GET OUT OF THE REARVIEW MIRROR (Part II)

GET OUT OF THE REARVIEW MIRROR! (Part II)

It is a dangerous and destructive thing to be trapped in the past and unable to live joyfully in the present because we are plagued by the issues and challenges of yesteryears.  So make up your mind to lay aside those cumbersome weights and refuse to pass through days and nights pondering PAST tragedies, PAST mishaps and PAST sins.  Set yourself free from the PARALYSIS OF ANALYSIS. (Hebrews 12:1)

Thanks be to God, my rearview mirror [a very powerful one] was purposefully incinerated by the effectual power of the Holy Spirit.  This was no ACCIDENT; it was a PROVIDENT!  So I’m not about to look back anymore!  In the words of St. Paul, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal [the goal is always in front of me…never behind me] for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus!” (Philippians 3:13-14)

Let’s peep in on Satan’s game show, shall we?  Here is one standard satanic deception.  He desperately desires that we become focused on and fascinated by what we see in our rearview mirrors…especially during moments when our windshield view (our forward view) is distorted by proverbial storms of rain, fog, sleet, or snow!

Listen up, my friend.  Don’t you dare drive into your future using only your rearview mirror!

The billionaire investor, Warren Buffet, said it this way: “In the business world, the rearview mirror is always clearer than the windshield.” That’s a profound truth, both naturally and spiritually.  All it means is this: hindsight is 20/20 vision!  Therefore, our past mistakes are clearly visible to us, and perhaps for the whole world to see!  But here is my editorial commentary on what others supposedly ‘see’: “SO WHAT!” 

Be aware that it requires both FAITH and FORTITUDE to have a forward look.  Because the forward look is visionary.  It is progressive.  It is outside-of-the-box.  And it is absolutely essential.  It requires TRUST because we do not know what will happen TOMORROW and since even our forward vision can be situationally limited.  That’s the nature of life.  But that’s also the essence of faith.  We simply do not know what lies ahead, what we may encounter just around the bend!  That’s why “the just shall live by faith” – because the plans, provisions and promises of God are manifested to believers step-by-step, that is “from faith to faith.” (Romans 1:17)

If you find yourself looking back every time you start to move forward, it means that you are tethered to something in your past.  Always remember: Your past is extremely jealous of your future!  Don’t let it become a blessing blocker.

Lot’s wife had a severe case of REARVIEW MIRROR SYNDROME!   Jesus wisely instructs us to “remember Lot’s wife” because faithlessness denied her of purpose and destiny. (Luke 17:32 – Genesis 19:24-26)

The children of Israel were also profoundly impacted by REARVIEW MIRROR SYNDROME!  (Numbers 11:4-5) We would do well to reflect carefully on their collective crisis of faith in the Sinai wilderness.  Bottom-line: The Israelites could not attain the abundant blessings of the PROMISED LAND until an entire generation of ‘slave-mentality’ people had passed away.  Once they crossed The Red Sea, they were free geographically and physically, but still enslaved emotionally and spiritually.  Hear me!  YOUR PROMISED LAND will likewise remain inaccessible unless and until YOU GET ALL OF THE EGYPT OUT OF YOU!  Here’s a telegram from Heaven for someone: You have been SAVED FROM SIN; now it’s time to get SAVED FROM PEOPLE!

But don’t fret.  There is an available RHEMA.  There is a REMEDY for REARVIEW MIRROR SYNDROME!  Here is the Heavenly Prescription for all that ails you. It’s plain and simple: “LOOKING UNTO JESUS…the AUTHOR and FINISHER of our FAITH.” (Hebrews 12:2)

Stay tuned…more to come tomorrow!

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

GET OUT OF THE REARVIEW MIRROR (Part I)

GET OUT OF THE REARVIEW MIRROR! (Part I)

Sometimes it’s a wise and wonderful thing to look back.  We can never afford to forget our spiritual legacy, i.e. the life lessons and blessings gleaned in our past.  It’s called gratitude, a rather rare commodity in our day.  And we certainly do not want to develop SPIRITUAL AMNESIA, which means we have forgotten where GOD has brought us from or what He requires of us.  So sometimes it’s a good thing to look back.

