The Innocence of Faith

        The Condemnation Of Guilt Is In Direct Conflict With The Innocence Of True Faith

        But Moses was angry with the officers of the army, with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who had come from the battle. And Moses said to them: Have you kept all the women alive? ( Numbers 31: 14-15 NKJV ) Having just defeated an enemy in a military encounter Moses is nonetheless unhappy with his forces as they fail to completely destroy the enemy. And whereas anyone reading of these events can easily misconstrue his motives it would not be for what he unmistakably says as much for the reasons for saying such seemingly heartless things.

        When it comes to human life even the good side of the tree of knowledge tends toward considering it morally precious. Unfortunately such a perspective is still outside of the enlightened truth related to the fall of mankind. As believers in Christ we are aware that God can redeem the fallen soul though the carnal nature shares no such possibility. Hence, there are tragically times when because of their own pattern of choices some unsaved humans are hopelessly in bondage to their fallen ways and thus to be condemned as such. In John 3, while conversing with a religious leader of Israel no less, the Lord Jesus in verse 19 says despite the light coming into the world some still continued in their evil ways proving they loved darkness and for this reason were to be condemned. With regard to Moses harsh outlook towards Israels enemies as mentioned in the opening verse these were the same people ( as stated in verse 16 ) that contributed to 24,000 of the children of Israel to be deceived and die in Numbers 25. And whereas Moses harshness may seem a bit much he is in reality protecting the remainder of Gods flock from suffering another such fate. The eternal difference between the enemies condemned by Moses to die here in Numbers 31, and those Israelites who died in Numbers 25 may lay in the fact that the children of Israel ( as imperfect as they were ) were still being sheperded by a man of light whereas Israels enemies were intrinsically at enmity with such things.

        It is important to realize that despite individual lifes tragically ending in condemnation it is nonetheless important to know that Christ did not come into the world to condemn it. Back in John 3 and verse 17 it says,” For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” It is not unusual ( even for believers in Christ at times ) that a person suffer from the guilt and shame of the sin nature to such a degree that they simply cannot believe that they deserve anything but Gods condemnation. Consequently, it is not surprising that nonbelievers experience such hopelessness for their hearts have not yet been softened to even the possibility of spiritual forgiveness. Sadly, many a nonbeliever has had their heart actually hardened because of dead religion and the lawful hypocrisy that is often an accompaniment of such things. For doing good works ( attempting to earn Gods favor ) with out a holy spirit revelation of the redemptive foundation of Christs victorious finished work is a recipe for bitterness and nonbelief !

        Therein lays a subtle snare for believers as well if their concept of God, His Son, and His word is overly influenced by anything other than faith in the righteousness we receive through Christs shed blood. Galatians 5:4-5 says, ” You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justifiied by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.” Justification obviously has an important eternal emphasis though feeling a conscious or unconscious need to continually justify oneself can be a result of the guilt or condemnation one may feel for not being sinlessly perfect. And though every born again believer will one day stand before the Lord and thus be held accountable to how they understood His word one cannot therefore dismiss lightly those whom they allow to teach them. For if we find ourself all to often without hope and experiencing condemnation then either we need to repent because of personal sin or be willing to find a bible teacher willing to see us not after our imperfect flesh but according to who we hope to be in Christ Jesus.

O.N.RIDER is seminary educated and living in Baltimore MD

Personal encouragement: Read more books rather than watching to much television.

All devotionals of The Hour Glass by O.N.Rider can be found at http://bc3f86.wordpress.com/

Leadership

        The Most Profitable Of Christian Teachings Is How To Practically Relate To Gods Grace

        ” Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, who may go out before them, who may lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep which have no sheperd”. ( Numbers  27:16-17 NKJV ) Having become aware from the Lord that he is to soon pass from this life Moses communicates his desire that someone not unlike himself would continue to lead the children of  Israel that they would not be like ignorant sheep prone to waunder, or without understanding as to why they need a sheperd.

        In life it is not difficult to find people one way or another willing to lead others though there is a distinct difficulty in locating quality leadership. Moses concern was not that Israel would not find herself a leader, rather a leader that could keep her from being a victim of those who desired to devour her. Such a principle applies to every aspect of life whether that be parents, politicians, or even business people. Though what we are obviously most concerned with in this devotional is a quality of spiritual leadership based on the word of God.

