John 15 is a beautiful picture of the Husbandman’s nurturing and pruning of us as living branches. “Every branch (or, believer) in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” A branch that is not bearing fruit will be cut off by the Husbandman. Another branch, on the same vine, may be bearing fruit but needs purging. The purging is only for the purpose of enabling the Vine to produce more fruit through that branch. Verse six continues: “If a man abides not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” A man seeking to live independent of the Vine is just like the barren twigs of a branch. Both are unhealthy detractions to the fruit-bearing branches.

It is crucial to note that denying self is not self-denial.  Self-denial is to deny one’s self things as a form of obedience in order to project an image of a person who is bearing fruit. But on the inside, everything remains all about you.  If this sounds like you, you may look alive externally, but you are not abiding internally in the Vine.  You look alive on the outside with your sacrifices painting a well kept facade, but you are dead on the inside.

Self-denial is what we choose when we obey rules for the purpose of outward conformity to a set of standards as proof of our righteousness to people.  That is symbolism.  Paul warned us of these type of Judiazers when he said beware of dogs, evil workers and those of the concision (Phil 3:2).  These people groups stressed faith through outward conformity alone.  Outward conformity should not be onlystressed, but rather should be expressed.  Conformity is an outward expression of your inward Possession – Christ.  Outward conformity should originate from what the Word would suggest; our minds are able to ingest so our hearts can digest.  Then our spirit will impress and the soul, at rest, will beautifully express.  Conformity should be an expression.  Not simply dogmatically stressed by leaders.   When it is only externally stressed, it creates a mess in which your followers regress and eventually digress.  Standards are important (self-denial of your preferences to adhere to particular biblical, spiritual, or professional standards.) Self-denial is admirable and profitable.   But still, outward conformity to the God’s law is not denying self.  It’s only selfish denials.

Self is defined best as “one’s own fondness for their private interests whereby they obtain a sense of personal identity.” It is who you think you can be if you could only be what you wished you could be.  Denymeans “to contradict.” To deny self is simply contradicting that person within us that seeks our own private interests over the interests of the Christ living within us.

We find a perfect picture of One denying self in a garden, on a dark and sobering night. One Man found weeping. His agony is so intense that He is literally sweating drops of blood. His crying words must have shaken the courts of heaven, as His Heavenly Father listened to the weeping cry of His only Son—“Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42) He knew the agony of having his own private interests, yet being willing to contradict His flesh and yield to the interests of His Heavenly Father.  There is no better example of One dying to self.

Foreknowing His cross to bear, the Lord Jesus cried out to His inquisitive followers: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up my cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) Denying self demands a death. It is a death to the portion of our branch that doesn’t need the Vine—the self life. It bears no fruit. And if it gains control of our being, our entire branch will be full of its death.  But the branch that will remain connected will not be rejected; its life will not be neglected.  Denying self does not look for deliverance of the impending death of self.  But denial of the self life realizes it is the only way to the Life found after the cross. Denying self recognizes it is for the sake of others who may never appreciate it or utilize the benefit of it. Denying self begins with awareness to the emptiness of self and is fanned by a passion to yield to the greater Life living within.

Any spiritual fire that is struggling for oxygenation is being suffocated by the presence of one element—the presence of self. A suffering spiritual flame is in some form or fashion holding on to a private interest whereby one obtains his sense of personal identity. Whatever it is for you, my suffering friend, it is slowly snuffing out your spiritual blaze. You may know in your head that you need to let go. You know the words to say, “I just trust the Lord.”  But in your prayer garden, your words to your Heavenly Father are questions, wondering why He would allow such a threat to your private interests. Sure, they may even look spiritual. But nonetheless, they are yours. And you won’t let go of whatever it is. Friend, it is such a person who has mastered self-denial, but has no clue in denying self.

This principal of denying self lays the foundation to the Crucified Christian Life. When one has discovered it, he too can proclaim as the Apostle Paul, I die daily! Denying self will keep the embers burning of a consistent flame. Denying self will revive a dying flame. And denying self will keep the barrenness removed from our branches.

Good Morning! Why are so many born again believers miserable?  What part of our lives is so bad that the grace of God is seldom enough to endure it, much less enjoy it?  This ought not to be!

Remember that at RU we like to dissect Bible verses and define words.  At RU we consider clichés to be our enemy!  We want to contemplate word meanings whenever we are discussing answers to life’s problems as found in the Bible.