However, it is a dangerous and destructive thing to become trapped in our past and unable to live joyfully in the now because we are plagued and perturbed by the issues and challenges of yesterday.  Please make up your mind to lay aside that weight. (Hebrews 12:1) Refuse to spend days and nights pondering PAST tragedies, PAST mishaps, or PAST sins.  Free yourself from the paralysis of analysis.

When it comes down to your FORGIVEN SINS, how dare you join in with the enemy of your soul and accuse yourself day and night?  That’s Satan’s miserable mission., not yours.  But here’s some great news.  His satanic mess and message will SOON come to an end.  The Apostle John confirmed it while exiled on the island of Patmos: “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, now is come salvation, and strength, and the Kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.” (Revelation 12:10)

This Kingdom principle is so important that it bears repetition.  Why would you make the unwise choice to join in with satan and accuse yourself IF you have been covered by the blood of Jesus?  Hear me now!  IF I should fall asleep before the Rapture of the Church…IF I should find myself knock-knock-knocking on Heaven’s door...IF anyone should call out through the pearly gates, “Who is it?”…let me tell you how I would respond.  I would NOT answer “It’s Wayne Bass.”  There is no power or spiritual authority in that name.  I’m not trippin’ – but if an angel should call out “Who is it?” – my response will be simply this: “It’s Jesus!”  How could I truthfully respond like this?  Because the Word declares “If any man be IN CHRIST… he is a new creature!” (II Corinthians 5:17)  “And [I am] found IN HIM, not having mine own righteousness, but that which is through the FAITH OF CHRIST!” (Philippians 3:9) 

I love how the Apostle Paul sums it up: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places…and HATH RAISED US UP TOGETHER and made us sit together in heavenly places IN CHRIST JESUS.” (Ephesians 1:3 and 2:4-6)  So the Word declares that we are already there…IN CHRIST JESUS…so we have a bona fide and blood-bought right to announce ourselves with bold confidence at Heaven’s gates: “IT’S JESUS!”  Somebody ought to shout “AMEN!”

Allow this truth to settle in your spirit.  How dare you ponder and perish in memories of things that GOD has already forgotten!  Our Lord and Savior declares: “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” (Hebrews 8:12) How dare you become fixated and focused on LOOKING BACK when GOD has forgiven you and restored you to full fellowship with Him?

First natural, then spiritual.  Unless I am about to change lanes while driving along the highway, there is no pressing need to look in the mirror – other than to satisfy my curiosity about what is behind me, or to check out my personal appearance.  Note to self: Don’t look too long!  Fact is, if I never needed to change lanes on the highway, I would not actually need a rearview mirror, not very much at all.

Here is a prophetic message for some – and you know who you are.  In this season, you will not have to worry about changing lanes.  So move forward!  Drive straight ahead unless you hear a redirecting Rhema from Heaven.  Sisters and brothers, since you won’t be changing lanes right now, you will not be requiring a rearview mirror.  At any rate, perhaps you have been looking into that mirror too long…perhaps you are so moved and mesmerized by what is behind…perhaps you are so caught up in old images of yourself that you cannot see what God has planned and prepared.  “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11, NKJV) 

Bear this in mind.  What so many have become focused on (and obsessed with) is THE OLD IMAGE OF YOU.  It’s how you used to look.  It’s how you used to be.  It’s those things you used to say and do.  It’s where you used to hang out and get hung up.  Fact is, you may not even be seeing what you THINK you are seeing!  Hear me with your spirit!  Images can be profoundly distorted – especially in your side-view mirror.  Have you considered that tiny inscription on the side-view mirror?  “Objects in the mirror may be CLOSER than they APPEAR!”  It’s an entirely distorted view.  Some of us claim that we are tired of people looking at us with that so-called SIDE-EYE, but here is an inconvenient truth.: PERHAPS YOU ARE LOOKING AT YOURSELF WITH A SIDE-EYE…MORE SO THAN ANYONE ELSE!

SO GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK, and do it NOW!  Telling your future by focusing on your past assumes that conditions always remain constant.  This is tantamount to driving your car forward while ONLY looking in your rearview mirror.  It’s not reasonable.  It’s not right.  It’s not wise.  It’s not safe.  Get out the rearview mirror.  You just might crash.

Stay tuned…more to come tomorrow!

