The Reason Why

The Lord blessed my wife and I with a daughter on December 18th, 2001. Her name was Elizabeth. She was born with Downs Syndrome and was also born missing part of her heart. Because of this she only lived 23 days. In that time she had 4 surgeries, the last of which was an open-heart operation. During that time of trial and difficulty the Lord showed me a deeper level of who He is as he dwells in us. One, he desires to speak to us to prepare us for things that are before us. Two, his level of power and grace is always sufficient for the trial we are in. Three, when the Body of Christ pulls together and bears one anothers burdens and prays for one another this measure of Grace I am referring to will always be there for us.

Some months before Elizabeth was born the Lord spoke to me about her specifically. I was off of work just laying on the couch at home attempting to take a nap one afternoon. The Lord spoke to me as I was staring at the ceiling and told me that the baby we were going to have would be born a mongoloid. For those of you that are not familiar with what I am referring to, mongolism is an antiquated term for Downs Syndrome. When I heard this I just kept it to myself as I was really hoping that I had not heard what I thought I had in fact heard. I never told my wife or anyone else for that matter.

As time went forward and we were close to our delivery date I had an encounter with the presence of the Lord while in prayer one morning. It was December 7th, 11 days before Elizabeth was born. I went into the dining room at 5AM to spend some time in prayer and as soon as I sat down at the table the presence of the Lord filled the room. His presence was so thick and so powerful that the only way I could describe it was that I was being pressed on and squeezed by an unseen force. It caught me off guard and scared me because it happened right as I sat down in the chair. I sat very still and just scanned the room with my eyes expecting to see something or someone appear in front of me. His presence lasted for a few minutes and then everything just dissipated and went back to normal, myself included.

After this occurred I simply asked the Lord if that was in fact him. Well, that same day I noticed that two things had occurred in our home. One, our dog George stopped acting weird. When I say "weird," I am referring to the fact that every time Christine would be pregnant George would always get "under foot" as we say. He just acted weird while she was pregnant, like he was disturbed about something, and he would not leave her side. Well, after that day he never acted that way again. Also another thing occurred. Up to that point we were having a hard time getting our youngest son to sleep through the night in his own bed. From that day forward we never had an issue with it again. There was a greater level of peace over our home from that time onward.

As some of you know the story, Elizabeth went to be with the Lord almost three weeks later. But what I learned in the whole process on a much deeper level is that the Lord prepares his people for things in advance by speaking of things to come.

"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what it yet to come." John 16:13

He tells us about things in advance and then he prepares us for those things by bringing forth his refreshing presence and gracing us for the task at hand.

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." Acts 3:19

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Cor 12:9

So the Lord tells us about things in advance and then he empowers us for the task at hand and the trials that come with it. During those 23 days and in the days afterwards we felt power. We felt fresh.

Also during that time the Lord showed us great love through the Body of Christ. It was probably the one time in our lives that we could feel the lasting tangible presence of the Lord carrying us through hardship simply because so many people prayed for us over a protracted period of time. I know of at least three church bodies that were diligently interceding for us in that time. And the feeling of it was very tangible in the physical realm. Our hearts were strengthened with grace because others were bearing our burdens in prayer.

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Gal 6:2

"...always keep on praying for all the saints." Eph 6:18

We are grateful for who the Lord was for us through the Body in that time. The experience taught us another level of the need for corporate intercession in times of great need.

I write all of this to say the following. The reason why we are covering the topics we are at this time is not because I am engaging in what I refer to as shock-preaching. I have seen ministers in the past (I am sure I have done it before to) try to preach from their souls and shock people emotionally to get some type of response from them. This type of ministry is different from the kind of ministry we are called to in the Lord. Shock-preaching is soulish, manipulative and doesn't cultivate righteousness in a man's heart. That is not what we are called to as we minister to one another.