As a result, there is probably no cliché that we re-define and remind more than the word “grace”.  It is best defined as “God’s work on my behalf”.  It is really “God at work, me at rest” in all of life’s circumstances.  The only prerequisite for God’s grace is my “humility in the face of HIS workload”.

So many Christian people I meet are discouraged with their life.  Many of these people seem to struggle to even make it through the day.  But it seems to me that the believers that have it the worst in their daily circumstances are the ones that seem to be the happiest in the midst of it all.  How does that work?  Humility!

Humility is another cliché that needs to be often defined.  Humility is “ubmission to the divine will of God for your life”  Many say they are submitted but when we actually see what God chooses to DEAL out to us in the form of adversity, we must determine by our responses if we are truly submissive.

If I ask my kids to enjoy something that they may find inconvenient and they commit to do so, only to complain and show basic feelings of misery in the midst of that moment of inconvenience, have they truly submitted?  We would all say “no!”

But as His children we often have a different view of submission for ourselves.  As long as we are enduring life without quitting church or publicly blaspheming God then we consider ourselves submissive.  That’s not submission. That is disrespectful and ungrateful endurance.

Humility is better defined by its behavior than by its meaning.  To be humble is to be submissive to God’s will for our life both externally in your words, and internally in our mind.  If that is where we are then God gives more grace, for we have been humbled.  God’s grace will be enough to not only endure our life, but to enjoy our life, no matter the cards we feel have been improperly dealt.

With that said, how does humility behave, that we may compare our thoughts and actions to what God would consider proper behavior?

Humility, fist of all is free of pride (which is an undue esteem of one’s self).  Freedom is free of arrogance (which is an undue disregard for others).  Thus freedom thinks more of others than oneself.  When we are facing difficult circumstance it is very hard to think of others rather than ones self.  Why?  Because we become proud.  Now, yes, we can defend that self-focus as an understandable response to my circumstances but we cannot say we are remaining humble for our focus has changed from others toward ourselves.  God is NOT standing by to do the work in a proud man’s life.  He is standing by to RESIST the word of that proud man.  Even though that proud man denies his pride and defends his self focus.

Humility, as well, is a “modest estimate of one’s own worth”.  When we are struggling with difficulty in our lives, we need to realize that we are nothing and He is our all.  We will then accept our position as deserving of any suffering for His name’s sake.

But usually we assume an “it’s not fair” mentality.  That is not a modest estimate of our worth.  Our feelings in the face of adversity should not be “it’s not fair” but rather it should be “I’m not worthy!”  This small change in your heart’s attitude is what unleashes God’s grace to not only endure that situation, but to enjoy that situation.

Humility is best expressed by one’s “deep sense of unworthiness in the sight of the Lord.”  Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up.  Friends, we need to remember to abase ourselves.  If something is happening to us that we would never wish on another, recognize that God has wished it upon us.  When God gives us bread, refuse to think it is a stone!  God sees it as good, why can we not?  We are not humble, that is why we cannot see it as good and that is also why it IS good!

If we are having a hard day, then we need God to do some work, so we just need humility. If we are struggling with a vice, then we need God to do some work, so we just need humility.  If a brother is angry at another, then we need God to do some work, so we just need humility.  If we are facing health issues, then we need God to do some work, so we just need humility.  If we are sick of our life as it seems to play out, then we need God to do some work, so we just need humility.  If we are struggling to make ends meet, then we need God to do some work, so we just need humility.

God’s work on our behalf is available to not only endure it all, but to enjoy it all.  If there is some area of our lives that we are simply trying to endure, then there is an area of our life in which we are not humble.  That makes us proud.

If someone called you proud, what would you say?  If God thought us proud, what would He do?  If something difficult is in your life as a “God designed process of humbling you” then don’t curse it, don’t nurse it, don’t rehearse it, just reverse it.

Humble ourselves and let Him do all your work.  Which would you rather do?  Endure your hard work or enjoy your time of rest.  Humility brings tranquility.

Good morning friends!  In my time in ministry, I have been blessed to travel extensively to churches throughout the world.  At many churches I meet fantastic men of God who, sadly, are largely underutilized.   Often, I speak with preachers who feel they are not allowed to make a difference in the lives of their congregation.  They are there to serve, but starving for opportunities to do so.

My friend, I can assure you all congregations have an overabundance of problems that could be benefited by pastoral involvement.  So why are there so many discouraged and underutilized preachers?

