Guard Your Heart - - Build Your Faith

 

Jude 1:20, 21

20. But you, beloved, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 

21. keep yourselves in the love of God as you await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 2026

Building: to build upon

From the Greek word 'epoikodomeó' (pronounced ep-oy-kod-om-eh'-o): to build up, to edify; to follow a plan with pre-designed specifications; to make progress in building up (from one level to another).

UNWAVERING FAITH

~PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT~

Hebrews 10:23

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised;)

James 1:6

But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

    If we have our doubts when we pray, then we are praying in doubt, not in faith; our prayers will neither be received nor heard. We must pray expecting to receive, with confidence and absolute trust in God's perfect will. But only if we pray according to His will. 

    Praying in The Holy Spirit, The Holy Ghost, is praying according to God's Word: the Word we are being led to and through when we listen to The Spirit of God. If we pray our desires, then it is doubtful we will receive the answer we want. But when we pray God's Word over every situation, then God's Will will prevail. 

    Praying in The Spirit does not mean we have to pray in tongues (although that will happen sometimes with the person who is filled with The Holy Spirit), but that we need to be working with The Spirit of God throughout our daily lives: fervently (urgently), consistently (constantly) and in faith (believing that it will be so). James 5:16; Ephesians 6:18; James 1:6; 1 Timothy 2:1.

    Unwavering faith sees its sins forgiven, its bodies healed, its minds delivered, prisoners freed. Not just then, but even today. Unwavering faith desires to please God: doing what makes God happy. 

BUILDING ON THE FOUNDATION

~HONOR~

    Knowing that our Foundation is Jesus Christ, we need to be careful how we are building on that Foundation. For God built His Foundation with Justice and Righteousness (Isaiah 28:16, 17). 

    Reading 1 Corinthians 3:10 "We must be careful how we build on that Foundation". Throughout this past year we have been learning what it means to be born again. We are still learning. Each monthly series this year I have still listed under the main heading of Being Born Again. (if you don't see some of it on this site, check Facebook).

    1 Peter 2:1 tells us to "Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander." These items do not make good building blocks. Malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander fall under the commandments of what not to do, how not to behave with one another: Thou shall not bear false witness (malice, deceit, hypocrisy, slander). Thou shall not covet (envy).   They are hindrances to the building. Our natural desires war against our spiritual desires (1 Peter 2:11) but conducting ourselves with honor is a desirable building block of faith (1 Peter 2:12).

~MERCY~

    In Matthew 25:35-40 Jesus is speaking on the faithful servant, the one who will enter into the joy of the Lord. "For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’

    Not everyone is called to be a missionary, but we are all called to pray for one another. In prayer I pray that needs are met. That the hungry are fed, the thirsty receive clean water, the sick are ministered to: their wounds bound, their diseases healed, their dead raised to life. 

I pray for the captives, in prison and out of prison, to be delivered and set free. I pray that their needs also are met. When I pray for those who serve on the front lines of ministry, I pray for each of these things on them as well. This is mercy.

~GRACE~FORGIVENESS~

    Saving grace is what God extended through Jesus Christ to us. (Acts 15:11). It is only by grace we are saved at all (Ephesians 2:5, 8). Grace is an extension of God's love. It is having and showing compassion; it is forgiveness multiplied beyond number (Matthew 18:21,22). Because if we are counting how many times you have "forgiven" a person or persons, then we are not really forgiving them at all: we're tallying up offenses and holding grudges. Not ideal building blocks at all to lay on the Foundation of our faith.

    The grace, the forgiveness, we offer to each other must be sincere and offered in love, the true love of God which lives in the born again believer. If we keep coming back to the original offense we received from the one we think we forgave, then we never offered them love and grace in the first place. Our hearts need to be right with God, aligned in His Justice and Righteousness, that we may freely give grace to one another.

KEEP IN THE LOVE OF GOD & HIS MERCY

 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11

9. For God has not appointed us to suffer wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

10. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him.

11. Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing.

Romans 14:8

If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

2 Timothy 2:11

This is a trustworthy saying: If we died with Him, we will also live with Him.

    The only way to Keep in the Love of God and His Mercy is to remain in God's love, in God's testimony, in God's Son Jesus Christ. To remain in God's love is to live (dwell, take up residence) in God's love. 

    How do we conduct ourselves in our everyday living when we interact with family, when we are working with colleagues, when we sit in waiting rooms? Are we living in the love of God when we get angry, frustrated, upset? Are we living to the Lord by our actions and our words? These are questions only we can ask ourselves and only we can answer. If our answers are not in keeping with God's definition of Christian conduct, then we need to take the matter before Him in prayer and ask that He keep changing us, molding us into the people He wants us to be. 

    Have you ever thought about how the clay might feel on the potter's wheel? Being poked here, prodded there; smoothed away in some areas, broken off in others. Yet there the lump of clay sat, waiting for the potter to create in them what the potter had in mind to create. 

    We are lumps of clay being perfected on the Potter's wheel. Perhaps we, too, should wait without argument while our Potter finishes working on us; while He builds us into Himself. 

    We know we are saved. We both know and hope for our resurrection into eternal life. For it is in Christ that we have the Resurrection and the Life. Let us therefore live in God as He lives in us: with grace, with integrity, with mercy. 

2 Peter 3:13, 14

13. But in keeping with God’s promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

14. Therefore, beloved, as you anticipate these things, make every effort to be found at peace—spotless and blameless in His sight.

