Monday, May 16, 2011

Glory to God 1-28-2011

Well today is my 40th day, glory to God! What does that mean? Surely the glory of God is ever expanding and Jesus Christ is honored above everything that is named. If this be true then certain wisdoms ought to enter the spirits of His children. Christ prayed “Father glorify thy name” to which the response was “I have and will do it again”. So if God is in the business of bringing glory to Himself let’s presume from our knowledge that “again” incorporates the perpetual again and again, then every part of creation would fall under this purpose. Even the devil himself would become an agent of God’s glory design. That means wickedness as a whole will ultimately bring glory to God.

Paul wrestles with these thoughts in Romans. Should we sin because it is an agent of glory? Of course not! But if one reasons out the reality of this truth a comfort outside the love of God brings rest to your spirit. For if everything passing through your life is to glorify God a certain joy can resound in any circumstances. When love for Christ takes root in your spirit nothing can be more pleasing that to have your life bring Him glory. So what of worry, fear, impatience? Will they not dissipate in the light of this truth? Come what may, bring it on, and let my life bring you glory. Glory to God in the highest!

Saturday, May 14, 2011

It Can’t Be Stolen 1-28-2011

Jeremiah 29:11 was spoken to the exiles. But even in our exile before we knew God these words were true for us. For whom He called He foreknew His good plans cannot be thwarted. Everything about God in relation to you is a promise. To reconcile a sinner to himself is the patient work of love. Love by its nature will always possess a promise and a hope. A hope as true as the God behind it promises and hope by nature are futuristic because once the substance of the hope or promise arrives then they have ceased. So what I think most people lose when they get caught up in worries and concerns is their future. Psalms 84 says blessed men go through their valleys of weeping. Weeping may last for a night but joy comes in the morning. I would add it even comes in the mourning. You always have a future that cannot be stolen. Why are thou downcast oh my soul, wait for God, whom you shall praise again. Dorean’s future cannot be stolen by wicked men. The thought is laughable. How can men who have no future who live for their belly every moment steal what they don’t know exist? Scott and I will wait patiently for God to coral our enemies and to deliver them to us. 153 fish swam to the net the Lord put before them against all fish behavior. A mother cow never yoked left her calf to deliver the Ark of the Covenant. The future always comes to His beloved children. If you don’t understand this truth and it doesn’t subdue all your fears then you are living like a bastard. Don’t forfeit what cannot be taken from you.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Weapon of Righteousness 1-27-2011

The word in Romans 6 tells us to use our body as a weapon of righteousness. It contrast how we use to use it as a weapon of evil. We all know how to sin. I was not exempt from the curse, I had no problem turning my body over to sin as a slave. But in Christ I have been freed from that power and can now offer my body as a slave to righteousness. In sin I profited nothing and at the end of every fancy, every accomplishment was death. Yet that did not deter me from the repeated exercise of futility. No all the more I was eager to put the cloak of death on more firmly.

Now Christ gives me the offer to turn my body through obedience over to righteousness to be His weapon where the end is abundance now and eternal life ultimately. At the end of every fancy and every assignment is life. Shall I shrink back from its demands? I never resisted the demands of death. No all the more my slavery toward obedience should be as loyal as a heart can be. Dorean was formed as a weapon of righteousness by the Lords command. Shall I not give my body over to its full demands? Life and victory await even if I pass through suffering. It is still better for me to suffer toward life than to enjoy pleasures on the way to destruction. I am fond of my body being made a weapon of righteousness. Lord, wield me often! Amen!

Monday, May 09, 2011

The Great Profession 1-27-2011

The world has many strange professions of love. Take a man who beats his wife, after every episode will come the profuse apology and restatement of devotion. The adulterer the same pattern, over the years I have seen many come into unexpected blessings and are

Sure it’s from the Lord. In thanks they make bold professions of devotion. If things continue well their commitment fades. If events turn they blame God or forget Him. It matters not really how the events transpire the profession was always a fraud. On the other side in great tragedy or desperation great professions are made. Whether things get better or not God fades. I’m certain the beaten wife would rather have the real love instead of the profession. She would prefer hands that caress as opposed to injure. I’m also certain God has had His fill of every fraudulent conviction.

What I hate about the modern church is they are structured to obtain these bogus profession by programs and formulas that conjure up this emotional response. A few legitimates sneak in through this process but is it worth dealing with all the phonies? I say no!

The word says the world shall know us by our love, we should teach the real love of God, ignore the professions, and measure the devotion of men over a season of faithfulness. I know my wife loves me because she is faithful. I enjoy her professions but they are not the proof of her love. They are not bogus and that is the joy inherent therein. Can God desire any less?