        In John 13 having supped with His disciples Jesus then purposes to wash their feet in verse 5 only to find initial resistance from Peter. And though such resistance probably stemmed from Peters concept that a ‘ leader’ of the stature of Christ should never debase themself by cleaning the feet of others one of Jesus intentions was to shine light on just such a concept. For found therein is the difference between that which is soulfully vain and that which is spiritually crucified; the latter of which one has revealed to them just how much is to be asked of those who are to lead Gods people. For as christians we are to obviously place great value on the testimony we have before this fallen world, though what often confuses and even deceives many a believer is in not knowing if the energy we assert on such issues is the energy of the flesh ( dead works ), or the restfully positioned holy spirit in us ( grace through faith ). Granted, there is much warfare and spiritual longing that can accompany the life of any believer, but when the details of life become a burdensome weight it is at that point, like Peter, we must put aside our pride and let our Lord and His word spiritually wash our feet.

        In Ephesians 5 , while comparing how husbands should love their wives to how Christ loved the church, the apostle Paul says in verse 26 that the water of the word of God is the means by which the Lord washes and presents us holy and without spot or wrinkle. Consequently, when it comes to teaching the word of God we are heartened by the full counsel on life that the bible avails us, though we are especially inspired by its victorious positional absolutes that allows sinners saved by grace to be seen by God the Father without such spot or wrinkle. As christians many of our battles begin in our own mind. As well the quality of ones faith stems from those things in the spirit of the mind that reminds us ( or not ) of who we are in Christ ( positional truth ). If as believers the words we hope will spiritually wash our redeemed soul comes in the form of, or are interpreted from the perspective of lawfulness ( as opposed to grace or unmerited favor ) then we run the risk of having faith not in what Christ  redemptively accomplished because of His shed blood, but in those things that depend on our own efforts!

        With regard to those who lead and thus teach Gods people there is of course a need to teach the full counsel of Gods word, though keep in mind what comes up in the soul of a believer in Christ may greatly depend on the spiritual perspective ( victorious or lawful ) of the one doing the teaching. For in the end if the faith of the sheperd of the flock ( the teacher ) tends to marginalize the positional victorious facts of the faith then the sheep may ultimately be devoured because of  the teachers lack of humility and understanding.

O.N.RIDER is seminary educated and living in Baltimore MD

Personal encouragement: Read more books rather than watching to much television !

All devotionals of The Hour Glass by O.N.Rider can be found at http://bc3f86.wordpress.com/

The Poor in Spirit

        The True Wealth Of Any Person Is Best Defined By An Acknowledged Spiritual Need

        For the poor you have with you always. ( John 12:8 NKJV ) Such a statement as this one spoken by the Lord has unfortunately been utilized as a bellwether issue for those who advocate ” the politics of dependency “. For there may be nothing that so easily touches hearts as the a legitimate plight of the poor while at the same time avail politicians of questionable motives an issue to exploit as well as a reason to ” governmentally ” raise seemingly related revenue. ( taxes )

        Obviously in any healthy society there is an interelated dependency that is not only legitimate but needed as well. For a healthy society is one where people can freely and morally provide needed services as well as find the services they need to help sustain, preserve, and better their lives. At the same time a balance is needed in this area that people, if at all possible, would not become overly dependent that their well being could, humanly and even bureacratically speaking, be placed in jeopardy. Hence, there is a  need as citizens to watchdog our God given rights not only for the sake of a healthy physical existence, but a healthy spiritual one as well.

        Sadly, to many people ( even some believers ) do not realize the true value of Gods word let alone the preciseness of its victorious imperitives. Consequently, humans are forever looking in the wrong places for the answers to their existence while consistently falling prey to the powerlessness of a life depended upon and lived in Adam. Unenlightened religion draws on such thinking leaning more on moral platitudes as opposed to the victorious spiritual achievement the bible teaches. For despite the best efforts of humanity no works of a human can be compared to that which goes through the cross and results in resurrection life; and thus provides a true place where human works should begin.

