Stand up saints!

This coming November USA election, as any election, will tell the world where our heart truly is.

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

The word wicked comes from Dutch wiek and German Wieche = ‘wick yarn.’ In other words to twist, to spin, and to weave.

The righteous, those who are in right relationship with God, have a moral responsibility to vote out of office anyone who is wicked – those who twist the truth, who spin the truth and who weave deception, and vote into office those who represent what is true and honorable, and what is in line with our Founding Documents.

If the true Christian community would allow Scripture to guide them when they vote and not what the media tells them, or what some greedy, self-absorbed politician tells them, we would not have renegade politicians and judges writing and dictating laws that are in violation of our Constitution.

It is time for the sleeping giant called the Church to exercise her God-given authority – the legal right to publicly act on His behalf.

STAND!

Ephesians 6:10ff

Verse 14 – “Stand firm therefore” ~ What are you there for? To stand for truth. To stand firm in spite of outside pressures whatever the source.

Acts 2:14 – “But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven”. When the church unites the world will be turned upside down, actually turned back right side up.

One of David’s men took a stand in a lentil field and defeated the Philistines – all by himself [2 Samuel 23:11,12].

YOUR life counts!

YOUR one vote counts!

What do YOU stand for?

Who do YOU stand for?

It is past time for the righteous to take this country back from the wicked.

The popular pop culture icons, and those media pundits who are anti God and anti Christ Jesus should not be determining what we think or do or how we vote.

The apostle Paul said this in 2 Corinthians 5:16a – “Therefore, from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh.” There is that word ‘therefore’ again.

“Therefore, from now on”. Just because we did something a certain way in the past does not mean we should continue to do it that way from now on.

“According to the flesh” means according to their outward appearance [gender, color of skin, the way they present themselves, what they say, etc.]

We should look at their life not their image!

Jesus said we should judge people, and that we would know people by their fruit.

One way to look at the life of a politician or judge is to examine their record [their fruit].

• How do they vote?
• What decisions have they made?
• Have they voted to enslave people to the government?
• Have they empowered people to become great apart from the government?
• Have they rendered decisions that protect people’s freedoms or have they rendered decisions that restrict people’s ability to achieve greatness by their individual gifts, pursuits, hard work?
• Have they made laws or rendered decisions that create a dependency on the government, which is really a dependency on the tax payers because the government does not generate income – they seize it through taxation.
• Have the decisions they make given us taxation without representation? In other words, are we getting what we are paying for or have the politicians created a caste system here in the USA?
• Have their decisions enabled the citizens to self-govern [be personally responsible for their actions]?

I used the word ‘pundit’ earlier in this blog. Pundit and ‘pandit’ have the same origin. A pandit is a Hindu scholar learned in Sanskrit and Hindu philosophy and religion, typically also a practicing priest.

This blog is not about Hinduism so I will be brief. Hinduism is a pantheistic [many gods] religious belief system that enslaves the masses, except the privileged who have reached a higher level of ascendancy. It is built on a caste system and teaches reincarnation [there is no death and then the judgment, you keep coming back as another person or animal until you are cleansed and reach nirvana].

Christianity believes in inner conversion. Hinduism believes in inner enlightenment. Christianity believes in individual responsibility. Hinduism believes individuality is an illusion [we are real but we are not distinct from God or from one another].

If you would do a cursory study of this insidious cult you will find how our renegade leaders are establishing a political and intellectual elite class [caste] that has every intention on enslaving the rest of us by utilizing some of these teachings.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting to get a different result.

How is the way we have determined our candidates worked out for us?

For HIS Glory!
Dr. Kevin M. Drury, DMin
A Hisstorymaker

Death and life are in the power of the tongue [Proverbs 18:21a].

Faith convinces us that God created the world through his spoken word [Hebrews 11:3 GWT].

God created our world by His spoken word.

We know that when He got done He saw it was very good [Genesis 1:31]!

What happened after that was man,

through his own willful choices,

introduced the opposite of what God made and declared.

God is so good – He causes the sun to rise and the rain to fall on both the evil and good, the just and the unjust [MT 5:45]. The context of this statement is God’s love, which Jesus was teaching His disciples how to recognize.

