This can often be
a difficult time to be a Christian.
Not that I ever feel persecuted
here in this United States.

Nothing, compared
to third world countries
overwhelmed by oppression;
where those who speak truth are
put to death for their beliefs.

But Heaven forbid
a true prophet like Jeremiah
were to step forward
and tell people the definition of sin.

For while we do seek
to love the sinner
and not the sin,
there seems to be this
growing divide...
between only spouting
how much God loves us
and neglecting the
reverent fear and awe
we need to keep of Him.

For we only seem to tell
of His acceptance, grace and mercy,
which truly exists in abundance.
And neglect to mention the fact
that He is also a Holy God
who actually wrote
the Ten Commandments
on stone tablets with His finger.

And while, yes, they were
Old Testament...
He is still the same God,
with the same standards,
the same justice,
the same holiness
which cannot look upon sin.

Even He exclaims His woe to
the lack of reverence for Him...
Do you not fear Me?’ says the Lord.
‘Will you not tremble at My presence?
​Jeremiah 5:22 NKJV

Why must we constantly be...
so politically correct, in order to
show the love of God?

Don't get me wrong
I'm not looking to step on toes.
But I'm simply tired
of tiptoeing around truth.

Jesus didn't.
Why should we?

Is it so wrong to actually
hate sin,
and honor our God for being
the great and Holy One?

Is there not someone who will speak up
about the reality of what He stands for?

Is there yet...
a strong and determined soul
who will take a stand
for a righteous God?

Why do we not speak up to say that...
God draws a hard line between
RIGHT and WRONG?

That He purposes and plans LIFE
the moment sperm and egg joins
and begins to divide...
again, and again, and again;
NOT to be terminated by man.

That He creates humans
to be MEN, or WOMEN,
not gender undefined.

That there is only one TRUTH.
That gray is unacceptable to God.

That He defines what is
HOLY, and what is NOT.

And those who choose to study
history have seen what happens
to a nation that turns their hearts
away from a Holy God.

Jeremiah became weary...
To whom shall I speak
and give warning
That they may hear?
Behold, their ears are closed...
and absolutely deaf to God.
And they cannot listen.
Behold, the word of the Lord
has become a reprimand and
an object of scorn to them;
They have no delight in it.
Jeremiah 6:10 AMP

Even long, before
The Old Testament
was ever fully written...
before one word of
the New Testament
was penned...
man was already
tired of hearing what
God had to say.

Because we all simply want
to have our own way.

What a sad a sorrowful sight.
A world that does not delight
in the Word of the Lord.

But do they know...
I mean truly know what it contains?
How can we judge a book
by it's cover?

A book never read,
not really.
A God never known,
not really.

For generations, upon generations
He has sought after our hearts.
To the point that He came
to actually become one of us.

He decided...
if they cannot understand why
I made all these laws
to keep them safe from themselves,
let me understand what they see
from their perspective.

Jesus walked this earth,
dined with the worst of us... sinners.
He felt our sorrows,
cried our tears,
received our rejections,
and still, took our punishment.

When we take the time
to really get to KNOW Him,
by reading the word of God...
a letter written by Him to us,
we better understand WHY
He gave the rules, the laws, the love.

He did it all
so He could remain HOLY
and we could come closer...
have a true and connected relationship
with Him.

How grateful I am
that He brings me joy.
For I will not give up
in finding delight in Him.
No matter what this world becomes.
He is my LORD, all the more!

And I have discovered
the Word of God
is more than just an old book.

The Word of God is the presence
of Jesus ...
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through Him,
and without Him nothing was made
that was made.

In Him was life,
and the life was the light of men.
And the light shines in the darkness,
​and the darkness did not comprehend it.
John 1:1-5 NKJV

Word of God
train me today...
To press into You,
no matter what this world chooses.
To continue to write, speak and live Your Word,
always taking delight in You.

I have to admit
there have been times I've wanted
to hear the literal voice of God.

You know, like...
an answer to a prayer,
a direction to take in life, or even
a little encouragement to lift,
to guide, to comfort during a struggle.

But then sometimes
I shrink back and wonder...
if He actually spoke aloud to me
how totally scary that might be.
​
Like I'd probably freak out,
run screaming from the room,
asking if anyone else heard it.

I mean... well, I don't know.
I'm sure God knows me well enough
to find the right approach.
I bet He could calm me down;
convince me that it actually was Him
and I should just stand still and listen.

But I sure am amazed
when I read the encounters
of those in Bible times that heard
such a voice.