But people within the Body of Christ need to have revelation of that which is in front of them, both in America and in the rest of the world. We need to have revelation in advance of what is coming. If we will acknowledge truth and turn towards the Lord, his presence will strengthen us for the tasks at hand. He will equip us for things to come. He will give us sufficient grace to endure all things if we will only ask of him. We need to know things in advance. We need to ask of Him. We need to be empowered in the Spirit and pray for one another. America is falling off a cliff and the rest of the world will go with it. We need to be spiritually prepared for that.

I have had several conversations in past months with Mexican businessmen about what would happen to Mexico if the U.S. economy collapsed. Their response to me every time is that Mexico would go down with America because Mexico is heavily dependant on American consumption of goods manufactured in Mexico. The Mexican economy is also supplemented a great deal by Mexican nationals working in the United States sending huge sums of money back home. It is currently estimated that Mexican citizens receive roughly $23 billion per year in wire transfers from family members who are currently migrant workers inside the United States. That is alot of money for the Mexican economy each year that will be lost in the future.

We need to ask the Lord for revelation of what is in front of us, ask him to strengthen us and prepare us both physically and spiritually, and then we need to engage in prayer for each other so that we can feel the exponential effects of corporate intercession. Remember the following words:

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work. If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up. Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." Ecc 4:9,10,12

"How could one man chase a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless the Rock had sold them, unless the Lord had given them up?" Deut 32:30

That is the reason why we have covered these topics. Be aware and prepare in his grace with corporate unity. That is the reason why we discuss these things. That is the reason why.

In Christ,

JEB
http://www.miraclesinmerida.blogspot.com/.

Remembering

This is the time of year when people tend to look back on things and want to remember. If you read the news you will see articles talking about the many aspects of life within 2010 or the entire decade itself. The Top Ten Sports moments, Top Ten Movies of the Year, News Events, Politics, Technology, Crime, Scandals, People who Died, People who "Changed" things, ......The List goes on. At the end of a year and the end of a decade our news-based cultures become nostalgic and reflective in various ways. People want to remember.

Within God's Kingdom, remembering takes on a whole new dynamic. For us, remembering comes in two forms. First, it's about remembering our past in light of God's work. That's the first part of it.

"Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced." Psalm 105:5

We need to remember what and how he has done things in our lives. We need to remember the miracles, the provision, the words, the relationships and yes, we need to be mindful of his judgments. God judges his people through discipline and love. He judges our flesh and cleanses us from sin through discipline.

"But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world." 1 Corinthians 11:31,32

"For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?" 1 Peter 4:17

We need to remember what the Lord has taken us through, what he has changed in us and how bad it sometimes hurt. We need not repeat the same mistakes and slow down our development. We need to remember what has taken place in context of our relationship with the Lord. Sometimes for me, the easiest way for me to remember is to both talk to the Lord and ask him to remind me. And with that, sometimes the way he reminds us is through each other. I am often spurred in my memory by conversations with my close friends and with my wife. We need to sit down with others, specifically with our spouses, have a cup of joe-joe and prayerfully talk about the past. This helps us to remember. This is the first aspect of "remembering."

But in God's kingdom their is a second aspect of remembering. This is the one I am eager to discuss. Let me tell you a story.

In August of 1997 I found myself being moved by the Lord to Albuquerque, New Mexico. While doing so I went to re-register my car insurance with a state of NM insurance agent. When they processed my application they told me that my insurance would run a certain amount a month. I felt that the quote was a little to high for the make and model of my car. The lady at the insurance agency explained to me that the reason the quote was higher than normal was that I had had two speeding tickets in the past few years. I told her that there must be some mistake, that I could only remember having one speeding ticket in the past several years, not two. She showed me the driving records and it stated that the second ticket was received in Plano, TX about 2 years before. I was a little perplexed as I couldn't remember when I had gotten this ticket.