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

THE SPIRITUAL CHALLENGES OF LIBERTY

THE SPIRITUAL CHALLENGES OF LIBERTY

Today marks the 240th anniversary of America’s Declaration of Independence from British colonial rule. Indeed, it is a high and happy holiday in the USA – from festivals and fireworks to parades and picnics to block parties and boisterous family gatherings. Needless to say, abundant food and drink have become perennial centerpieces in our national celebration.

Admittedly, I am an American – through and through. I dearly love what I believe to be one of the most significant iterations of governmental democracy in human history.

But, in all humility and honesty, I must ask a very sobering question:

AS A NATION, ARE WE REALLY FREE?

ARE WE REALLY FREE…when our ethical standards and moral values are in a state of freefall?

ARE WE REALLY FREE…when our President, our Supreme Court and other national leaders boldly espouse socio-cultural views that are diametrically opposite to the requirements in the Word of God?

ARE WE REALLY FREE…when the state of our Congress is precisely analogous to a divorcing couple submitting judicial claims of irreconcilable differences?

ARE WE REALLY FREE…when we cannot agree on any sensible strategies to stem the rising tide of global terrorism and genocide?

ARE WE REALLY FREE…when our national political discourse more closely resembles a wrestling cage match than a serious presidential election?

ARE WE REALLY FREE…when both prayer and The Holy Writ are permanently banned from public schools, precipitating an historic tsunami of chaos, disrespect and degradation in our classrooms?

ARE WE REALLY FREE…when “liberty and justice for all” seem to be freely available to some, not to others?

ARE WE REALLY FREE…when racial polarity and divisiveness are experiencing an exponential resurgence in our society?

ARE WE REALLY FREE…when many communities of faith are experiencing massive declines in participation?

ARE WE REALLY FREE…when the mere mention of GOD is politically incorrect and anathema in the public square?

According to King David. the true measure of liberty is our individual and corporate determination to embrace and exemplify the eternal truth and precepts of God. (Psalm 119:45)

According to the Apostle Paul, true liberty exists where the Spirit of the Lord is allowed to flow freely among us. (II Corinthians 3:17) As such, true liberty should never become a stumbling block to assist those who are weak or marginalized. (I Corinthians 8:9) Rather, our participation in “the glorious liberty of the children of God” should always inspire us to love and mobilize us to serve one another. (Romans 8:21 – Galatians 5:13)

According to the Apostle Peter, true liberty does not position us to become slaves of excess, greed and corruption, but rather to become genuine and compassionate servants of God and our fellowman. (I Peter 2:16 and II Peter 2:19)

AMERICA, WE CAN DO SO MUCH BETTER.

Residing at the very heart of liberty are the twin virtues of responsibility and accountability. America, let us embrace both as intimate friends. Let us move rapidly in the direction of renewal, revival and restoration – before we pass the tipping point, i.e. the point of no return.

This mandate is especially required of our communities of faith. We have been issued a serious challenge by ALMIGHTY GOD: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (II Chronicles 7:14)  How will we respond to our Creator?

I am keenly aware that this is not the expected celebratory message for this Independence Day holiday, but it is a prophetic and necessary one. My motivation is quite simple: I BELIEVE IN GOD AND I BELIEVE IN US.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

FEAR'S EDGES

FEAR’S EDGES

Believe it or not, on today we find ourselves at the start of the second half of 2016.  Time really does fly, or so it seems.  In our days of varsity football, the late Coach Joe Gladys would give us Greyhounds a challenging pep talk before we re-entered the gridiron to commence the second half of competition.  While his talks were always different (based largely upon the scoreboard status), they contained one common theme.  ‘What are we going to do to assure that we are operating at peak performance in the second half of this game?’

As we move into the latter half of 2016, it is imperative that we approach each day and every task with courage and consistency.  We must refuse to live in the shadow of FEAR, which is a highly adept and lethal assassin of our dreams and potential.  Consider the following story, courtesy of Scott Higgins.