I BUILT MY HOUSE ON A STONE by Jason Upton

HOUSE OF PRAYER by Eddie James, Jayna Cullens

POUR ME OUT by Brandon Lake

FILL MY WAY by Iris DeMent

TREMBLE by I AM THEY

I WON'T LEAVE YOU HERE by Southern Raised Bluegrass

    

    

    

    

    

Little Pieces of Clay~Making a Christian~9. Integrity of Worship

     Before I share the qualities of each Bible Study, I make sure that I am either living the passage of Scripture or working my way there. This one took a little longer than the rest.

Micah 6:6-8
With what shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with ten thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgressions, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed us, O people, what is good; and what does the LORD require of us, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your GOD?
Psalm 51:15-17
O LORD, open Thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth Your praise. For You desire not sacrifice; else would I give it: You delight not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of GOD are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O GOD, You will not despise.
Isaiah 33:15
He that walks righteously, and speaks uprightly; he that despises the gain of oppressions (deceit), that shakes his hands from holding of bribes (refuse to take bribes), that stops his ears from hearing of blood (does not listen to gossip, backbiting, backstabbing, hateful speaking), and shuts his eyes from seeing evil (does not look on wickedness or evil acts being done).
Job 2:9
Then said his wife to him, "Do you still retain your integrity? curse GOD and die."
Job 27:4-6, 8
My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit. GOD forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove my integrity from me. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live....For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he has gained, when GOD takes away his soul?Job 31:6
Let me be weighed in an even balance, that GOD may know my integrity.

     We can memorize all the worship songs and sing them loudly and on key; that doesn't make us a worshiper. We are just noise, static, and the only one who really hears us is us. Our heart needs to be right with GOD before GOD will acknowledge our worship. For worship comes from the heart.
     The Book of Micah says that GOD requires of us to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with GOD. To do justly is to deal fairly with everyone, regardless of stature or class. What you charge one person for a commodity, you are to charge another the same. What I require for a real friendship from one person, I am to require the same from another. We are to treat each other with fairness. John 15:12 "This is My commandment, That you love one another as I have loved you."
     To love mercy is to be merciful to all. Generally speaking, we tend to render mercy to those we think need it; and people we think don't need it, we seldom, if ever, render mercy to. But GOD says to love mercy is to give mercy to all; with a loving heart. As Christians, we should have the love of GOD in us because we have CHRIST in us. If we are not sharing mercy with all, it is because there is more of us present in our hearts, than there is JESUS in our hearts. John 3:30  "He must increase, but I must decrease."
     To walk humble with your GOD is to submit our will, our "I wants", to His will. Not forcefully, but surrendering with humility and love.  The Book of Proverbs tells us how to walk humble with our GOD. The positive part of the verse applies to the Christian. The negative part of the verse tells us how we should not behave. Matthew 22:37 "You shall love the LORD your GOD with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind."

     That's Integrity. It's not something you and I are born with. Integrity grows in us as CHRIST grows in us. Knowing what is right and doing what is right is integrity. Knowing what is evil and doing what is evil is a lack of integrity. Personal ethics should line up with the Word of GOD. Our standard of living must match GOD's standard of living in order for us to be able to acknowledge that GOD is our GOD.
     Integrity is personal, spiritual growth in the things of GOD. It is personal because the outward showing of our integrity is visible to everyone. It is spiritual because GOD sees the heart and knows our thoughts before our thoughts become actions. As David says, in Psalm 51, GOD requires the sacrifice of a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart. To walk be able to walk uprightly in heart is to first have that heart of ours be broken. A contrite heart is a repentant heart.
     When our heart is broken, it is because we are no longer able to hold back our stubbornness, our refusal to submit to authority, especially the authority of GOD. And the cries of our heart to be healed finally break the dam of self-centeredness; the tears begin the healing process of repentance and forgiveness. Most of us don't like to cry. We have been taught from a child that tears and crying are a sign of weakness, especially in men and boys. This is a lie. Crying is a call for help. Infants cry because they cannot ask for help verbally. When the baby cries, we answer that cry.  When our hearts cry, GOD answers that cry.
     Tears are a release. The waters overflow the dam and the dam breaks because of the powerful waters. The tears overflow the hardened heart and the heart breaks. A broken and contrite heart is the first item GOD requires. Without repentance, one cannot get into the presence of GOD. John 14:6 "...I am The Way, The Truth and The Life: no man comes to the Father by by Me."

     The verses spoken of in the beginning of this session are the Scriptures on which I have based my studies; yet, there are many more which describe what Integrity is. Most of these are located in the Book of Psalms. A few in Proverbs. These speak of what it means to walk uprightly:

Psalm 7:8  Lead me, O LORD, in Thy righteousness because of my enemies; make Thy Way straight before my face.
Psalm 25:21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on Thee.
Psalm 26:1, 11 Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in my integrity: for I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.
Psalm 41:12 And as for me, You uphold me in my integrity, and set me before Your face forever.
Psalm 78:72 So He fed them according to the integrity of His heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of His hands.
Proverbs 11:3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.
Proverbs 19:1 Better is the poor that walks in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
Proverbs 20:7 The just man walks in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.