At first, of course,
it was just Adam.
But then there was Noah,
and Abraham,
his son Isaac, and
his son Jacob.

And what about Moses...
boy did they talk a lot.

And then it was the prophets,
beginning with Isaiah
and then Jeremiah.

And this is who I read about today...
that stopped me in my tracks.

These, the words from God to Jeremiah...
Then the word of the Lord
came to me, saying...
“Before I formed you in the womb,
I knew you...
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
Jeremiah 1:4-5 NKJV

Now maybe since Jeremiah grew up
in a family of priests, he wasn't shocked.
I mean, maybe he was startled a bit,
but it's kinda hard to tell.

His father was actually
the High Priest to King Josiah.
So the high and holy things of God
were in no way foreign to him.
I mean he probably grew up
knowing his way around
where most kids don't.

But while he too, was a priest
he must not have served long,
because this is his reply to God...
Then said I...
“Ah, Lord God!
Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.”
Jeremiah 1:6

Say what?!?
Now I admitted if God spoke audibly
to me, that possibly I'd freak out and run.
​But would I so boldly,
so quickly find my voice to talk back
as to why I couldn't do
​what God just declared?

I mean, here he was,
saying that he couldn't, and then
labeling the limitation.
I cannot speak, for I am a youth.

I mean, I would never...
Wait.
Uh... wait.
I guess it doesn't really matter
that God has not spoken to me...
audibly.

​Because God has, indeed spoken.
I mean, I certainly have had times
when I know what He wants me to do.
At least the goal I am to reach.

And then there's that...
​"But how do I get it done" part.
And that's when I believe I step in
and behave just as Jeremiah did...
I cannot serve, for I am too shy.
I cannot give, for I am not wealthy.
I cannot write, for I'm not creative.
​I cannot speak, for I am no one.
I cannot teach, for I don't know much.
I cannot help, for I am too busy.

Of course, I could go on.
We all could.
We have so many excuses,
so many labels, so many limitations.

None of which God placed on us,
for what He actually said, was...
Before I formed you in the womb,
I knew you...
Before you were born I sanctified you;
And clearly He planned and purposed
us for something.

But we are the ones who get in the way
with our labels and limitations.

So let us listen to God's response
to Jeremiah...
But the Lord said to me...
“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’
For you shall go to all to whom I send you,
And whatever I command you,
you shall speak.
Do not be afraid of their faces,
For I am with you to deliver you,”
says the Lord.
Jeremiah 1:4-8 NKJV

And what God spoke long ago
over Jeremiah, He also speaks
over us today.

Do not say, I am too shy.
For whatever I command you,
you shall serve.
​
Do not say, I am not wealthy.
For whatever I command you,
you shall give.

Do not say, I am not creative.
For whatever I command you,
you shall write.

Do not say, I am no one.
For whatever I command you,
you shall speak.

Do not say, I don't know much.
For whatever I command you,
you shall teach.

Do not say, I am too busy.
For whatever I command you,
you shall help.

And above all...
do not be afraid,
for I am with you to deliver you.

Word of God
train me, today...
To listen to Your call of purpose,
​no matter when, where, or how.
To let go of the labels that limit me,
and trust that You will deliver me into
whatever You commanded me to do.

It's rather difficult of late
not to be bombarded by bureaucracy,
crowded by constant coverage of
political conventions,
polls and primaries,
debates and distractions.

But I realize we should be grateful
for a democratic government
in which we have a say.

For long ago,
many lands were ruled
by kings with absolute authority.

There was need to make promises
to citizens who had no say
as to who sat upon the throne.

All this fuss we make
over who to choose...
was simply non-existent.

When one king died,
another heir was standing in line
to immediately take his place.
And whoever sat upon that throne
had the ability to greatly affect
the climate of the kingdom.

Because there was seldom
a system of checks and balances
to slow the change of power.

So the people under authority
became much like the one seated
upon the throne.
Following all the new rules,
conforming to the new standard,
abiding the new law of the land.

And today as I read about several kings,
I was sad to see an end come
to one of my favorites...
one of the good guys.
​
​Tragically, after an excellent reign,
the life of King Hezekiah ended,
and his son Manasseh took the throne.

And he did evil
in the sight of the Lord,
according to the abominations
of the nations whom the Lord
had cast out before
the children of Israel.
2 Kings 21:2 NKJV

Manasseh rebuilt all the altars
his father Hezekiah tore down.
He put foreign gods within
the very House of the Lord.

