Thankfullness

This morning when in my prayer time I was instructed to read Isaiah 40:2, which reads; "I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, 7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. 8 "I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. 9 See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you."

As I sit here thinking and praying about all the things that God has done for me, and the places that He delivered me out of, my heart burns for those that are sitiing today in the same place that I was years ago. Abba Father literally took me by the hand and led me out of a dungeon of fear, inferiority, and loneliness; abandoned by family, no friends, and full of bitterness and anger. I was sitting in the darkest prison, wallowing around in the cess pool of oppresion and death. Harsh? Yah, I know, I was there. I know He showed me this today to declare His goodness to me, and all those around me that are sitting in the once empty dungeon that I used to occupy. I am so thankful to God for loving me. Taking me out of death and translating me into the kingdom of the Son of His love. Col. 1: 12-14. I am thankful to be free. I am thankful to have enjoyed this marvelous holiday with my family. I could not have chosen a better wife, or chidren to love and share this freedom with. I also think and pray for those that are bound up today, that need that freedom that I have, and it is a sobering prayer. It is wonderful to worship the Lord in His liberty, and I do everyday for it is a right thing to do, but I also pray for those that have not found it yet.
Thank God for wholeness. Thank God for the church. Thank God for sending Jesus, His dearest possesion for us, so that we may enjoy His freedom now. I hope that Thanksgiving is just a prelude to Christmas, and that a prelude to Resurrection Sunday. I pray that beyond the football games and feasting that we all remember the Messiah, for it is He that has led us out by the hand, and made us a light to the gentiles to set the captive free. And after I have sat down and feasted on the best meal that I have ever had, thanks to my wonderful wife and her fabulous talent of cooking, I am reminded of the feast of prosperity and wholeness that the Master has given us. Thank you Daddy God!


HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

How about Separation instead of Assimilation?

Recently I have had the witness inside that separation is in order. In the last days we are supposed to become more and more sanctified, but it seems as if the church is becoming more and more assimilated, or tolerant and even supportive of the world's views and practices. The Scripture says narrow is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction. I see every day ignorance that turns into destruction and there is nothing that I can do about it. I minister daily to people that are in the very midst of destruction, and with a devilish pride and resilience they hold on to the religious foolishness of man and fight for their lives in a whirlwind of destruction resisting the freedom that is too easy to receive. I ministered daily to a woman going through breast cancer giving precise detailed instruction from the Word by the leading of the Holy Spirit, and to this day she still argues God "allowed" it (or in other words gave it to her). But then as a quiet fly on the wall, I heard all of the prejudice, hatred and foolishness come out of her mouth, and any further ministry short of praying for her was as pearls before the swine.

We are to offer our bodies to God as our reasonable sacrifice. Reasonable. Even God suggests that our separation is reasonable. I am embarrassed to say that I have known more Christian people this year take part in the dreaded Halloween holiday, citing that it is just for kids. We cannot be fooled any longer, any agreement with the enemy will spell destruction. ( I also must say that here in Ft. Worth I was happily surprised with the turn out for Christian alternative events) To be separate means to literally be cut off from a certain group or activity. That sounds a lot like translated from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of the Son of His Love. There is a clear distinction, there must be now. I wondered how the very elect would be defeated and deceived by the enemy, it is a little word I call tolerance. What are you tolerating today? Just a little fear, or perhaps a little selfishness, or maybe a little addiction to something so menial that it isn't really an addiction. A little testimony of my own, since we moved we kept the satellite off, and since then I have grown dramatically closer to the Lord and don't even miss it. I guess tolerating a little lack is okay, especially since the world is in a recession...
We have such a greater covenant than the world. The covenant shared with the devil may be filled with the lusts of this world and feel good for a time, but the true pleasures and emotions, and love Divinely appointed from the Father of Lights is so incomparable there are no words to describe it. We must live post resurrection, it has all been fulfilled, and all has been fully supplied to us in Christ. I had the Spirit say to me a while back, 'the hardest thing that I will ever ask you to do is act on your faith'. Our part is to take the word and act out on faith. Here's the good part. It isn't our Word, it isn't our faith, and it has nothing to do with how goody goody we've been. We simply take the promise, put it into our mouth and believe Him.
How is it that the Creator can say I love you, and I will never leave you, then two people can tell you of some horrible thing and instantly you are tempted to question what the Lord has said. Or God says you are rich in Me, take it, and someone starts to talk about the economy in a worldy practical way and all the sudden God's Word is in jeopardy. Honestly folks, the three trillion voices in the world could disagree with the one voice of God, and His will always be right. I have been labeled an 'extreme' Christian, but I trust God. I believe what He said, He is also well able to perform it. That's why even when no immediate change came after praying in front of a group of people, you will never see me embarrassed of intimidated, the problem wasn't God my friend. Dare to separate. Dare to be different. Your very life may depend on it. You will love the life it produces.

