Barak Obama Wins?
A Look at the Nobel Peace Prize

Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize! Unbelievable. I think that his response to the
award was noble, though. I think that Obama, himself realizes that he wasn't really supposed
to win that award! People's overall reaction to this has, for the most part, been, 'huh'? Quite a historical hiccup there, if you ask me. Or was it?

I think the revealing of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize speaks to where we are on a global scale. In defense of this I say that it appears that this year’s Candidate, President Obama, is not who the world wanted (at least not who America wanted) as the winner of this award.

And to that I inquire, simply, ‘Why?’ What does this national response infer? What does this international response allude to?

I believe that this response corresponds to the reality that there seem to be few who know how to define peace. And even if we knew in our minds how to fully describe this seeming unattainable reality called peace, would we know how to award others for it? Would we truly be content if someone other than the man Obama, “won” it?

The important thing to focus on though, is the emphasis of the award itself, which is an award that awards peacemakers.

What is peace anyway? Is peace something that can be negotiated, as Obama has sought to do in his infant presidency? Is peace something that is tangible and can be delegated? These are important questions which must be considered in this hour.

Surely the world’s view of peace is something that is distorted: distorted by fear, by hate, through misinformation, by prejudiced people, disorder, world chaos, etc.

Peace is something that we all long for, whether rich or poor, black or white, known or unknown. Peace is something that we all seek in our everyday lives. For without peace, where are we but in a cold and confused mess?

Psalm 37:37 says that we should consider the blameless and observe the upright. It goes on to say that there is a future for that man, a future of peace. What a wonderful promise that is.

We all fall short in many ways. Our words and actions don’t always produce the peace we’re longing for. We’re not perfect.

Having said all this, does Obama deserve this award? Many people are saying, adamantly, and with a confused head, ‘hell no!’ Even so, I believe that it is an urgent call to seek out the heart of peace, and to ask ourselves where we as individuals can make peace in our own lives, and sow peace into others.

It has been well said that it’s not so much what happens to you, but what you do with what happens to you. I believe that Obama’s reaction to this reward was admirable. I believe that he realized that he wasn’t the perfect candidate for the award. But then again, who would be the quintessential candidate for this award? You?

Fulfill Your Destiny

Do you want to fulfill your destiny? There is one word that is going to help
you to do that; and that word is one, and that word is Love. Love is the summation of the law and the prophets. If you know how to love, then you've got everything. If you don't know how to love, you should find it.

The Bible says that 'Because of your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation". Because of His love, we can rejoice in this life. And this rejoicing produces genuine joy in our lives.

Growing in love will help us to grow into all that God has for our lives. And loving is a fruit of abiding in God. If you learn how to love, then you can have anything! Not out of selfishness, but because in love there is fullness. Why? Because God is love. And the more we are walking with God, the more we will be walking in love.

What do we know about love? We know that perfect love casts out all fear. Fear is not of God. Fear is from the devil and is of our fallen nature.

Again, if we know how to love, we are going to walk in every single thing that the Lord has for us in this life.

LOVE covers a multitude of sins, the Word of God says. If we know how to love, we will now how to deal with others, even if they are out of hand, or even if we are sinned against. If we know how to love then we will know how to die for others and even forgive where great transgression has been done to us.

Reaping and Sowing

Recently I was reminded that God is not mocked; what you sow, it is exactly that which you will REAP. The sowing and reaping principle. Very important.

We can sow money, actions, words, etc. Whatever we sow, it is that which we are going to reap.

When I think upon this too much I start to fear; because God is much greater than I. However, I know that through His mighty grace I am given the wisdom and understanding to make the right choices in life.

And if we have made the wrong choices, there is always repentance; turning away from what we have done and crying out to God for His mercy; for He is rich and mercy and longs to show compassion on each and every one of us who has turned from Him.

The principle of reaping and sowing is forever true, and can be seen throughout the world even today. Look at the financial situation in the world today. Why is this happening? There is much financial shaking going on today. It is because we have sowed, and now are reaping the consequence of our action.

Even in the midst of the shaking, we can trust in God and His eternal kingdom, which cannot be shaken. For Jesus said that whoever builds his life upon the Rock will stand, but whoever builds his house on the sand, when the storm comes, that man will utterly fall. It is time to regroup, get our houses in order, and turn to the Lord again, that we may find grace and times of refreshing from His presence.

Fear

Recently I've been doing a little studying on the subject of fear. There is only One Whom we should fear, and that is God. And this is a tough thing. There are so many things out there to fear; that we can fear if we let them.