     The person who is upright of heart is sincere, undefiled, whole, morally entire, without spot. Integrity is completeness, prosperity, morally innocent, upright; gentle, dear, coupled together. When we walk with our GOD, we walk in our integrity, humbly acknowledging that HE IS GOD and we are His people. We walk with Him; we are together. 3 John 2-4 "Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came together and testified of The Truth that is in you, even as you walk in The Truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in Truth."
     When we walk with GOD, we walk in The Truth. And Who is Truth? JESUS CHRIST. See? When we walk with GOD, we walk in JESUS. When we walk in The Word, we walk in JESUS. John 1:1, 14 "In the beginning was The Word, and The Word was with GOD, and The Word was GOD...And The Word was made flesh, and lived among us (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of Grace and Truth." ~~ Psalm 119:105 "Thy WORD is a Lamp to my feet,a nd a Light to my path."  ~~ Psalm 119:10, 11 "With my whole heart have I sought You: O let me not wander from Your commandments. Thy WORD have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against You."

     John 4:23, 24 "But the hour comes, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship th Father in Spirit and in Truth: for the Father seeks such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth."

     Integrity requires knowledge of GOD's direction, GOD's will, for a worshipper. Even in the church, many question what GOD's will is for them. But some of these same people refuse to not only open their Bible and study for themselves, but refuse to believe the Word of GOD when GOD's will is revealed within it. Refusing to believe GOD is wickedness, it's sin. That's not me making a judgment call: that's GOD. I can only share GOD's WORD with you: it's up to you whether or not you accept it.  Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." You can serve the god of the land in which you live or you can serve the GOD of the Bible.
     GOD has more than one will to impart to us, but there is only one way we can do it. Ephesians 6:6 "...but as the servants of CHRIST,

 doing the will of GOD from the heart."

>SALVATION is the number one priority to worshiping with Integrity of Heart.
I Timothy 2:3-6 For this is good and acceptable  in the sight of GOD our SAVIOUR; Who will have all men be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of The Truth.
John 6:38-40 "For I came down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the Father's will which has sent Me, that of all which He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which sees the Son, and believes on Him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."
John 3:16-18 "For GOD so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For GOD sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believes on Him is not condemned: but he that does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of GOD." GOD's Will is that ALL be SAVED.

>SURRENDER  Romans 12:1 I beseech(beg) you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of GOD, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto GOD, which is your reasonable(logical) service.
     The subject of this series is this verse. Why does GOD consider our service reasonable, logical? Because JESUS CHRIST served GOD with His whole being: His will was not important in accomplishing GOD's mission for Him, through Him. Therefore, it is only logical, reasonable that we surrender ourselves, our will to GOD that His mission be accomplished through us. Because CHRIST was totally committed to serving GOD with everything He had within Him, we are to serve GOD also in this manner. All to Jesus I Surrender.

>SANCTIFICATION  2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in CHRIST, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with CHRIST: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but CHRIST lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of GOD, who loved me, and gave Himself for me. Hebrews 10:10, 14 By which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of JESUS CHRIST once for all. .. For by one offering He has perfected forever them that are sanctified.
     So much more could be said here; I would that you read Hebrews 10 for yourselves. In fact, every verse I share with you, you should verify in your own Bibles. Never take anyone's word for anything you hear; always verify.
     Sanctified means to be made holy, to be purified, to be consecrated, to be venerated mentally. God ordained the seventh day of the week as holy. That day is set apart from the rest of the weekdays to be spent honoring GOD, resting in GOD. That which we do on the other six days of the week is not to be done on the seventh day of the week. When GOD ordains something to be holy, He sets it apart from the other. When we believe in JESUS CHRIST, we become sanctified through Him; we are now set apart from the others.
     You know this to be so. People we do not know come up to us and say, "You're a Christian, aren't you?" How do they know? What is it about us that draws strangers to us who declare such things? It is JESUS. He is the evidence that people see in us. It is our actions: compassion is revealed when we help others, even strangers. "You're a Christian, aren't you?" Yes. I am. May I share JESUS with you today?

>SUFFERING  Philippians 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of CHRIST, not only to believe on Him, but to suffer for His sake. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it(faith) is the gift of GOD.
     I have to suffer? GOD's will is that I suffer? I can hear indignation and confusion. Mind-boggling, isn't it? And it's a gift! "..it is GIVEN..." With belief comes suffering on His behalf. To suffer for CHRIST's sake is to be persecuted by those who choose not to believe in CHRIST. Matthew 5:10-12 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. After the gift of suffering is the gift of heaven.
     GOD's will is that you and I must suffer for CHRIST's sake. When we share JESUS with anyone, only some will receive Him; most will mock us, make fun of us, refuse to be friends with us, some will forbid us to preach or even say His name; some will imprison us; some will kill us. But remember: it is not we who are being rejected: it is JESUS being rejected. And for His sake, we will endure the persecutions, the suffering that GOD wills us to go through.

     And there you have it. This is Integrity. Salvation. Surrender. Sanctification. Suffering. This is what it means to worship GOD in Spirit and in Truth. The Holy Spirit draws us to CHRIST. And once we have the Holy Spirit of GOD in us, we willingly surrender ourselves to GOD's will. Thus, allowing GOD to sanctify our souls, to set us apart from the rest of the world, just for Himself. Which will cause us to suffer for CHRIST's sake.

Do you have what it takes to worship GOD with Integrity? If you want to sing GOD's praises, you have to obey GOD's will. Otherwise, you are just singing to yourself.