I believe the reason is because it’s often hard for adults to go to another adult for advice.  Often we are embarrassed, ashamed or perhaps just downright scared to confide in others, for we feel people may think less of us if we do.  Even more perplexing is that when we do share our burden with somebody, we tend to take our issues to peers rather than our God-ordained pastors!   This is mind-boggling considering peers will rarely provide real solutions!

Again I present the question, why do we shy away from God’s ordained system of management by leaving our preachers out of important decisions in our lives?  I believe this behavior can be attributed to our intensively competitive nature; an overly competitive nature is a manifestation of one thing-pride!  It’s just more “stinkin thinkin”, so to speak.  Although we are often unaware of it, many of us have an inherent desire to be “our preachers most esteemed layman.”  Therefore, we spare rather than share with them our “dirt”, thus effectively forfeiting the guidance they are ordained by God to provide to us.  Oh, how foolish we can be!

In I Timothy 5:17, Paul writes, “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine.”  Here Paul is clearly referring to the pastoral position of the local New Testament church.  He says, essentially, “take care of your preachers, hold them in high regard, and take heed to what they say!”  In order to meet this responsibility to our preachers, we must develop intimate relationships with our pastors.

Listen carefully:  A very large part of “taking care of our preachers” is allowing them to be woven within the fabric of our daily lives.  Just like Jesus Himself, our preachers feel honored when we rely upon them and confide in them.  God has called these special men to bear burdens and guide us spiritually; therefore, when we “pull down the blinds” on the windows of our lives it often causes them to feel they are failing to fulfill God’s purpose for their life.  Not only will our “seeking them out” go a long way toward giving our preachers the “double honor” that they so deserve, but it will place you in a much safer position in life as well.  Our preachers are a vital part of our “umbrella of protection”, and without them we fore go the protection and leadership that God has designed for them to provide us.

When I returned back to the church after a decade of serving the world, I immediately placed myself under my pastor, Dr. Paul Kingsbury.  When I did so, Pastor Kingsbury did not think less of me, but rather he thought more of me and even more so, he thought more often of me!  As he bore my burdens, he became a driving influence in my life that did nothing more valuable than bring us closer.  Today, we share a relationship of mutual love and respect on a professional and personal level.  Through good times and bad I have openly shared my life with this man, and I can say with confidence that I would not be where I am today if it were not for his leadership and guidance-that is to say the benefits of our relationship.

My friend, I encourage you to reach out to your pastor soon.  Why not share your burdens you’ve been feeling with him?  He wants to help you more than you could ever want his help!  Furthermore, God designed it this way.  After all, your preachers advice can only serve to move, sooth, improve, or behoove… both of your lives!  So if you desire to please your Master, honor your pastor!  It will keep you from disaster.

Have a great day IN the Lord!
Steven Curington

Have you ever notices Philippians 4:13 DOES NOT say “I can do all things through Christ WHO strengtheneth me”?  It uses the preposition “which” to claim our access to His ability (doing all things) and His subsequent strength.

Think for a moment exactly what this means.  He is not teaching us we receive strength to do everything.  It is telling us we can do anything through Christ and this FACT is “that which” strengthens us.

We ought to find “solace for strength” in this fact:  we can do anything through Christ!  Do we believe that is true?  Do we believe we can accomplish the impossible?  NO!  We cannot get ‘er done, but He can!  He can accomplish whatever He chooses to do and He will accomplish that through us. . . if we will let Him!  How does that make you feel?

It should bring each of us a great measure of strength.  But often the faith of Christ (the seventh of nine fruits living within us) is rejected for self righteous doubt.  We believe we can do a lot of things for God!  We even can do some things for ourselves (or our families, friends or preachers) but how much does He do through you?  If it is not EVERYTHING He wishes then it is our “bouts with doubts” that is hindering His ability.

As long as things are going well, I have found that I truly believe that Christ is all I need to complete my life’s tasks properly.  But when things start getting rough, my doubts attempt to overwhelm me and cause me to get rough when things get tough.  It is at times like this I tend to get creative, for I have rejected the truth “Christ is enough”.

In my self effort to creatively do for Him what He has designed Himself to do for me, I fail and become frustrated.  My interpersonal skills go down and I reject His promptings of joy for frustration.  I become harsh rather than gentle.  Instead of longsuffering, I am a bit quick tempered.  What has happened to me?  Why am I responding so rough toward the things I find to be tough?  It’s cause for me, at that particular time “Christ is NOT enough”.  I sometimes unfortunately conclude “I need more of me.  I must try harder or even work longer.  If I buckle down and iimplement more self imposed rules then decide to read more and pray more. I will become a better Steve!

