YOU SHALL NOT PASS

This weekend the enemy of our souls sent a raiding party into my bank account. I spent a substantial amount of money to fix our van. It is a very trying time for us financially considering I am currently unemployed, but the Lord has showed me a three step plan for dealing with the dark one's plan of destruction.
The first step is to not do anything. I have walked with Jesus for a while, and it would be disrespectful at this time to panic. He has carried me through a lot of very trying times and the best way I trust him is to react by not reacting.
The next step is to give God praise and glory in the midst of this small trial. God is good all the time and desires only the best for my family. So publicly, I am thankful for this small trial, and am so thankful that I have the one true God looking out for my best interest.
Lastly, I have decided the dark one should not be able to send his tentacles into my camp without paying for it. Because of his desire to see the demise of my family by any means necessary, I have started to intercede for friends, families, and churches that the Lord would bless them, heal them, and show himself powerful in all ways. "Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good." It is not good that the enemy gets a free ride at any point. If he desires to mess with a son of the living God, then he should pay the price for messing with a son of the living God.

Let this be a notice, by the grace of God I am going to be a man of war, as it is written in Genesis 15 verse three, my "God is a warrior", THE force to be reckoned with. As the devil roams throughout the earth seeking whom he may devour, by the power of the blood of my saviour, it is posted on my door, "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!"

blessings,

pilgrim

Money matters

I have been pondering some questions lately. If the truth be told these questions haunt me a little. I have heard many messages lately on finances and their correct place in our lives. It seems this topic is on the top of everyone's mind considering our current times. One thing that perplexes me is how neglected the words of Jesus are in the pastoral monologues I have heard. The proverbs are well represented, as well as the Pauline writings, yet the master and finisher of our faith has little representation. Sure we will quote the parable of the servants and their talents, for in the end, it is the one who is prospered that gets accolades. Yet, what about when Jesus says "give to anyone to asks"? How about "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one, and despise the other." Jesus is talking directly about money in this one. In fact goes on to say don't bother saying, "what shall we eat, drink or wear, for PAGANS run after these things." Wow does anyone else feel the sting of that one? How about "blessed are the poor"? I know, "blessed are the poor in spirit". Although I am not in Wisconsin,yet when my family gets together, I am there in spirit. Do we truly identify with the poor, are we there in spirit when they are cold in a house when they cannot afford heat? Really, do I even know what "poor in spirit means"?



Then comes the hay maker, the knockout punch.



Rich young ruler: "Lord what do I have to do to get to heaven"



Jesus: "Follow the commandments."



Rich young ruler: "Good for I have done these things since my youth."



Jesus: "Do you want to be perfect? Sell your possesions and give them to the poor, then follow me."



Did you hear it? He went from how you get to heaven to being perfect. Do you want to be perfect, (complete, mature). I am not so sure all the rationalized sermons I have heard all my life about how that was because this guy was in love with his money. The question I ask is not so much about his heart, but mine. It is easy to talk about following Jesus in my palatial air conditioned house, on my cushioned couch. What if Jesus looked upon me and asked that question? Aren't we all in the United States the rich young ruler? Watchman Nee believed the greatest sin of this young man was not so much his walking away as it was his not allowing Jesus to deliver him from his divided heart.



The questions I ask are this:



Was what Jesus said directly applicable to us?



Why in all our monologues and speeches do we ignore these words?



Why do we stress the controversial, much debated topic of the tithe to the local church more than Jesus actual instructions?



Should not our best financial reasoning start with these words and go from there?



I do not understand these things for they are much too big for me, but I do pray this prayer. "Father, I cannot do all these things, but if they are to be done, deliver me from the evil of my riches, and give me the grace to live by the radical faith you propose. I desire to be perfect, but have not the manhood to do so."



Blessings,



pilgrim

The look

In the book of Luke chapter 22 it is the history of Peter's denial of the Master. Just moments before Peter said to Jesus "I am ready to go with thee, both into prison and to death". We know the story, Peter follows Jesus to the high priest's house and denies Jesus three times. Verse 61 is so telling of our lives. After the third betrayal it says, "And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter." I have sat and imagined what that look must have consisted of. Was it pain, frustration, compassion, all of the above? I wonder if it was the same look Jesus gave Judas at the garden, when Judas betrayed him.

The setting is this, Jesus (the true high priest), is being judged within the house of the high priest. As Peter denies Jesus, I imagine the look was the look of a true high priest. Jesus was inspecting Peter as he had just moments earlier, when he foretold of the ensuing betrayal. In the old testament it was the high priest's job to inspect sickness of an Israelite who had a skin sickness to see the extent of the sickness and to see whether he was fit to enter the temple for worship. Jesus looked back at Peter and allowed him to know his condition, his true self. Just as God spoke in Daniel, "Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting." In that gaze was the answer of why Jesus had to die, because he saw Peter as he really was, in need of salvation, "found wanting".