     Hebrews 12:1-3

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed (surrounded) wtih so great a cloud of witnesses,

let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily beset us,

and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith;

Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame,

and is set down at the right hand of the throne of GOD.

For conside Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself,

lest you be wearied and faint in your minds.

    

    
    
    

Little Pieces of Clay~Making a Christian~8. Hands of Worship

Psalm 63:4
Thus will I bless Thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in Thy name.

    While the word "hands" appears in the KJV Bible 438 times, only 13 of those refer to worshiping God. Of those 13 times, one verse has floods worshiping (Psalm 98:8), one verse has 'the deep' worshiping (Habakkuk 3:10) and one verse has trees worshiping (Isaiah 55:12). The other ten verses which reference worship to God using the hands are either personal (I, my) or other (they, your, men, all people).
     The word "hand" appears in the KJV Bible 1,296 times: 1,144x in the OT and 152x in the NT.
None of the times in which the word "hand" appears in the NT use it in reference to worship of God. When the word "hand" is used in the NT, it describes an action or location. For example, "at hand" means close by or near to; as in, "The kingdom of God is 'at hand'. This phrase, 'the kingdom of God is at hand' is used in the NT   x. The kingdom of God is a method: it is salvation through Jesus Christ and it is preaching the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. We must repent and believe (Mark 1:15); repent of our sins and sinful ways and believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the only begotten Son of God.

    While the use of the word "hands" is personalized, the word "hand" is descriptive. So, let's think about that for a minute or two. Look at your hands. First the back. And then the front. What did you see? The back of my hands are worn. In the light I can see the creases and wrinkles on my fingers. When I flex my fingers, the joints hurt and some of them crack. The middle finger on my right hand is more inflamed than the others; I broke it many years ago and it never healed quite right; it also tilts. My knuckles are swollen. 

     I turn my hands over and am thankful that my wrists still work even through the pain, which at this moment extends from the left pinky down the hand and up the arm to my shoulder. It is not age and decay that creeps through my body: I suffer with severe Fibromyalgia, which is an autoimmune disorder that affects the central nervous system. My body has also succumbed to osteoarthritis. Yippee-ki-yay. 

     But my heart and my soul and my spirit are stronger than ever. With my hands I will praise Him.  My fingers are only at rest when my eyes are closed in sleep, I hope. So the fingers on my hands are in constant motion: typing, writing in my journals/notebooks, washing and drying dishes,  turning pages in my Bible and other books, folding laundry, fastening buttons, closing zippers, changing from one outfit to another, bathing, washing my hair, getting a drink, eating meals, flexing and stretching. Of course with that last, flexing and stretching, I get to hear them crack, too.

     With my hands I will worship God. My heart is filled with the Love of God and overflows into the rest of my body. Perhaps it is this that causes my body to vibrate at all hours of the day and night. We do know that the spiritual affects the physical and the mental. As rain not only washes away, but also regenerates, I am being cleansed and renewed by the Holy Spirit of God on every level of my life. Even my body is aware of the transforming power of God, not just my spirit and my mind.

     When I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior, my sins were forgiven and my soul became His. Instantly, I belonged to God and Jesus forever. Through that act of faith, my soul received salvation. However, my body and my must needs also be completely surrendered to Him. Jesus gave all of Himself for me. Therefore, the only logical thing is to give all of myself for Him. With God it is all or nothing. The Book of Revelation says that He will spew the lukewarm out of His mouth. In other words, a partial reconciliation is no reconciliation; a half-hearted relationship makes Him vomit. I do not want to be vomit.

     With my hands I will praise Him. But my heart must be in it, too. It is not enough to just be able to sing along with everyone. God is not impressed that you know all the words to your favorite songs. God is not satisfied with you knowing all the books of the Bible in order. Nor is He content with our ability to memorize Scripture; then forget it. The Word of God needs to be read, heard, obeyed and applied to our daily lives. Saturday and Sunday are not the only days of worship that are to be observed. Living for Jesus must be done everyday. We can't be Christians one day of the week and sinners the other six days. That is being lukewarm and half-hearted. That is vomit.

    I will lift up my hands in Thy Name. When the enemy is at our backs, and says, "Stick'em up!", lifting our hands is an act of surrender. But we are not surrendering to the enemy, we are surrendering to God. With our hands we raise His standard, Jehovah-Nissi, meaning: God, my banner. The standard is lifted up at the forefront of the troops, who are prepared to go into battle. We are the footsoldiers of God.

And with our hands we will praise Him.

    

    

     

     

   
   

Little Pieces of Clay~Making a Christian~7.Feet of Worship

Habakkuk 3:19
The LORD GOD is my Strength, and He will make my feet like hinds' feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.
     I have no strength of mine own; therefore I need the LORD my GOD to be my Strength. It is His Strength that makes my feet like hinds' feet, sturdy and able. It is He who makes it possible for me to walk on mountains. On mountainsides, which are steep, cracked and rocky. On mountaintops, which sometimes peak and sometimes plateau. It is His Strength that keeps me going to reach my destination.

   

Psalm 27:5
For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock.
     Mountainsides have caves, waterfalls and secret places. Mountaintops have snow-covered caps and sun-warmed mesas. With my hinds' feet I leap across crevices, for faith is my bridge. I dance on mountaintops in the presence of my LORD, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made by He Who is my Strength. 