I heard something tonight regarding fear that really spoke to me. I heard that those who walk in fear are walking in alternate realities that ARE NOT based in TRUTH. This was powerful to me, and I want to walk in peace and faith ALL of the days of my life, from THIS MOMENT forward; and whenever I'm thrown out of peace and faith, I need to revamp, regroup, and get before God and make sure I'm in His perfect will for my life.

I believe that in this life we're going to make mistakes. We're not always going to make the right choices, but I believe that I can make a lot better choices then ones I've made in the past because of fear. I believe that some of my fear is based in failing God and not trusting Him.

I would love to write on this more later. Amen.

Change will Come

I pray that wherever you are right now in your life that change would come from heaven. That the Lord would do a mighty work in you and that He would show you all that you have in Him.

I pray that the Lord would break every yoke upon you that is not from Him.

I pray that the Lord would bless you and keep you forever, that He would make
His grace to shine upon you and give you peace!

Whatever is throwing you into confusion and 'unpeace' now, I speak peace over it! And peace unto it! Amen!

Who You Were, Who You'll Be!

The Lord has let me know tonight that He is in the process of making
us all brand new! He says that He makes all things new! And when He
says all things, He means 'all things'. Who you were is very insignificant
compared to who you are now, and who He is preparing You to be. As exciting
as this is, it is important to keep our eyes upon Jesus, the Author and
Finisher of our faith.

We're going from glory to glory now in Him. Out with the old and in with
the new! Every day! Every hour! Amen!

Go To Your Happy Place!

We all need a place of refuge, a place of solitude, a place
of rest. And we can find all of these things in the LORD.

However, I also think that it's important to have a place in the
natural that we can go to get quiet before Him.

So go there now! Why wait?

Faithful and True!

You would not believe what happened to me today!

At the beginning of the day the Lord was teaching me about the concept of learning to rest in His Spirit. Resting in the Spirit is of the utmost importance in our daily walk with the Lord. If we can rest in the Lord, then we can enjoy the Lord, and if we can enjoy the Lord, we can flow in Him, and He through us.

As I was contemplating the things of the kingdom, it came time for me to pick up my girlfriend from school. However, I WAS LATE! And this did not go over too well with her! She was mad, and upset, and it was BAD!

My mother visited me later in the day (I took time to go to the bookstore), and the Lord spoke through me a word that was welling up inside me. And I believe that this word can apply to each and every person that is reading this right now.

Even though I was late BECAUSE I was praying for my city, and our nation, and our children, and many other things, the Lord still convicted me. You see, the Lord ALWAYS walks and moves and operates in LOVE. For He is love, and if we are to be like Him, and represent Him, we must move as He moves, and walk in LOVE.

Well, the response from my girlfriend hurt me terribly, if only for a moment in time. I was badly hurt. It felt like arrows were coming down in every direction. Battered and bruised, I went to meet with my mother.

As my mom and I were eating lunch, I started to speak to her about how Love covers a multitude of sins. Now I was in the wrong in this situation, for I was not responsible and did not pick my girlfriend up on time. However, her response was not exactly the epitome of godliness. Even so, I could have done better.

Yes, EVEN THOUGH I was praying while not attending to my girlfriend's needs, the Lord still let me know that I was in the wrong in part. He let me know that love covers a multitude of sins.

So while eating at Panera, I bought a loaf of bread, and then went across the street to buy a bar of chocolate. I didn't exactly know how I was to approach my girlfriend about the issue, but I knew I was to show some kingdom love and call her.

I called her, and all was smooth, and she told me to come to the library to pick her up. After I went to the library, I went inside and the first thing she asked me was if I was ready to go. I said 'yes'.

Christine got her stuff and we walked to the car together. And upon entering the car, there she saw the bread and the chocolate. She asked if they were for her and I said 'yes'! Oh, the power of yes! Kidding! The power of LOVE; of God's love in action! Within seconds she started to smile, and then gave me a kiss!

It has been said that love is the most powerful force in the universe; and that assessment is TRUE. If anyone tells you otherwise it is a lie from hell.

Today I was reminded that the flesh has plans for our future, the kingdom of darkness has plans for our future, and so does the King of kings. And I know, and believe wholeheartedly that His plan will prevail in each and every one of our lives, because love covers a multitude of sins, whether our own, or others; and it is He Who works ALL THINGS in accordance with His will. To Him be glory and honor forever! Amen.

Sowing Righteousness, Reaping Reward

Proverbs 11:18
The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.
Proverbs 11:17-19 (in Context) Proverbs 11 (Whole Chapter)

How can we sow righteousness? I believe that there are many ways to sow righteousness. One way to sow righteousness could be through good deeds; sowing time, sowing effort, sowing prayers.