I went home and prayed about it. I was standing between the dining room and the kitchen when all of the sudden I saw myself driving east bound on Plano Pkwy in Plano, TX during the summer of 1995. Right before I got to the Coit Rd. intersection I could see a police officer step out from behind the bushes on the south side of the road right in front of a real estate office and direct me into the parking lot where another officer would be waiting to write me a speeding ticket. All of the sudden, I remembered. I remembered when and how it happened. The Holy Spirit reminded me by spurring my memory. The Holy Spirit wants to control and directs all data storage in our brains and he can draw up memories as it serves the Lord's purpose for our lives. Why do you think the scriptures say the following?

"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." John 14:26

The Holy Spirit reminds us. We remember, by the Spirit. We hear God's voice at times simply by remembering something. Remembering is a way of God talking to us in the present moment. Let me give you two examples in scripture of this happening to God's servants. Take a look.

"Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, 'You are spies!'" Genesis 42:8


"As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'" Acts 11:15,16

By the Spirit we see Joseph, now Prime Minister of Egypt, remembering his dreams so he has an understanding of why he is finally seeing his brothers after all these years. He remembered his dreams and saw them bowing before him as a fulfillment of what God had once spoken to him over twenty years before. Joseph was remembering by the Spirit. He heard the Spirit speaking to him through a spirit of remembrance.

By the Spirit we see Peter remembering what Jesus had once spoken to him in person. This gave him the understanding to be accepting of the situation which was the very fact that God was opening the door of faith to the Gentiles, specifically at Cornelius' house. God was moving around him and helped him to accept things by remembering what was once spoken to him. Peter remembered by the Spirit. He heard the Spirit speaking to him through a spirit of remembrance

Remembering is a way that God talks to his people. We pray and then remember where we set our car keys. We remember that we forgot to lock the front door before driving to the store. We remember to pray for someone who is having surgery today. We remember, we remember, we remember. God speaks to us and we remember. He reminds us.

Ask the Lord to help you remember. And as you remember, pay attention and rejoice. This is God's voice. Remember.

Be Blessed,
JEB
http://www.miraclesinmerida.blogspot.com/.

Knowledge

The Lord speaks directional wisdom to his people. His sends us down a clear path from season to season. This path leads us to works that we are called to do. Ephesians 2:10 is clear about his. We are created in Christ to do good works which have been prepared in advance for us to do. We are called to work in him. Jesus and the Father work in us and among us to this very day.

"Jesus said to them, 'My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.'" John 5:17

"Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it." Mark 16:20

The Father works. Jesus works. We work. We work with the Lord as we go forth in his wisdom. Wisdom is clear direction. And that clear direction is accompanied by plans and strategies. In the last post we talked about Proverbs 8:12 in great detail.

"I wisdom dwell together with prudence; I posses knowledge and discretion." Prov 8:12

We took a good hard look at three of the four. Now we need to do a deep-dive into knowledge. As the Lord gives us clear direction with plans and strategies, as we are receiving wisdom and understanding from the Lord, there are certain bits of spiritual knowledge that need to accompany us along the way. These are things that will keep us steadfast in the work that the Lord has commanded us to do on his behalf. Knowledge blends in with clear direction with plans and strategies. It blends in and holds the other three steady.

One day in September of 2001 I was driving northbound on Hwy 820 in west Ft. Worth while taking our oldest son Kevin to school. I was passing Troy Aikman Ford right at the corner of Camp Bowie (Hwy 80) and Hwy 820 when all of the sudden, just as clear as day, I heard the Lord speak to me about various facets of this thing called "Knowledge."  There are pieces of knowledge that accompany us as we go forward in warfare. There are things that need to be developed within our minds that keep us steady and stable in the fight. We are going to need to know, believe and abide in certain things if we are going to hold fast in Wisdom and Understanding on a continual basis.  The following is my list of 8 pieces of spiritual knowledge. The first six I heard on that day in September, 2001. The last two have been added to the list since that day. The following is what I heard.

1) The time is short. We are a mist. Number your days.

