"CLING"

Hell? Heaven? JESUS is God, Really? The World is coming to an End tomorrow? Theories, Hypothesis, Facts..This is what fuels the society in which we live.Each and Everyday it seems like there is a new belief system that has been created by man. Every time I sign on to my facebook account it's like someone is believing some new DISTRACTION that literally takes the attention off of JESUS CHRIST. There is a quote often spoken which simply says, "KEEP the main thing, THE MAIN THING"...Sheesh!  We sure have done a horrible job at doing this on a  holistic approach.

Sure, there is a remnant that has kept their eyes on that blood stained banner but just as the Prophet Isaiah said, " Like sheep we have all gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way" (Is 53:6). I'm troubled by the fact of how we can so easily allow the enemy to take our focus off of the main THING, who is JESUS. Have you ever noticed how heated conversations become when you start to mention JESUS? It's crazy and don't even think about saying, JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY to GOD...No, No, you will immediately get shut down!! However, throughout the New Testament we are instructed to not become involved in Biblical debates because they profit us nothing. Now, I know what you are thinking.."How can I not become enraged when people slander or misrepresent scripture"? Well, there is an easy solution and principle to this. Are you ready? Here we go:

1. The fact that God always was, is and will forever be means that the opinion of people concerning His existence has no validity. Man did not make God who is; therefore He cannot create him to be anything other than what He is all  by himself..!!! (LORD, I feel like PREACHING))!!!

2. The learned or studied knowledge made available to people does not hold a candle to a personal encounter with JESUS who is the SON of GOD. The fact remains, relationship goes far beyond the depths of education, Seminary, or any other form of education. Paul himself said that he had not been called by man but by God. He had no accreditation outside of the fact that He was filled with the Holy Spirit and the Power of the Living God flowed through Him.

3. JESUS taught unconditional, unrestrained, limitless LOVE. This love is not based on what people understand of agree to but the mere fact that we ALL have been made in HIS image and LIKENESS and that according to scripture, (1 John 4:20) If you say you HATE your brother whom you've seen and yet you love God whom you have never seen, YOU ARE A LIAR". (This is scripture)

4. Our main FOCUS is the fact that a perfect man bore the sins of the ENTIRE world and HE DID NOT HAVE TO DO IT. HE CHOSE TO DO IT. Keep in mind that the Bible says that Jesus could have called down angels to come to His rescue...The fact remains that JESUS DIED and REAL death and LITERALLY resurrected.

5. Lastly, A REAL ENCOUNTER and LIFE CHANGING experience with GOD makes ALL the difference! I am convinced that once you have a REAL encounter with God, everything changes. Jesus himself said, "I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW"....This is everything!! There is no doubt that Christ came to give you a new life that could only be RECEIVED through HIM. To say that you can ACCEPT his GIFT but not RECEIVE him makes no Sense....Receiving Him, is receiving HIS gift.."Can I tell you, it's a package deal".

So now that we have these facts out of the way, let's dive into the title of this blog which is "CLING"...As I am currently sitting in my office located in Prince George, British Columbia I am compelled to encourage you to "CLING". According to 1 Timothy 1:19 Apostle Paul says, "Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear.For some people have deliberately violated their consciences, as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked." As mentioned in the beginning of this blog there is something for every belief system. However, there is only one way to the Father. Paul is adamantly reminding you to "CLING"...He doesn't say wrap, pull, or grip...He says CLING. Why would he say CLING?

The word Cling means to: hold fast to, to adhere to, to remain close, resist separation, to remain emotionally attached.  WOW! Can I take a moment and focus in on the latter definition. "TO REMAIN EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED"..How does one become EMOTIONALLY attached? By relationship, in time spent, in learning the ways of another. In essence, Paul is saying remain IN RELATIONSHIP with GOD, not being able to be removed or separated because you are attached. To be attached to something is an intentional act. The moment you decide to invest into something or someone, you saying, "I want to be attached to or associate with or even known BY...." This means that in order to remain focused and in right standing with the Father, you must be in RELATIONSHIP. A person could never confront me with any facts about the BIBLE or who is JESUS is or was or forever will be without every having RELATIONSHIP. It just has no validity. It would be like me trying to give you information about someone I seen "one time",  that lives with you everyday. You would look at me pretty strange, huh? I think so.

