In Jesus' Name...

Recently, I came across some old notes that I had written out while hearing a sermon. The preacher that I had been listening to is named Robert Bayer. He is a tremendous preacher and Man of God, and as far as I know, he is still evangelizing within North America. He was also indentified as a man who had committed himself to Biblical memorization in such a way that he was able to recite the text and any auxilliary verses without the use of the Bible during his preaching!

Bro Bayer illustrated that whatever the action done, word said, or function performed...it is to be done in the Name of Jesus! Everything he preached regarding this is found within the Scriptures. He also pointed out that many denominal religious institutions are readily accepting of the name of Jesus in most, but not all of the things commanded in the Bible!

But they are not willing to use it in the most important way commanded...which was during baptism! We are COMMANDED to use the name of Jesus for the washing and remission of sins! (Acts 4:12). And you can guess, it was a doozy!

So I thought that I would add this to the Blog for your personal edification in hopes that you are reminded of the power and glory that is in the Name of Jesus!!!

1) James 5:14 - Anoint the sick in the name of Jesus.

2) Matt.12:21 - Gentiles trust in the name of Jesus.

3) Mark 16:17 - Cast out devils in the name of Jesus.

4) Mark 9:37 & Matt 18:15 - Children received in the name of Jesus.

5) Mark 9:41 - Cup of water given in the name of Jesus.

6) Acts 15:14 - The Church is founded in the name of Jesus.

7) Phil. 2:9-11 - Confess in the name of Jesus.

8) 2 Tim. 2:19 - Depart from iniquity in the name of Jesus.

9) Acts 21:13 - Ready to die in the name of Jesus.

10) Matt 18:20 & 1 Cor. 5:4 - Gathered together in the name of Jesus.

11) 1 Cor. 6:11 - Sanctified in the name of Jesus.

12) 2 Thess. 1:12 - We glorify in the name of Jesus.

13) Matt. 10:22, 24:9, 13:13 & Mark 21:17 & Luke 15:21 - We are hated in the name of Jesus.

14) Acts 3:16, 4:10,30 - Healed in the name of Jesus.

15) John 14:26 - The Comforter / Holy Ghost sent in the name of Jesus.

16) 1 Cor. 6:11 - Justified in the name of Jesus.

17) Acts 5:28, 40, 41 - Suffer in the name of Jesus.

18) Rev. 2:3 & Mark 9:41 - Work and reward given in the name of Jesus.

19) 1 Cor. 1:10 - Words are to be unifying in the name of Jesus.

20) Phil 2:10 - Every knee to bow in the name of Jesus.

21) Col. 3:17 - The rites and practices of the Church is performed in the name of Jesus.

22) Acts 2:38 - We are commanded to be baptized in the name of Jesus.

23) Acts 4:12 - Get saved in the name of Jesus.

24) 2 Thess 3:6 - Withdraw from disorderly and the divisive in the name of Jesus.

25) Acts 9:27, 29 - Boldly preach in the name of Jesus.

26) 1 Cor. 1:2 - The sanctified call in the name of Jesus.

27) 1 Cor. 6: 11 - Washed in the name of Jesus.

28) Eph. 5:20 & Heb. 13:15 - Give thanks in the name of Jesus.

29) John 14:13, 14 - Ask for an answer / blessing in the name of Jesus.

Thank God for the name of Jesus!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Power in a Seed

Recently, during my research for a Biology class that I am taking to complete my degree, I stumbled upon a very interesting article about ancient and extinct date seeds that were discoverered in Masada, (an ancient fortress in Israel). It was built by Herod the Great for the purpose of repelling foreign invaders. The seeds were uncovered by archaelologists in the 1960's and had been carefully protected until recently.

(http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/11/1122_051122_old_seed.html)

Now immediately...this article caught my attention!! Now, what really caught my fancy, was that until recently, these supposed dormant date seeds had been only considered a minor archaeological find!?! But it wasn't until a genobiologist reckoned that even though the ancient seeds on the outer shell was hardened by centuries of desert wear and tear, it had the potential for life within, did it ever become an incredible discovery!!

Because someone saw the potential for life in a dead shell, the seemingly dead seeds were planted! The article goes on to say that within a few short months after the planting, the beginnings of a date tree began to grow! Now, there are two main spiritual points that I want to share with you that the article illustrated to me!