        At the same time all christian pulpits should realize that the unashamed attractiveness of christianity is when believers and nonbelievers consistently find solace in the fact that they can share, experience, and walk in Christs glorious redemptive victory; and that a personal cross is how this victorious grace through faith finished work can be embraced and enjoyed. The alternative is to ignorantly live ones religious or even christian life dependent not on the positional facts of Jesus redemption, but instead on humanly fluctuating lawful ineptitude. For either we emotionally and spiritually depend upon our inability to be perfect like Christ and thus fulfill the law, or we practically and eternally allow by faith the blood of Christ to speak for us, and therefore clothe us in His righteousness. Such positional truth does not negate our need to hear, read, and internalize the hard words of the faith, but instead should be the bedrock foundation by which we can endure the reality of our own imperfections as well as the imperfections of our world.

        In the first portion of the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 the Lord Jesus states that those who are poor in spirit are blessed. The greek word for blessed is ” makarioi ” which means to be ” fully satisfied “. Hearkening back to the opening of this devotional it ‘ is ‘ important to feel compassion for those among us who live in earthly poverty, though not  nearly as important as feeling compassion for those among us who suffer from the spiritual poverty of nonbelief or poor doctrinal understanding. And though Christs reference in the opening verse was toward the economically distressed his reference to His brief time on the earth ( in the b-part of the verse ) was on behalf of the spiritually oppressed. Jesus concern was less for what people lacked from this fallen world rather than what they were lacking with regard to the eternal invisible world. In John 16:33 Christ said, ” These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” And to the degree we allow such a statement to apply to us it thus has less to do with earthly circumstances ( which can seem pretty bleak at times ) compared to the heavenly victory that through Christ we can by faith confess and walk in.

        In the book of Numbers chapter 22 an enemy of the children of Israel ( Balak ) desiring  to curse Israel seeks the demonic spiritual guidance of a well known ” diviner ” . And though this diviner came with just such an intent the Lord comes to ” Balaam ” and instructs him what to say. Indeed in chapter 23 Balaam does not curse Israel but instead blesses her saying, ” How shall I curse whom God has not cursed, and how shall I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced.” As believers in Christ our walk with the Lord is never according to the wealth of our seemingly righteous ways as it is our genuine dependency on the One who continually intercedes on behalf of our spiritual poverty.

O.N.RIDER is seminary educated and living in Baltimore MD

Personal encouragement: Read more books rather than watching to much television!

All devotionals of The Hour Glass by O.N.Rider can be found at http://bc3f86.wordpress.com

Calling Unto The Deep

        The Depth Of Our Spiritual Convictions Often Reveals The Transparency Of Our Soul.

        But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. ( Luke 15:22 KJV ) It is interesting how humans often mistake unconstrained temptation for worldly freedom. With regard to the prodigal son as mentioned in the opening verse it seems while he remained in his fathers house he enjoyed quite a comfortable life. Nonetheless, internally, something was amiss and he decided to venture away where not only he learned a lesson, but his brother and father as well.

        In life it is unfortunately not unusual for events or circumstances to take place that in the least we find disagreeable, or at worst shocking as we all the while maintain a llegitimate dumfoundedness as to why in life things happen the way they at times do. For on one hand you have the fallen nature spilling itself every which way it can, while on the other hand you have the holy spirit potentially piecing it all together as a redemptive coat of many colors if you will. And the fact that the details of life at times so blindside us should give us heed to embrace Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior while there is still time to do so; as well as pay closer attention to those things that strengthen our faith that we would thus have capacity to endure the things life throws at us.

        As human souls it is not hard to realize that we possess a certain inner awareness or consciousness of life. What is not easy to recognize is that we also possess a subconsciousness, as well as an unconsciousness. Maybe the best comparison would be how an iceberg reveals itself above the water ( consciousness ); and due to the movement of the water ( waves ) it reveals itself in some areas only on occasion ( subconsciousness ); while there exists an entirely submerged portion that cannot be seen ( unconsciousness ) A personal example whether llegitimate or not may be worth noting. My wife loves earthy colors ( especially brown ). I attribute this ( though she disagrees ) to the fact that she was raised on a dairy farm. In other words while she was in her most formitive years the brown soil was very noticeable and that color represents something very familiar and even comfortable to her. I propose that while the mind of her soul was developing certain unconscious messages were also being ingrained in her inner being including the color of the earth her parents worked as farmers.

        A more serious example may be when an individual is say raised above or next to an alcohol consuming establishment ( a tavern ). The potential for being so close to such revelry may also be consciously, subconsciously, or unconsciously ingrained in ones inner being. Obviously there are things in life that are unavoidable and whether or not one lives above or next to a drinking establishment is not my point as much as the potential long term effect it can have on the most vulnerable part of our human being.