Think of other ways that you could sow righteousness. There are many, many ways to do this. To give, to pray for, to withhold an evil report. I believe that to sow righteousness is to work righteousness.

We know that the fruit of righteousness is always sown in peace by those who make peace as written in James.

James 3:18
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
James 3:17-18 (in Context) James 3 (Whole Chapter)

The Crucified Life

John 10:16-18 (New International Version)

16I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

As has been stated before, there are 2 sides to the cross. One side is death and termination, and the other is resurrection life and glory! The Lord Jesus is our main example in living a life of service, and a life of sacrifice, a life of death to self.

There is an extraordinary key found in John 10 that the Lord has shown me today. So let's take a look at it. The Lord says in this excerpt that the Father, the Father of glory, the Father of lights, loves Him because He lays down His life. This is amazing if you have the eyes to see it and a heart to understand it. A laid down life, or a life of death to self, is a life of sacrifice and a life of love. So in essence, what the Lord was saying here, was that the Father loves the Lord because of His loving heart! The heart that lays down its own agenda and own plans is the heart that knows the love of the Father.

What's even more amazing in this passage is the authority of the Lord. It is written that the Lord lays down His life...ONLY to pick it back up again. And this is exactly what happened on the cross. He laid down His life, His life was not taken from Him. But He laid down His life, only to take it back up again! If you can see this, rejoice, because you can see how great He is!

From Romans 5

17For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

Abundance of grace is ours through Christ! And so is the GIFT of righteousness! How we, as God's kingdom people, should love righteousness, goodness, and every right path! If we embrace these things, we shall 'reign in life through Christ'!

What is righteousness? Righteousness is right standing with God. And righteousness is one of three key elements in the kingdom of God. For the kingdom of God is 1.righteousness, 2. peace, and 3. joy in the Holy Ghost.

First off, even though this is about the effects of grace and righteousness, it is important to point out how one can even enter into the kingdom of God. The Word makes it clear that if we are serious about our relationship with God, we must be born again of water and of the Spirit. In John 3, Jesus tells a religious leader of Israel that you must be born again,

John 3

1There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
9Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
11Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
12If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
13And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

The key to enter into the kingdom is repentance. Repentance is not only a turning away, but a turning unto something. In repentance, we abhor, and turn away from all of those things that have separated us from God, confess them, and turn unto God, Who is able to wipe away all of our sin, because of the sacrifice the Lord made at Calvary.

Righteousness is simply a fruit of abiding in the King. The effects of righteousness are wide ranging, but I will list many of my favorite attributes of living a righteous life through Christ.

Isaiah 32:17 says that the fruit of righteousness is both quietness and confidence forever. So in this passage, righteousness is tied to rest and assurance, like most other Scriptures dealing with the fruit of righteousness.

It is also important to point out that there are different types of righteousness; one of the self, the other rooted in God's goodness and nature. Self-righteousness asserts that we are holy apart from God. This take on righteousness is both hypocritical and an affront to the Lord.

The righteousness that is from above is tied into faith, for it is by faith that we can touch the Lord and have His life flow through us. Abraham was called the man of faith and because of his faith, or belief in the Word of God, this belief, because of his faith, he was 'accredited as being righteousness'. So a basic truth is that the righteousness we receive upon salvation is not rooted in ourselves, but in The Truth Himself, Jesus.

Psalm 89 says that righteousness and justice are the foundations of the Throne of God. If these are the foundations of the Throne, then surely they are apart of the King, Who sits upon the Throne's, nature.

Righteousness is something that is able to save us as well. Proverbs tells us that wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. Not only does righteousness deliver, but it also protects. Proverbs 13 says that righteousness guards the man of integrity.

I have searched out the Word and can only find positive and uplifting attributes tied to the man who seeks after righteousness. After all, Jesus states in the NT, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness'. Proverbs 21 states that those who pursue righteousness and love find life, prosperity, and honor.

So besides all of the up sides of righteousness, pertaining to life and godliness, what are the hindrances of it?

This will be discussed in the next post!

More on Sonship

Galatians 4

1What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. 2He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 3So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. 4But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. 6Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba,[a] Father." 7So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

Galatians 4 also lays out some incredible truth concerning the issues of sonship. paul states that as long as an heir is a child, he is not any different than a slave. But, God decided to send forth His Son so that through that Son, many others would be made righteous through His life and sacrifice.