1) Within the Word of God, there are several references to seeds and the power within them. In fact, Jesus himself referenced the power within a seed! In essence, Jesus was driving home this point to those who were listenting raptly at His parable teaching. The lesson was that many discount the power of what is inside, by being influenced by what is not present on the outside! In other words, because they weren't impressed by what they saw, they weren't believing or interested in what could happen from the inside!

The Bible says in 1 Samuel 16, that the prophet Samuel came to anoint a new king of Israel in Jesse's house. When Jesse began to parade his outwardly, more powerful, more anointable sons...Samuel didn't see what he was looking for! The shame in all this was that David's own father overlooked and minimized him as someone who surely could never be a king! The prophet asks, "Is this it? Is this all the sons of Jesse?" Jesse replied, "Uh..well...there is one more..." But while he was speaking, Jesse was probably thinking "Surely not!" But Jesse fell into the trap that many others do, they look on the outward. But the Bible explains in (v.7),"But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. We know the rest of the story, David was anointed as king and became a man after God's own heart!

You see, the power in the seed is not what it looks like on the outside...because it looks to be insignificant and small...but within lies a harvest of a thousand trees waiting to explode into life!

2) YOU are the seed! Within you lies an incredible harvest of life, but the problem with some of us is that we have a hardened shell that's been weathered by disappointments, hurts, failures, and overall...life in general!

• To the Christian, you have the power to reach and influence a great many people that have lost their direction and can't find their way!



• To the Sinner, you have tried other things to create life within yourself by planting or investing yourself in the erodong soil of this world! No one can successfully be rooted in a world that is failing because of its sin and hope to survive the coarse weathering of life!



• To the Back-Slider, you've become hardened on the outside, but there is potential and hope for the inside! The Master Potter wants to re-plant you in the sunshine of His love!

To anyone who will allow God to be God in their life, he will bring Life to the Deadness, and a Harvest from just an old, dormant seed! Such is the power that's in a seed!

William Dawes..Who are you?

“On a cool April morning, in the late 1700’s, 2 farmers named William & Paul , were horrified to learn that the enemy was planning to attack their camp/settlement in the very near future! They had been appointed to be prepared if the enemy should arrive by sea.

As the enemy came under the shadows of twilight, William and Paul set out to be the clarion voices of readiness!

They coordinated with the watchtower near the ocean, and waited for the signal = 1 if by land, 2 if by sea. And at midnight, when the lamps were lit, William and Paul, decided to ride into destiny, and warn the neighboring villages with voices sounding like a trumpet to the sleeping people…that ... "the British were coming! The British were coming!"

We are approaching that time of the year when we celebrate our country's independence from the British in the late 1700's. And being an absolute American History junkie and avid reader, many times I come across alot of stories of our Founding Father's and about those who were so willing to put themselves in harm's way for the future and vision of a new nation! It demanded sacrifice, courage, and perseverance through adversity mixed with blood.

The story of the Midnight Ride is one of those compelling stories. Read on, and I'll tell you why...

By now, its easy to guess that one of the riders was Paul Revere, whose timely announcement prepared the colonials to rise and be ready to the coming enemy advance!


BUT I WANT TO FOCUS ON THE OTHER LESSER KNOWN RIDER...

William Dawes performed the same actions that Revere had; was moved with the same "like" actions of patriotism; desired to help prepare his countrymen for the sure war of the Revolution…but his place in history is in anonymity!

When taking a closer look, we find the reason why Willian Dawes' place in American History is lost!!!

1) DAWES HAD NO DIRECTION!

• When Dawes started his ride, he took a lesser route…in other words, he went the wrong way! This simply means by having a message that could've prepared the sleeping colonials, he decided to go away from the areas where the general populace lived!



• By choosing to go the opposite direction of where he should have gone, convinces us that He didn’t see the priority to sticking to the main roads and to the populated areas!



• May I say that the message of Acts 2:38 still works! There is no need to go away from it!



• This trip down the wrong roads illustrates that he could've only wanted the path of least resistance!



• He traded the more important things of what he should have been doing for easier living of not being involved at all!

