"Fire In The Soul/Daily Dose" # 2 Nov 14 2012 (2 Timothy 2:1,2,15) by Rev. Brian L Hunter

"Fire In The Soul/Daily Dose" # 2 Nov 14 2012 (2 Timothy 2:1,2,15) by Rev. Brian L Hunter

© 2007-2010 Brian L Hunter

God Touched This Sinner

 Since words cannot adequately convey the reality of what took place, I will try again here: It was an incredibly overcast fall day in 1993 at Ramapo College and, when the warm light of the sun suddenly broke through the clouds and shone on my face, I wept uncontrollably. I was in the middle of a set with the reggae band, No Discipline, playing drums as usual as I did for a living most of my life up to that point. What was this new tension and why was I weeping?

Something in my heart was breaking. Up to that moment I had felt so wicked and so much was obviously wrong in my life. Yet God reached down through it all and touched me deeply that day, perhaps just to let me know that there was a reality bigger and more awesomely powerful than I had hitherto ever imagined. Hallelujah! The Son shone through the clouds and caressed me with His omnipotent love that afternoon. Hallelujah! The Son caused His countenance to graciously shine upon me (Numbers 6:22-27). Hallelujah! God was so concerned about this dread-lock wearing, screwed up, self-absorbed drummer boy that He reached down from heaven in that moment, as though He had nothing more important to do, and caressed me on my wretched cheek with His awesome omnipotent love. Oh, my goodness! Hallelujah! I was overwhelmed…

© 2012 Brian L Hunter

"Love Is Like A River" Brian L Hunter Drumming & Rapping? w No Discipline

"Love Is Like A River" Brian L Hunter Drumming & Rapping? w No Discipline

© 1989 Brian L Hunter (ASCAP) and No Discipline  aka Al Bazaz (BMI)

Reggae

"Fire In The Soul" Episode One by Rev Brian L Hunter Philippians 4:7-8 Brief

"Fire In The Soul" Episode One by Rev Brian L Hunter Philippians 4:7-8 Brief

© 2007-2010 Brian L Hunter

Weepy

“Jesus wept.” (John 11:35)

Speaking of men who cannot seem to hold their eye water, I have discovered an eighth dwarf. Snow White never met this one. His name is weepy. He seems to be addicted to worship and the presence of the Lord. If Jesus is indeed his example, I am tempted to envy such a soaking of the proverbial handkerchief myself. What burden moves him to tears? It certainly is worth a bi

t more contemplation on my part. I may eventually be led to conclude that big boys do indeed cry. I have often wondered what else the world may have lied to me about? Maybe I shouldn’t believe everything I see on television or read in the newspaper after all. Thank God He has given me so much relevant reading and thinking to do. I thank Him even more for sending His Holy Spirit that I may be moved to tears by the truth of which and of whom He does testify. Selah.

