Go With Nothing!

My dear readers as we were preparing for the missions trip a few weeks ago two verses spoke to me from the book of Luke in a way completely new to my understanding. Luke 9:1-6 and Luke 10:1-18. I like most of you am used to reading this passage and see only that Jesus tells the disciples go with no money; no extra clothing; no food; and no bag to carry stuff in. And as it reads that is what it says.

Luke 9

1When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3He told them: "Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic. 4Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 5If people do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave their town, as a testimony against them." 6So they set out and went from village to village, preaching the gospel and healing people everywhere.

The other morning however while making coffee I believe the Lord showed me a deeper meaning to this passage. Here is what He asked me, "What do the staff, bag, bread, money, and tunic represent"? I thought of several things like provision, and trusting in our own ability to take care of ourselves. Then I thought that it may also represent who they were as individuals. You see each person when traveling takes things that will help them feel comfortable. Some even go to the extreme of taking things like the Coffee they like to drink or DVD's of the movies they like to watch. This things could also represent our culture and way of life. What if the Lord was telling them to leave that behind and go only with Him as a companion. We live in very different times they the disciples but the Word of the Lord is as true today as it was then. If the Lord asked you to go with nothing, could you? Could you trust the Lord enough to literally take nothing with you. What if that even meant your identity as an American or even as a missionary. What if He asked you to go with only Him. Accept whatever hospitality He provides, eat the things He provides, drink only what He provides. There are valid concerns about health and safety today whether it is traveling to another state or another country, but remember who called you out. Remember who is making the way for you to go. It is in Him name we should go when called. It is for His glory we go when we are called. It is His kingdom only that we should be worried about representing when we visit others. Lets read together Luke 10 and see how the Lord drives this point home.

Luke 10

1 The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. 2 These were his instructions to them: "The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields. 3 Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves. 4 Don't take any money with you, nor a traveler's bag, nor an extra pair of sandals. And don't stop to greet anyone on the road.

5 "Whenever you enter someone's home, first say, 'May God's peace be on this house.' 6 If those who live there are peaceful, the blessing will stand; if they are not, the blessing will return to you. 7 Don't move around from home to home. Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide. Don't hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay.

8 "If you enter a town and it welcomes you, eat whatever is set before you. 9 Heal the sick, and tell them, 'The Kingdom of God is near you now.' 10 But if a town refuses to welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11 'We wipe even the dust of your town from our feet to show that we have abandoned you to your fate. And know this—the Kingdom of God is near!' 12 I assure you, even wicked Sodom will be better off than such a town on judgment day.

13 "What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse. 14 Yes, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you. 15 And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead."

16 Then he said to the disciples, "Anyone who accepts your message is also accepting me. And anyone who rejects you is rejecting me. And anyone who rejects me is rejecting God, who sent me."

17 When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, "Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!"

18 "Yes," he told them, "I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! 19 Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. 20 But don't rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven."

If the timing of a mission trip is important, if the message that gets delivered during your trip is important, then going in the way the Lord instructs is also equally important. We must seek the Lord first each and every time we go out. To get His detailed plan of action right down to asking Him what you should take along. As missionaries we are ambassadors of the Lord. We represent His kingdom, we must follow the orders of our king or we will make a mockery of His authority and His reign. I pray that you would ask the Lord to prove this to your spirit. If it true then let this work itself out in your life. Go in peace and in the name of Jesus!

"The Foolish Things of God"

There are many books on faith but none like this. "The Foolish Things of God" by Rev. Henry Falcone is a fantastic book explaining Gods plan for our faith. From the first to the last page Henry details what the Bible says about our faith. With 20+ years in ministry Henry has learned the ins and outs of exercising his faith.

To every man the Lord gives a measure of faith, but have you ever wondered if your faith could really move a mountain. This book explains how to hold strong to the faith you have and develop a deeper relationship with Christ and allowing your faith to grow.

Available at http://www.iamtucson.org this book is only $12.99 and well worth every penny. This book is the result of much prayer and seeking the Lord. As you read and apply what the Lord reveals through this book. I know your faith will grow.

Thank you Rev. Henry for being obedient to the Lord and writing this book.

Matthew 5:8

Matthew 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (NIV)

Matthew 5:8 "You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world." (The Message)

What a fascinating and delightful verse in this opening portion of the sermon. When I read this I long for the innocents of my youth. I look upon my little boy now and pray to the Father daily that he will protect my little man and help keep him pure as he grows into a man. And at first glance this is a great interpretation if you are innocent and clean from sin in your life. But the Bible tells us that no one is without sin.

So is it impossible then to be pure in heart? Brothers and Sisters the Lord never told us to do anything that was impossible. We may need His help but it is possible. So then how is it possible to be pure of heart?