The End of an Era

Well, it's an end of an era... the time has come and somewhat reluctantly, we finally traded in one of our family members. Yes, our old GMC truck has finally been put to rest. We have had that truck since before we were married and have had some good and life altering moments in that truck, it will be missed. Think that's pretty corny do you? Well, maybe it is, but it's like Fluffy being around for 20 years, you get used to her quirks and up's and down's, and when she finally gets eaten by the neighbor's rottweiler, hey, you miss her. Same thing here, I guess. We as humans tend to relate happenings and relevant things of our lives to inanimate objects, that are otherwise just tools to get us where we need to go. Well, I choose to honor the things that have served me well, so I make a tribute to the old GMC in this post (with pictures of our last moments together). I have to give God glory for the whole thing, however, (being the radical Christian that I am)I have plead the Blood of Jesus over that truck for at least 8 years and when the manager drove it as a trade in (all 264,000 miles of it)he came in astonished at the quality of it. He shook my hand and bragged on it for quite some time, of course I just smile and know it has been the Blessing of the Lord on all of our stuff. Naturally, we got an awesome deal on the new auto, and everything that we didn't know that we wanted in it, God knows our every desire altogether and supplies abundantly above and beyond all that we can ask or think...

So here's to you, our old friend.

Christian or... not...

Well as the world prepares for the beloved pagan holiday of halloween, I had this surprising thought today, it goes kind of like this;

Why would any religious organization that believes in good and evil, bad and good, serve a God 364 days a year, battling an enemy that is after your very soul to make sure that you will be forever parted from the God of Love and mercy that you claim to love and serve;

And then ONE day a year, put down your armor, your sword and shield, the Glory of God, the righteousness that took an amazing amount of strength, faith and Love to pull off, just so you could go and be with Perfect Love Himself and live a victorious life here on this earth, and dress your self up and your children as the very enemy that is spending every waking moment to see to your demise and death? Why do Christian people have haunted houses and scare houses in their sanctuaries? Where the Most High God is expected to grace every service? Why do Christian people take part in worshipping satan, and celebrating one day a year in his honor? Does he deserve it? After all God has been pretty tough on him right, and you yourself has been ragging him, defeating him at every corner.

It is a strange thought. I have never seen a Muslim take a day off the rigorous routine and celebrate Jesus' triumphant resurrection with us... holding hands and singing Kumbaya.

I have never seen Buddhists take a day off and wipe off their spots from their foreheads and throw the ole robes down and go hang out with Harry Krishna fans.

I have yet to see the Jews take a day off and build another golden calf.

So tell me again why do Christians celebrate their sworn enemies with costumes, devilish movies, and FEAR ? Huh... Christian or not?

I know that may offend many people, I have recently heard, "oh, it's just fun", and, "there's no harm in letting the kiddies get candy", and my personal favorite, " the holidays are for the kids, let them have their fun". Certainly dear, let's dress the children up like the foul stinking spirit we cast out of that guy last Friday and let them have their fun!

One word really... INSANE.

The old man

I'll tell you what, being in Texas again listening to some of my old Chris LeDeoux CD's, seeing all the cowboy hats, steers, and visiting the Ft. Worth Stockyards sure does take me back to the old days of the old man. I don't mean that I am thinking of the sinning, and junk we did, just the things that remind me of where I've been and where I came from. I'm not sure why, but the smell of cow poop reminds me of the many lessons, character, and how to be a gentleman that was imparted into me at a young age. I have had more Christian folks ask me how is it that you are able to believe God so strong and so easy? Well,being here helps to remind me by jogging my memory to how we were taught you don't give up. I guess after you've seen a guy get pummelled for not keeping his word, you tend to take it a little more serious. The matter of stickit-toit-tiveness. (New word) There is something special about the place you grew up, and I believe that I am blessed to have been born in this place, learned what I learned, rode all the horses and bulls, learned to work, and sweat, and never give up. Apparently wherever I go I'll have that Lone Star stamped somewhere deep inside, and now it's permanent since I have been sealed by the Holy Spirit. I have to say if the Lord is ready to take me to another place, I can go happy after being here again, even if it's just been for a short time. I am thankful to be who I am, especially now that I am created in Christ and can enjoy the positives of the past and what He holds for the future. But for the very near future you can look for me in heaven with my darling wife and family in a great big Texas shaped plot of heaven.

Hangin at B&N

Thankfully my writing classes are all over with, for now, so I have much more time to post some intensely funny, intelligent, though provoking and moving posts. All I have to do now is think of some. On the other hand, I am getting ready to hear Ms. Kate McVeigh tomorrow at church, hopefully she will not remember the incident at LWRV where all of us over anxious ushers stormed the front, apparently getting all up in her 'space'. It should be good times though, for sure. It is really cool being in 'the big city', but not as cracked up as people would think. There are a lot of opportunities here, but for the most part it is just a commercialized cow town with a lot of landscape trucks. I am looking forward to coming back to AR and seeing Jurn, and her little friend Joel, and the rest of the fam. Our adventure has taken some interesting tolls, but the growth of our faith has been the most satisfying part of the whole thing. I kinda feel like Abraham leaving Pook and Them to go where God reveals, I wonder what's next? I am really getting the taste for travelling, though. I get the urge every time I see an airplane overhead to hop on board and go... anywhere. Well, I will think of some motivating, inspiring, and other posts to write later, so Adios.

my new favorite song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL0nDrEYDnk

Kari Jobe

Revelation song