For example, If I were to tell you that I have personal information about the President of the United States and yet I've never met him, would you believe me? No! of course not. However, do I have access by way of the internet? Yes, but does that give me DIRECT AND INFALLIBLE insight about who he is? No. This type of information is only provided in RELATIONSHIP. Its is the same way with God. Many people have access to information. In fact, everyone has access to information about God, but it's not until you HAVE A DIRECT RELATIONAL ENCOUNTER can you say that you actually KNOW HIM. Seeing Him in the lives of others, reading about Him, and even agreeing with some things that He has said does not Equate Relationship...However, CLINGING by way of being emotionally attached based on your relationship with Him does. And please do not misunderstand, when I say "emotional attached" I do not mean "having feelings for" but I having an inner, in-depth, unshakable intimate relationship that causes you to live, move, and have your being in HIM!

So, today I encourage you to "CLING" to your faith by living by the directions provided by God based on a renewed life. Your relationship with God is not based on what church you go to, who your earthly Father is, what people say about you, or what letters you have at the end of your name. It is and will always be based on your PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP that cannot be ALTERED BY PEOPLE. So, CLING!!! Don't bend and certainly...DO NOT BOW...BUT CLING...REMAIN EMOTIONALLY AND RELATIONALLY ATTACHED TO GOD!

SOMETIMES...........

Have you ever felt like you were on FIRE!!!??? I don't mean literally....lol...I mean on fire for God? And have you ever felt like your heart was ablaze for the things of God and then you don't know what happens..It's like you become busy (maybe even the church) or maybe you feel like you've drifted away somehow but not sure how or why? Well, today I was sitting at my office thinking and spending sometime with the Lord, while listening to Anthony Evans sing "Let it Rain" and began to ask Lord to pour in my life and upon my life. My desire is that each and everyday I experience the presence of the Lord in a greater and more tangible sense then the day before. I believe that this is what happens when we "sometimes" feel like we are just going about the day in "blaah". We haven't asked the Lord to fill us. It's so important that daily we ask the Father to fill us with his Presence!

The song writer says "Better is One Day in HIS courts, than thousands elsewhere".....If we really believe that, we must proclaim it over our lives consistently. God desires to fill you today. He desires for your sometimes to be hardly ever. I'm not sure about you but I know for me I've been so busy for so long that sometimes I don't even know how to not be busy...Does that make sense? Have you ever been there? I'm sure you have at some point in your life. It's so easy to live a busy life day in and day out and not spend the needed time with the Lord consistently. Today, I was praying and this is what I wrote on a sticky note "Every area of my life is a tree, it must produce FRUIT"...This is what we should desire in every aspect of our lives To be fruitful and to make ourselves available (to bear fruit) for the benefit of others!

The picture that you see above is from a recent trip that I took to the Ancient Rain Forest in British Columbia (Canada). Can I tell you that I had never done anything like this before. I had climbed to the top of a waterfall just to take a picture! Yep, that's right...I literally climbed up this waterfall so that I could see from the top. I was convinced that the view from the top would be much better than from the bottom.Sometimes this is what our relationship with the LORD is like. We are so amazed by what we see before us that we rarely hear the voice of the Lord saying, "Come up a little higher for there is something that I want to show you"! How awesome is that. We our in awe of what God is doing at this given moment that sometimes we lose sight that THERE IS MORE!! Can I tell you today! "There is MORE that God has for you, THIS IS NOT IT..COME UP A LITTLE HIGHER". Don't get stuck in complacency of the busyness of your day. Take time to hear the still small voice of the Lord. I guarantee that there is something the Lord wants to say to you TODAY!!

I''m going to let you in on a little secret of mine....Are you ready?? Well, here you go?? I am very detailed oriented to the point of I create word documents for EVERYTHING!! Yes, I do mean everything and I also am a MASTER planner on VERY LONG TERM basis. Some people would call it driven, others might say its crazy, while others may say it's admirable. But you know what, I learned that you can take a lot of time planning your life and what you think you will do and desire to do  but when you recognize that GOD IS IN CONTROL, all of your planning becomes a hobby....It's just for FUN because God makes all of the REAL DECISIONS!!! I'm learning to grab hold of the fact that God is indeed a rewarder to them that diligently seek Him, but we must BE DILIGENT!!

So today I encourage you to remember that SOMETIMES when you feel that you need a FILL come to the Father. He desires for you to never have "down" time but to live a life of unexpected blessings and the fulfillment of HIS PROMISES!!  It takes time to realize that most of what you see is only the tip of what God is doing. However, when you learn to trust him HE TAKES YOU TO THE TOP and Gives you A view from where He stands...So ask the FATHER TODAY, SHOW ME HOW MY LIFE LOOKS FROM WHERE YOU ARE SITTING! I am willing and I desire to climb to whatever the height may be for YOU!

THE VIEW OF LIFE IS SO MUCH BETTER FROM
A HIGHER LEVEL!!! SO, COME ON UP!