Christ does not want a better Steve.  He wants a deader Steve!  Unless I die to my own self efforts when things get tough, He will not step in and change my outlook.  He promises in Proverbs that if I will “Commit [my]works to the Lord, thy thoughts shall be established”.

If I would give the tough stuff over to the Lord he will establish my thoughts and His established thoughts will not respond rough over that which is, to me, tough!  Established thoughts will rest in the beauty of God’s presence and power and be assured that He will be enough.

Are you like me?  Do you need to be reminded that Christ is enough?  Then you are no different than many Christians.  Paul indicated he knew how to have all his needs met and he know how to go without any needs being met.  However, through it all he was content because he had LEARNED contentment does not come through resentment.  It comes through being willing to give things over to Jesus and be content with our role of proper thinking and His role of productive doing.

When things get tough, I want to avoid being rough, by recognizing “He is enough”!  With that realization as my meditation it should be something “which strengtheneth me”.

On this Independence weekend, we have so enjoyed our freedom in America and our freedom found only IN Christ.  Both freedoms are a gift from God.  We are truly fortunate people indeed.  If we did not behave that way this weekend, shame on us.  But fortunate we are, whether we meditate and appreciate it or not!

Why are we so fortunate?  It is because we have been delivered!  In America, we have been delivered from the tyranny of a former ruler.  The very words of our original thirteen colonies declared in our “Declaration of Independence” from Britain these words declaring our absolute delivery from tyranny!

Though the pain of these earliest of Americans citizens is surely lost on most all of our countryman, it doesn’t change the fact that our good fortunes are so valuable that no one in the whole wide world, save another fellow American, is as fortunate as we!

We ought also to be thankful for our freedom in Christ.  For in that freedom we have been saved from the tyranny of the devil.  Where would your life be without America and its freedom?  What would your life be like without Christ and His freedom?

Life is good.  But still, though our life has been delivered, it has not been so delivered that we should honor our delivery.  But rather it is our DELIVERER that should be honored and He should be honored for His delivery!

“For me to live IS Christ.”  If you are alive and free today, IS Christ?  Or does He lie dormant in your spirit bound by your unwillingness to give Him access to the life He bled and died for?

Independence from my former dependence is not for me to live it up.  It’s for Him to live it out!

Have a wonderful day IN the Lord!
Steven Curington

Good morning! If you happened to have missed my last posting, allow me to fill you in.  We are in the process of studying a portion of Scripture that has helped my staff and me to realize a previously undiscovered avenue to true Christian freedom!  That’s right, I believe Romans 14:1-5 contains the truths necessary to strengthen and protect your Spirit-filled life and reach a new personal pinnacle with your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Romans 14:1 we saw that there are two basic ways to govern our lives: Liberty and Rigidity.  Liberty is found by adhering to the leading of the Holy Spirit; while rigidity is the rules or boundaries that we or others place over us.  We discussed the role and importance of these two forms of governance as they relate to each other and also established what, exactly, is the source of each.  Furthermore, we learned that it is the responsibility of those of us who strive to live the liberated Christian life to demonstrate, and even teach, the Spirit-filled life found through Christian liberality to our weaker brethren who are dominated, and thus “held back” by rigidity.

That being said, let us now take our study a step further.  In Romans Chapter 14:2, the Apostle Paul tells us, For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Hmm. . . what in the world is he talking about here?  Well, friend, Paul is giving us a metaphor that demonstrates the fact that being governed by a Spirit-filled liberated life is indeed demonstrative of a stronger faith IN Christ and thus renders a greater measure of freedom from the power of sin!

You see, the “one” who BELIEVES that he may eat all things does so because he BELIEVES that he can-He has FAITH! And not just any faith, but a strong faith that is found only by adhering to the Spirit of God and embracing the liberty that God has set before us!  Conversely, we see “another” who limits himself to only herbs.  Why does he do this, you ask?  Because he believes that he is only permitted to do so-he is the one whom God indicates here has a faith that is WEAK!  This individual has limited his freedom IN Christ by subjecting himself to rules and boundaries that are not consistent with the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Paul clearly shows us the danger of being a rigidity focused Christian.  Friend, the Lord has a wonderful and perfect life custom-designed just for you. . . all you have to do to enjoy it is to be consistently led of the Holy Spirit.   It is my opinion that the purpose of Romans 14:2 is to make us aware of the trap that results from being dominated by rigidity.  By falling into this “trap” we will certainly stymie our ability to experience the freedom that is found through the Spirit-filled life!  Do not allow yourself to become rigid when the Spirit of God is leading you contrary-allow yourself to enjoy the liberality of the Holy Spirit.