2) DAWES' WAS PARALYZED BY HIS FEAR OF THE ENEMY AND THE POTENTIAL OF BEING KILLED IF CAUGHT!

• 2 Tim. 1:7 says..."For God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of love, power, and a sound mind!



• Sometimes, fear grips our hearts about the things that we KNOW we should do! Fearful, of living for God; of making a solid committment, and afraid of what the enemy would do to us, if we are caught trying to do right!



• The sad truth about it was that both William Dawes and Paul Revere did get caught! When Revere convinced his captors that he wasn't a threat, THEY LET HIM GO! Want to know what Revere did after this? You guessed it, he got back on the horse and rode, continuing on into American lore!



• But as for Dawes, he so shook with fright, that he was considered a non-threat...and was let go! OUCH!

3) DAWES GOT LOST WHILE RIDING! He became unsure of his direction on his way back home! Simply, he LOST HIMSELF!

• Jesus spoke in 3 Parables of something being lost. Sheep, Coin, Prodigal Son. Notice, in these parables, Jesus was speaking about the three stages of living for God, (The sinner, the saint, and the backslider). So, Jesus was trying to drive the message home! No matter what you're spiritual status is...we all can lose direction in our lives, and that applies to Christians also!



• Someone said, "The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions!" No one intends to be lost, but if we dont have a "route of riding" like ol' Dawes didn't, you won't get to the spiritual destination that you desire!

4) Dawes was not a public man, he was unknown because he wasn't completely committed to the rebellion against tyranny! HE WAS APATHETIC IN HIS INTENT.

• During the planned rebellion and the response to the repercussions of the Boston Tea party, Revere was a member of the Sons Of Liberty, Dawes was not! Which meant that all Dawes was, was a casual spectator unwilling to engage the enemy when he was needed the most! He was committed just enough to ease his conscience, but not sold-out!



• Just like in the church, we need to make sure we are living what we say we are! Our warnings of endtime could be falling on deaf ears because of our lives and how we live them! It is very important to be who we say we are!

The Midnight Ride poem written by Helen F. Moore in 1896"

The Midnight Ride of William Dawes
I am a wandering, bitter shade,Never of me was a hero made;Poets have never sung my praise,Nobody crowned my brow with bays;And if you ask me the fatal cause,I answer only, "My name was Dawes"
'Tis all very well for the children to hearOf the midnight ride of Paul Revere;But why should my name be quite forgot,Who rode as boldly and well, God wot?Why should I ask? The reason is clear --My name was Dawes and his Revere.
When the lights from the old North Church flashed out,Paul Revere was waiting about,But I was already on my way.The shadows of night fell cold and grayAs I rode, with never a break or a pause;But what was the use, when my name was Dawes!
History rings with his silvery name;Closed to me are the portals of fame.Had he been Dawes and I Revere,No one had heard of him, I fear.No one has heard of me becauseHe was Revere and I was Dawes.

The Memorial of a Memory

The human brain is one of the most complex, the most incredible organisms known to the history of the Earth. At the literal snap of a finger, the brain has within its power the ability to compute many thousands of reactions to the sound in a single second! It regulates our bodies' internal organs, blood flow, and temperature on the subconscious level while being ready to deliver when things become more intense on the physical!

But, in my opinion, the greatest and one of the comparatively least complex abilities of the human brain is the power in a memory!

Isn't it amazing when the environment around us introduces (or reintroduces) something that it triggers an extraordinary counter response of memories!?! Ever smelled a smell and thought of Mom's home cooking? Ever heard a song and you are transported back to a place where you first heard the song? Ever saw a picture or picked up an object and the memories flood your mind so much that it can be seemingly overwhelming?? Or how about when we drive by an old place we used to visit as a child, and the memories of that place flood our minds so much that it seems almost like we are there again!? It almost makes you long for that feeling of yesterday! Thus, it is the power and memorial of a memory!

I must be getting old. Nostalgia grips my heart more and more now and I can recall so many things good and bad in my past like it happened yesterday! Every time, memories explode into my waking mind....

I smile...

or laugh...

or even shed a tear ...about what has happened in my life...and it sometimes makes me wish (OH, I WISH!) that I could go back again and relive it for so many reasons!