© 2012 Brian L Hunter

Danger, The Will

“The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9 NASB) You can listen to Oprah, Dr. Phil, and the NY Times best-selling authors and take medication to cope with the delusions of this world, or, you can belly up to the truth. Anyone who has read the Book of Romans recently knows what we can expect from mankind, even our closest family, confidants, and friends. The depravity of man is a given, not a surprise. Did the twelve disciples follow through with their resolution not to leave Jesus’ side once the Roman soldiers came and took Him by force to be crucified? Did Peter not deny that he even knew Jesus once the persecution foretold became a reality (Matthew 26:34, Mark 14:72, Luke 22:61)? I have no misconceptions about my own friends denying me thrice when the weight of tolerating me has become too much for mortal men. But, hey; hallelujah! There is one… Ha ha! Oh, there are three in heaven who agree as one (1 John 5:7) – His name is El Olam (Genesis 21:33), The Everlasting God, Faithful, True, and Eternal Lord - Jehovah. He alone is the friend that sticketh closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). There are friends who, because they filter reality through carnal, flesh-colored spectacles as all men are subject to, cannot purely receive and see what I am saying here. My every word will be filtered and imperfectly interpreted to mean something other than what I am communicating. Some will even rebuke me (in the flesh), accusing me of committing evil on Facebook with posts such as these, when, in reality, I write with malice toward none but the enemies of truth. This creates space between us men which cannot be filled again except by the Holy Spirit if and when we are occasionally of one accord in that Spirit which is the Lord. “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (2 Corinthians 3:17) How much more could we accomplish together for the Kingdom if we could walk consistently together in the Spirit without making every word and every situation about us? That would be a God-centered worldview rather than one that is self-centered. That would be a healthy, living, breathing, revived, and unified church worthy to be called the Body of Christ in the last days. If I am guilty of anything in posts such as these, I am guilty of thinking out loud and making myself, the good, the bad, and the ugly, completely transparent. The only communication that can ever be perfect is that between God and man. As little children, we are weak but God is strong. “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:26, 27 NASB) My thoughts, being imperfect and infinitely lower than God’s, are often random, incomplete, or seemingly meaningless. However, I consider that I am not necessarily called to minister to my circle of friends, my nation, or even my generation. God can use a gift revealed today to benefit none other than a solitary youth in Vietnam three centuries in the future. “But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Peter 3:8) Postmodern thinkers and intellectuals, puffed up with pride and impressed with their own self-sufficiency, are so great and mighty in their own minds that they find it impossible to admit that God exists. Well, if I stand before any traffic court judge in America, having overlooked or ignored a stop sign and rolled on through the intersection, I will learn that my ignorance of the law will in no wise nullify a guilty verdict and the subsequent consequences. God is not some equation you can figure out, Poindexter. “O how deep are God's riches, and wisdom, and knowledge! How unfathomable are his decisions and unexplainable are his ways!” (Romans 11:33) You may refuse to believe it until you are forced by the circumstances of a situation to believe it – for, in such an hour, if you believe not, there shall exist no longer in your carnal mind, your only mind, any hope at all for you. Many men suddenly discovered faith in Jesus and eternal life while pinned down in a foxhole under enemy fire on the battlefield or while plummeting speedily from the sky in a jetliner with a failed engine. You can tell me anything, Mr. Atheist. However, life has a way of bringing us to a point in time when we must put our money where our mouths are. I will lay down my life for this gospel which has saved me from self, the bondage of sin, and eternal separation from all that is good and perfect. Expecting the atheist to understand or accept rationally the peace which comes with placing all of my hope in God’s eternal promises in Jesus Christ would be like expecting my dog to understand why we dress and season a turkey before roasting it. I have said all of this merely to make this point: I do not have a great mind. However, what little mind I have is on Christ, on letting His mind be in me, in living and moving and having my being in Him, and, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, and whatsoever things are of good report. If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, I endeavor as much as possible at my feeble age nearing senility, to think on these things (Philippians 4:8).


© 2012 Brian L Hunter

Free Indeed

“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36) Of course the little girl wants to dress up like her mommy and as a teenager she will desire to do the same thing. She has no idea that grown men will lust after her and pay undue attention to her frame. She has no idea that, while old and young men alike will befriend her and seem to genuinely adore her personhood, they only do so with the ulterior motive of deflowering and robbing her of the purity and innocence of God’s glory that He placed deep within her as a precious flower intended to bloom in its season. It is God who is therefore violated. Woe be unto men who lust with evil eyes and scrape together the wrath of God whom they have not yet learned to fear, though Hurricanes and Tsunamis alike bear His signature alone. Hallelujah! “God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day.” (Psalm 7:11) Those who are evil are deluding themselves if they think for one second that they shall escape judgment in the end. A red hot needle through both eyes at this moment would be preferable to the wrath of God they heap up for themselves which shall most definitely be executed in His time. Consider the power of just one tornado or lightning bolt as you reflect on the fact that “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10) Think about it, Poindexter; “Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be changed from one form to another.” ― Albert Einstein Thank you for calling me friend, oh God. Thank you for reminding me that Job made a covenant with his eyes not to look lustfully at a girl (Job 31:1). Hallelujah! We thank you that by your grace alone through the sanctifying power of your Holy Spirit, Word (Ephesians 5:26-27), and eternal fatherhood, we take great pains to humbly extend our hand rather than to lustfully grab for the sisters, mothers, and daughters of your holy assembly as we greet one another with or without witnesses. We thank you, Heavenly Father, that through your Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, you have bestowed upon us integrity quite foreign to our carnal nature. We are, in Christ, new men, new husbands, and new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). Hallelujah! Because, by your grace through faith alone we live and move and have our being in Jesus Christ, we are no longer slaves to sin and our carnal nature. Hallelujah! Lord, let the weak say that we are strong today because of what you have done for us through your perfect sacrifice upon the Cross. Oh Lord, protect us from ourselves, from our selfish carnal natures, and lead us by your Spirit each day so that we ascend up out of the miry clay with our feet set upon a rock (Psalm 40:2). Establish our goings, Lord God Almighty. Anoint our heads with oil so that we can look with your eyes upon the Rock from whence we were hewn (Isaiah 51:1). Hallelujah! Help us, Lord, even when we fall, fail, and mess up royally, to rise up by the power of your grace to pursue righteousness and seek you even unto our last breath. Thank you, Lord, for entrusting your precious daughters to us. May we remain conscious of the responsibility of care for which you shall hold each of us accountable. Help us to spend sufficient time in your Word and presence in order to be changed from dead, wormy, carnal, stagnant harbors of evil concupiscence to the joyous righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21). Thank you, thank you, and thank you. Because of who you are, since only you can do what you can do, we magnify your holy name and give you glory, honor, and praise. Thank you for being on my mind and resting on my heart today. I could have been concentrating on a million other things during the time it has taken to think about your goodness, mercy, and grace today. Thank you for giving me the desires of my heart. Help me to be ready to lay it all down at the Cross. I am determined to go all the way. The joy has been set before me. Thank you, Lord. You and you alone are The most High God who was and is and is to come. Hallelujah! There is none like you. Thank you, oh God of Jacob, King of Glory, and Everlasting God. You are worthy of all praise. Come quickly, Lord. Maranatha!