Philip Island, in Victoria Australia, plays host to one of the greatest nature experiences possible.  On the shores of Philip Island are the burrows of thousands upon thousands of fairy penguins, extraordinarily cute little birds that stand only 30 centimeters or so tall.  Every morning the adult penguins head out to sea to catch fish.  At the end of the day, they return to land to bring back food for their chicks.  Watching them moving from the water to their burrows is both funny and fascinating.  The penguins surf in on the waves, then gather in groups at the water’s edge.  Their burrows are 100 meters or so distant, with the open space of the sandy beach standing between them and home.

All of a sudden a group of penguins takes off, waddling as fast as their little legs can carry them across the beach.  But then, having traveled only 10 or 15 meters, they suddenly turn around and waddle back toward the water.  They wait, then try again.  One group finally makes it, but another performs this strange ritual of turning back.  And on it goes until eventually all the penguins have crossed the beach and met up with their chicks in the burrows.

What’s really going on here?  Why this strange stop-start-and-return ritual?  The answer is quite simple.  At sea, the birds are fast swimmers and able to dive deep.  So at sea, they are safe from predators such as eagles and hawks.  And in their burrows, they are safe because they are below ground.  But out on the open beach, they are very vulnerable, completely exposed.  On the beach, they can only waddle slowly and thus they are easy pickings for predators.  And so, as they cross over the beach sands, the moment that they see a shadow or anything out of the corner of their eyes, they turn back and race for the safety of the water.

It seems that we humans are a lot like those fairy penguins. When confronted with challenging situations, we find ourselves standing uncertainly at the water’s edge. We know where we’ve got to go. We know that we’ve got to cross that beach and head back toward our home burrow, but it all seems so daunting, so terrifying. You see, whenever we step out of the water and start waddling across the beach, we leave our safety and comfort zone behind. There we find ourselves in ‘no-man’s land’ where it feels uncertain, dangerous and downright disconcerting. However, in order to get home we must leave the safety zone and strike out into THE FAITH ZONE where we encounter both risk and reward.

My friend, it’s called LIFE.  Here’s your question for the remainder of 2016.  Are you up to the challenge of abandoning your anxiety and fear in order to experience the power and embrace the potential of what lies ahead?  Have a fulfilling and fruitful second half.  No fears.  Only faith.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

SINCERITY

SINCERITY

Have you ever wondered why it is common custom to end our letters with the closing salutation, “sincerely yours?”  Actually, this practice has its roots in ancient Rome.  It originates from the historical fact that Roman sculptors would often conceal cracks (in what appeared to be flawless marble statues) with melted beeswax.

However, when the wax would eventually dry up and crumble, the disappointed purchaser would grow quite angry and seek compensation.  In order to protect their reputations, more qualified sculptors started guaranteeing their work as “sine sera,” which means without wax.  Thereafter the phase “sincerely yours” came into common usage.  

In American courtrooms, witnesses are sworn in by responding to the following question: “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”  Under federal law, perjury (lying under oath) carries a very stiff penalty of a fine and up to five years of imprisonment.

In the Kingdom of God, we are required by our Creator to be people of highest integrity.  As a matter of fact, God places such a premium value on honesty and sincerity that His Word declares: “He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; he who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.” (Psalm 101:7)

Sincerity is an open heart that produces honest communication.

In certain circumstances, honesty might appear to have the capacity to work against our best interests.  But it is always the God-option, i.e. the only path that dedicated disciples determine to travel.  Any other road leads us far away from The One who is “the way, THE TRUTH, and the life.” (John 14:6)

Colossians 3:9-10

Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.

Always walk in truth.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

MUCH MORE THAN THIS

MUCH MORE THAN THIS

Have you ever looked critically into the mirror image of your life and wondered silently, “Is that all there is?  Could it be possible that I was created for much more than this?”

Consider the curious story of Eddie, the baby eaglet.  He entered this world by audaciously forcing his way out of a hard eggshell.  Later he learned that he would share a large nest at the top of a tall tree with his eaglet siblings.

One day a strong gust of wind blew by and the family nest rocked wildly from side to side – at one point tipping so far that poor little Eddie fell out of his nest and comfort zone.  Since he was not yet old enough to fly, Eddie spiraled down, down, down through the branches.  Amazingly, he landed safely atop a rabbit burrow at the base of the tree.  Standing erect, Eddie found himself situated among a group of young bunnies that had been born around the same time as he.