Also he made his son
pass through the fire,
practiced soothsaying,
used witchcraft,
and consulted spiritists and mediums.
He did much evil
in the sight of the Lord,
to provoke Him to anger.
2 Kings 21:6

What a shame
that this son of a great king
had changed things so quickly,
had turned to such evil ways...
that all the inhabitants of his kingdom
did more evil than the nations whom
the Lord destroyed before them.

And the Lord spoke to Manasseh
and his people, but they would not listen.
Therefore the Lord brought upon them
the captains of the army
of the king of Assyria,
who took Manasseh with hooks,
bound him with bronze fetters,
and carried him off to Babylon.

Now when he was in affliction,
he implored the Lord his God,
and humbled himself greatly
before the God of his fathers,
and prayed to Him;
and He received his entreaty,
heard his supplication,
and brought him back to Jerusalem
into his kingdom.
Then Manasseh knew
that the Lord was God.
2 Chronicles 33:10-13

Now THAT was some grace!
That was some mercy!

Here was a king who exceeded
the limits of evil.
And when God began punishment...
had him taken, and
bound in captivity,
by the most ruthless of captors...
Manasseh cried out for mercy.
And after all his idol worship,
God still listened to his plea.

And when God showed him mercy,
Manasseh finally realized
who his God really was.
​
And the verse says...
Then Manasseh KNEW
that the Lord was God.

This word KNEW, or KNOW
in Hebrew is yada... (yawdah)
It is not a casual kind of knowing.
But rather, means to learn, observe,
discover or ascertain through
experience, observation, instruction,
inference, and even punishment.

This too is how we come
to KNOW God...
through experience.
Hopefully not always
as punishment like Manasseh,
but experientially, nonetheless.

Once in captivity...
taken out of a place of power
to make careless decisions,
Manasseh found himself humbled.
God had to strip everything away
before He could get his attention
Only then did Mannaseh
recognize God...
and come to really KNOW Him.

And once back in Jerusalem,
no longer did he worship
the many foreign gods
that he had set up all over
the land of Judah.

But Manasseh, now king once more,
made a complete change in his life.
He realized there was room
for only one God in his heart.
A single throne
where the LORD God
alone would reign
as King of his heart.

So Manasseh began to behave
much like his father Hezekiah.
And he fortified the cities,
tore down the altars,
removed the foreign gods,
and cast them out of the cities.
He also repaired the altar of the Lord,
sacrificed peace offerings
and thank offerings on it,
and commanded Judah
​to serve the Lord God of Israel.
2 Chronicles 33:16

What a radical change
was made in this king's life
because of the mercy of God.

But it I realize it ONLY happened
after a man of power humbled himself
in a place of punishment;
bound and captive,
humbled and powerless.

This could not have been
an easy thing for him.

How much easier it would have been
to complain, point fingers,
blame his past, or stay angry.

But because he humbled himself
and cried out to God,
there was mercy and grace.

Oh to KNOW God...
to discover who He really is
through experience,
even punishment.
And to then seat Him
on the throne of your heart.

These are life lessons
truly to be learned.

But they are often only realized
when we too are willing
to reassess what is important to us;
when we are willing to humble ourselves,
even through circumstance, trial,
punishment, or pain.

It's in experiencing God's provision
at our most broken times
that we discover true
healing, comfort, and forgiveness.

It's in experiencing His presence
when we are vulnerable and lost,
that we learn from Him, what
we cannot learn from a life of ease.

But when we are willing to be
present in the moment of pain...
God shows up.

Only then can we can unseat
whatever had been
lord of our heart so long.

For when God becomes
the King who is seated
on the throne of our heart,
our entire life will change...
for the better.

We saw it in the life of a king,
Lord, let us contemplate this,
even in our life today...

Here is a song,
Only One
by Harvest.
It's lyrics are meant to be
considered from the perspective
of God directed to our hearts.

And while it speaks of
removing the names
of former lovers,
it does not necessarily mean
people with whom we have been.

For anything we place
above or before God
as a priority in our life,
in our heart...
God considers a lover
who steals us from Him.
​
(If you do not see the video below, CLICK HERE. )

Have you ever considered...
who is seated
upon the throne of your heart?

For there is a King
who desperately wants that position.

And He is merciful
and filled with grace.
He longs for you
to KNOW Him.

Consider even
this life of Manasseh...
Oh how much more
mercy and grace
God will shower upon us,
when we humble our hearts
​even in our place of captivity.