© 2012 Brian L Hunter

Prayer Requests

If you don’t want to pray, that is between you and your God. “But, as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15) Successful servanthood requires obedience. Paul was a bondservant of his Lord Jesus Christ and Paul asked for prayer in 2 Thessalonians 3:1, 2 Thessalonians 1:11, and 1 Thessalonians 5:25, to mention just a few instances. James 5:14 instructs believers to request prayer and James 5:16 tells us that it is proper for us to pray for one another. One major problem we have in Christ’s church today is a malformed conformity to the world’s duty of independence. Too many Evangelicals think they can, or must, make it as a lone wolf.

The enemy of our souls delights to convince us that we are individual “super-Christians” whose faith is strong enough that we dare not need anyone else. In fact, the climate is now such that we look and talk down to anyone showing any signs of struggling in his or her walk with God, even if they don’t ask for prayer. Such a church does not resemble the Body of Christ which was purchased with His blood and called to watch and pray until He returns. In the seventeenth chapter of John’s Gospel, Jesus prayed that we, His church, be one.

“Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” (John 17:20-23)

Ephesians 4:16 says, “From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” Speaking of Christ, our redeemer, Ephesians 2:21 goes on to say, “In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”

In conclusion, Christ’s church is not contained within any number of walls. Many argue against ecumenism because denominationalism has somehow taken precedence over Scripture. If we are not one body, we are not one church in one Spirit. Therefore we are neither in The Word nor are we His. I will pray for you all and continue to ask for your prayers to include me. Am I also called to pray in my secret closet? Absolutely! I must meet my Father in the secret place and travail in prayer. However, Matthew 18:19 informs me that there is another dimension added so “that if two of you (us) shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they (we) shall ask, it shall be done for them (us) of my (our) Father which is in heaven.” If we heed God’s Word in its entirety, we shall be prosperous and have good success. (Joshua 1:8) Here is to our success.



© 2007-2010 Brian L Hunter

Hated

Why Jesus was and is hated (John 15:18) is simple; as Gabriel pointed out, " And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." (John 3:19) I agree the best defense as to why the Bible is true to you is because of one person; Jesus Christ. Is the gospel more difficult to believe or somehow less credible than evolution as taught to us in our schools? Bridgette, I applaud your citing of John 14:6 because a 100% error free knowledge of who Jesus Christ is predicates wisdom and salvation. Drug addicts and alcoholics have to hit rock bottom in order to know Jesus as a deliverer. Some will first come to know Him as a healer. Humanists must "meet" the Savior on their own Damascus road and our apologetics must be that signpost for the way to the Lord. Remember that before the term Christian was coined, discipleship was mereley called "the way" and believers were called people of the way. I think it is a more fitting nomenclature because acceptance of John 14:6 defines who and what we are as disciples of Christ, that is of course, "if we have love one to another." (John 13:35) Love is the box often left unchecked on our Christian identity cards and so many fail to fully qualify...