Sunday, May 08, 2011

A Promising Psalm 1-26-2011

Psalms 86 was given to me by the Lord as the theme of this fast. Read it you’ll enjoy it. It contains the perfect balance of the issues I faced during this fast. My entrance into the SHU was a baseless accusation made by a ruthless band who pays no head to the Lord. I know I can count on God to hear my prayers because He loves me. I desire more and more single-hearted reverence for the Lord.

How fortunate that Psalms like this are already spoken to give utterance to our prayers. All will find themselves someday in the fitting circumstance for these words. We can be so confident in the love God possesses for His children that we can be fearless when powerful and ruthless assail us. In fact we should have eyes darting to and fro to catch the first glance of our immanent victory.

The SHU experience has ended well as it shows in relevant type God’s plans for us with Dorean. Dorean is more that a name. If you’ll study its meanings you will see it is a promise. An irrevocable, irrefutable, promise of God. Nothing even at the power level of the U.S. Government released in the full fury of wickedness can annul that promise. Patient endurance will receive its promise, and this psalms scribed into another generation and another story. Yes and Amen!

Thursday, May 05, 2011

The Joy of Suffering 1-26-2011

I’m now 38 days into my fast. The end is so near I can taste it so to speak. No one particularly finds joy in suffering but for the Christian there is always joy.

We may suffer injustice as Scott and I, tragedy, or persecutions for righteousness sake. The terrible part of this is that in truth and fairness it would never occur. And here is the mark of separation, what is truth? The world has opinions but they cannot know it because it is the substance of someone they reject. I’ll give you a SHU example. A young white kid from New York beats up a guy named Cisco on the yard for being a child molester. Ralph (his name) thinks he is right in this action. Ralph thinks Cisco is white but it turns out that Cisco is a soreno gang member. So when Ralph comes to the SHU he is now a marked man by the gang. Well today some sorenos and whites including Ralph were put in recreation cells together and fights broke out. The gang members think they are doing right by defending their members and exacting retaliation. Cisco probably justified his molesting as right at the time. This is the problem with the world. Truth and righteousness are not real but subjective desires growing out of evil motives.

So when a Christian suffers persecution from this ignorant world what a joy it is to know

the truth. Think on this, you’re the only one in the whole transaction that knows what’s transpiring. Scott and were perplexed sometimes that a learned man like judge Alsup was so ignorant. And yet how can we expect him to speak of a land he’s never traveled to.

Fasting for 40 days is foolishness to the world. A needless bout of suffering, they would never do it except for rare occasions where they can garner the land of others. In this instance it is not suffering as much as being a vehicle, a means to an end objective.

The Christian finds joy in subjecting their flesh to denial. To seeking truth in its purest form in the being of Jesus Christ, even our tragedies are contaminated with endless hopes because of the truth behind them. The world can steal many things from us in their deceptions of righteousness but they can never rob us of our joy. In this I think God provides them a firm witness of their error. For in their best strivings to be pleasing to their conscience they never get a witness from God that it is acceptable.

Think on Cain and Able, Cain never thought about his error only envied what Able possessed that he could not have. This is how truth separates the sheep from the goats, the

Wheat from the chaff, situations and time will always winnow away the perverts because

They can’t disguise themselves, and the joyful Christian will always shine brightly in the midst of their darkness confounding the wise. Yes do not take for granted that you discern true righteousness. You are a rare exception to this world. What a fountain of eternal delight. The joy of the Lord truly is our strength.

Monday, May 02, 2011

Intact 1-24-2011

On the white walls throughout the SHU stenciled in black letters are the words “Don’t take shortcuts”. This reminds me of Paul’s words in Galatians 2:5. The gospel is a certain message and no other. Men of every generation want to modify it (as though it could be) to their own likings.

When I began this fast it was to strengthen personal weaknesses I perceived in my spirit, early on God made it clear it had testimonial effect for His purposes. I honestly could give in to a thousand cravings to end this fast before the 40 days, but because I have been informed on some of the ways the Lord is using it to do so would be a shortcut and the message of the gospel would not remain intact.

Paul fought off shortcuts to keep the gospel intact for our benefit and we have all been richly blessed there from. I think we are all living epistles and speak of a gospel that must remain in tact.

Dorean is a story not yet completed. There were numerous shortcuts offered to us. Scott and I never took them. Our

codefendants all took them. I suffer for it but I delight that the testimony of the gospel remains intact. The word says we shall be known by our love. And this is how you recognize love for the Beloved, His testimony, and the benefit of those coming behind you, no shortcuts will be taken. Some how Christ stenciled on my heart a little warning to which I have found it wise to pay heed.

How about you?