Friends

Jesus said "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." and he is the friend that "sticketh closer than a brother" (Prov 18:24). How important that intimacy is, not only with Jesus Christ, but also with the brethren.

I woke with the following verse in mind after a sweet night of fellowship with some dear brethren;

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

As with all the Word of God, it's true! There is great joy and encouragement that we receive one from another as we can also receive this from Jesus. In considering why, I have come to the conclusion that is the life of Christ shining forth from that person which allows for us to be sharpened, comforted, encouraged, challenged and probably many other things. It is a taste of what we will see in fullness when we come face to face.

David

Trust in the Lord

Something has been weighing on my heart for a while now and I just thought I would share some thoughts on this.

Proverbs 3:5-7 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

2 Corinthians 5:6-11 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

Psalms 118:8-9 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.

Psalms 25:12-14 What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

Psalms 128:1-2 Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.

Jeremiah 17:5-8 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

It is really clear that those that trust in men are cursed and those that trust in the Lord are blessed. Additionally, the fear of the Lord, being the beginning of wisdom, is where we start looking to the Lord rather than trusting in men. Consider the implications of trusting in men, or ourselves, God will not lead them. He can't (Prov 3, Psalm 25). So, what does that mean to us. Here we are in a day of such confusion with the church of Jesus Christ and many are running here and there looking to see what the Lord is going to do with this people or with that people. What are we doing? Are we not looking to men? Many will say, including myself, that we are going to see what God is doing with those people. That may be true to a certain extent but aren't we still trying to see with the eyes of our flesh rather than the eyes of faith. The eyes of faith speaketh on this wise, that the Lord is building His church in the lives of all those that love Him and that depart from iniquity. All those that are willing to trust in Him with all their heart and not lean on their own understanding. This is one of the most desperate things about our times. I am very concerned. However, I have hope. Hope for all that are willing to repent of seeking to find refuge in man but instead find their only refuge in the Lord Jesus Christ. He will therein get glory.

May He be blessed in your faith today!

David

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Matthew 7:1-5
1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

What ??? Judge not, that ye be not judged

Luke 6:37-39
37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: 38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. 39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?

What ??? Judge not

John 7:24-27
24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. 25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?26 But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? 27 Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.

What ??? Judge not

John 12:37-50
37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: 38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? 39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, 40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. 41 These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of Him. 42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: 43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. 44 Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. 45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. 46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. 47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. 48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. 49 For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. 50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.


What??? if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

So often when we read the Bible we see only those things that we like. It's like going to a spiritual smorgasbord. We choose all the things we like, things that perhaps in this case allow us to keep our foot in two Kingdoms. It allows us to be “saved” but not be offensive to the world. Remember Mt 6:24 and Lu 16:13. Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

A very wise man once told me that all scriptures have to be read with in the context of their chapter and to know the audience that was being addressed. So I have included these scripture within the context of the chapters.

If we examine the first three verses within their context we can see that all three scriptures are actually addressing our own hearts. We judge everything that others do from the perspective of our own wicked hearts. That is the Beam in our eye. Not necessarily, for example we have committed a sin in secret and cast public judgments about another that has committed the same sin….. These scriptures address something far more every day… For example if we were blessed enough to see money pass between two man and in our wicked judgmental heart we say to ourselves “man #1 must have borrowed money from man #2 and is paying it back” and we begin to make other various assumptions based on our own heart. “man #1 is in debt… doesn’t he know Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” Or “ I wonder if man #2 charged him interest… doesn’t he know Leviticus 25:37 Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.”

Remember Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

In the last verse CHRIST says And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. CHRIST had not come at that point in time to judge, HE had come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.) However, that does not mean that we walk along keeping silent while those around us are knowingly sinning. In knowing their fate, have you no compassion, have you no love for your brother, for your sister, for mankind…. Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. It is the fear on man that prevents us from doing what GOD commands us to do. And again, Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe. Remember their blood will be on our hands. Ezekiel 3:18 – 19 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

On the Judgment Day His word says that He will sift us as wheat…. (HE will judge us.) The sheep on the right and the goats on the left. His sheep will inherit His Kingdom Matthew 25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: but the goats… (the sheep being a picture allegory of the children of HIS Kingdom and the goats being a picture allegory of the world and the people in it) He says Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

Think on these things…. And read HIS WORD!

March 14, 2008

Well, we are on the road again after spending several blessed days with many saints in Missouri.

We were very blessed to be able to partake of the Wednesday evening teachings. Thursday evening David was able to share his heart on the present state of the Church. As a few of the young brothers there have just come out from amongst a group that was teaching and preaching corrupted doctrines, they greatly wanted to know what we had come through (as we have been part of a similar group). What a blessing!!! (if we learn to look to Christ)

We were also very blessed to share meals and fellowship with a few saints that have been believers for many years.... This was an immense joy as they had shared time with a few of the "hero's" of our faith.

We are now heading to VA, and will meditate and pray about what the LORD has in all of this for us. FATHER please give us your direction!

03/07/2008

Well we are regretfully migrating our way back east.... We are certainly looking forward to seeing those that we love in Christ but I have to admit, I love the west. It is still very wild in most parts and the weather, well, it's not snow. : ) We have just spent a couple of days in the northern Phoenix area and then Las Cruces, New Mexico again. We are now in Northern New Mexico and are migrating East on US 40 if you want to follow our progress on the map. As of now our plans are to head to Oklahoma tomorrow then on to Missouri after that where we will spend some time with some folks out there and hopefully catch up with my sister in Northern Missouri.