Godlessness

I have read concerning the dilemma of atheism that “The atheist can’t find God for the same reason a thief can’t find a policeman.” Atheists and humanists tend to cite human suffering as the wellspring of their lunacy. “If there is a God (See Psalm 14:1), how could he allow earthquakes, murder, poverty, tsunamis and cancer?” The humanist generally refuses to discuss anything he or she considers to be without merit and Scripture is at the top of that list. The bedrock of humanist reasoning is diversion and the art of inquiry. Genesis 3:1 and Matthew 4:3 give witness some of Satan’s favorite questions. In sales we learn that the person asking the questions is in control of the meeting. In witnessing to atheists and humanists it is imperative that we engage them in the questions all religions seek to answer. Opening with Bible thumping will fall on deaf ears.

Witnessing to Those with a Secular Humanist Worldview

Secular humanists, a subset of modern day spiritualists, are skeptics and largely atheists or agnostics who have supplanted the creator with the creature and thus worship an idyllic representation of themselves as scientific evidence and the pinnacle of an unsubstantiated evolutionary hypothesis. It would seem that secular humanists are on a mission to prove that man has no need of anything supernatural, mainly God. A skeptic begins with the assumption that all systems of faith are wrong. (Caner 2009, p. 43) This assumption, along with the humanist’s many other assumptions and presuppositions, must be questioned and dissected according to reason.

Debating humanists on an intellectual or argumentative basis is largely unproductive. An appeal to the need for an ultimate authority might be established after a heartfelt dissatisfaction with the status quo of unanswered questions is acknowledged and then one can present historical evidence for the superiority of the Bible as the God given source of such authority. The unanswered questions of science are a good place to begin (Caner 2009, p.43) as is a discourse on worldview questions such as

1. Where did we come from? (Origin)
2. Why are we here? (Meaning)
3. What is good and what is evil? (Morality)
4. Where is civilization headed? (Destiny)

Such testimony by believers can only help spiritualists refine their worldview and learn that there is more to life and death than what meets the eye. There is mythological, philosophical, empirical, and historical evidence in favour of biblical truth and authority, and God desires an intimate fellowship with us because He created and loves us. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. It’s just that simple. I don’t ever want to be accused of being more in love with my interpretation of theology than I am with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! The solution to the root of every problem in any life is a person named Jesus. The historical record of the life of the apostle Paul is a most useful, scripturally anchored introduction to the gospel. Why do men reject God and His Son, Jesus? It’s alright if Jesus is anything other than God. It’s alright with humanists if Jesus is just another prophet or just another great historical figure. In fact Jesus is just more fodder for their mountain of relativism which is akin to a pantheism where mere ideas are gods.

I think most people are longing for something that will resonate the general revelation of God’s existence within them and the God shaped hole inside that they try to ignore. They try to fill this abyss with alcohol, drugs, sex, philosophy, materialism, etc. All they know for sure is that they have not yet experienced that ultimate peace that we have learned is only made possible through what Christ has accomplished on our behalf.

The core ideology of Secular Humanism is anti-faith and therefore anti-Christian. It exalts reason as supreme as a way of knowing. The question is what is to be known? What does man need to know in order to “conquer” life. Secular Humanism developed in part as a direct antithesis to Christianity. The primary supposition must be that the universe is inherently hostile to mankind and survival is therefore man’s main pursuit in life. Man is viewed as victorious and superior in an adversarial relationship with nature. Admitting then that man needs anything outside of himself, such as a higher power, God, traditional dogma, etc. would undermine the basic presuppositions of the humanist manifesto and worldview. I doubt that anyone holding to this worldview would welcome prayer or an overt discussion of Scripture because any aspect of anything “religious” offends their sensibilities. One must approach reason from the perspective of either contextual apologetics or negative apologetics as did the apostle Paul in his Mars Hill Address in Acts 17.