Psalm 18:29, 31-33, 36
For by Thee I have run through a troop; and by my GOD have I leaped over a wall.
For Who is GOD save the LORD? or who is a rock save our GOD? It is GOD that girds me with strength, and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like hinds' feet, and sets me upon my high places.
You have enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
     Running and leaping and praising GOD. We know that running and leaping require feet. Now we learn that our feet are used to praise GOD. We run through a troop because "no weapon formed against us shall prosper". We leap over walls; walls are built to prevent access to. Regardless of the height of the wall, it is fear that built it. Fear is our enemy and by our faith in the GOD Who is our Strength, we have overcome fear.
     GOD is our Strength and He girds us: binds us, wraps Himself around us like a belt or sash, with His Strength. He makes my way perfect because He is perfect. He makes my feet strong and sturdy. It is His Strength that carries me to my destination, my high places. My mountaintops.
 

Psalm 18: 46 
The LORD lives; and blessed be my Rock; and let the GOD of my salvation be exalted.
     I will dance like David danced: with exceeding great joy to be in the presence of GOD. My feet dance on my mountaintops, the high places which GOD has prepared for me. The LORD GOD lives. He is my Rock and my Salvation. I will praise Him with my feet.

I Samuel 2:9
He will keep the feet of His saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. (part of Hannah's prayer)
Proverbs 4:26, 27
Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
     And because my feet are instruments of praise, I must take great care to protect my feet. I must choose my steps carefully and direct them away from places of temptation, places that would cause my feet to stumble and fall. I must walk gently and not in anger and judgment. But walk in compassion and love.

Hebrews 12:11-14
Now no chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight the paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the LORD.
     To be chastened is to be pruned. GOD prunes, or removes, the unfruitful things in my life. And I praise Him for it. Though discipline is painful at the time it is rendered, the result brings a change of heart and a peace of mind that was not present beforehand. Chaos and confusion leave; righteousness and a sound mind remain.
      I raise my hands and bow my knees, knees which once were feeble and unable to bend or stand straight. I choose my steps wisely, watching out for curves and sharp turns. Anticipating with joy every step I take, knowing that my journey brings me closer to my GOD. Watching out for potholes, pits (Psalm 119:85), that would take me down. Sinkholes that grab at my feet (Psalm 119:110)and would drag me under.  My feet are to follow peace and holiness; for my desire is GOD's heart: that all men would be saved.

Ephesians 6:15
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Isaiah 52:7
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that brings good tidings, that publishes peace; that brings good tidings of good, that publishes salvation; that says unto Zion, Thy GOD reigns!
     My feet are prepared now. Prepared to publish, or proclaim, peace. The Prince of Peace is Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of GOD. He is the Good Tidings of Good. He is Salvation to all men. With my feet fully shod, protected and prepared to stand and withstand, I walk upon my high places. With my feet I will praise Him. For my feet are beautiful; beautiful because I preach and proclaim the Good News: Jesus died for you, Jesus conquered death and walked out of the grave for you, Jesus ascended into heaven and will return for you. Ready or not, Jesus is coming.

The LORD my GOD directs my paths, 

the paths that my feet take,

the paths wherein I choose to walk.

PSALM 119

Psalm 119:1 

Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.

Psalm 119:3

They also do no iniquity: they walk in His ways.

Psalm 119:32 

I will run the way of Thy commandments, when Thou shalt enlarge my heart.

Psalm 119:45

And I will walk at liberty: for I seek Thy precepts.

Psalm 119:35

Make me to go in the path of Thy commandments; for therein do I delight.

Psalm 119:59

I thought on my ways, and turned my heart unto Thy Testimonies.

Psalm 119:101

I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep Thy Word.

Psalm 119:105

Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet and a Light unto my path.

Psalm 119:133 

Order my steps in Thy Word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

Little Pieces of Clay~Making a Christian~6.Heart of Worship

Matthew 15:7, 8 7. You hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, 8. "This people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me."
Matthew 15:18-20 18. But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20. These are the things that defile a man: but to eat with dirty hands defiles not a man.
Galatians 5:14, 15 
14. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 15. But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you be not consumed one of another.
Psalm 51:8-10 & 14-17  
8.Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which You have broken may rejoice. 9. Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10. Create in me a clean heart, O GOD; and renew a right spirit within me. ... 14. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O GOD, Thou GOD of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of Thy righteousness. 15. O LORD, open Thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise. 16. For Thou desires not sacrifice; You delight not in burnt offerings. 17. The sacrifices of GOD are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O GOD Thou will not despise.
Psalm 57:7 My heart is fixed, O GOD, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.