Maybe to just enjoy those incredibly funny times with childhood and teenage friends; to sit and talk to my deceased grandmother again and hear her talk about her life and her love for "professional" wrestling! (True, too true!) Or how about going back and righting the wrongs of a stubborn youth or correcting the attitude of myself as an early adult. Or simply just reliving a time when you laughed so hard with someone you cried because your belly hurt!

It is also here, however, that I remember with clarity lost opportunities, missed chances of friendship or a kind word, a handshake, a hug, a kiss, living in the moment with that special person, time, or place and long for it to come back.

Just one more time...

Alas, I cannot! A writer once wrote, "You can never go home again." I think I know what they meant. Again, there are memorials in our memories!

I was reading the Bible the other day and I saw what God told the Jewish people to do when they crossed over Jordan for the first time soon nearing the Promised Land.

(Joshua 4:1-7, KJV)

(1) And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying, (2) Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, (3) And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night. (4) Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man: (5) And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: (6) That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? (7) Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.

I want you to see the significance of what God was telling His people to do. The river Jordan, and this particular place in history was important because God was bringing His people to a land of promise and the Jordan river was one of the last hurdles before crossing over! So when God was telling Joshua to bring up the stones from out of the midst of the riverbed, He was effecting in them a change from the past to the present with a look towards the future! The stones would be a memorial for generations to come! In essence, how I interpret this is that God brought them through and whenever they thought about quitting or giving up or even going back to their bondage...the memorial would remind them that God was their God!

A memorial is something that preserves a "remembrance." I might add that it is an object or marker for a boundary of land. In other words, something that divides and separates! I believe that God wanted the memorial to be put up because it marked a turning point in their stages of life. Furthermore, it marked leaving the bondage of the past, to the future of serving Jehovah God! How about that...leaving a bad memory behind to no more bother us? Pretty novel idea that God had , huh?

I'm sure those people didn't fully understand the reasons for the stones as a memorial then, but over the course of time, they would see it was more than JUST a bunch of piled up rocks! But in reality, it was a sign to never go back where they came from! They could not understand it then, but eventually, through the years, they could go back and explain to their children the memorial of a memory was and is a landmark of salvation!

My friend, let me remind you something! Although your memories may define your thinking and environment today, they do not define you! I love that God builds little markers or memorials at the former places of my trials and tribulations so that I can go back and view them to remind myself of God's saving, amazing grace in my life!

Don't Miss The Obvious!

I heard a joke not too long ago and I thought I'd share it with you...

The Lone Ranger and Tonto went camping in the desert. After they got their tent all set up, both men fell sound asleep. Some hours later, Tonto wakes the Lone Ranger and says, "Kemo Sabe, look towards sky, what you see?" The Lone Ranger replies, "I see millions of stars." "What that tell you?" asked Tonto.

The Lone Ranger ponders for a minute then says, "Astronomically speaking, it tells me there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Time wise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three in the morning. Theologically, it's evident the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What's it tell you, Tonto?" Tonto is silent for a moment, then he says, "Kemo Sabe, you dumber than buffalo. Someone has stolen tent."

I think I can relate to the Lone Ranger on this one. Ever felt like that no matter what you do, after you do it, the "obvious" smacks you square in the face and you KNOW you made a mistake?? This is where the younger generation would sometime interject at this embarassing moment... "Duh!" To add insult to injury, it is especially bothersome when I miss a seemingly golden opportunity to make a difference, and I go ahead and make a "bonehead" move! The irony is almost too much to swallow because what should be an easy problem of addition or subtraction turns into a complex algebraic formula!?! (I hate algebra by the way!)

Ok, enough with the cliches and slang...there are some obvious things, in my opinion, that we as humanity should not be struggling with! There are just some things that we can "put to bed" regarding issues! (There I go with the cliches, again!)

One day, Jesus was trying to enlighten the disciples by showing them the obvious connection between himself and God in John 14:1-13 KJV:

Joh 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. (2) In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (3) And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (4)And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. (5) Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?(6) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (7) If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.(8) Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. (9) Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? (10) Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. (11) Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. (12) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. (13) And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

While expounding the obvious, Thomas the Doubter, as some knew him, completely missed what Jesus was saying. Jesus was saying (pardon me for putting it in my words), "Bud, you mean to tell me I have spent all this time with you, and you STILL don't know who I am"?? (Do ya think the other disciples were saying, "DUH!??!" Makes one wonder, huh?)

