Meditation: March 16

“The earth is violently broken, the earth is split open; the earth is shaken exceedingly.” Isaiah 24:17

The earth is violently disturbed as the result of the violent offenses measured against its Creator. It awaits the rule of the sons of God whose aim is to reflect the glory of Jesus Christ. Until then, it is held captive, not willingly but anticipating a liberty that will only come as the rule of the righteous. Some will grow bitter towards God because of the calamities that many inhabitants on the earth are now suffering. They will think of God as being cruel and unfair. But His judgments will ultimately bring an end to sins that often appear to be benign, but are the root cause of wars and all earthly calamities. The mark established by God is not the aim of many leaders who now lead many astray, thus sin runs its full course. He created the earth to be a habitation of rest and peace, but sin has left its mark and produced death. Pray that righteous rulers will arise in order for the people to rejoice because the Prince of Peace is ruling over them.

Meditation: February 27

“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; “But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.” Proverbs 29:2

Authority is given by God in order for it to be used in ways that honor Him. When He is dishonored, authority is then corrupted and His face is veiled by those who make decisions independent of His counsel. Prayer is necessary for all, that the Holy Spirit may guide the heart of our leaders and if necessary, turn their hearts in the right direction. There are many decisions to be made and God has full knowledge of the end of each one. Some may appear to be right but the end may be damnation or even death. More than ever, God must be sought and our hearts surrendered to His will. There are leaders chosen by God, but people must choose to follow them. They lead their followers to righteousness, justice, and peace. The Lord can then receive the honor and the people will rejoice because His favor will come upon them.

Meditation: November 17

Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” John 12:21

The religious activity today has been directed towards many causes. They tell us to be more relevant so that the Church may establish her position in society. Many leaders have risen to the occasion with the valor and courage to fight for what they believe, while others have affirmed the humanity and self-existence of mankind having rights and privileges given to them by God to enjoy life, or rather exploit this planet and its inhabitants for the sake of personal pleasure and gain. We have the selfless heroes of our day and the selfish demagogues who seek both fame and fortune merely for themselves. Yet in their pursuits for what they want to achieve remain vain and left without any eternal merit because Jesus would not have His place of prominence established among them. In the midst of the hurrying crowd looking for a reason to embrace that will give life meaning, we wish to see Jesus. He alone is able to provide what we really need. He postures us to ask the right questions so that in our seeking answers we may discover what really matters. Preachers, preach Jesus! There are too many options before us to choose when we are in preparation to address the crowd who has come to hear us. As we die to ourselves, He will take His rightful place among us and do what He alone is able to do.

Meditation: November 7

An astonishing and horrible thing has been committed in the land: (31) The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own power; and My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?”  Jeremiah 5:30-31

When the power of God is absent, the people follow the dictates of their own hearts. They gravitate in the direction of leaders who tell them what they want to hear rather than desiring to hear from the Lord. There will always be people-pleasers among us whose mission is to appease the consciences of the wayward rather than to tell the wayward the truth. The Holy Spirit judges the land on the basis of our choices. Even though the world may be in flux, God require His own people to prove all things and to hold fast to what is good. There are so many choices and so many voices that without the discerning Spirit of God confusion would continue to hang as a heavy cloud over this nation. But God is speaking with a distinct voice providing us with a clear message. Those that love Him will love His Word. They will not go the way of the world down the primrose path of destruction. They will follow Him down the path of righteousness and His power will preserve them from the destruction that is coming upon the world.

August 2016 Article: “The Shaking of Kingdoms”

Heb 12:27-29 The phrase, “one last shaking,” means a thorough housecleaning, getting rid of all the historical and religious junk so that the unshakable essentials stand clear and uncluttered. (28) Do you see what we’ve got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. (29) He’s actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won’t quit until it’s all cleansed. God himself is Fire!” (The Message Paraphrase)

God’s established authority, having been compromised, gives rise to resulting calamities that expresses violence within the heart of the rebellious. Sin is rebellion and is practiced by those who contradict God’s Word and is offended by His standard of absolute righteousness. Since it is impossible to measure up to His standard independent of surrendering to His Son, Jesus Christ, the futile search for alternatives merely lead to further frustration of the heart. The essentials stand clear and uncluttered regardless of contrary opinions among those who consider themselves too intelligent to trust the simplicity of God’s Word. Jesus spoke of the ignorance among His own people when He said, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.” (Luke 19:42b) The practice of sin blinds one from understanding or even having an interest in what works and produces a permanent resolve to the issues of our day. Therefore, more laws must be passed and further modified, increased military strength to regulate the inevitable, and a dependency upon the decisions of ungodly leaders leading to increased fears and ultimately hopelessness and despair. When His authority is violated, security and the people are threatened.