"What I mean brothers is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in it's present form is passing away." 1 Corinthians 7:29-31

"Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'" James 4:13-15

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12

2) Be Prepared. Make the most of every Opportunity. Be dressed, ready for service, and keep your lamps burning.

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." 1 Peter 3:15

"Make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." Colossians 4:5,6

"Be dressed, ready for service and keep your lamps burning." Luke 12:35

3) Be Quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.

My dear brothers, take not of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." James 1:19

4) Do not worry beforehand about what to say.

"But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." Matthew 10:19,20

"...the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it." John 12:49

5) Arm yourself with an attitude of suffering.

"Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God." 1 Peter 4:1,2

6) Trust in God's Financial Provision. It is Constant.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds...." Matthew 6:25-34

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8

"Be content with what you have, because God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'" Hebrews 13:5

"Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, ....Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years." Deut 8:2,4

"Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, ...." Psalm 23:6

"He will be our guide even unto death." Psalm 48:14

"You will guide me with your wisdom and counsel and afterwards receive me into the glories of heaven."  Psalm 73:24

"Trust in the Lord forever." Isaiah 26:4

7) Don't Complain. God works in all things for our good. Give thanks in all circumstances.

"Do everything without complaining or arguing,..." Philippians 2:14

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

"Give thanks in all circumstances..." 1 Thess 5:18

8) God will vindicate us.

"Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord." Romans 12:19


We could sit down over coffee and tea and talk of these things for hours.  But the scriptures that are quoted speak for themselves.

Brethren, time is short and we need to make use of the bit of time God has given us. We need to be wholeheartedly focused on hearing him and entering into his work. The time is short. Work while it is still day. Night is coming when no man works. I just turned 40 years old. I remember when I was a 17 year old kid throwing my own mother a surprise party for her 40th birthday. And now I'm 40. Twenty-three years went by just like that. Amazing. We are a mist and then we are gone. Live for the Lord!!!

Be prepared....at a moment's notice. I remember when I was about 8 years old. I was at soccer practice one day and while playing I heard my name being called. I turned around to see who it was. It was my dad standing on the side of the practice field. He called me over to him and told me to come with him. I didn't know where we were going and was a bit taken back as I was right in the middle of practice. He took me and walked me to another field at the soccer complex where another team of boys was practicing. I looked around at them. They were all bigger than I was. My dad took me and put me on another team where all of the players were two years older than myself. I had already mastered my age group. I received an unexpected promotion of sorts. Be ready brethren because your name could get called and you could get promoted to a higher level. Be ready, dressed for service and keep your lamp burning. Be ready!!!

Listen first. Listen to the words of others and listen to the Lord. Talk to the Lord and ask for words to speak. The Lord will speak with power through us. But we must first listen. Many years ago I worked as a valet in front of a very high profile hotel in downtown Dallas. While there I had been witnessing to another  young man who wouldn't respond to my Christian witness. It really frustrated me at how hard-hearted this man was. One day while working we both happened to find ourselves standing outside the hotel while a very well-known "fallen" televangelist walked out of the hotel and got in his car. The young man looked at me and said, "See, it's guys like that that keep me from believing in God." Immediately God spoke through my mouth and said, "Yes, but you keep rooting for the Dallas Cowboys while many of their players are in trouble with the law." You would have thought I had punched him in the face. He was visibly disturbed for some time. God exposed his hypocrisy. Listen and pray first. Talk second. 

Arm yourself for trials. The path is narrow and few take it. As we walk in his direction with plans and strategies we are at times going to find ourselves in financial, physical and social trials. It comes with the territory. Arm yourself for it. All who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted the Lord of Glory they will persecute us. No man escapes this. No one.

In spite of what we go through, God provides. He never stops providing for us according to his riches and glory. Spiritual, mental, emotional and physical support and deliverance are ours. In spite of the pain there is healing and growth. Embrace his provision and trust in it. It never ends. He provided for the Israelites for 40 years in the desert. If he needed to do it for 50, 60, whatever...He could have done it. He hasn't changed. Still to this day he moves mountains, brings water from the dry rock and manna from Heaven. He will be our guide even unto death. He guides us with his wisdom and counsel and afterwards receives us unto glory. Trust in his provision. It is a constant thing!