     Naked I was born, and naked I will return, but in-between those journeys is life. We all have one. Some are long and some are short. We are all accountable to God for how we live the life we have been given. We are accountable for the words that come out of our mouth. We are accountable for the places our feet take us; for the things we do with our hands; for the images we allow our eyes to see. We are accountable to God for what lives in our hearts. 
     We need to stop making mountains out of molehills and start making molehills out of mountains.Unforgiveness, holding a grudge, carrying vengeance cause our hearts to harden. Each negative emotion in our hearts is one more stone we use to build our mountain.
     But when we forgive every unkind act, ever mean action, every wicked way done to us and against us, our mountains begin to fall. Every act of forgiveness is an act of love. When love begins to grow in our hearts, all of our emotions surface at once. And the rocks come tumbling down, causing the avalanche effect in our heart; stones fall, hearts break. The salty waterfall pours out and flows down our cheeks, washing the shame from our cheeks and the guile from our lips. 
     We all know, however, that forgiveness isn't easy. It isn't easy to say, "I'm sorry" and mean it. It is not easy to say, "I forgive you" and mean it, either. Nor do the words, "Please forgive me" come out of our mouths easily. We need humble hearts to accomplish true forgiveness. Choosing to forgive instead of choosing to aggravate and retaliate is costly. But choosing not to forgive will cost us even more.
     When Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of the world, some of those sins were mine. And He chose to forgive me, instead of condemn me. Both Christ's life and His death are our examples to live by now. As He lived then, we strive against Satan now, to live here. Jesus forgave everyone then and forgives everyone now. Jesus saw the need. We need Jesus in us to be able to do the things through us that He did when He was here.
     We need the Holy Spirit. It is He Who draws us to Jesus by the Word of God. It is the Holy Spirit Who reveals God to us and plants Jesus in us. Because somebody was praying for us. The first Somebody Who prayed for us: Jesus. For when He prayed in the garden before His death, He prayed for us, as related to us in the Book of John, chapter 17.

     
     We need to repent of our sins. We need to tell God what we have done and that we don't want to live our wicked lives any longer. No more unkind acts or mean words. No more seeking each other's downfall. No more glorying in another's sins being revealed. No more do we want to build mountains out of molehills: we want to forgive and love like Jesus. 
     No more do we want lies on our tongue, hate in our heart nor spite crossing our lips. No more do we want to deliberately hurt someone. No more do we want to set up our idols; we want to worship God and God alone. No more do we want to just go to church: Lord, teach us to BE Your church. No more tearing each other down, but, Lord, help us to build each other up.
     We want to be high on Jesus and drunk in the Holy Spirit. So, Lord, remove the desire to live a wicked and evil life from our heart. Help us, Holy Spirit. Replace the evilness in our heart with the desires to bless God; to live a righteous and holy life. 
     Thank You, God, for forgiving a wretch like me. Thank You for saving my soul from eternal damnation and drawing me close to You. Thank You, Lord, for sending the Holy Spirit to us.
     Holy Spirit, daily baptize me that I might walk in power in Jesus' Name. Power to overcome temptation and turn away from sin. Power to forgive all peoples. Power to love like Jesus loves. Power to teach the Gospel; to explain and clarify the Word of God, that it might be understood more clearly. Power too preach the Gospel of Salvation through Jesus Christ; to proclaim the Good News: Jesus died for you and I because of His great love for us. And that He has fought the devil and won. That He has conquered death and walked out of the grave.
     Thank You, God, for breaking my heart and turning my mountains into molehills. To God be the glory! And none other. Amen.






    

Little Pieces of Clay~Making a Christian~5.Eyes of Faith

Eyes of Faith

1 Corinthians 13:12
"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."


     Right now we see Jesus with our hearts: through the eyes of faith. As I am able to see you face to face now and hear your voice in my ears, someday I will see Jesus face to face and hear His voice in my ears. Until then, I will view Him with the eyes of my heart, my spiritual heart. For to worship Christ I must worship Him in spirit and in truth, as the Bible tells me so: "God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." John 4:24
     The eye of the body is connected to the brain. The eye of faith is connected to the heart. The information bouncing back and forth between the eye and the brain at even speeds I cannot wrap my mind around is manifold. But this much information would not be possible without light first entering the eye. If the eye is impaired, the brain cannot comprehend the light, and so remains in darkness.
     These statements remain true even when speaking of the eye of faith which is connected to the heart. The dark cannot comprehend the light because the eye of faith is impaired. How does the eye of faith heal that the light may shine in the dark and send the darkness fleeing?
     First, we have to know what Faith is. Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Faith is substance, it is matter. Faith is the foundation upon which hope is built. Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." Faith is necessary to pleasing God. Those who think they are making God happy but lack the faith required to do so are sorely mistaken. They stumble in the dark and cause others to wobble and fall.

     And the second thing we need is Belief, as stated in the second part of Hebrews 11:6. We Must Believe in God: His existence, His Word, His Son. John 3:16-19 "For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believes on Him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."  

    We must Believe that God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place. For only God can defeat the devil and win. My part in the battle of salvation through Jesus Christ is to stand and fight. Fight for the souls of my family and friends. My part is to have enough faith to believe that God will move mountains on their behalf. First I must believe, then I must pray for my family and my friends to believe. I must pray not only for their salvation, but for their growth: growth in their relationship with Christ, growth in their walk with God, growth in their hunger and thirst for more of the Word of God to take root in them and prosper their souls.
     Diligence. Perseverance. Endurance. From beginning to end. Start to finish. Basic Math:

Faith is the substance of things hoped for

                          +

he that comes to God must Believe that He is

                          +

He rewards them that Diligently seek Him

        Evidence of things not seen

     Diligently seek Him means to keep on praying while reading His Word. Keep on studying. While reading the Bible all the way through is commendable and shows an ability to persevere, it is not enough to just read the surface of the Word. God encourages us to dig deeper. Not in regards to digging holes out of which we cannot climb, but digging up buried treasure and sharing it with everyone we know. When a garden is being built, a person must first prepare the ground. You cannot just fling seed hither and yon and hope it grows. 