Rabbits may be good breeders, but they’re not exceptionally smart.  So no one seemed to realize that Eddie was actually a baby eagle. They all assumed him to be a rather odd-looking rabbit.  So Eddie was fully accepted into the family and grew up believing to be (and living as) a rabbit.  He learned the basics of hopping and jumping; and he lived in the family burrow, existing on a daily diet of grass and lettuce.

Predictably, all of his life Eddie struggled with a tragic sense of identity inferiority.  He simply did not look like other rabbits.  He was always the last chosen for hopping games.  And he was often terribly ill from eating green grass.

But his life was destined to experience a radical change.  Eddie and his rabbit siblings were out in the field playing when a dark shadow suddenly spread itself across the ground.  The rabbits looked up and spied a mighty eagle hurtling towards them with phenomenal power and speed.

With frantic squeals of fear, those rabbits ran as fast as they could for the undergrowth.  Eddie knew that he was a goner because he couldn’t run as fast.  His heart sank as he watched them reaching safety while he was still hopping around in the open field.  The mighty eagle drew closer and closer, until Eddie could feel its force right above him.  And just when Eddie had braced himself for the inevitable, he heard the mighty eagle cry out, “What are you doing hopping around on the ground like a rabbit?  You’re an eagle.  Spread your wings and fly!”

Quite startled by the shock of what was happening, but totally motivated by the eagle’s words, Eddie started to move those ‘useless’ things that were attached to his sides.  For the very first time, he stretched out his God-given wings and started flapping until he found himself lifting off the ground and soaring effortlessly through the heavens. That day Eddie discovered that he had never been designed to hop clumsily on the ground but to soar gracefully through the skies.

The same is equally true of us.  God thoughtfully created and carefully crafted us – with enormous dignity, honor and purpose – to be his very image and spiritual ambassadors on the earth.  However, we grow up in societies that tell us that we are something other than those magnificent creations made in the very likeness of God.  Nevertheless, on the miraculous day that we experience the new birth, we start to discover our true nature, that we can indeed reflect, renew, rise and soar, that we can become anything and everything that HE has designed us to be.

My friend, you are much more than this.  Discover your wings.

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!

THE OPPOSITIONAL VOICE OF JESUS CHRIST

THE OPPOSITIONAL VOICE OF JESUS CHRIST

In yesterday’s devotional, it was an honor and privilege to post some of the powerful words of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Reading them again caused me to reflect on Who HE is and who WE have become.

While so many in the arena of politics and in the realm of entertainment claim close connections to Christ (with such pride, audacity and ease), the teachings of Jesus are a stern rebuke to our societal values and lifestyles.

In effect, the message of Jesus is a perennial proclamation to us: ‘Don’t believe the hype!’  Don’t rely on the silver screen, the latest song lyrics, or a popular political movement for truth.  Indeed, they are all lying – all speaking only half-truths at best.

Jesus Christ declares that the poor in spirit are blessed, as opposed to the rich who (according to Him) will enter into His Kingdom with great difficulty due to a greater love for goods than for God.

Jesus Christ suggests that the mourners are blessed because they shall be surrounded and sustained by His comforting presence and power.

Jesus Christ contends that those who hunger and thirst for His righteousness are blessed because they find themselves seeking His face and fellowship, not dashing for dollars, rands, francs, yuans, rubles, pesos, pounds, or euros.

Jesus Christ challenges us all with two primary questions: 1) “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”  2) “What will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36-37)

I firmly believe that western civilization has morphed into a rat race for prosperity, prestige, positions and possessions.  And I am gravely concerned that the institutional church (not the invisible church) has become a co-dependent, compromising and willing partner in a material quest that leads us further away from the truth and distances us from our Creator.

So let’s resolve to do something radically different.  Let’s tune out any and all voices that contravene the message and mission of The Anointed One.  It goes without saying, but I will say it anyway: Christ is all! 

He alone is “the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:6)  

HE ALONE…neither presidents, nor prime ministers, nor royalty, nor captains of industry, nor clergy, nor congress, nor courts, nor world-class athletes, nor superstar entertainers, nor anyone else.  

HE ALONE.

Anything else (no matter how gleaming its glow or attractive its allure) is only vain, secondary, destructive and futile. (Ecclesiastes 1:2)

Sisters and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!