Don't complain. God will cause things to work on our behalf. Give thanks knowing that this is true. Remember, we are sheep. Sheep need a shepherd. We have a shepherd that manages not only the intimate details of our lives but also how our lives work in conjunction with everything in this world. All things were created by Christ and for Christ. And in Christ all things hold together. (See Col 1:16,17). Everything exists and works for our benefit as we do his work to change the world. This is sometimes difficult to believe when the battle rages. Nevertheless, God's word holds true.

God has your back. He will vindicate the righteous. He will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. If you belong to Christ you are Abraham's seed and heirs of this promise (Gal 3:29). He has your back. God slays the wicked in due season. The Psalmist says that the righteous will be glad and rejoice when they bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked (Psalm 58:10). "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood (Rev 6:9)? ...... The sins of some men trail behind them. Others go before them, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them. (1 Tim 5:24). God will avenge the righteous, both in this life and in the life to come. You can count on it.

We have more to discuss brethren but I think we are at a saturation point for today. A sponge can only hold so much water. I hope this helps you on your journey. Find God's wisdom, prudence and discretion for your day. And know these things along the way. Knowledge of these principles holds us steady in the high-calling of God.

In Christ,

JEB
http://www.miraclesinmerida.blogspot.com/.

God's Plans

I think one of the things that I struggled with the most in the early years of my walk was to believe that the Father had a day to day, season to season plan for my life. This was difficult for me to learn. It was at times hard for me to comprehend that God has a vested interest in my development. It was hard for me to believe that he wanted to speak with me about very specific things and be involved in the intimate details of my life. It has been a process for me. This is something that I have had to learn, sometimes with difficulty. But I can now testify, with satisfaction, that I understand that there is a plan. There is a plan.

Over the course of time, as we journey with the Lord, we should come to understand that God created us with very specific intentions. We are not just born by happenstance with the purpose of living a random existence. No. We are to live with a specific purpose. Each and every one of us. God creates men and women with a specific purpose in mind as to how he wants them to live out their lives. Consider the following scriptures.

"The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:4,5

"We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

We should learn that before we are even in our mother's womb, God knows us. We exist in his mind and thoughts even before we come forth into this world physically. We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for very specific works which are prepared in advance for each one of us. All of our lives, all of God's purpose for us, all of our steps are intended to be ordered of Him even before we begin to take on human form. All of our workmanship and all of God's purpose for us is set in order from eternity, even before time began.


With this in mind we can rest in the assurance that he has our lives planned out in context of the workings of all things. God foreknows us and God predestines us for a specific path with a specific purpose.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." Romans 8:28

"In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,..." Ephesians 1:11

Our part in this is to choose that which God has chosen for us. Yes, we are predestined. But that path of predestination in Christ must be chosen by us if we are to see the will of God fully manifest in our lives. Let me say that again. We must choose the path that God predestined for us. And as we choose his path he wants us to learn that he is very strategic in his approach to us. The Lord is incredibly strategic. He is a master administrator. God by his very nature is a strategic administrator. This includes how he approaches every detail of our lives from day to day and season to season. Now with that in mind consider the following verse.

"I wisdom dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion." Proverbs 8:12

Consider this verse. Memorize it because we are going to come back to it alot today and I don't want to bore you with having to type it over and over again. Take a look at it again. Wisdom dwells with prudence and it possesses knowledge and discretion. Let's break it down.

In Proverbs chapters 2,3,4, and 8, wisdom is referred to as a way, a path or a direction. Read through all four chapters if you need to. Don't just take my word for it. Read it for yourself. Wisdom is a way, a path and a direction that Christ has for us in every situation. Now let's couple this with the meaning of the Greek word used for "wisdom" in James 1:5. Do you remember the verse?