        Hearkening again back to the opening verse we see despite his sons misguided choices the father of the prodigal still welcomed his return with gifts and celebration despite his other sons objection. For not unlike our Father in heaven the prodigals father no doubt against his better judgement gave into his younger sons wishes. II Timothy 2:24-25a  (KJV) says, ” And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves.” As the prodigal embarked on a journey that even his fathers probable instruction could not discourage little did the son realize that he was opposing himself by his choices the end results being the proof. An interesting distinction can be made between the fathers grace filled reaction to his lost son and his other sons strict resentment. The pain the father must have experienced over his lost son coupled with his joyous return was in a sense like a sanctified conversion process whereby his faith in God went from the conscious or subconscious level of his soul all the way to the unconscious level where of all the places in our soul is the place one would most benefit from experiencing a victorious life giving revelation. On the other hand his other son seemed to experience no such conversion!

        As we continue through the Old Testament we find ourself once again in Numbers and the 21st chapter. As the children of Israel continue their travels they come to the land of the Amorites and in verse 22 Moses asks to pass through their land saying that they will not turn aside into the fields or vineyards and that they will not drink from their wells. In verse 23 the king refuses to allow passage and instead decides to go to war with Israel. In verse 24 despite Moses conscientious request Israel has to defeat this opposing force by the sword. Such action on Moses part coupled with Gods faithfulness only confirms the conscious depth of the Lords conviction towards an all out victory as well as to the liberation of His people.

O.N.RIDER is seminary educated and living in Baltimore MD

Personal encouragement; Read more books rather than watching to much television !

All devotionals of The Hour Glass by O.N.Rider can be found at http://bc3f86.wordpress.com/

Finding Our Way

       Ironically The Way Most Familiar To Us Is Often Times Our Adamic Lifes Path Of Least Resistance !       

       For You have maintained my right and my cause; ( Psalm 9:4 a NKJV ) The inclination of human beings toward personal subjectivity ( which ultimately reflects the life of a human ) should be a reminder to even the most committed religious person ; especially regarding the potential for one to  unconsciously espouse ones own righteousness. For apart from divine intervention ( the acceptance of Jesus Christ as ones Lord and Savior ) one cannot help but walk in the depravity that comes with even the most sophisticated forms of the Adam life. 

        The hardest lesson for humans, whether they are believers in Christ or not, is the realization that human fulfillment has less to do with the natural self life, and more to do with the spiritual and factual knowledge that Jesus Christ fulfilled all. And though such a statement may seem vague and simplistic the daily inner workings of the human heart are unfortunately not unlike a mindfull and emotional wrestling match between who will sit on the spiritual throne of our life where only Christ is worthy and capable of doing so. On top of which, Jesus , through His glorious humility, will allow us to occupy this seat all the while using the resulting circumstances to one way or the other bring us closer to Him.

        Hebrews 10:24-25 says,” And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the measure of some, but exhorting one another, and so much more as you see the Day approaching “. As the ” called out ones ” the church is an essential tool by which God in Christ feeds, teaches, and practically establishes the christian. Referring back to the opening verse in Psalm 9 the church pulpit is to consistently remind us of the rights Christs blood unchangingly gives us even despite the direction our subjective self may otherwise point us towards. The church should always be that place where believers and nonbelievers can, if need be, through repentance, come to claim or reclaim the rights Christs act of redemption offers, not to the exclusion of balanced doctrinal teaching that we would not remain spiritually immature milk drinkers, but instead become spiritually mature meat eaters! ( Hebrews 5 )

        If as an unsaved person, or even a poorly taught believer in Christ I deny or dismiss the depravity of the human condition am I not also rationalizing my life away to the degree that I leave myself vulnerable to spirits keenly aware of the powerlessness or near powerlessness of my earthly walk. We must make no mistake about the reality that our daily or eternal Adamic cause cannot be argued in any way , shape, or form by our own thoughts or efforts, but instead by the biblically confirmed redemptive victory of God in Christ and our willfull and mindfull efforts to by faith agree.

