One Thing God "Will Never Allow"

"Cast your burden on the Lord [release it] and He will sustain and uphold you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken (slip, fall, fail). (Psalm 55:22, Amplified)

We could also add that, "He will never allow the righteous to be removed."  The person who compiled the Amplified Bible was not a Greek or Hebrew "expert."  She studied the Bible carefully, using all the tools available to her at the time in order to "amplify" Biblical texts.  If you use a modern Interlinear Bible, you could do the same; I do.

The Bible teaches us that the only, "righteous," person of our text is the person in whom Jesus Christ lives, the one absolutely, surrendered to Jesus Christ; we could call it, "unconditional surrender."  The one in whom Jesus Christ lives has been washed in the Blood of Jesus and can now sing with the writer of old, as he thought of the repentant thief on his cross, "and there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away."  And I am "vile as he."  But that "Fountain filled with blood," is filled for you and me and all humanity, and in Jesus' Blood is everything; I'm not even going to attempt a "list."

This is another one of the incomprehensible promises of the Blessed Trinity.  Centuries later, Jesus Christ appeared, "a Savior which is Christ the Lord."  The messenger said to Joseph that He was to be called, "Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."  Jesus would a few years later affirm the "concept" of our text to any one who would listen and obey, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden...and you will find rest for your souls," which can be another way of affirming, "never to be shaken, never to slip, never to be removed."  Turn again to self reliance, self dependence, however, and, as the colloquialism goes, "all bets are off."
 
In this day of increasing uncertainty over so many things in life, an ever newer barbarism raising its ugly head, nations in such debt that one wonders what would happen if the proverbial "bubble" bursts, the growing reality which faces us all, that old age brings limitations which we had not imagined in the "can-do-anything" years, it is powerful to be able to rest each day in Jesus and His Word to you and me, "[I] will never allow the righteous to be shaken."

Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You.  Amen.
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Good visit yesterday with some First Nations People in Salamanca, New York, the only city in the United States which is within an Indian Reservation.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

"....When God Speaks, The Earth Melts...."

"The heathen rages, the kingdoms were moved: He uttered His voice, the earth melted." (Psalm 46:6, KJV)

I have used the KJV today because I memorized this Psalm in the KJV.  The CEV says, "Nations roar; kingdoms crumble.  God utters His voice; the earth melts."  The Living Bible says, "The nations rant and rave in anger-- but when God speaks, the earth melts in submission and kingdoms totter into ruin."

I am planning the January time in DC.  Along with regular times in the Supreme Court Building, the Capitol, and White House area, I will be in the Senate Indian Affairs Committee Hearing as well as some time with "David's Tent."  If you are interested in going, let me know.  Today Sarah and I are headed for Indian Country in the Salamanca, NY area.  It is about the same distance from Johnstown as DC.  Please pray for, "Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven."

For over 15 years I have been going to Washington, DC, to pray "on site with insight," and what insight I have received over the years!  I have, for most of those times in DC, prayed in the Indian Affairs Committee meetings.  The North American First Nations People Group have been on my heart for decades; the mission to the "reservation" in Southern New York is nothing new as far as my involvement with Native Americans.  While friends of ours have done mission work with various tribes, other than our time with some Crow leaders last year in Montana, we have not.  But, as with much of what I have done, viz, DC, Berlin, Jerusalem, the intercessory prayer time has been central to it all.  I am not saying that this is the "new work" which was spoken of in a recent prophecy given to me, but one never knows.  Yet what Sarah and I are doing today is sort of "new" in a real sense.  "....Follow the Lamb wherever He goes," is a prime directive for life.  May we all be in that pursuit.

Human history is a testimony to today's test.  Man does not like it, of course, but history just keeps moving toward that "dramatic climax;" there is just nothing which you nor I can do to stop it, nor should we want to.  The American First Nations have experienced our test; Europe has; the Orient has; Africa has, and the United States of America is showing ominous signs.  "....When God speaks, the earth melts in submission and kingdoms totter to ruin."  The utter stupidity of left and right pundits, political parties, even so many religious leaders concerning the current global events is beyond amazing to me.  The main reason is quite simple: They do not read and obey, "....when God speaks...."  Jesus, "The Word of God," is quite clear when He, "God speaks....  Yes, as Peter said, there are some things, "hard to understand," but what you and I need to know in order to navigate this sojourn Jesus makes clear.  It is only, "the untaught and unstable [who] distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction."

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God," and just so, His Words.  Pray for that, "pure in heart," to rule in me and you.  David prayed, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew an upright spirit within me."  If you and I earnestly pray for such, if we read, hear and obey, "The Word of God," we will not be as those who, "....faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world...."  Remember: "God utters His voice; the earth melts."

Father, in Jesus' Name, keep, "utter[ing] Your voice."  Your voice is my life.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2

Sorry-- The Theologian Came Upon Me

"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him Who called us by His own glory and goodness."  (2 Peter 1:3, NIV)

"His divine power has given us everything...."  This should keep you and me the rest of our lives.

I learned, or was a target of attempted brain washing, while in seminary that 2 Peter was not written by Peter.  What often amused me was the reality that no one can "prove" authenticity or disprove it.  Many of the "scholars" of the last 150 years who got into what is called "form criticism" or "higher criticism" were those who basically told humanity that the Bible cannot be accepted as, "God-Breathed."  I remember closing a paper in seminary one time with something like, "Now some say that Jesus probably did not say what John asserts Jesus said.  No problem for me, John.  I believe you."  Professor Batdforf's note on the paper at this point was not one of challenge or rejection.  He simply summed up my suppositions and then wrote, "You believe John."  Yes, and I believe Peter too.

"For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty....We were with Him on the sacred mountain."  Now I remember hearing in one of our classes, as a first year seminary student, of writings which have the names of "The Gospel of Nicodemus" and "The Gospel of Thomas."  Nothing was said one way or the other about them that day, but I remember thinking, "Wow, a gospel according to Nicodemus," that should really be good.  So I went to the library stacks and looked it up.  As I was reading, it didn't take me long to think, "Wait a minute; something's not right here."  Of course it wasn't.  It was, like so many false writings of the first few centuries, a Gnostic writing.  What "tipped"me off?  The Holy Spirit bearing witness in my spirit.  You and I today must trust the Holy Spirit to do the same.  Just as in the First Century, today there are many false teachings in the land.  "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master Who bought them, bring swift destruction upon themselves" (2 Peter 2:1, NASB). 

Sorry, the theologian in me just keeps popping up.  You could say, "What does all of this have to do with the text?"-- perhaps everything.  If anyone can get you and me to doubt that the "God-Breathed" Words are actually "God-Breathed," then you and I will be, "of all men most miserable."  Our hope would be false, and we would be as the Ephesian Epistle says, "without hope and without God in the world," because any "hope" not based on the Bible is an illusory hope.  If anyone doubts the authority of the Scriptures, viz., that Jesus Himself, Word of Father, is speaking to us in what we call the Bible, we won't read it/Him, believe it/Him, or obey it/Him.  We only know Who is God the Father, Son Jesus, and Holy Spirit in His Words, "wonderful words of life," Words which are indeed, "God-Breathed."  Anyone who believes this will be committed to daily subjecting him/herself to these Words. 

Father, in Jesus' Name, I so need Your continual Life Barometer.  Amen.
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What you need to know about Rick Steves at:   jhs58.blogspot.com
  

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2