again”, then there should be a new life in us, we should not have any desire for the darker, rebellious things of this world.  We are “Saints in Light” and should strive to promote this, not the darker things of this world.

I once had a Christian man tell me a story when he had his pastor come over for dinner and he asked him what he wanted to drink, he made a joke about asking him if he wanted a beer and kind of looked at me odd as if he would have had one for him.  It is not an issue of drinking or not drinking beer, it is the rebellious joy that seemed to radiate from him as he told the story, more of one flirting with the edge of destruction.  This should not be in us as Christians, Christ followers, those that have been Born Again.  This is exactly what needs to be crucified every day, we need to put this away from us.

There are many things I battle in my Christian walk, and the fleshly man is there just ready to take over.  I know I deal with things like pride, anger, frustration, greed, lust for things I know I do not need and the list goes on.  But we have to pray and yield more of ourselves to God so that He can fill those parts with His presence and keep those fleshly traits put down.

We are the people of God, we need to act like it.  When we see Christians leaning over to these errors, we need to help them if possible, but for sure we need to pray for them.  This kind of immaturity in the Body of the Christ is hindering the move of God and thus people suffer because of it.

It is time that everyone who calls themselves Christian, should strive for Holiness and not only get our lives cleaned up, but even rid ourselves of every appearance of  evil!

Come on people, the time is to short to be playing games, we need to get the Body of the Christ built up and ready for battle.  The world is in bad shape and getting worse, it is time to bring the light into this dark world, we cannot do that if we do not shine!  If the world can not tell any difference between us and them, then there is no light..

What is real Revival or an Awakening?  Is it just meeting at church than runs several days or a week and then we return to services as normal?   NO, it is a move of God powered by the Holy Spirit flowing through believers, driving them to prayer, fasting, hungering for more of God.

Here is a little glimpse, if you dare take a small trip into the past to fuel our future:

Here is another link that has many resources:

http://www.revivalhymn.com (then go to download page)

 Also, a poem to help stir something within to break out of our slumber:

There is one fact that every Christian needs to have quickened within them.  It is the Mystery of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col 1:26-27).  Yes, Christ dwells in you through the Holy Spirit.  You have God almighty living within your mortal being in your spirit. 

We have everything in the new birth.  Our spirit that was reborn when we turned to the Christ, as we were a dead spirit in sin and now we have been made alive in our reborn spirit and the Spirit of the Living God dwells in our spirit.  God is within us with every bit of the power that flung the stars out into the universe, that created the sun and moon and earth, that created everything we see, hear, feel, taste or smell, that power is within our mortal body of flesh.  NOTHING IS IMPOSIBLE for us if we will yield to the Spirit God has placed within us.

We must get awakened to the fact that God IS IN us.  We do not have to call out to some distant spiritual plane, He IS within inches of our heart.  Just think, God is closer to our heart than our head :)  Every Gift of the Spirit is within us, it is a matter of releasing those Gifts, yielding unto Holy Spirit and allowing those "Rivers of Living Water" to flow out from us.  The Spirit will operate through us as He has the need.

You know, this also means all healing and all provision is within us, since we have God we have everything!  Every answer to every problem, every circumstance, every issue we shall encounter is already in us.  We only need to keep our vessel fit for His use.  We are the Temple of the Living God, we need to think more about what we are and who we have within us!

Now, here is a thought, since we have God within is and He goes where we go, where have you been taking Him lately?…

Art by Pat Marvenko Smith, copyright 2000
www.RevelationIllustrated.com

What many Christians do not realize is that pillar of fire is now within them to lead and guide them each day.  The Holy Spirit now resides within us and if we keep our flesh out of the way, we can clearly follow that pillar.

Along this lines is also the Shekhinah Glory of God.  When Moses spent time with God, his faced Glowed.  Then there are tongues of fire which appeared above the heads of the Apostles in Acts.  Back in the Azusa Street revival in the early 1900s, it is recorded the appearing of tongues of fire above some of their heads.  There are other recordings of churches appearing on fire, but when fire fighters are called out, they could not put it out nor did it burn the church.