"If any man lacks wisdom he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to him." James 1:5

The Greek word used for wisdom in this verse is Sophia. Sophia comes from the Greek word Saphes which means "clarity." So when we couple Proverbs 2,3,4, and 8 with James 1:5, what we can see is that when a man or woman asks for wisdom, what they are in essence asking for is clear direction from God. Wisdom, simply put, is clear direction from God. For you it may be asking for direction on your job situation, where to move to, or some situation where a simple "yes" or "no" is required. Wisdom is a clear way, a clear path, or clear direction that comes from God in a given situation.

And with that understanding we need to remember that Proverbs 8:12 says that Wisdom is accompanied by prudence, discretion and knowledge. When the Lord gives us that clear path, way, or direction he will always allow the other three to accompany it. So what is prudence? What is discretion? And what knowledge is the Lord talking about here? Let's take a look.

Prudence as spoken of in Proverbs 8:12 comes from the Hebrew word Ormah. Ormah comes from the Hebrew word Orem. The word Orem means strategy. So the word Prudence actually means strategy.

The word "Discretion" as mentioned in Proverbs 8:12 comes from the Hebrew word Mezzimah. The word Mezzimah means "plans." So the word "Discretion" actually means "plans."

So if we put Proverbs 8:12 into layman's terms what it really is saying is that clear direction from God always comes with a set of plans and strategies. God speaks to us about his will for our lives through clear direction with sets of plans and strategies.

Now this principle, this truth, is established all through the scriptures. Wisdom is talked about over and over again in both the old testament and the new testament. And quite often, when the word wisdom is mentioned, it is also coupled with either the word "understanding" and/or the word "prudence." I won't bore you with all of the details but know that the word "understanding" and the word "prudence" usually comes from the same root words in both Hebrew and Greek. In both languages they are synonyms of each other. Both words mean the same thing. With that in mind take a look at the following verses.

"Who endowed the heart with wisdom (clear direction) or gave understanding (plans and strategies) to the mind." Job 38:36

"Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom (clear direction). Though it cost all you have, get understanding (plans and strategies)." Proverbs 4:7

"Say to wisdom (clear direction) , "You are my sister," and call understanding (plans and strategies) your kinsman." Proverbs 7:4

"He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers." Proverbs 19:8

"Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding." Proverbs 23:23

"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him - The Spirit of wisdom and understanding....." Isaiah 11:1,2

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding." Ephesians 1:8

"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding." Colossians 1:9

"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by words done in the humility that comes from wisdom." James 1:13

Do you see how the scriptures are replete with passage after passage that refers to God's voice unfolding in clear direction with plans and strategies? Their everywhere. The Lord has plans for his people. The Lord has plans and strategies for our lives that unfold for us as we move in clear direction, down a clear path. God is a God of direction with plans and strategies.

This is not complicated. It's simple. Yet human nature has a tendency to neglect fundamental truth. The Lord knows this. So in His sovereignty he reminds us of simple things over and over again. The Lord will teaches us simple things and then reminds us of them. He has always done this.

"So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you know have." 2 Peter 1:12

"Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard to you." Philippians 3:1

It's good that we allow the Lord to teach us all things and then remind us of them. That we are being reminded of things is a sign of ongoing discipleship in the Lord.

"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." John 14:26

The Spirit teaches us about all things and then reminds us of them at a later point in time. Here, for us today, it is to understand and be reminded of the fact that the Lord has every intention of shepherding us through each day, in every detail if we will allow him to do so. We are his workmanship. We were created in Christ Jesus to do certain works. The works he has for us were planned in advance by him. And the way he communicates to us is through Wisdom and Understanding. Wisdom and Understanding is another way of saying direction with plans and strategies.

God speaks to our hearts. And when he does, he does so in direction with plans and strategies. Rest in this. God has a predestined plan. But it must be chosen. Choose it. Ask for it.