I can say I have felt that gaze of our Lord upon my life at times. So many prayers are said at altars across America that say something like this, "Jesus, I will follow you everywhere you go, no matter what." I have prayed these prayers and just as Peter did, betrayed Jesus within minutes of my zealous proclamations. It has become very clear that I have been weighed in the balances, and am found wanting.

Even now I am walking a new path, a path less traveled and Jesus is so patiently gazing at me. Allowing me to feel his inspecting gaze upon my life, and mercifully allowing me to see a portion of my true state of being.

The true joy is Jesus already knows the extent of my weakness. He has inspected me and has already paid the price of me being a spiritual lightweight. Theresa of Avilla said a prayer that I can relate to very often, "Jesus, I don't love you, I don't even want to love you, I want to want to love you." You see, I don't even register on the love scale, yet it is not my love that is weighed any more, it is His. He is my hero, my friend, my savior, my brother, my wise sage. He is all things to all people including the great equalizer, so we can stand before the Mighty One and say with confidence, because of Jesus I am not found wanting.

One of the greatest gifts our Lord and saviour can offer us is a true understanding of self. He often will inspect our sicknesses and will allow them to be brought to the surface so we can again realize our need for Him.

All praise and thanks be given unto our Saviour Jesus the Christ for his diligent and patient love and affection, stripping away our vaniere that we might honestly and freely worship Him whom we do not deserve.

pilgrim

White cybertrash

There is a growing epidemic in this country that is absorbing so many of our once great productive citizens. It is a quiet killer, and is cloaked in the typical, "I don't need this I can quit at any time!!" jargon. You see the results of this stealth consumer of the mind everywhere you look. It is much like alcohol, or drugs. It empties the resources of it's consumers, similar to cigarettes. I have seen the affects on so many families. The new cultural menace... facebook. That's right... facebook.

I remember as a child seeing other children with so much less than I. Now we were considered lower middle class. My dad had a very respectable factory job, just as these kids parents, yet they seemed to have so much less. I remember walking up to their houses and the yard being uncut, and children running around with no shoes or shirts, faces covered with the food they had consumed. Upon entering their front door, I could smell the smoke of cigarettes and see the cans of beer sitting upon tables, consumed by the previous nights carousing. I did not realize then what I realize now. They had less because of vice, vices my parents did not have.

Now we must ask ourselves some serious questions here. Does our computer desk favor an unkempt single wide trailer? Are there glasses of iced tea or cans of soft drinks lying hither and yon? Are there papers strewn about needing to be filed or at least read? How about the children? It is 2:00 in the afternoon, are the children still in their pajamas from the night before? Have you ever uttered these words at breakfast lunch or dinner? " Not right now, I'm facebooking".
Or how about, "I'll get you something in a minute", only to forget and feed the kids lunch as 2:45 in the afternoon?

We might need to get help. This is no easy task for most of our friends are probably our friends on facebook. Do we need a sponsor? Here are some questions to ask to see if someone might be a possible sponsor to help us through these troubled times.

Q: Will you send me a friend request?

Sponsor answer: Confused look since you have been friends for a while.

Addict response: "Let me get my laptop!!"

Q: Have you superpoked anybody lately?

Sponsor response: Look of disgust or shock. Maybe even a slap in the face.

Addict response: "Yesterday"

Q: Mention writing on the Wall.

Sponsor response: Dissertation of the book of Daniel and Old Testament prophecy

Addict response: High pupil dilation, rapid breathing.

If you need any help to free yourself from this growing menace, or have ideas to stem it's destructive tide please send me ideas. Together we can make a difference.

PS: The easiest way to reach me is put a post on my facebook wall. It is the surest way for me to get the message.

Pilgrim

Do I really believe?

Today I was having a discussion with an incredible person when this question was posed? Do we really believe we are to be like Jesus? I noticed that in our religious circles we have much teaching on finances, relationships, parenting, and marriage. All these issues are incredibly important, yet do I ever truly aspire to do what Jesus said? Do I really believe Jesus is truth? If Jesus says you are blessed when you do something, would I do it? Blessed are the poor, ( poor in Spirit). Do I really identify with the poor? If you want to be perfect sell all your possessions give the money to the poor and follow me. Please God deliver me from my rationalized love of self. Blessed are those who mourn. Do I mourn over the 45-50 million babies viciously murdered on the altar of convenience of the American dream? Do I mourn when I realize that if and when persecution moves across this country most of the people sitting next to me in church will not remain faithful including myself? Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. When was the last time I was hungry or thirsty for anything? Blessed are the peacemakers. Do I realize that to be a peacemaker, I have to not only accept conflict but I must expose my fault and endure the pain of the disagreement over being right? The wisdom of the cross is foolishness to the world. Amongst all the teaching of the wisdom of this world I wonder if I at all display any of the truths our Lord spoke. It is my desire that the Spirit of God would expose the issues of my heart, that as I am emptied of self, the Lord would fill me with everlasting life. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in fire, that thou mayest be rich, and and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. I guess the only answer I have at this moment is, Lord I believe, please help me with my unbelief.