        In Numbers 21 ,despite the Lord once again proving His faithfullness in verse 3 , the children of Israel still manage to complain about God, Moses, and the living conditions they faced in verse 5. As a result the Lord sent fiery serpents that bit the people causing many to die. Realizing their sin the people wisely sought Moses to pray on their behalf that the Lord would deliver them from the serpents. Moses does so and the Lord thus instructs him to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole so that when a person was bitten once they looked at the ( bronze ) serpent they lived. Amazingly despite even mans sinfull tendencies the Lord still cannot help but respond to sincere repentance by mercifully taking up our cause and lovingly making it right.

O.N.RIDER is seminary educated and living in Baltimore MD

Personal encouragement: Read more books rather than watching to much television !

All devotionals of The Hour Glass by O.N.Rider can be found at http://bc3f86.wordpress.com/

The Economics of Reality

        Doubt not in the ability of the spirit of this world to draw nations into a financial abyss

 

         And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie. ( II Thessalonians 2:11 NKJV ) As sand from the figurative hour glass ( as referred to in the title of this website ) steadily flows towards the end of time, so to is there sadly a spiritual erosion in the hearts and minds of souls everywhere towards the belief that because the spirit of this world seems in  control the sovereign existence of God in Christ therefore no longer seems relevent. Consequently, to be spiritually pro-active regarding such concerns is not just to study Gods word, and even share our living faith with others ( as important as both are ), but it is also in realizing that ones spiritual motivation comes from the personal belief and spiritual knowledge that Christ, at Calvary, has already won the battle over such darkness. ( positional truth )

        The influence of the spirits of this world ( and their hosts in seats of power ) seem to be ever more convincingly capable of deceiving the masses ( America ? ) all the while as they operate in an unintreatable, intolerant mindset that ironically many nonbelievers unfairly associate with christians. And though most believers in Christ know by which spirit these ones operate they nonetheless still possess a zeal to not only have their way(s) followed, but the blindness by which they operate suggests they believe their earthly salvation  ( for lack of a better term ) is dependent on their willingness and ability to achieve their goals. The absurdity of it all are when these political types advocate economic policies where the resulting stagnation deprives citizens who need to work as well as those who want to work the opportunity to do so, and thus resist becoming wards of the government that by the way despite a deficit spending habit that will effect generations to come nonetheless seeks for its citizenry to become such wards ! All this is being done we are led to believe in an attempt to mandate fairness which is not much different than attempting to legislate morality.

        In the third epistle of the apostle John verses 2 and 3 say, ” Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things, and be in health, just as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth”. The word translated prosper ” euodousthai ” means to have a good and safe journey throughout ones life. The second verse mentioned here is important in that it emphasizes the important role truth plays in our lifes whether that be doctrinal truth, or truth that guides our every day practical earthly existence. Truth that can cause our soul to prosper ( verse 2 ) has much to do with spiritually and mindfully accessing in Christ the grace by which we stand ( Romans 5:2 ); whereas truth in order to influence this fallen world begins not only with preaching Christ and His desire to save the lost, but  also in communicating practical truth in order to disprove and contradict the evil realms bold multifaceted methods that attempt to make the lies of this world seem true.

        In the aftermath of Korahs rebellion ( as referred to in Numbers 16 of the previous devotional ) the Lord seeks to affirm Moses and Aarons spiritual leadership by arranging for Moses to acquire one rod from each of the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel which included Aaron as the representative of the tribe of Levi. Each rod was then placed in the tabernacle for a night and on the next day only Aarons rod sprouted and put forth buds, blossoms, and ripe almonds. For ultimately what Korahs rebellion revealed were the motives within his, and his followers hearts. On the other hand the budding of Aarons rod ,while proof of Gods resurrection life to all who were witnesses  ,to us who believe in Christ though it is a witness of the resurrection life within, that gives us the victory and hope from above , because of  the truth of His words regarding this life we have come to know.

 

O.N.RIDER is seminary educated and living in Baltimore MD

Personal encouragement: Read more books rather than watching to much television !

All devotionals of The Hour Glass by O.N.Rider can be found at http://bc3f86.wordpress.com/

The Light of Forgiveness

        The spiritual weight of Adams failure contrasts the lightheartedness of genuine forgiveness.

 

        They gathered together against Moses and Aaron and said to them, ” You take too much upon yourselves.” ( Numbers 16:3a NKJV ) Arguably the most serious threat to Moses delegated authority, Korah, a member of the priestly Levite tribe, leads a group of 250 against Moses and his brother Aaron. As well, the fact that such an incident took place confirms the existence of a spiritually provoked rebellion that existed on the earth then, and continues to exist and operate in our world today.