The closer we come to the return of Christ, the more the light of His glory exposes the intent of the hearts of mankind. The increase of warring factions is not coincidental. Injustice becomes the measure among those lacking an absolute standard. Unfortunately, most are not able to draw the line that connects decisions made on a personal and collective basis and the consequences that follow. God merely withdraws a small measure of His grace that allows people to have it their own way. Only God knows the end from the beginning. All of us have the right to choose what we will to do with our own bodies, what we wish to say, and where we wish to go, but we do not have the right to determine the consequences of our decisions. The prophetic Word is a warning to all; yet it is still be ignored today as it has throughout history!

There will come a time when there will be one last shaking. A shaking of our economy, a shaking of our educational, and economic systems, a shaking of our political system, a shaking among religious institutions; everything will be shaken. The shaking will take place as a means of exposing the futility of everything established where the Lord has been expelled. God is actively cleaning house! First, there must be the uprooting of the residue of rebellion that stands as a monument of man’s strength when he stands alone. Babel was incomplete and its structure was not secure—it represented confusion. However, God is erecting a Kingdom that cannot be shaken!  It is time for each one of us to examine ourselves and ask the question, “What are you building? Whose side are you really on?”  He is King of kings and Lord of lords, and the time is soon coming where are will eventually realize that the only thing that matters and will have a lasting effect are those things initiated and sustained by Him.

Meditation: June 10

“He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness.” Mal 3:3

God Himself will purge His people as silver and gold. He has invested in the lives of His own and is committed to removing the residue that would shroud the beauty of what is deposited deep within the heart and soul. There are desires polluted and misdirected by the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches. When the heart of His leaders are turned in the wrong direction, yet they remain His leaders; they are purged of the dross in order for His glory to shine through them. He is aware of the tendency within the heart of humanity to stray away, but fire of the refiner must burn away all that should not be. It is a painful thing to be refined but the end result is glorious! When we are tried, we will come forth as pure gold. Offerings are not enough to please our Lord. He seeks after an offering in righteousness. It is the life of the offerer that qualifies him to give Him what He has requested. The Lord is purifying His servants in order for a pure word to come forth from a pure heart.

June 2016 Article: ” City Fathers”

There was a time when leadership was both honored and obeyed, and where men of renown would gather together at the city gates or the entryways to decide what was good for the well-being of communities. They would take the prophetic Word spoken by the prophets and interpret its truths so that every family could align him or herself with the will of God. They were usually the elders with years of experience in both life and judgments. Issues could then be easily settled and the people would move in one direction. Without the conveniences of modern technology, the spoken work connected to the fundamentals that governed behavior and were taught by every father and reinforced by every mother. If controversy arose, it was settled among the elders or fathers of the people.

The elders were men that administered justice, settled disputes, and guided the people under their charge. Even the king would consult the elders even though he had the authority to determine his own course of action. As we retrace the path of history, it is easy to see those points of departure that adversely affect society today. In order for elders to govern the affairs of the king, they must first govern their own households. Fathers had to be there as heads of the household with an eye towards future generations. What choices would be left for children who were under the rule of fathers setting the example for them? It is a matter of established authority and the lack thereof that will determine either the rise or fall of civilization. The disintegration of morals can be directly traced back to the relaxed morals of prior generations that left individuals to judge matters independent of an established standard. God would speak to the prophets and the prophets would convey the prophetic word to the elders. The message was not merely to inform, but with the intent that lives be conformed to the standard established by God Himself. If the prophets were not received as instruments sent by God, neither the king, the fathers, nor the elders would have received the message. The receptivity of the family was commensurate to the receptivity of the father. They were taught of the Lord through their fathers.