According to the Strong's the word pure comes from a word of unknown origins "Katharos" this word has many meaning and found 22 times in the bible. This word has a different meaning than just having a "clean heart". One of the definitions used in the context is to be purified by fire. the other is to be pruned like a vine so that it is fit to bear fruit. When I learned the meaning of the word pure I realized just how incapable of purifying my heart I was and how desperate I was for the Lord to purify my heart.

I pray that the Lord is showing you something today. If you have the same understanding that I did before then you probably feel doomed and forever incapable of receiving the blessing of the Lord. Well brothers and sisters I feel that this is a lie from the enemy. Again the Lord never asks more of you then you are capable of in Him.

The Lord can and will purify your heart like gold refined in the fire if you ask Him and submit yourself to the cleanings. Jesus himself referred to the Kingdom as a vineyard where the dead vines would be pruned away and living vines grafted in. The Lord has all the "right" tools at his disposal for cleaning and purifying you heart. And there is not much you can do except be willing to submit to the process.

Friends take a a moment or as long as it takes to seek the Lord and ask Him to purify your heart. I will not promise you it will be easy in fact it is not much fun at all to tell you the truth most of the time. The Lord has been working on my heart for a little more than 13 years and though I have found great joy in the midst of His work my flesh often cries out for escape from the refiners fire. It is hot, and melts down the things I thought made me strong.

Pure 24k gold refined in the fire relatively soft and malleable. Most gold for jewelry is combined with steel or another metal to harden it. This is done so that the jewelry can stand up to the riggers or daily use. But the Lord wants us to have a soft heart. Not a hard heart that is not easily molded like soft wax.

So dear readers the Lords wants to ignite the fire in your heart and purify it. He wants to give you the blessings that He promises when He said. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."

A Calling

Beloved Readers,
I eagerly want to finish my walk with you through the Sermon on the Mount. And I will write more as the Lords walks me through it. But I would like to take a minute of your time to write to you and tell you where the Lord is taking my family and I.

When the Lord called us to seek Him first. We at first (like most Christians) thought it meant to keep Him in mid as we went about our daily routine or living in the world. How wrong we were. As we continued to press in and seek His face and what it meant to put Him first He started to drastically change our lives. From removing all full time employment from my grasp to leading us into intercessory prayer and worship. When He said "Seek me first" He really meant FIRST.

First, means before anything else, He told us to lay down our wants and desires for Him and Him alone. Since about September of last year He as helped us to lay down many things. It was easy for us to lay some things down but not everything. Those things that we either refused to lay down or did not know how He is doing for us. We have been stripped of just about everything and honestly I hope He is done. It is no fun to have your lives turned upside down and end over end. And for What?

He is now starting to show us the "For What". If you have looked around my page at all you know I am headed for Virginia Beach in July. For a Conference called God in Our Midst. From the day of the invitation I new I was to go but did not have the means to pay bills let alone fly to Virginia until today. Yes today, Someone now very dear to my hear (although I do not know who they are) with the promoting of the Holy Spirit is paying for my tickets and Hotel to go. Who ever you are THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. Praise the Lord!!!

There are more travels He is calling me to and I am just as confident that the Lord will provide. Remember precious saints. He never calls you to do anything He has not already made a way for. This is a whole new level of trusting in the Lord for my family and I. But we Know His promises and He always keeps them.

If you would like to join me by supporting this and other missionary travels, please feel free to donate to the Northern Colorado Regional House of Prayer or support us with your heart felt sincere prayers as we go where the Lord sends us and Seek Him First.

Matthew 5:7

When we hear the word we often think back to the game of uncle when you had to yell mercy or uncle to stop the person from twisting your arm behind your back. In this country there is little in the way of persecution that drives us to cry out like in that child hood game (or is there). As adults who in the world would you cry out to? The lenders do not care, OPEC does not care, when you cry for mercy who will hear you? In Matthew 5:7 we read and understand that if someone cries out for mercy from us we are blessed if we give it.

7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." (NIV)

7 "You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for." (The Message)

7 "Happy the kind -- because they shall find kindness." (Young's Literal Translation)

Mercy Definition: (of an act or event) giving relief from pain or suffering. Oh but you say that you have no part in causing others pain. Let me point out a few things I have witnessed lately that just may change your mind.

You see we can give out mercy or be merciful even if we are not the ones causing the pain. What is your reaction to the hopeless smelly drunk guy downtown when he asks you for money for food? (What if he really is hungry). What about the young family down the street who's husband just lost his job and they are facing foreclosure on their home.

I know it is hard to know what to do with situations like these. Around Christmas it is easy and fun to help less fortunate families with gifts for their children but what about the family who need a roof over their heads. Or the widow to is so lonely, staring out the window everyday waiting for the husband or wife that will never some home again. Jesus says in Matthew 26 that we will always have the and widowed with us. Therefore there will always be a opportunity to be merciful.