We pick on Thomas for his doubting, but really, Jesus was trying to explain to the whole Jewish race who He was...and they just didn't get it...and they still don't!

In fact, Jesus stood up in the Temple reading a prophesy out of the Book of Isaiah about the coming Messiah. When he finished, he said, "This day, this prophesy is fulfilled in your ears" In other words, I AM the one you have been waiting for, for generations!" (Luke 4:17-21 KJV) The Jewish nation is STILL looking for that Messiah, and the sad thing is, He has already come! They missed a golden opportunity...by missing the obvious!!!

The Jews were bound by tradition and a false piety. Many were hypocritical! They were so expecting to see their Messiah arrive and set up an earthly kingdom, that they missed exactly what they were needing and looking for in the spiritual!! They missed the obvious!!! How very sad!

You might be asking, "What are you saying?" I'm trying to explain to you the OBVIOUS! Jesus shed His precious blood at Calvary to take away your burdensome sins, ease the pain that's in your life, and establish a daily relationship with you.

If you are experiencing the overwhelming waves of this life so much that it is sinking your ship, it is obvious that you need to establish with Jesus Christ, which brings great HOPE! In a world that is failing more everyday, in almost every way...the OBVIOUS answer to the ills of life is Jesus Christ!

Isn't it OBVIOUS?

The Lesson of the Pearl

Recently, through my studies, I learned some interesting points about pearls and how they are created. I learned that the formation of a pearl is really just a product of a healing wound that an oyster received. Furthermore, an offensive, foreign substance embeds itself in the most sensitive part of the oyster and a regimen of suffering begins. In the creation of a pearl, an ongoing process of pain produces a treasure of ever-increasing size. The irritation never goes away. The oyster continues secreting the substance to coat the hurt. That secretion hardens and becomes the pearl. The longer the hurt remains, the larger the pearl!

The Bible records a story of a man named Job. He was just an average guy who loved God, but he was about to experience pain and suffering on another level! In one day, he lost farms and livestock, houses and land, his household and family...he lost his reason for living.

Again, he lost it ALL in ONE DAY!

However, the Bible says in all of his pain and suffering, Job did not charge God foolishly. In fact, this average guy's response was anything but average. Job 23:8-11 says: " Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: (9) On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:(10) But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.(11) My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined."

You see, Job understood that even though he could not discern the presence of God in his life, God WAS there and had a purpose for his suffering and pain. The end result of Job's trust was that not only was he restored in every measure, but he increased exponentially and his new gains became greater than what he had lossed! What a testimony!

I wondered how many times I have caused and endured hurts of the heart and the mind during my life? Hundreds of times? Thousands?? Unlike Job, I've questioned the Lord on why suffering and pain even exists? What the purpose? Why do even dedicated people suffer pain? Why does it rain on the unjust AND the just??

But then, my mind goes back to the Lesson of the Pearl, and my understanding begins to be illuminated...

The beautiful pearl does not come from something that strengthens or nourishes the oyster, but only through what hurts it or causes it pain! Before Job could become increased in the way that he was, suffering had to happen! He simply had to endure the pain! But he didn't endure alone, God was with him all the way! I'm sure you've read the poem of the Footprints in the Sand? The one set of footprints was not the solitary steps of the author, but it was the footprints of the Lord carrying him through his trial and pain!

I don't know why God chose suffering and pain to be the catalyst for the pearl exactly, but what I DO know is that when I trust and love God through my pain, He will make something beautiful come from it! The greatest desire in our lives should be how we can love God and we can know Him better everyday!

The Apostle Paul wrote in Phillippians 3:10, "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;" Even though Paul knew God through the power, he didn't fully know God until he experienced the sufferings also! And when he did, he was made comformable, or"pliable or usable" unto Calvary.

My friend, it doesn't matter what your spiritual posture is currently, when the sufferings of this life tend to embed itself in the most sensitive areas of the heart, just know that God is taking the hurt and creating a pearl within you! The sooner we learn the Lesson of the Pearl, pain and suffering become easier to handle.