Have you ever thought that it is quite possible that a lack of rain is a result of false prophets – people who represent God but do not have His heart – speaking curses on people and regions? A lack of rain is not just bad because it creates a lack of water. It also creates an overabundance of heat. The end result is a desert [barren, abandoned] land.

I believe it is time for the true prophets of God to begin releasing God’s love and goodness into people and regions so that His blessing of a balance between sunshine and rain will be felt by everyone. When this begins to happen we will actually begin to see the deserts bloom.

There is an account in Luke’s Gospel, chapter 9, that really brings into view the difference between God’s heart and men’s hearts that have not yet been transformed by God’s heart..

New King James Bible

51 Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, ⁵²and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. ⁵³But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. ⁵⁴And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” ⁵⁵But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. ⁵⁶For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.”And they went to another village.

~~~ Look at some other translations and how they interpret this confrontation

between Jesus and two very important members of His team ~~~~

The MESSAGE Bible

⁵¹When it came close to the time for his Ascension, he gathered up his courage and steeled himself for the journey to Jerusalem. ⁵²He sent messengers on ahead. They came to a Samaritan village to make arrangements for his hospitality. ⁵³But when the Samaritans learned that his destination was Jerusalem, they refused hospitality. ⁵⁴When the disciples James and John learned of it, they said, “Master, do you want us to call a bolt of lightning down out of the sky and incinerate them?”

⁵⁵Jesus turned on them: “Of course not!” ⁵⁶And they traveled on to another village.

New Life Bible

⁵¹It was about time for Jesus to be taken up into heaven. He turned toward Jerusalem and was sure that nothing would stop Him from going. ⁵²He sent men on ahead of Him. They came to a town in Samaria. There they got things ready for Jesus. ⁵³The people did not want Him there because they knew He was on His way to Jerusalem. ⁵⁴James and John, His followers, saw this. They said, “Lord, do You want us to speak so fire will come down from heaven and burn them up as Elijah did?” ⁵⁵Jesus turned and spoke sharp words to them. (*He said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you have. ⁵⁶The Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives. He came to save them from the punishment of sin.” They went on their way to another town.)

Green’s Literal Translation

51 And it happened in the fulfilling of the days of His taking up, even He set His face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And He sent messengers before His face. And going they went into a village of Samaritans, so as to make ready for Him. 53 And they did not receive Him, because His face was going toward Jerusalem. 54 And seeing, His disciples, James and John, said Lord, do You desire that we tell fire to come down from Heaven, and to destroy them even as Elijah did? 2 K. 1:10-12 55 But turning He rebuked them. And He said, You do not know of what spirit you are. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save. And they went to another village.

Young’s Literal Translation

51 And it came to pass, in the completing of the days of his being taken up, that he fixed his face to go on to Jerusalem, 52 and he sent messengers before his face, and having gone on, they went into a village of Samaritans, to make ready for him, 53 and they did not receive him, because his face was going on to Jerusalem. 54 And his disciples James and John having seen, said, `Sir, wilt thou [that] we may command fire to come down from the heaven, and to consume them, as also Elijah did?’ 55 and having turned, he rebuked them, and said, `Ye have not known of what spirit ye are; 56 for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save;’ and they went on to another village.

New Century Version

⁵¹When the time was coming near for Jesus to depart, he was determined to go to Jerusalem. ⁵²He sent some men ahead of him, who went into a town in Samaria to make everything ready for him. ⁵³But the people there would not welcome him, because he was set on going to Jerusalem. ⁵⁴When James and John, followers of Jesus, saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven and destroy those people?” ⁵⁵But Jesus turned and scolded them. ⁵⁶Then they went to another town.

I could go on and on but I think the imagery is very clear. James and John would become pillars in the early Church. John would go on and become known as “the disciple Jesus loved” and apostle of love.

These men and a number too numerous to count of men and women throughout Church history have given there lives to advance God’s love into the darkest and most dangerous of regions. Why? So that God could destroy those people and the region they lived in?

To use The Message Bible’s phrase – “Of course not!”