Brothers and sisters as you seek the Lord in your daily prayers and worship be open to His heart to those less fortunate than you. Be willing to part with what you have to give to those who do not. Give of your money, time, love, friendship, and of your relationship with Jesus the Christ. Listen for his small still voice promoting you to be merciful.

Matthew 5:6

Have you ever been hungry or thirsty? I not talking about the hunger from missing a meal by choice I am talking about real hunger from a hard days work, and thirst that comes from a dry mouth on a hot dusty day. The kind of hunger and thirst that you notice only after you realize how much food and water consumed when you were finally full. Our next B-attitude is

Matthew 5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." (NIV)

"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat." (The Message)

You see when we hunger for righteousness, the way Jesus is talking about we work ourselves to the point of needing His righteousness in our lives. There is nothing we can or should try to do like fasting from righteousness so we will hunger for it. No, this is a kind of hunger that comes from working hard for the Kingdom and at the end of the day you find yourself in need of His righteousness to sustain you. So you sit yourself down at His table and eat and drink of His Word, Love, Faith and Truth for you.

When you sit down at His table there is always plenty to eat. His table is always full. The Lords banquet is flowing with Milk and Honey. It is a feast. The drink is like none other. Not even Gatorade understands how to quench this kind of thirst.

I know some of you may be thinking that it is not fun to hunger and, if that hunger persists you are exactly right. But that is not the Lord's will for you or me. He wants to fill us. The promise of that is right in this verse. If you hunger, you will be filled. I love to work hard all day and come home or go upstairs for a good large meal with a big glass of ice water. This kind of meal puts a punctuation at the end of the day that says to me "job well done". This meal that the Lord wants to give you is the same kind of meal. When you eat of it He will be telling you "Well done my good and faithful servant."

This is not a promise for tomorrow alone or for today alone. This promise is reoccurring as often as He wills it for you.

So, my brothers and sisters I encourage you to Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness for you shall surly be filled.

Matthew 5:5

The different English translations of the Bible always amaze me. I love reading a portion of scripture in many different versions then meditating on it and allowing the Holy Spirit to speak the truth of the scripture to my heart. Many times you can read a passage in different versions and each will speak the truth but give it a bit of nuance that again touches the soul.

As we continue our series on the Sermon we move to the next verse Matthew 5:5. Read with me from these three very different translations.

"Blessed are the gentle , for they shall inherit the earth." (NAS)

"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought." (Message)

"Blessed (happy, blithesome, joyous, spiritually prosperous--with life-joy and satisfaction in God's favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the meek (the mild, patient, long-suffering), for they shall inherit the earth!" (Amplified)

"Gentle", "meek", "content with who you are", - very different emphasis in each. The Greek word used here is praus which means to be "mild in disposition, or gentle". This can be very different than simply being content with who you are. What if who you are is not meek or mild and you like it that way?

Websters defines meekness as "enduring injury with patience and without resentment" and "not violent or strong". How then can it be that being meek will allow us to inherit the earth?

Scattered throughout the bible is story after story where the Lord looked for the week in order that He might show Himself strong. Take the story of Gideon from the book of Judges. Gideon says in chapter 6:15 ...“how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” Later in the same story the Lord reduces Gideon's army to 300, just so they could not say that they had won the victory, that the Lord is the only one who could have done it.

This is the point of this b-attitude. The Lord does not want us to inherit the earth under our own strength if we try we will fail.

This on one promise of God's that takes a good amount of faith to walk out in our daily life. It requires that we lay down our pride, ego, and yes even our rights. It is at this moment in our life where the Lord will finally step in on your behalf. It is at this point when the Lord can tell you which direction to go and you will go without question.

The former pastor at our church once described it like a horse getting broke in. Only then can the master of the horse mount up on it and give it gentle direction and the horse will respond no matter what. It is when we are meek in spirit that we must rely on the master and put our full trust in him for everything. A horse that has been broken and forms that new trusting relationship with his master will go into battle no matter what is going on around him because all he know to do now if follow the command of the rider.

This is one view of the type of relationship the Lord desires from us. He calls us to humble ourselves so that He can mount up the cherubim and ride into victory. (2 Samuel 22:11) This cherub is the redeemed man. The man who submitted themselves to the cleansing fire of the Lord. (Smiths Bible Dictionary)

Dear readers it has taken me the past few weeks for the Lord to reveal this to me and even when I started typing I was not sure what it was all about. But has as I sit here my mind is flooded with thoughts and pictures of this, and how it is the truth of the Kingdom.

I pray that you too will take the time to ponder the true meaning of this powerful sermon delivered not by just any man but by the Lord or Lords and the King of Kings. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the truth in His words.

Circumcises your heart, turn to Jesus, He is calling you!

Who will respond?