Today God speaks through His Son, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-2). Likewise, we are taught of the Lord through the ministry gifts given to the Body of Christ. Yet it is the fathers who have the primary responsibility to interpret the message so that his family may gain a clearer understanding. Although it expands beyond an intellectual understanding, the Word must be articulated in daily practice. How the Word of God is to be applied to every area of life will require aged men with maturity gained through experience. They not only speak of truth, but spare their children the pains of having to face life without a guide. Their successes and failures can be used as object lessons for the immature and inexperienced. Their tried and proven methods can be built upon from generation to generation.

Church fathers then can become city fathers. The Church was intended to be the center of the community as the gathering place for the instructions in knowledge and wisdom. Additionally, fathering is the derivative of being fathered. As Father, God set the criteria and model for every man that would ever occupy such a sacred position. Just as He spoke to the prophets of old to the fathers or elders, so He speaks today. To understand Christ’s earthly mission and to fully participate in work is our highest calling. Through Him we fulfill the role and carry out our mission. Let us not shortchange our children by giving them less than what they so desperately need. Guide them into knowing Christ through our godly example. Who will be our future city leaders? Those that we are training and leading today.

Meditation: May 27

“Your shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria; Your nobles rest in the dust. Your people are scattered on the mountains, and no one gathers them.” Nahum 3:18

The sheep have wandered away from the fold, each sheep in search for greener pastors. Because each has gone its own way, they are prey to the attacks of animals that make food of them. It is not the disobedience of the sheep, but the silence of the shepherds that are sleep and the leaders rest in the dust. There is no warning, nor guidance given to the straying folds. Shepherds must be awake and aware of the dangers lurking behind rocks and hiding in caves. It is the voice of the Shepherd who never sleeps nor slumbers that guide the under-shepherds. They too are sheep and it is required that they be awaken to righteousness. This is the time for gathering those who would be gathered, not gathered to a spectacular event or to a personality. The truth must be the clarion call coming making a distinct sound as a rallying cry to all who name the name of Jesus Christ. Deception is rampant today and many are misguided and apathetic. The song of the world has lulled them to sleep, while the awakened sheep have gone astray. Pray that the alarm will be heard among leaders and people that leaders would wake up, and that the people would line up.

Meditation: April 2

 “Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. (13) And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of thieves.'” Matthew 21:12-17

When Jesus arrived at the seat of both religious and political power, He confronted religious authorities as being “a den of thieves.” When Jerusalem was robbed of an environment conducive for spiritual renewal, their leaders were indicted by Jesus as thieves. Religious leaders were using their followers as merchandise to be traded for profit, and their souls were both hungry and lost. An atmosphere of greed reproduces after its own kind. It spreads like a contagious disease thus hindering those who would otherwise listen.  They would rather gravitate in the direction of their instructions. Jesus did not approach the civic leaders first. He confronted religious leaders for their perverse ways. The house erected with the intent of worship must first become a house of prayer. If the priorities are misaligned, the activities will be dishonorable. The confrontation followed the coronation among those who recognized Him as King. The Lord is determined to have what He desires. His communion with the Father was the source of His strength as the Son of Man. The Church will be as strong as she is consistent in prayer from which all other activities must find their origin.

Meditation: March 28

“And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.”  Daniel 2:21

These times are different from any other. There was a time when people both thought and acted differently. The environment has an effect upon the times. The mood is set by the atmosphere. God orders it in response to prayer on the part of His people. During the times of peace and prosperity, the people are at ease. But when trouble comes, there is an unsettling among them. God examines and tries the heart of every person. Rebellion is not the result of the times, but rather the times are the result of man’s rebellion. He changes the times to reflect the attitude on earth expressed towards Him. But when we pray and seek Him with our whole hearts, a new season of revival will begin. He will give us leaders who are after His own heart when our hearts are directed towards Him. Otherwise, those who will lead will reflect the attitude of the people they are leading. Yes God changes both times and seasons, but His attention is set upon His people to seek Him for a time of the healing of the land and wholeness among the peoples of the earth.