Oprah, Dr. Phil, eastern mysticism, New Age fads, and ethical relativism fail miserably to apprehend the centeredness and peace of mind that is so lacking in this world of the twenty-first century schizoid man (King Crimson) where lives are so expendable as acceptable casualties of war and the love of money and prosperity gospels rule. This is perhaps the most world view most aggressively forced upon us in the mass media, schools, and ultra liberal churches teaching far to the left of Scripture in America today. This is the height of vanity and exalts vain imaginations above reason, believing that all that exists is what can be seen with the naked eye, while dismissing the validity of the supernatural. Everything is relative to the secular humanist, which is one reason why it leads to gross immorality and incredible insensitivity to the pain and suffering of others. 1 Corinthians 1:18-29 is also a good place to begin when discussing the gospel with humanists.

© 2010 Brian L Hunter

Sisyphus

Today is just tomorrow's yesterday reaching for a possession yet to come. In Christ we live and move and have our being now, while existing beyond the realm of time or mere historicity. My soul is steadfastly anchored and, despite the gray hair and the feeble knees, I press even more zealously toward the mark for the prize today as when I first held fast to this rock. As often as I am filled with God’s Spirit, is as often as I need another filling. As often as I reach the pinnacle of experience concerning the bliss of His merciful grace, I am just as constantly brought face to face with my need for more of Him. Whereas Sisyphus pushed the rock upwards in futility, I advance, being completely in the rock that pushes me, towards an inheritance gained by many stripes and the precious blood of the Lamb of God as He endured the Cross for my sake. So pressed upon am I by the tremendous weight of the glory my eyes have yet to see, that I can hardly contain the anticipation here and now. I can only respond with progressively more worship, obedience, submission, and adulation. Lord, please let it be done unto me according to the Word you have breathed forth from the beginning.

Spilled Milk

“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” (1 John 2:19)

What the apostle John experienced was that some people profess commitment and pledge allegiance at some point and then change their minds, abandoning all consent and choosing enmity over fidelity. How many church and denominational splits are examples of this tendancy?

There is no use crying over spilled milk. Yes, we are disappointed when relationships are lost. However satisfying they may be, not every fellowship is ordained to continue throughout our lives. “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) There are perhaps places and fellowships which were profitable for a season and to which you should not return again. If there is no forthcoming fruit, i.e. love, where then is the purpose? Could it be that what we sometimes label as drama might often be progress, deliverance, and growth in development to move us out of harms way? Why should we cry over having been forgotten or cast away? When we have been discarded, dissipated, dropped, dumped, eighty-sixed, eliminated, forsaken, given up, godforsaken, jilted, left in the cold, left in the lurch, neglected, passed up, pigeon-holed, or rejected, just remember that God is perfect in all His ways and He is 100% sovereign. God says, “I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?” (Isaiah 51:12, 13) Seeming misfortune only becomes oppression in reality when the calamity outweighs the Word of God’s power in the forefront of our awareness. And so, in regards to spilled milk, as Dionne Warwick said, just walk on by.

“Love is not puffed up…” (1 Corinthians 13:4)

It is a dangerous temptation for a disciple to become so impressed with his or her own spirituality that they lose sight of the fact that not a single one of us is worthy even to lift our eyes towards heaven. Not a single human being has ever arrived at perfect spiritual maturity and holiness. Paul told us he had not “arrived.” (Philippians 3:14) “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10) Are we thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to think; or, are we thinking soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith? (Romans 12:3) There is so much self promotion going on in the church and marketing of self rather than the gospel seems to have overtaken many today. I am examining myself to see whether I be in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5) “lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (1 Corinthians 9:27) Therefore, as my friend, if ever I seem out of line to you, spare not to whip me with the Word of God. Upset me if you must; just love me enough to tell me I am wrong. Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:35) Help me, my brother and my sister, to do right in the sight of God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Every Idle Word

“But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” (Matthew 12:36)

“And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)