Please pray for our trip to OK as I will be visiting with some friends from my past and my hope is that there hearts will be open to hear of what the Lord has done in me.

To all reading, we miss you all and look forward to seeing you soon!

David

03/03/2008

Well, I was finally able to make contact with some of the people that I had known when I lived in CA many years ago (see my testimony for further details). We had made a really strong attempt to find some people in Bakersfield on Friday only to find out that they had moved back to Oklahoma where they were from about 6 years earlier. That trip ended up with a really long trip across a mountain range in the dark with bad brakes (the back brakes on the van started giving us trouble - again). Regardless, Friday left us pretty discouraged as I had really hoped to make contact with these people.

However, this morning just before I left to go get the van worked on my wife encouraged me to look for them in the Yahoo white pages and I was able to get a phone number. First try and I had them. I made the call and was able to speak to them for about 20 minutes. They appear to be doing really well from the worlds perspective and I hope that we can continue conversation further and eventually I can share my testimony with them. We may end up stopping in OK on the way so that we could at least spend a little bit of time face to face with them.

I was able to get the van fixed which is really a longer story than I am able to type and explain but it wasn't cheap. Some labor that was supposedly done by another brake repair station in Batavia really wasn't done and so we were still using parts that were quite old, hence the problem (that and our lovely NY rust). At this point our van seems ready to hit the road again and we are planning an early departure for Phoenix, AZ tomorrow and probably leaving there on Thursday for a strong push towards OK and Missouri.

Please keep us in prayer as we travel and please pray that the Lords direction continues to be clear.

David

03/02/2008 - Sunday

We were really blessed this morning with the opportunity to fellowship with some believers in Los Angeles. I had come across these people as a result of a God Tube video that Chris Smith from Old Paths had sent us. The video was titled, "The Spiritual Famine in America". I had actually forwarded this on to a couple of folks so you may remember the group that I am referring to. I had pulled the address and meeting time off of one of their videos and we as a family decided to make our trip into downtown LA to meet with them on Sunday morning.

When we arrived near our destination we soon found that we were being blocked from crossing East toward where they meet by the Los Angeles Marathon. Bad morning to choose to come I guess.... However, we did find parking and we as a family ran through the Boston Marathon which I later found out was a bad thing to do. We tried to avoid the people and I think we did for the most part. Hopefully we didn't break anyone's stride. : (

We made our way to the address where they meet about 2 blocks away and when we got there we found a door with the numbers on it but nothing else, no indication of a church meeting there, no name, nothing. It was right in the middle of garment district in downtown and there were all sorts of merchants selling wares but here was this place, or more appropriately a door with a number, that we were going into. Regardless, we went in and up the stairs. Thankfully as we went up the stairs we started to hear conversation and there was a real feeling of safety there so we continued on. When we reached the top of the stairs there they were gathered together, not in a way that we would have normally experienced but different, still blessed. Many people came and introduced themselves to us and we were welcomed very openly. Again, very blessed. We were able to meet a man named Minister Facey (not sure of the spelling) and Pastor Cox (whom I knew from the video, his first name is Justin). This gets a bit interesting now....

Before we left Virginia, Ben had taken a few brothers out to breakfast and when I told him that I wanted to meet with these brothers in LA, he told me that he met a couple of brothers from LA when they went to help out at some meetings in Michigan. He provided me with the number of a man named Chris. I questioned him then wondering if it might be the same group of people but he was unsure. During our time here I had not felt led to call this man, not sure why. I guess in my heart I was pretty confident that he would be part of this group but also really hadn't had the time as we had some other things we set out to accomplish.

So, here we are in the gathering of these dear saints and the Lord starts poking at my heart saying "Chris is minister Facey". So, during a period of greeting I had the brief opportunity to ask and when I asked his first name, he said "Chris". Glad the Lord is right or I would have felt foolish. So, I quickly explained my reason for asking and told him that I had his cell phone number on a piece of paper in my pocket. We both rejoiced for a moment and he went back to let Pastor Cox know who we were. I don't know if I am explaining this in writing but I am so often in awe at how God works in our lives, especially in the realm of bringing people together.

We ended up having a wonderful time of sharing and getting to know these people. It ended a bit too early for me as I had hoped to spend a good bit more time with them but His ways are better than my ways. I would highly recommend checking out some of their videos, specifically the one I mentioned earlier in this post at www.p4cm.com. I would however recommend that you not watch it with children present as some of the things they present are pretty harsh.

I am very thankful to find others preaching the true gospel of Jesus Christ. It seems there are so few out there today and there is so much deception that to see another group is a breath of fresh air. Some people may consider me a bit too strong on this area and say that there are a whole bunch of people presenting the gospel in truth but quite honestly, if there is any watering down, any slight deception in the area of the true gospel, then the enemy will use it to deceive people. We need to stand opposed to that. Strongly. Otherwise people will be deceived and will be led to Hell. The path is narrow and there will be few. We NEED to stand firm presenting the full truth in this day.

Please keep these brothers in prayer that they will continue on and that God's hand of protection will be strong for them. They are a bright light in a dark land. Glory to God!

We ended the day by going to Venice beach to watch the sunset and let the children play in the ocean for a few minutes. They had a wonderful time and we were able to watch a beautiful sunset and watch the tide come in. A wonderful way to spend the waning hours of daylight. Almost seemed as if the Lord painted the sky for us directly. We were truly thankful for the picture He painted for us and all those there.