"If any man lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James 1:5

"Pray to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things that you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3

In Christ,

JEB
www.miraclesinmerida.blogspot.com

The First Shall be Last...The Last Shall be First

Last week, I, Jay, took a 5 day trip back to the states to tie up some loose ends from our move to Merida and to visit with friends and family along the way. On the first day of my trip on August 3rd the Lord spoke the same thing to me on three seperate occasions in the same day. Each time it was through a different set of circumstances but all of them tied in together and all of them together had one meaning. Here is the story.

My flight out of Merida left at 7 AM via Continental Airlines. I had to be at the airport at 5 AM. After getting my boarding passes and getting through security, while sitting at the gate watching the rest of the passengers arrive, an American couple came and sat down next to me. We were on the same flight to Houston Airport to catch different connecting flights. I struck up a conversation with them and found out that they were a Christian couple, that he was actually a pastor of a church in South Carolina and they had taken a trip here to check on a Christian Seminary in Merida that they were affiliated with. As the conversation continued I asked them how long their layover was in Houston before catching their next flight. They told me they had an hour and a half. I knew this could be a problem for them because it usually takes a minimum of one hour in the Houston airport to deboard your plane, get through customs, claim your bags, go through immigration, go through the baggage security check for domestic flights, catch a rail train to an adjoining terminal, recheck any bags at the gate and then board your plane. I know this first hand. I endured this back in May coming back from Merida on my first trip down, trying to catching my adjoining flight to San Antonio, RUNNING through parts of the airport. It was very stressful and I almost missed my adjoining fight.

Needless to say I was concerned about this couple making it so I offered to help them through the process. I had a 3 hour layover before my adjoining flight to Shreveport so I offered to take some of that time to help them with guidance, carrying bags.....whatever. As we got into Houston our first obstacle presented itself right away. This couple and I were both seated in the back three rows of the plane. There were over 150 people seated on this plane. It was packed. It took us at least 15 minutes to deboard. Then we got to immigration and there was a very long line. We processed through immigration and then got to the baggage terminal. The stewardesses had announced to us that our luggage would be on carousel #8. It wasn't. I got to the baggage carousel ahead of them and figured out that the luggage was on carousel #7. So when they got there behind me I redirected them to the right carousel. They grabbed their bags. We headed to the security checkpoint to get our scanned through for our next flight and found ourselves in a very, very long line. I looked at this couple and told them not to panic, that the line would move quickly for us. And boy did it ever. God saw to it. Right at that moment a security agent walked right up to me and this couple and said, "Right this way." They took us an opened up a new security screener and placed us in the front of that new line. A smile came over my face and a passage of scripture came to my heart.

Matthew 19:30 "But many who are first shall be last, and many who are last will be first."

I remember hearing that in my heart and feeling a sense of peace and joy for this couple. God was helping them in their time of need. You could see they were stressed. They were an older graying couple and they needed help. God took them out of last place in line and put them right through the screening process, helping them to make their adjoining flight on time. And as an added bonus I got to go with them....because I was helping them by being in the back of the line with them. The thing that I understand about this, even as I write this, is that if I had left the weak to themselves and gone on and only been concerned with myself, I would have ended up farther towards the front of that long line at the baggage screening. But it would have taken me longer to actually get through that checkpoint because I wouldn't have been standing in the very back of the line with that couple when we ALL got promoted to the front.

The Father blesses us when we hang out with the weak and serve them in humility. He promotes us in due season....to the front of the line. The world has pushed the weak and the less fortunate to the back of the line with no concern for their welfare. But God in his sovereignty raises us up at certain points in time with resources to help each other. The resources I had to give these two members of the Body of Christ was extra time, physical strength and a knowledge of the airport in Houston to help them while they were in a tight spot. The Father offered me an opportunity to give out of my abundance and in the process all of us were blessed.