        In the truest sense the fall of man threw mankind into the arms and into the realm of spiritual forces that are at best supernatural, and are in the least barely detectable. Hence, the seriousness of one who does not see the need for Christ being their redeemer only hastens the jeopardy a soul places themself in not only eternally, but presently and circumstantially as well. For whatever choices we make in this life we must be aware that we are at the same time sowing seeds unto one kingdom or another. And even if the fruit from our choices seems right they should still be carefully weighed much like how God weighs the spirit of a man ( Proverbs 16:2 ) that one would not confuse the soulish heaviness of Adamic rejection, with the lightness of Christs absolute all consuming love.

        Its safe to say that living in the desert brought with it obstacles not only of the physical kind, but of the emotionally stressful kind as well. Life in Egypt surely had its practical advantages where as waundering through the desert pushed individuals to the limits of their natural thought process. Yet the entire exercise with regard to the children of Israel being brought from the bondage of Egypt to becoming a free people did not happen because of the natural life;  nor could it. The whole point of calling such a people out was for them to be given the opportunity to go from seeing life from the limited horizontal order of things ( walking in an internalized Adamic life ), to instead embracing the vertical view of Gods unrivaled faithfilled supremacy.

        As time passed the thinking of those who doubted Moses ( the one whom God chose ) began to take form in the actions of Korah, as well as in the 250 who followed him.  Reasoning  that had less to do with the humility and awe that should come with one properly connected to this magnificent human event,  than with the frustration that accompanies individuals who mistakenly venture to see their self life in a “type of light ” that leaves them blindly vulnerable to the obvious magnitude of the situation. That Korah would dare oppose Moses after Moses led what some considered 2 million people out of Pharaohs Egypt is more than just human folly it is spiritual deception of the most tragic kind.

        One of Satans most consistent attacks on christians ( as well as seeking nonbelievers  ) is to obscure and even discredit positional truth. Such thinking can potentially undermine a person into thinking that their sin ( past, present, and future ) can change what God through Christ lovingly thinks of them. And though sins commited can reap for us circumstances we do not want in our lives it can nonetheless never strip from the arms of Christ those who have accepted Him as their Lord and Savior. And just as Korahs thought process weighed so heavily on his soul that he became an enemy of Israel let us not be so deceived by the mind of our flesh that we would reject the practical favor God gives us through Christ; even despite ourselves !

 

O.N.RIDER is seminary educated and living in Baltimore MD

Personal encouragement: Read more books rather than watching to much television !

All devotionals of The Hour Glass by O.N.Rider can be found at http://bc3f86.wordpress.com/

The Language of The Fall

        Proper Biblical And Spiritual Understanding Has More To Do With  Knowing How To Think , Rather Than Knowing How To  Behave.

         And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them. ( Nehemiah 8:12 NKJV ) As a faithfilled victorious remnant returns to the land of their forefathers not only were many in this generation unfamiliar with the country of their ancestors, so to were many unfamiliar with the doctrines and teachings of their God and deliverer. As humans we must never underestimate the power of knowledge and information to influence our belief system. ( both good and bad ) In the case of these Jews whos families were caught up in the Babylonian captivity 70 years previous 34,000 returned to the land of their forefathers out of  God  only knows how many who actually chose to remain a part of the pagan Babylonian culture.

        As with the existence of Adam ( it of course being the body of death in Romans 7:24 ) so to then must exist  the mind of Adam , and the resulting language of Adam which includes the perceptions and motives of this fallen frame of reference. For all aound us is in reality the faithless deceptive outlook of life in this world. For however much the Adam nature genuinely claims to know, ( through even the good side of the tree of knowledge )  it also includes a multitude of blind spots especially regarding the ever important eternal issues.  The apostle John writing of Jesus Christ in the first chapter and tenth verse of his gospel says, ” He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him “. In each case the greek word for world in this verse is ‘Kosmos ‘ which primarily means order, arrangement, ornaments, adornment. How astonishing a fact that the creator of this world would not be recognized by those He created to occupy it.  As if in the truest sense from the time of the fall a disinformation as well as misinformation process was started whereby the present and future occupants of the earth became foreigners to the one who had their best interest at heart. Indeed, Satan, using every means available, has gone to great lengths to arrange and order this world in a fashion that it almost seems like there has not been a fall, nor even a need for redemption on the part of the fallen. Nonetheless, the human soul and its ultimate destiny remains the focus of Satans strategy, and that strategy is dependent on blurring the details of what awaits those individuals who do not embrace Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior!