A proper garden must first have the soil tilled. Tilling is cultivating the ground, digging up the surface and bringing to the surface the fertile soil beneath. While the verbs used to further describe the word TILL are Dig, Cultivate and farm, even these can have clearer meaning to help us understand: prepare, pierce, subdue; to name a few. 

     God prepares our hearts to receive His Son. Men and women preach the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. We walk the walk and talk the talk.The life we live is not ours. We have surrendered our lives to God and to His service. Our words should be words of love and life, not words of hate and death.

     Walking in darkness is dangerous. There are people who prefer to walk in the dark (John 1:5 & 3:19) and there are people who wish only for the light to shine. But at this time, while we are on this earth and until Jesus returns, the light shines in the darkness. The love of God tenders our hearts with the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The light of Christ pierces the dark hearts of men and reveals the evil, the darkness within. The love of God is planted as a seed in our waiting hearts. The light of Christ shines on the seed of faith and causes it to grow and blossom within us.
     Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. It is our faith in the transforming power of God which allows us to receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. It is our faith in God's Word that brings us to our knees and causes our hearts to break from the weight of our guilt and shame. It is our faith in the promises of God that turn our hearts to a repentant state, bringing the fertile soil to the surface while sending the superficial surface underground.
     The eyes of faith are healed; the blind heart can see.  John 3:21 "But he that does truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."

     

Little Pieces of Clay-Making a Christian-4.Surrendering the Body

Surrendering the Body

Romans 12:1 "I beseech (beg) you therefore, brethren (brothers and sisters in Christ) to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (logical) service."
Continue reading through the end of the chapter.
Exodus 20:1-17 Relates to us the commandments which God gave Moses. While many see this as a list of Do's and Don'ts, even in the church sector, this is the law of love which is fulfilled in Christ. We are the body of Christ and this law of love should be evident in us.
Colossians 3:1-25 Instructing the Christian how to surrender their body to a life of love.

    The Old Testament is the old covenant. Animal sacrifices are no longer needed to atone for one's sins. Cutting yourself is not necessary to release your internal pain. Chopping off a person's hands for stealing; cutting off a person's foot for trespassing and removing a person's eye for lusting are under the law. The law has been fulfilled through Jesus Christ. Like the purple mantle placed on His shoulders to mock him, the sins of the world were placed on His back through the whipping He got from the soldiers. His body took the punishment for our sins. His blood, which spilled upon the ground, at the foot of the cross, paid the debt for our unrighteousness.
     The New Testament is the new covenant. Jesus Christ is Lord. He is the only begotten Son of God. He surrendered His will to His Father's will in the mount of Olives when He prayed. Matthew 26:26-44 After telling His disciples to pray that they would not give into temptation while He was away from them, He went into the garden and prayed: not one, but twice: V.39 "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as You will." and V.42 "O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, Thy will be done." Mark 14:26 "Abba, Father, all things are possible unto Thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what You will."  Luke 22:42 "Saying, Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will but Thine, be done."
   The new covenant is through Jesus Christ. While all other covenants foreshadowed this event, they are now past, for Jesus Christ lived for us, died for us and rose from the grave for us. He became the sacrificial lamb that was required at Passover. He is the firstborn of His Father. His blood is on our hands. It is only when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that He is the only begotten Son of God, that He is the Messiah; then is our salvation through Him applied to the thresh-hold of our homes, of our lives.
     He is our example of surrendering not only our will (our desire, our 'want to'), but our lives. And our life is lived in our body. We only get one. And it is how we choose to live here that determines not only our destination after death, but our reward. Colossians 3:24, 25 "Knowing that of the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for you serve the Lord Christ. But he that does wrong shall receive for the wrong which he has done: and there is no respect of persons." Regardless of your status in life, we all will receive a reward, whether for good or bad choices.
     The key word in Colossians 3:1 is 'IF'. IF you are risen in Christ...." Here Paul is speaking to the Christians in Colossus. But we know that the Word of God goes on forever and so the Word is applicable to us also. Are you risen in Christ? Have you accepted Him as your Lord and Savior? Have you repented of your sins and surrendered your mind, your emotions and your will to Him? If you have made these decisions,  he is speaking to you. And he is speaking to me. And because I know that the Word of God is to be applied to me personally, I can read it like this (and so can you):
Colossians 3
v1. Because I am risen in Christ, I seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God.
v2. I set my affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
v3. For I am dead, and my life is hid with Christ in God.
v4. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory.
v5. I submit my body to clean living. I choose not to engage in fornication; not to participate in unclean (corrupt, dishonorable, inhealthful) actions; irrational or unrestrained affections; not to give in to sexual desires or lusts; and not to covet anyone or anything, as such would be idolatry. 
v6. By choosing to live an unclean life, a life of disobedience to God, His wrath would be my reward.
v7. Once I walked that life, and lived in unrighteousness.
v8. But now I also put off of me verbal abuse and ignorance: anger (being or getting: mad, annoyed, furious, exasperated, indignant, violent); malice (meanness, vindictiveness, bitterness, hostility, spite, venom), blasphemy (abuse, cussing, cursing, swearing, profanity); filthy communication (obscenities, offensive, repulsive, impure, sleazy).
v9. We do not lie to each other; for we have put off the old person that we were before we knew Christ;
v10. And have put on the new person we are in Christ, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created us.
v11. We are no longer defined by our ethnicity, our circumcision (baptism, initiation, rite of passage, status changes), our geography (where we live) or class (free or slave); for Christ is all, and in all.
v12. I put on therefore, as the elect of God, Who is holy and beloved, bowels of mercies (in the Bible it is the bowels that contain the emotions of a person, not the heart), kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
v13. Forbearing one another (exhibit self-control), and forgiving one another, if I have a quarrel with anyone: even as Christ forgave me, so I forgive you.
v14. And above all these things, I put on charity (advocacy, benevolence, encouragement, guidance), which is the bond of perfectness.
v15. We, you and I, let the peace of God rule in our hearts, for we are called to be one body, and be thankful.
v16. I am to let the Word of Christ live in me richly in all wisdom; teaching (demonstrating, nurturing, training) and admonishing (exhorting, forewarning, reprimanding) each other in psalms (poetry in all its forms which praises God) and hymns (sing the praises of God) and spiritual (devotional) songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord.
v17. And, whatever we do in word or deed (action), we do all of it in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God, and the Father by Him.
v18. As the wife, we submit ourselves to our own husband, as it is fit in the Lord.
v19. As the husband, you love your wife, and are not bitter against them;
v20. As the children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
v21. As the father, do not provoke your children to anger, for they will be discouraged (intimidated, confused, depressed, distressed, troubled, scared).
v22. As the servant, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, how we see you behave; but with singleness of heart, fearing God:
v23. And whatsoever I do, I do with all my heart, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
v24. Knowing that of the Lord I shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for I serve the Lord Christ.
v25. But he that does wrong shall receive for the wrong which he has done: and there is no respect of persons.