Romans 5:18-20 (King James Version)

18Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

19For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

And through that Promised Seed falling in the ground and dying, the fruit from that is that many other sons of the kingdom would be brought forth thereafter.

To be a Son

Sons of God
26You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

In this generation, God is looking to raise up sons and daughters unto Himself
that will worship Him in spirit and in truth. And what a priveledge it is to
be a son.

Sons have benefits whereas slaves have very limited benefits, if any at all.
Jesus shares in John 8 that slaves have no permanent place in the family, but
a son belongs forever. What a blessing! Sons remain forever!

What a priveledge it is to be a son of the Living God. What an honor. We are
no longer slaves unto sin, but sons unto righteousness!

And how do we come into this sonship? We accept the sonship by faith, through grace
which is of the Lord. He longs for us to all come unto Him to be His beloved sons.
This concept of sonship reminds me of when Jesus looked over Jerusalem and lamented, 'O Jerusalem, you who stone the prophets, how I would have wanted to gather You unto Myself as a mother hen gathers her chicks, but you would not.' O to have a willing heart, and a humble heart, that we may get to know the Father, and come to Him, and be His sons and daughters.

The Lord is looking for worshippers. He is looking for sons and daughters as well. You are a son now, already, if you stop and think about it. We are all prodigals until we come to the point that we need really need Him; when we realize that we're eating pig food, and that even the hired servants back home have it better than we do out in the world. And that when we do choose to come home, there will be an understanding Father there to embrace us, and throw a feast for us, and put a ring on our finger, to seal the fact that we are home, and sons forevermore.

The Samaritan Woman

Many Samaritans Believe
39Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." 40So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41And because of his words many more became believers.

42They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."

In this story from John 4, the Samaritan woman tells those of her town that the Lord told her everything that ever she did.

There are many things to take from this small excerpt of the Scripture. As we go forward in the Lord, we see that by the Spirit, the Lord tells us everything that we ever did. He shows us where to repent, where to rejoice, where we fell, where we stand, etc.

As we let the Lord guide us in every area of our lives, others begin to take note, and come to Him as well. When we let the Lord uncover all areas of our lives that need to be uncovered (to have light shed on), others begin to follow after that great Light within us. And as you come to the Lord, He will tell you of everything you have ever done, and begin to speak to you about all you will do!

Going back to the previous post, to have life and spirit on our words is to speak what we hear Him speak, and to abide in Him. As we begin to trust Him more and more, and abide in Him, our words and actions will not fall to the ground, or be unfruitful, because it is in Him that our works and words are wrought.

Spirit and Life

The Lord said that the words that He spoke were spirit
and they were life. The words that He spoke were not
flesh and death, but spirit, and they were life.

What does it mean for words to have spirit and life on them?
It means that whatever we say should be life giving and
inspiring; never discouraging or empty.

The Lord wants our lives to be spirit and life filled. He
came to give us the abundant life, as promised.

As we continue to worship in spirit and in truth, our words
will be filled with spirit and with life. The more we are led
by our old nature, to that extent will our words and actions
NOT be filled with spirit and with life.

I walk the Line by Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash Lyrics

I Walk The Line Lyrics

• Johnny Cash Artist Info @ MFYI.com •

Send "I Walk The Line" Ringtone to your Cell


I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
I keep my eyes wide open all the time
I keep the ends out for the tie that binds
Because you're mine, I walk the line

I find it very, very easy to be true
I find myself alone when each day is through
Yes, I'll admit that I'm a fool for you
Because you're mine, I walk the line

As sure as night is dark and day is light
I keep you on my mind both day and night
And happiness I've known proves that it's right
Because you're mine, I walk the line

You've got a way to keep me on your side
You give me cause for love that I can't hide
For you I know I'd even try to turn the tide
Because you're mine, I walk the line

I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
I keep my eyes wide open all the time
I keep the ends out for the tie that binds
Because you're mine, I walk the line

Paul on Law vs. Faith

17"If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! 18If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker. 19For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"[d]

In this passage from Galatians 2, Paul is rebuking Peter for congregating with the Jews when the Gentile believers came around. What is interesting to note is the fact that Peter was an apostle to the Jews, and Paul to the Gentiles. What Paul points out in this passage is that we are justified by grace, through faith, and not by the law. 'No one can be justified by the law before God', Paul states. It is only through faith that we can touch the Lord. Only through faith are we able to tap into the life God created for us. For by faith, we touch Christ, and it is no longer we who live, but Christ lives His victorious life through us! 'For if righteousness could be gained by the law (keeping the ordinances written in the law), then Christ's death would have been for nothing!'