        Whereas the spirit of this world ( Kosmos ) goes to great lengths to both obscure the need for salvation, as well as attempt to convince us that we can ” fix ourselves and our world “, the holy spirit seeks for us to instead ” look away to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith ” ( Hebrews 12:2 ) In the following verse the writer says, ” lest you become weary and faint in your minds “. Not unlike  the Jews taken captive to Babylon who after so long chose to remain despite the opportunity to leave having become available, we , even as believers in Christ, can exercise our souls ( minds ) in a similar way whereby we accept this alien world , rather than creatively declaring and teaching the victorious finished work of  God in Christ ( not to the exclusion of the full counsel of Gods word ) that the unsaved as well as the saved would learn a spiritual language other than the one found in this hope deprived world.

        In the beginning of Numbers chapter 14 we begin to see the results of the faithless reports brought back to Moses and the children of Israel by ten of the twelve spies sent into the land that God wants for His people. Though as the doubt filled reports spread throughout the congregation not even the encouragement of Caleb and Joshua ( the two spies who trusted in the Lords word concerning  the land ) could keep the people from hearing the all to familiar language of the defeated, as opposed to learning a new heavenly language comprised of faith and victory.

O.N.RIDER is seminary educated and living in Baltimore MD

Personal encouragement: Read more books rather than watching to much television !

All devotionals of The Hour Glass by O.N.Rider can be found at http://bc3f86.wordpress.com/

Clinging to Our Spiritual and Civil Liberty

        The devil is often in the details when it comes to a centralized governing policy.

 

        Lest  Satan should take advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices ( II Corinthians 2:11 NKJV )  Being the chief proponent of the fall of men, Satan, ( the archangel Lucifer ) having access today to even more sophisticated forms of  ” false light ” has nonetheless the same unchanging goal through which he seeks to confuse, mislead, and control humanity. And because of an increase in amoralistic behavior in this age this nonbelieving world thus offers him and his hosts even greater places to hide and operate ; whereas we as christian believers need to be ever more vigilant and discerning as the methods of the deceiver(s) grows ever more proficient.

        ” Goodness “, and or that which seems generally right, is such a powerfull selling point for anyone trying to further their own agenda. Though even in the gospel of Matthew ( chapter 19 ), Christ, having been referred to as ” Good Master “, declines such a title replying that only God is good. Today, someone trying to convince us of their good intentions apart from” them ” having a notable personal yieldedness ( humility ) to God should cause us to question their motives as well as the things they advocate as being in our best interest, whether that be a preacher promoting spiritual obedience and dependency through lawful scriptural interpretation, or elitest politicians seeking to control the masses through central governing plans. For however imperfect it can potentially be in allowing people with values the right to exercise their free will it is nothing compared to the oppression souls can experience once they have forfeited their God given freedoms both spiritually and physically on behalf of dead religion and or innefficient secular bureaucracies.

        From the perspective of the lawfully controlling pulpit the tendency is to believe that the concrete definition that religious law offers can be the prevention all christians need to live an obedient righteous life. Yet such a mindset only succeeds in causing one to believe that the building up of the church consists more of a dependency on knowing what it lacks rather than what it has victoriously already become in the eyes of God ( positional truth ). Obviously it is healthy to teach the body of Christ the full counsel of Gods word provided that they understand primarily that it is by grace through faith that they can grow in the knowledge of the victorious freedom that Christ attained on their behalf as opposed to attempting to live out religious law through earthly works.

        On the other hand when politicians make overtures towards making our lifes better we must be wary of once again having little or no choice but to hitch our wagons to their all to often overbearing fractured ideas. For any governments desire to intervene in the lifes of their citzenry beyond that which the average citizen would consider acceptable in intervening in their neighbors life for example ( let alone in the lifes of perfect strangers ) is less a cause for good and more of a case of the so-called chosen few ( nonbelievers ? ) claiming to know whats best for the many. And for the Adam life exercising control becomes all to often an irresistable soulish stimulative need that is a result of the emptiness of the fall along with the self gratification that one seeks from it in distracting them from the fallen natures ever present existence.