     My body is Christ's body. And as such, by His example when He prayed, I surrender my body a living sacrifice. For it is the only logical thing that I can do for Him. Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins. The "I" in me dies daily, when I disciple my mind and my heart and my emotions to surrender to His will.


See also, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17; Romans 13:9-14; 1 Corinthians 13; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 2 Corinthians 10:3-7 and 13:11. Philippians 2:1-16 and full circle back again to the Book of Colossians, which is where we started. But don't stop there; the whole New Testament enriches our souls with God's Word on how to live a life that is pleasing to God.


Surrender  Dictionary and Surrender  Thesaurus. 


Song:
I surrender my vessel to You, to You
As an offering, I lay it down, it's Yours;
As You gave to this world,  Your only Son,
I surrender my vessel to You.

I surrender my family to You, to You,
As an offering I lay them down, they're Yours;
As You gave to this world Your only Son,
I surrender my family to You.




     

Little Pieces of Clay-Making a Christian-My Body is Christ's Body

3. My body is Christ's Body - 1 Corinthians 12:12-31

     Just as God created our bodies for a purpose, each part of our bodies have a specific function. I type with my fingers, not my elbows. The heart pumps blood throughout the entire body. The liver acts as a filter, deciding which is useful and which is waste. The pancreas creates insulin and glucagon and the blood cells distribute these throughout the body except for your brain. While we associate our noses with the sense of smell, that is only a small part of its job. The nose's primary purpose is to help us breathe.

     While the ear is associated with the sense of hearing, its other function is to help us maintain our balance and remain upright when in motion. Eyes are the organs of sight; the cornea is the lens through which we see images, while the pupil controls the quantity of light entering the body.

    The body contains more than 640 muscles and each one is controlled by nerves.  Each muscle is made up of millions of tiny protein filaments working together. In order to move at all the muscles need the nervous system to function properly. Acetylcholine is the chemical required to transfer information from one nerve cell to another. 

     And while all of this is quite interesting, it is just another reminder that not only do we not know how our own bodies work, we also have little knowledge of how the body of Christ is supposed to work. What we do know though, is that when we study the different structures and layouts of how the body works individually, we are able to see more clearly how the body works as a whole. 

     The body contains 3.5 liters of blood. The heart weighs 3 pounds. The pancreas weighs about 2.5 pounds. There are 206 bones in a skeletal structure, between 600 to 850 muscles, 100 trillion cells and about 45 miles of nerves run through our bodies. And just by sharing all this with you, I am reminded again just how amazing our God is. Our bodies are not created by accident, but on purpose. And with purpose.

     Just as our bodies, which are God's handiwork, are created to function for specific purposes and work together, so the body of Christ is created through the Holy Spirit of God to function properly. Each of us has a purpose within Christ's body. And we need each other in order to work properly. Some teach, some preach; some sing, some write; some evangelize, some heal; some build churches, some prophesy. All are called to minister in some capacity . None are greater, none are lesser. 

     I sing while I clean toilets. Because my heart is right with God, God is glorified by my services: both in song and in service. One speaks in a tongues (a heavenly language given to a person after being baptized in the Holy Spirit) and one interprets the tongue spoken. Our talk of being the body of Christ is backed up by our walk with Christ. The evidence of our salvation and unity of spirit is visible to all who see us. We are recognized by total strangers as being Christians. Even if we say nothing at all.

     Have you ever been accosted by someone you do not know in a parking lot? I have. A woman walked right up to me and said, "You're a Christian aren't you?". Flabbergaste, I'm like, "Yeah. How did you know?" And she said, "You shine. I could see right away that you were different." 

     I shine. My body is Christ's Body. It is His light which shines through me that all the world may be drawn to Him. It is His love which moves through me, giving me strength to love the unlovable in the same way in which He loves me: unconditionally.