If a personal criticism begins with the phrase “you always” then the speaker is clearly not in the Spirit when the criticism is spoken. Remember that accuser of the brethren is Satan’s primary job description. If the Bible is studied, then the student can come to no other conclusion than that love for our fellow man is to be sought “above all things.” So why do Christians so often dwell on the negative and the faults seen in others? It is not uncommon even for pastors and self proclaimed ministers of the gospel to focus more so on the wrong one has done instead of the infallibility of God’s word and God’s sovereign omnipotent triumph in the salvation of those whom He has chosen to conform to the image of His Son Jesus. I take my place in history among the worst sort of wicked men ever to have walked the earth. Yes, daily I fall short of perfect holiness and spiritual maturity. “But God…” I will not be ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto the complete turning around of my life. The fact that the process of my turn around, my sanctification, is not yet complete does not deter me from the confident hope I have of the future grace that has been promised and stored up for me by The Most High God who cannot fail to deliver. Daily I must examine myself to see whether I am in the faith, that Jesus Christ is in me, and that I am in Him. (2 Corinthians 13:5)

And so I admonish us all to be wary of criticism from our closest loved ones and even from our own minds. Let God be true… Greater is He that is in you, but be sure to let the mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.

The Word of God is the meat that strengthens us against all of our enemies. Forget what man has testified against you and cling to the thing which Mary knew was most needful; the Bread of life, the Living Water, the Anointed One and His Anointing, the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus Christ.

Remember that God’s words are not spoken idly. In the beginning, God, by His Word, created everything out of complete nothingness. Isaiah 55:11 lets us know that God’s Word shall not return unto him void but it shall accomplish that which He pleases, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto He sent it. I can clearly see the love and faithfulness of God throughout history. Where I need to find love now is in the way I treat my fellow man and in the measure of my obedience to God’s Word. I am truly going to have to give an account in the day of judgment for every idle word I have spoken.

Prayer:
Lord, please empower and enable me to fulfill your greatest commandment and love my neighbor as myself. Please help the body of Christ which is the church of God in Christ answer the prayer of Jesus from John 17 that we be one even as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

My Salvation Has A First Name: It’s J E S U S

Salvation has a beginning, middle, and an end. All things, even our salvation, are of Jesus, through Jesus, and to Jesus. (Romans 11:36) Jesus, Alpha and Omega, the Word of God, is both the substance and the object of our faith. We are saved, as Ephesians 2:8, 9 clearly states, by grace through faith, not by works (i.e. baptism, charity, etc.). A good place to start, according to the apostle Paul, is confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord. (Romans 10:9, 10) Remember that Peter couldn’t even testify that Jesus was the Christ until the Holy Spirit revealed this truth to him. (Mark 8:27 and Matthew 16:13) Hence, a person cannot decide out of the blue to be saved when and where they “feel” like it. When God chooses us and anoints our blind eyes to see, we then begin to seek Him and recognize that He is sovereign, omnipotent, and holy. Fear of the Lord is indeed the beginning of wisdom. (Proverbs 9:10 and Psalm 111:10) God says, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” (Jeremiah 31:3) All of my hope is in thee, oh God, and in your Word. I pray now that my faith fail not and that I continue to grow by leaps and bounds in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Unto Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.

To Be Continued

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8)

Jesus, the divine Son and second personality of the triune Godhead who is one. God the Son, in total agreement with the Father and the Holy Spirit, is both the object of our faith and the contextual framework of love within which the seeds of discipleship can grow into faith that fails not. (Luke 22:31-33)

Hence, I propose that this Word or logos, this Word who was with God the Father in the beginning and who was himself God, is the primordial concept from which all subsequent reason came to be. Science, philosophy, and theology need not be at odds, although the goals of each are exclusive. The difference for the disciple of Christ is that the center, or ethos, is the Word of God and includes nothing outside of the truth that can be deduced from that Word. Jesus, this same Word of God who names himself Alpha and Omega, is the very God YHWH who said to Moses, “I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” (Exodus 3:14)

Any truth that does not save is no truth at all and salvation is an all or nothing affair. Salvation, like time and reality as we know it, begins and ends with one whom alone claims to be the way, the truth, and the life. God alone has claimed to be The Most High God, omnipotent, omniscient, holy, and worthy of all glory, honor, and praise. This God talks! Though God, like Allah et al, has spoken through historical prophets, He alone has spoken directly to His creation. All other gods have remained silent because the dead cannot speak. Yet for those who believe and are hidden in Christ, the best is yet to come because Christ in them is the hope of a promised weight of glory to be revealed when He returns to claim His beloved bride and take them home. As I see it, it’s all about the picture that the language used is able to paint and the vehicle by which the transmogrification of nothingness into life is thereby achieved. I really cannot fathom it. My thinking on the glorious light of the world must for the moment come to an end lest in blindness I ramble aimlessly. Reason is finite.