And the story doesn't end there. I then ended up on my adjoining flight to Shreveport....and I can tell you I have never flown on such a small plane in my life. It only sat 33 people and it had the propellers on both sides, not the jet engines you see on most planes. I ended up sitting in the very back of the plane, seat 16A. I was in Last Place on this plane. After all the passengers boarded the lone stewardess walked to the very back of the plane, looked right at me and said, "We need two people to come sit in the very front row of the plane....right now!" She looked at me as if I didn't have a choice. So I got up along with another lady and we went and sat right in the very front row. The obvious reason for this was to balance the weight of the aircraft for take-off. But God was reaffirming something to me for the second time in as many hours. The stewardess looks at me and the other lady that was moved to the front with me and explained to both of us that being in the seats we were know sitting in came with a particular set of responsibilities. We would now be expected to help the other passengers off of the plane in the event of an emergency. We were now "Deputized." We both agreed and the plane took off.

So here I am again for the second time in the same day going from being in the back of the line to the very front of the line in a matter of seconds. And both instances are happening because I was either serving the Lord by helping the weak and needy or.... being positioned to help others in case of emergency. 

And it doesn't end there. Jesus likes to clinch the nail. Let everything be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses (2 Cor 13:1).  So I finally get to Shreveport around 2PM. My former pastor who I was staying with had to leave town unexpectedly because of a death in the family. So I ended up staying with two of his grandsons in his home who were house-sitting for him. One was his grandson Josh (20 years old) and the other was Matthew (11). I had known Josh since he was seven years old but had never met Matthew prior to this trip. I ended up taking them out to dinner at Chile's as a thank you for picking me up at the airport. As we were at the restaurant, getting reaquainted and talking about all sorts of things, Matthew looks at me and says;

"The First Shall be Last.....and the Last Shall be First."

I'm not kidding. God was speaking to me through an eleven year old boy who was eating a grilled cheese sandwich and french fries. And at this point I was slowly starting to realize that the voice of the Lord was echoing through a multitude of circumstances. In Romans 1:28 it says the following:

"Since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind...."

I italicized and underlined the word "retain." In the Greek that word means "echo." What Paul is saying in this verse is that people get in trouble when they don't allow the voice of the Lord to "echo" in their hearts. God speaks with an echo by saying the same things over and over to cause truth to settle into us. The Lord speaks through the mouth of babes and he speaks through the symbolism of our physical circumstances...among other things. He speaks in dreams, visions, through the mouths of prophets.....

For God does speak -  now one way, now another - though man may not perceive it." Job 33:14

The Lord speaks to us in a multitude of ways and with and echoing voice. His voice echoes. What was happeing to me that day was an echoing of his voice in circumstances, through people, and within my own heart. His voice was echoing.

And what was he saying to me? The conclusion of the matter is this: We live in a time where God is sitting in judgment on his people, our communities, our circles of fellowship and the world itself. This is an hour of judgment at all levels. And what we will see him doing as we go forward is promoting many members of the Body into more and more of the fullness of their callings. We are going to see people who are Last becoming First.....and we are more and more going to see people who are spending their lives in fleshly self-promotion going to the back of the line. God is humbling the wicked, publicly and privately. He is blessing the righteous who are willing to serve the Body in humility, but he is humbling members of the body of Christ who have been living in self-promotion, not living lives fully dedicated to him.

The counsel I am going to walk away with from the events of August 3rd are this: Be were God has placed you, endure hardship like a good soldier, be among the weak as God positions you in the Body and among non-believers. He will empower us. He will equip us. He will provide for us. He will provide for each one of us in differnet ways and at different times, often through each other. Be humble. Be meek. Be gentle. Serve one another in Humility. The Lord will see your willingness and your humility and he will promote you in due season. He will make the First Last and the Last......God will make First. He promoted Joseph. He promoted David. And he will promote us in small ways and in large IF, IF we are humble. Let God assign you to the back of the line, the back of the plane, so that he can promote you.

Be Blessed
The Blackshears