Word of God
train me, today...
To allow You alone to reign
on the throne of my heart.
To allow You as King
​to direct my life.

Have you ever just come
to the end of yourself?
When you finally realize
that you are not all that you thought
you would be, could be... should be.

When the bubble finally bursts
and you are just standing there
in a puddle of slippery, soapy substance...
pink plastic dipping stick in hand
dripping what's left
from the now empty bottle...
like tears you no longer have left to cry.

And you realize all this time
how very patient God has been
as He waited for you to finally get
that He has been doing all the work...
all this time!

Maybe you're not there yet...
but I am.
And the Israelites were too,
when Isaiah was writing...

For since the world began,
no ear has heard
and no eye has seen a God like You,
who works for those who wait for Him!
You welcome those who gladly do good,
who follow godly ways.

But You have been very angry with us,
for we are not godly.
We are constant sinners;
how can people like us be saved?
A great awakening.
One difficult, but necessary to admit.

We are all infected and impure with sin.
When we display our righteous deeds,
they are nothing but filthy rags.
Isaiah 64:4-6 NLT

There it is...
the harshest of verses,
depicting the end of our real self.
When we display our righteous deeds,
they are nothing but filthy rags.

So all that time..,
when we go around parading,
showing off,
all the "good" stuff we do for God,
we are living in a bubble.

Because even in our best-est of efforts,
the righteousness we are able
to squeeze out
is nothing but filthy rags to God.

Harsh... I know.
But remember,
He is first and foremost.
a Holy God.

And please, before you get offended.
know that I'm speaking all about me
before even mentioning you.

But let me explain something about
this word filthy, above.
It is very specific.
Without that word, the verse
would read very different.
It is included for good reason.

This word is from the Hebrew:
ed ... pronounced ayd
עִדִּים 5708
It means a stained garment,
soiled from menstrual flux.

This verse is the ONLY place
in the whole Bible
​where this word is used.

And for the MEN.,,
don't tune me out,
don't click the X in the corner...
this is for YOU too!

For here is how it is significant...
When a woman bleeds during this time,
its s the body's natural process
telling us that she is not pregnant;
that there is not life within her uterus.

Now clearly in biblical times,
women did't have the convenience
of disposable feminine products,
as we do today.
So they literally used rags
to collect the blood.
Hence the term, filthy rags.
And in that time period,
a woman menstruating was considered
to be unclean. (try not to take offense)
As was the blood on those rags.
It was to them unclean... or filthy.

But it was also blood without life.
And that is very significant.
Because as the verse says...
that is a representation of
our righteousness...
or our ability to do enough right
to be perfect before God,
to earn our right standing with Him.
We cannot. It would be impossible.

But Jesus... when He died in our place,
when He took the punishment for our sin...
He bled and died upon a cross.
His blood was filled with life.
It was the blood flowing through His heart.
​It was the blood keeping Him alive.
His blood is the key to our salvation.
His blood carried the righteousness
we need for the forgiveness of our sins.

So you to come to that point,
that end of yourself...
finally realizing
that you are not all that you thought
you would be, could be... or should be...

That is exactly when Jesus stepped in...
He rescues us from our filthy rags,
covering us with His righteousness!

So now we can come before God...
boldly standing right in front Him.
Not because of anything we have done,
but only due to the life-giving blood
of Jesus righteousness, that is now ours.

We we trade in our lifeless, filthy rags
for His life-giving sacrifice.

And so, dear brothers and sisters,
we can boldly enter
heaven’s Most Holy Place
because of the blood of Jesus.
Hebrews 10:19
​
But now you have been united
with Christ Jesus.
Once you were far away from God,
but now you have been
brought near to him
through the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:13

Whew!
An I ever grateful
to be rid of my filthy rags!

But it doesn't mean that
I don't occasionally
reach back and pick them up.
(I know... yuk, why would I do that?)
But when I try to DO something
in my own effort,
for my credit,
to show off how GOOD I am...
thats when I pick them up.
Like thinking I'm earning my way
back into God's GOOD graces.
Impossible!

Grace is the free gift
of Jesus righteous sacrifice
I accept it, or not.
I can't earn it.
I can't BE GOOD enough.

But it after I accept it,
(and I honestly must do this daily)
I am so grateful for it, that I long
to DO GOOD works.
In His strength,
for His glory,
filled with His life.
But no longer on my own.

So today...
I will let go of things done
in my own strength.
Because they are simply
lifeless and empty,
imperfect and unholy.
And apart from God,
I can do no good thing.