Once again, I want to reiterate that the presence of boundaries and rules is indeed imperative in the life of a Christian.  When our faith falters, as occurs to all of us on occasion, it is our character-imposed boundaries that will keep us upright until communication with the Lord is restored.

Keeping that truth in mind, allow me to conclude with this:  The Bible clearly says in Romans 14:2 that the “one” who is focused on rigidity is weak, and the “one” focused on liberty is strong. . . Why?  Because he BELIEVES!

If we will simply BELIEVE the Spirit-filled life, my friend, our lives will change forever!

Have a wonderful day IN the Lord,
Steven Curington

Good Morning! ACT; REACT; ACT; REACT!!!!  It seems to be the story of my life.  Either I am IN Christ and I am acting and reacting properly or I am IN me and acting and reacting improperly.  It true for me, I’m either IN or I’ve SINNED!

But I can always tell (usually AFTER my mistakes) why I am acting or reacting improperly.  It is a lack of His faith.  We know that James taught us that faith on trial through various temptations will produce patience.  Thus, it is understandable to a loving and patience Father that we will often lack patience.  But it is safe to assume if it takes successful trials to develop patience that we will not have an acceptable level of patience until we have learned to yield to His acceptable measure of faith for any given situation.

I seem to lose my cool every day.  Sometimes this heated moment remains within and few, if any, realize it.  Some think that’s not so bad.  But to be honest, that attitude produces pride.  “As long as no one knows I “got hot” under the collar, they assume I have great patience”.  No, great patience is formed from successful trials and trials are ONLY successful when IN MY HEART I have yielded to His faith in my difficulties not mine own faith, my own doubt, or heaven forbid, mine own unbelief!

If I exercise mine own faith, it is me that is doing the work.  I may be able to keep my temper composed, but it will not exercise His faith, so He won’t be glorified.  He is never glorified by my self righteous acts of the soul.  I will look good, but He will not be lifted up.

If I exercise my own doubt, then not only will He not look good, but neither will I.  Though my self righteous faith will keep my temper in, unrighteous doubt will always let it out!  I won’t be able to maintain my composer for long if I doubt the TRUTH which say’s everything “going wrong” is actually “going right”.  For if all things work together for good . . . then I should never struggle with doubt.  My “bouts with doubt” will make their way out.  When they get out then my reputation is criticized and Christ’s is minimalized.

Finally, if I respond in my own unbelief, I will be of all men, most miserable.  There will be no patience, for there will be no peace.  The Spirit knows what I need when He leads me into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  If I reject those divine circumstances and deem them “unnecessary”, my rejection will produce a reflection of my circumstances.  A “reflection of rejection” manifests itself in negative, pessimistic, critical thinking.  It is at this stage my unrighteous acts of unbelief will cause me to look bad and literally hinder the work of the Lord.

My only recourse is to refuse to ACT; REACT!  Rather, I must REST/RELAX!  I must rest in the fact that Christ will manifest Himself to me if I would but relax in my stressful situations and wait for Him.  That is what patience is.  It is not as much enduring as it is waiting.  We must endure as we wait, but how hard is it to endure when we have faith the endurance is bringing about things that work together for good?  That’s not hard at all.  If I understand through His faith that I must endure these situations that seem bad but work together for good, then I will find the necessary calm to rest IN Him as I relax and wait ON Him.

That willingness to relax and wait on the Lord is the patience He is looking for in tumultuous times.  For it is that patience that is produced by trials of temptation. It is those trials of temptation that prove we are yielding to His faith and it is yielding to His faith that glorifies God and lifts up Christ that others might be drawn unto Him.

I guess we need to get serious about all this stuff and just lighten up!  Sound like an oxymoron?  No, rather, it’s much simpler than that.  He is my proxy or I am mine own moron!

Rules without relationship eventually lead to rebellion.