        In Numbers 13 the Lord tells Moses to send twelve men to spy out the land of Canaan which he purposes to give to the children of Israel. After forty days the men report back to Moses that indeed the land flows with milk and honey though with the exception of Joshua and Caleb all the other men voice their grave doubts as to Israels ability to overcome the people living there. Now if one were to survey the landscape of our worlds political and spiritual situation it would not be hard to react like those ten spies returning from their mission from Canaan. Though as believers in Christ we must mindfully internalize that much like the land of Canaan which the Lord gave to Israel so to has that same God in Christ given us a victorious faith by which we can move mountains. Spiritual and otherwise.

 

O.N.RIDER is seminary educated and living in Baltimore MD

Personal encouragement: Read more books rather than watching to much television !

All devotionals of the Hour Glass by O.N.Rider can be found at http://bc3f86.wordpress.com/

The Groaning of Creation

        Order associated with creation contrasts the disorder of souls unconvinced of their eternal destiny.

 

        For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. ( Romans 8:19 NKJV ) Though it is safe to say that creation is a result of Gods hand its ultimate fall ( from grace ) surely is not. Consequently, there is an inherent emptiness that afflicts the human condition that even genuine born again believers can at times experience ( vs. 23 ). And so apart from a healthy holy spirit internalization of the blood bought positional favor that Christ avails us no amount of human effort can successfully fill such a spiritual void.

        Surely there is no shortage of people ( nonbelievers ? ) willing to dispel any notion of an Adamic fall as well as the spiritual emptiness that ensued, though one only has to spend time watching or listening to the endless supply and focus of bad news that pours out from the medias collective soul to realize that despite the human ability to portray it otherwise we as Gods creation indeed tend to waunder through desert places. And much like the result of going physically without water for a long period of time so to does the human soul thirst for the spiritual assurance that only its creator can give.

        Romans 8:22 says, ” For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now “. Despite a world that in many ways claims the benefits of modernization there is still an unmistakable, unpredictable disorder to life that effects our humanity in ways that are at times beyond comprehension. For as living thinking souls we in the depth of our being seek to understand why it is that life is all to often flawed and thus afflicted with the what could have been(s) rather than what is. And though nonbelievers as well as some believers often mistakenly seek the answers to such questions from an earthly perspective such answers are often faithless and therefore spiritually infected as a result. Infected in the sense that Christs humanity is redefined as one whos essence is of this limited world rather than the miraculous heavenly one that he indeed came from.

        In Mattew 19 a rich young man approaches the Lord asking what he has to do to inherit eternal life, to which  Christ ultimately replies that he should sell what he has, and give it to the poor, and come and follow Him which upon hearing the young man went away sorrowful for he had great possessions. Christ then turned to his disciples and says, ” it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom “, which astonishes his disciples. Jesus then added,” with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible “. Note that the Lord did not say that the rich could not go to heaven; and using this rich young man as an example let us assume Christs death and miraculous resurrection became known to him at some point it would then possibly be at that point  he realized all that he had, and all that he did mattered little as compared to what God in Christ are capable of. ( such as raising one from the dead ) Thus the groanings of creation (vs 22 ), that await the revelation of the sons of God (vs. 19 ), is having the conversion of ones doctrinal understanding go from what ’we’ think ‘we’ have to do to please God, to what the love of Christ has already victoriously done to please God on our behalf. Such positional thinking should be the foundation of all that the holy spirit ultimately leads us to do once we are saved.

        Beginning in Numbers chapter 11 the children of Israel began to complain more and more to Moses primarily concerning their limited physical diet ( Not to the exclusion of their need for a healthy spiritual diet as well ). In fact so heavy was this burden on Moses that in verse 14 he communicates this to the Lord. Gods answer is to have Moses gather the 70 elders and have the same Spirit that is upon Moses be placed upon them that they could serve the Lord as Moses did. And just as the 70 elders eventually helped Moses bear this burden so to would Gods people be witnessess to an increased presence of the Lords faithful victorious spirit !

 

O.N.RIDER is seminary educated and living in Baltimore MD

Personal encouragement: Read more books rather than watching to much television !

All devotionals of The Hour Glass by O.N.Rider can be found at http://bc3f86.wordpress.com/