Reflections

Remember that the purpose of your every breath, your every thought, and your every move is intended to glorify this Jehovah who saves. Make no mistake. We are talking about the Holy One of Israel who is a limitless, continuous, incredible weight of glory worthy of infinitely more praise than our feeble frames can muster. He is absolutely, one hundred percent holy and omnipotent. And yet, He knows your name and cares for you whom He has created in love. You can laugh it off, but God is still holy. You can deny that He exists, and He is still holy. You can play the harlot and worship another lover, and still, God is holy. Oh, to know what and who holiness is... Sing, child! Sing to the glory of the God who alone is the definition of splendor and light! Only in worship can you hope to contain, to hold, or accommodate the eternal weight of glory that is YHWH. He is upholding all things by the Word of his power (Hebrews 1:3). In him we live, and move, and have our being (Acts 17:28). Holy Father, keep through your own name those whom you have given Jesus, that they may be one, as you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one. Amen.

One Thing Is Needful

“But one thing is needful: and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42)

Seated at the Lord’s feet, Mary had made up her mind that regardless of what duties or obligations presented themselves just then, she was determined to bask in the light of the world while the Lord’s countenance happened to be shining upon her. This moment was the one thing that was needful. As every flower waits expectantly for the rain to fell and refresh and nourish, so had Mary longed for such an intimate time with Rabboni. Mary had chosen what was better and it would not be taken away from her. This Mary of Bethany was a worshiper. In the twelfth chapter of John’s Gospel, this same Mary would push past the onlookers and anoint Jesus’ feet with spikenard, one of the most expensive perfumed oils in the ancient world.

We recognize a trend in the actions of Mary of Bethany in Scripture. She was willing to sacrifice things of value in order to really benefit from her relationship with Jesus. As T.D. Jakes would put it, she was maximizing the moment. She had made a commitment to be in intimate fellowship with Jesus and determined than nothing, no chore, and no other person would be able to deter her from her goal. It’s easy to see why the spirit of Antichrist operating in popular works such as The Davinci Code and other blasphemous attacks on Christianity make a mockery of the relationship between Mary and Jesus. Such love the world cannot understand because it is devoid of avarice, lust and concupiscence. Christ-like love gives devotion and asks not in return. This is a love that is pure fantasy for the world and is a reality that is only spiritually discerned.

In contrast to her sister, Martha, Mary had placed devotion to her beloved far above the list of chores with which Martha busied herself. I heed this as a lesson in ministry. As I think of this, I wonder how many married couples are so busy shopping for gifts this Christmas that they don’t even realize their relationship is suffering for lack of attention. They are vulnerable to the world of others who might give their spouse the attention they are starving for. How sad is it to be locked inside the dinner buffet of Golden Corral and yet remain hungry to the point of starvation?

So I am going to be more like Mary of Bethany today and place that quality time with the Lord atop my list of priorities. This is how I will daily honor Him and be blessed.

© 2007-2010 Brian L Hunter

All Hail The Power Of Jesus Name (Edward Perronet, pub.1780)
Scripture: Philippians 2:9-11

“• Let highborn seraphs tune the lyre,
And as they tune it, fall
Before His face Who tunes their choir,
And crown Him Lord of all;
Before His face Who tunes their choir,
And crown Him Lord of all.
• Crown Him, ye martyrs of your God,
Who from His altar call;
Extol the Stem of Jesse’s Rod,
And crown Him Lord of all;
Extol the Stem of Jesse’s Rod,
And crown Him Lord of all.
All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name”

Thanksgiving Truth

Turkey is but a light to us flies in the dark of night. Fear, unbelief, and condemnation; or, faith, hope, and love? From whence are we thinking and speaking on this Thanksgiving Day? A kind word turneth away wrath. (Proverbs 15:1) Win souls today! Goodness makes for a pleasant temporary social bliss, however, goodness does nothing to requite sin and justify us before a holy God who absolutely requires repentance and faith in his Son whose blood alone can cleanse from all iniquity. By our attitudes and example, let us invite the lost and the blind to come to Jesus just now.