There are many reports of different forms of the Shekhinah Glory of God appearing in various forms over the years. One that is a little closer to me comes from a close friend, Dale Craig who was an organist for some time and close friend to Amie Semple McPhreson founder of Angelus Temple.  He recalls the two times he saw the Shekhinah Glory of God.  When he first saw Angelus Temple, he said it had a golden glow all over the building and when he was inside there were rooms filled with people seeking more of God and the power of God was upon them.

We think we have worshiped and sought God's face, but how far?  What should worship at church be like?  I think we are close to the first step in worship, prayer and praise when we go to church and end up not being able to stay standing due to the presence of God and the Glory of God is clearly seen.

We need the presence of God and the Glory of God flowing in our lives.  Imagine if people were scared to look upon us because we glowed from spending time with God.  Dear God, let it be!

It is time to wake up and believe what we say we believe and hunger for more of God greater than our next breath!

On a final note, we do need to make sure the fire is that of God and not a deception.  We do not want “strange fire”…

Today, while writing a response to another post, I was convicted within my spirit about passion and action.  I am passionate about several things and try to stand up for various issues.  But today I began to think, just how much passion is serious and how much is just thought (lip service to myself)? 

As an example, I am very pro-life and believe that abortion should not be allowed.  In today's world there is little need to worry about times such as when a mother's life is threatened as I am not sure that would happen, in such a way that our medical technology could not solve it by premature birth. 

This post is not about abortion though, it is the fact I have strong feeling about this issue, but how much of that is truly passion if I do not personally get involved in some degree to end this slaughter?  If you are truly passionate about something, shouldn't you be involved in some way?  Is cutting a check for a few bucks to a pro-life organization equal the passion?

The thing I am most passionate about though is the need for the Body of Yeshua ( Jesus if you did not know) to come together and do the works that He did.  I am tired of seeing people all around who are claiming to be a believer, with their lives preoccupied by the things of this world.  It is sad when we have to battle over topics such as  if profanity is wrong in the sight of God or if it is acceptable to go get drunk on the weekends, or if couples should get a divorce because they do not like living together and the list goes on and on.  It seems the focus is more on how close can be live to the edge of sin and still make it to heaven...  It should be, how close can we live to God and still be able to function in this life!  Many suffer now and will suffer far more in the future if the Body does not get it together and do the works Yeshua did.  Just looks at how many need healed let alone, saved!

In short, I guess maybe our passions are not as strong as we believe them to be, if our actions do not equal our passions...

What is important to God?

Many people spend time thinking about and living in the past. They think of all the good times and wish they could be back. Others live in regrets and concern themselves with things that they have done or had happened to them in the past. Some Christians allow these things to hold them back.

Others put everything off into the future. They live their lives in the future, planning what they are going to do. There are many sinners that say they will get saved later or in the near future. There are many Christians that say they will live a more holy life and put anyway those sins that so easily beset them in the near future or when something happens in the future.

I have news for you (and myself), life is not lived in the future, things you plan for the future mean nothing to God, as you have not yet done them. The things in the past are gone and over, there is nothing you can do to change them! If you are a Christian and it is a sin in your past you are holding on to, you are not trusting God, He forgave your sins and has chose not to remember them anymore, so there is no reason why you should!

Now to the heart of the matter, we live life in the present! You can only change your past as it is happening. Everyone minute of every day, you are creating your past. It is up to you what your past will be. To God, the only thing that matters is what you are doing right now, not in the future, not those things that you have confessed and been forgiven for in your past, but what you are currently doing, what the state of your heart and decisions you make right now.

You want to have a fuller relationship with God, what will you do today to further this? Not tomorrow, but today!

Tell those that you love, today the you love them.  Appreciate the blessings in your life you have today, not worrying about what will be tomorrow.

Live in today so that you have a future and that your past will be full!