Father God is a redeemer not a destroyer!

Father God is a lover not an abuser!

And those who are mature are like their Father [Matthew 5:45a, 48]!

For HIS Glory!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury
A Hisstorymaker

“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”

[Colossians 3:2]

“Set your mind on things above” is talking about the Person of God, the Presence of God, the Purposes of God, the Promises of God, and the Priorities of God. It is not talking about some outer limits of space beyond what any eye, whether human or mechanical can see.

“Set your mind on things above” = Heaven should determine our thoughts, prayers, dreams, imaginations and expectations.

Where we set our mind is important!

Are we setting our mind on the activity of heaven, or earth?

Earth is the location of problems!

Heaven is the location of solutions!

Jesus lived on earth, from heaven to earth, therefore He brought heaven to earth, resulting in storms being calmed, the sick being healed, the defeat of death, thousands being fed with small amounts of food, people being directed to their destination not to their present location, and many other wonderful and positive things.

The Greek root word for “set” means ~

1. to fence in, block up, stop up, close up
2. to put to silence

Have you ever been accused of being close-minded? Have you ever accused someone of being close-minded?

Jesus said He ONLY did what He saw His Father do and He ONLY said what He heard His Father say. That sounds like He admitted to being close-minded.

Look at what Jesus said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but [you are setting your mind on] man’s [interests]” [Matthew 16:23].

And look what Paul wrote to the saints living in Philippi ~

“Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself” [3:17-21].

There are times when we must be close minded!

For instance, in John 10 Jesus told His disciples that His sheep hear His voice and the voice of a stranger they would not follow. Jesus did not say His sheep could, or would not hear the voices of strangers. He said His sheep would not follow strangers.

Jesus said His sheep would follow Him!

There is a difference between hearing other voices and listening to them. Hearing something means you are not deaf. Listening to something means you are giving attention to it and the source, and can be influenced by what and who you are listening to. In other words, hearing is a physical process, while listening is a cognitive, emotional skill.

The second definition of the word ‘set’ means to put to silence. To put something to silence means that something we are hearing is not something that we want to listen to, so we close our mind to it. We may have to change the radio or TV channel or turn them off. We may have to leave the room. We may have to say, “Enough! I don’t want to hear that anymore!”

The Greek word for ‘mind’ is the same word for ‘set’. It means ~

• to be of the same mind i.e. agreed together, cherish the same views, be harmonious

• to direct one’s mind to a thing, to seek, to strive for

As I have written before in several blogs both the Kingdom of Light and the kingdom of darkness operate through agreement.

Peter allowed his mind to be influenced by human reasoning which is where the dark one flourishes. It is interesting that Jesus said to Peter, “Your mind is on man’s interests.” Why didn’t He say, “Your mind is on the devil’s interests.” The devil uses humanistic mindsets to advance his kingdom agenda.

Paul said the Philippians were submitting to an inferior god – their human appetites. In other words, they were following the way of Esau who forfeited his inheritance for a bowl of food.

We worship who and what we submit to.

Where, and on whom is your mind set? Who are you allowing to influence your mind [thoughts, hopes, dreams, prayers, aspirations, inspirations, imaginations and expectations]?

Your very life depends on how you answer that question?

Set your mind on things above!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury
A Hisstorymaker

The wilderness is not supposed to be a place of barrenness for the child of God. Actually, it is supposed to be a place of great fruitfulness. Instead of expecting a desert look for an oasis. Run to the wilderness and embrace it.

Hosea was a prophet that God told to marry a prostitute by the name of Gomer. Hosea’s name means ‘salvation’. It is related to Joshua and Jeshua [Jesus]. Joshua and Jeshua mean ‘Yahweh is salvation’.

Gomer’s name means complete. The interesting thing about Gomer is that she was not living out the reality of her God-given identity. She was a broken person that was was in need of love and went from man to man to try and find true love and acceptance.

Hosea and Gomer’s relationship was rocky at best. The whole story is about the powerful influence pure love [Salvation] has in the life of someone struggling to manage themselves. God, through Hosea [salvation] presented Gomer with the opportunity to receive love at a level that had escaped her grasp. God knew that Gomer needed salvation [Hosea]. Gomer’s need was much greater than being forgiven. Since Christ came with the message of salvation it’s meaning has been reduced to forgiveness. Salvation means wholeness. Gomer needed to be made whole so that she could be complete. She needed an encounter that would bring her to her true identity.