But I can do all things
through Christ
Who gives me strength!
​Philippians 4:18

Word of God
train me today...
To ever bow before You always knowing
that my righteousness alone has no life.
To accept willingly, and ever give You glory
for the right standing I receive
​only through the blood of Jesus!

Lord, I know
that since I have
received You
as Savior,
I am eternally saved.
Never to be lost.

But I must daily
receive this grace,
this righteousness.
For otherwise,
I will pridefully pick up
my old filthy rags
thinking I can be good
on my own.

Remind me, Lord,
that You are with me
always..
my strength,
my righteousness,
my good.

Did you ever trade for stuff
when you were a kid?
You know, because you didn't have money
You'd just swap something
stupid off the floor of your room
that you didn't care about anymore
for some thing super cool
that someone else had.

Turns out, you usually just got
something stupid off the floor
of someone else's room
that they no longer cared about.

But today...
I read about what has to be
the greatest swap in all of history.

Because this was a trade
for something not just off the ground.
This was a trade FOR the ground...
and what was given in return
was way better than anything
I've ever seen.

It was written as a promise
of One who was to come,
and this was what He was to do...
To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise
for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called
trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord,
that He may be glorified.
Isaiah 61:1-3 NKJV

But to clarify, I want us to fully understand.
At the time this was promised,
if you were a mourner...
you would have been seen in public,
wearing a garment of sackcloth
which was made of a rough goat hair material;
you would have removed
any head covering and
thrown dust from the ground,
or ashes upon your head
while sitting in a pile of them.
This would be continued for at least seven,
but not more than thirty days,
often accompanied by fasting.

This mourning would have been
brought on by
sorrow and grief over a loss...
by death, illness or mishap of a loved one,
relative, friend or honored leader;
​or over a national tragedy.

Now, enter the promised One.
And, let us say that you are the mourner.

The Comforter, in order to fulfill the promise...
walks right up to you.... the mourner,
reaches down and takes you by the hand.
Maybe it's not the end of your mourning.
You try to resist, to not look up.
But His gentle tug will not let go.
His eyes are tender, kind and sincere.
There is no threat, no fear, as
you hold more firmly His hand.

He helps you up from the ashes...
Gently He begins to bow your head down.
He directs you to shake the dust loose
as He lightly tossles your hair
loosening the ash...
releasing it into a new and gentle breeze
which begins to whisk away
the pile at your feet.

You feel lighter already,
as you right your head to see
Him reach into the fabric bag
slung loosely across his body.
He pulls out a simple garland of
wildflowers woven in a circle
and gently places it upon your head.
Beauty, not simply an adjective...
it is an actual crown,
a headdress for a bride
to replace the ashes of mourning.

And now for the sackcloth...
it is heavy and hot,
rough and worn ragged.
It was never your first choice
but you continued to wear it daily
believing it was all you really deserved.

He gently motions you forward
to look upon a clothesline where
you see several simple white linen garments
hanging loosely in the breeze.

It is clear, He intends for you to have one.
You begin your steps forward...
but stop to look back at Him for reassurance.
He nods and smiles... yes, for you.
As you are propelled toward them...
these garments of praise,
your spirit of heaviness falls hard to the ground.

When you return, changed into white,
He stands with a small, simple flask.
Tipping it over to splash a few drops
onto His fingertips...
you can smell the joyous aroma.
And He touches your forehead
speaking this, a blessing over you...
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison
to those who are bound;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
Isaiah 61:1-2

We who need healing,
brokenhearted,
captive and caged,
so often by our own limitations...
long for this Comforter,
this promised One.

He is still for us,
not only a promise for those
of Israel past.

But even now,
today,
everyday.

This can be our
acceptable year of the Lord!

We can be
ACCEPTABLE TO
the Lord.

If only we will stand up
from this pitiful pile of ashes,
shake the off dust of our
sorrowful self image,
and take His crown of beauty,
receive His garment of praise.
Not because we deserve it,
but only because He offered it
out of His tender mercy and grace;
His lovingkindness and forgiveness.

It is a free gift.
Let us release the grasp...
of whatever we hold onto
and open-handed receive
all He has to offer.

Today I wear this crown of beauty,
and I put on this garment of praise.
Thank You, Jesus,
promised One,
for seeing me as acceptable.

Word of God
train me today...
To stop mourning the things
this world counts as loss.
To wear proudly
​these gifts of beauty and praise.