In chapter two verse fourteen we see God saying this, “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, bring her into the wilderness and speak kindly to her.” God is taking the initiative for the restoration process to begin and to be completed. God always takes the initiative. That is what happened when He sent the Word to become human. The verse says that God will ‘allure’ her, ‘bring her into the wilderness’, and ‘speak kindly to her.’

God is demonstrating His ability to manage Himself when others cannot or do not manage themselves. If we believe God to be angry, vengeful and looking to punish then this verse may give us trouble. He allured Gomer. To allure means to be wide, open, spacious and to seduce. What we see here is God’s promise to hold nothing back in regard to His love. It reveals that God is bigger than the problem. It also reveals that God is able to be vulnerable [open].

The word seduce seems to be a problem, especially with our modern understanding of the word. We think of it in terms of illicit, perverted behavior. Obviously, we know that does not describe a holy God whose love is always pure. So what can we learn from the truth that God seduced Gomer? Seduce comes from the latin ‘se’ which means away or apart and ‘ducere’ which means to lead. God, in alluring Gomer, redirected her from a life of abuse, shame and dangerous exposure toward a life of genuine, deep and meaningful love. God was showing her the path to becoming who she really was ~ complete.

We also see in verse fourteen that God brought Gomer to the wilderness. God brought her there, He did not banish her there. This was not a plan of isolation and punishment. This was not a “go to your room and do without everything you ever enjoyed”. This was a let us, you and Me, go to a place where we can reconnect and deepen our love for one another. This was a place of intimacy.

For the believer, the wilderness is a place of intimacy. Intimacy means into-me-see. It is a place of getting real. It is said of Adam and Eve that they were naked and not ashamed. This means so much more than they did not have clothes on. It means that were okay in their own skin. It means that they were comfortable being themselves. It means they were not trying to control each other and it means that they were real with each other. Adam and Eve were open with each other. My, how far has having an open marriage fallen.

Oh the wilderness. The wilderness can be a pasture, uninhabited land, and large tracts of wilderness around a city. This does not sound like a desert does it? In a pasture the Shepherd feeds us. He gives us rest in green pastures. In a wilderness we are close enough to civilization without being crowded by it. It also means uninhabited. Uninhabited means unoccupied, not populated, not lived in, empty, vacant and unsettled.

Salvation wants to go with us into the areas of our lives that are not productive and release life. Proverbs tells us that where there is no ox the stall is clean but much increase comes with an ox. Emptiness is way overrated. God wants to fill every area of our lives. The mind that has not been renewed says, ‘Lord, more of you and less of me.’ The renewed mind realizes that God already had less of us and He wants all of us. Our prayer should be, ‘More of You in more of me.’

Now, what are the uninhabited areas of our lives that are uninhabitable. That describes much of Gomer’s life. She was a mess. We don’t know why she was a mess. We don’t know why she could not be satisfied in relationships. We do not know what drove her to prostitution. What we do know is God sent salvation to fix all of her problems.

All of us have areas in our lives that are uninhabitable. Each of us have stuff that God cannot bless. It may be ugly sin or it may be lies we believe, places we refuse to look at or just life in general that gets in His way.

The beauty of salvation is that those areas do not scare it. Salvation thrives in the junk rooms of people’s lives. So God brought Gomer into those areas of her life. Salvation never enters those areas to join them. Salvation enters in to reform them. Salvation gives new life to old things that are dead.

And finally verse fourteen tells us that God spoke kindly to Gomer and comforted her. Love never punishes. Love never demeans. Love never puts people down. Love always elevates people to what God sees in them. Loves never focuses on the problems people have. Love always brings out the best in people.

It is the kindness of God that leads people to repent. Genuine repentance leads to life, which means departing from everything that is dead. If our ‘I’m sorry’ does not lead to God’s heart and God’s way then it is void of genuine meaning.

God is love! And love [God] is patient, kind, and is not provoked. Love does not change when it is confronted with sin. Love is powerful and knows that in the end it will wind. Love never fails!

For HIS Glory!

Dr. Kevin M. Drury