Recently the spirit of the Lord has led me to study a portion of scripture which has afforded me many great truths that I desire to share with you.  It is my intention to bring to you a series of blogs where I will break down Romans 14: 1-5 and detail Paul’s instrumental teaching as it pertains to Christian liberty.  I think it will help understand why some Christians only do well in an environment of rules and why others who have such great liberty, may sometimes find themselves struggling to live right while proclaiming they enjoy a “great relationship”.

Because this will be a multi-part blog, I will not spend a lot of time on fancy endings.  We will just end at 700 words or so and pick it up again the next time I write to you.  With that said, it is probable taht no single blog will hold the entire counsel of God.  Please give me the grace in this space to place each truth side by side over the course a few days in order that we may see this truth in it’s entirety for what it should be–illuminating!

In simple terms, there are basically two ways to govern our lives.  We can be lead by the liberty of the Spirit-which is granted to us by the Spirit of God, for we know that where the Spirit of the Lord is there is always liberty. Or we can be kept at bay by rules.  It is not liberty.  It is actually a form of rigidity.

Sometime rules come from the Word of God, and we know that these rules can never be contrary to the leading of the Spirit, for the Holy Spirit would never contradict what the Bible says.  We also have rules placed over us by our God-ordained authority, which again are almost always consistent with the leading of the Spirit.  However, we often find that others who are not directly over us want to place rules over us or feel that we should personally impose more rules upon ourselves.  This is where we must proceed with caution. Why you ask?  Because rigidity without liberty is stupidity!

Don’t get me wrong, rigidity (that is to say rules) is good.  Having boundaries and setting personal standards that we refuse to compromise are integral to our Christian stability, especially when our walk with God may seem dormant or distant.  But they are only beneficial if they are spiritual bumper to keep us IN Christ.

But, again I say, when rigidity infringes upon my Christian liberty it is stupidity.  Jesus Christ came to make us free.  We are to live within boundaries, but when our freedom is dependant upon those boundaries we are bound, not free.  Therefore, it is counterproductive to allow ourselves to be made free by rules that squelch the liberty bestowed upon us by the Spirit of God.  We are to be made free by a relationship that leads us to obey all of His rules out of appreciation and selflessness.  Thus, we must strive to strike a healthy balance between the two.

Romans 14: 1 says, Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.   In this verse, is Paul referring to the faith of justification (believing that Jesus died for your sins), or is he referring to the faith of sanctification (allowing Christ to live his life through you)?  Well, friend, he must be referring to sanctification because the faith of justification is either all or nothing.  You cannot be weak in your salvation!  So Paul must be speaking about those who are weak in their ability to yield to the sanctified Christian life.  Keeping that truth in mind, Paul goes on to tell us that we are to receive those who are weak-those who struggle.  The weak in faith are more often then not those who allow rigidity to dominate over their Christian liberty.  That is to say, they focus on obeying rules and boundaries rather than on the intimacy of their walk and the selfless sacrifice of their personal agenda’s.  This ultimately hinders their relationship with the Lord and limits the liberty and power that is found in the abundant, Spirit-filled life.

Furthermore, Paul tells us to receive these weak, rules dominated people of rigidity, but not to doubtful disputations.  This means that we are to embrace these rigid Christians not for the sake of argument or criticism, but rather to show them something better-a better way!  It is our responsibility to demonstrate, and even teach, the Spirit-filled life of liberality to those “weak in faith” (rigidity dominated Christians).

We that strive to live the liberated Christian life can often learn from those who lean toward rigidity, but we do not stand to gain nearly as much as those whom Romans 14: 1 is referring to.  It is by our influence that the spiritually rigid will ultimately discover the freedom found only through the liberty afforded by the Holy Spirit!

Are rules wrong?  Of course not!  Are rules necessary?  Of course they are!  But rules without relationship eventually lead to rebellion.

Good morning!  We have all heard the cliché, ”father knows best!”  This phrase is repeated incessantly in family sitcoms on a weekly basis.  I can just picture now a smiling father shaking his head in unknowing self-righteousness as he instills this maligned lesson upon his distraught child.  As the dramatic music plays in the background and the tears begin to flow, it appears that the child has just learned a life-changing truth.

Indeed, father often does know best, but not as much as we might think, or is commonly thought.  Actually, it’s more accurate to say, “Our Father knows best!”

That’s right; it’s our Father in Heaven Who knows best – for everything!  So why, my friends, do we so often insist on relying on our own thinking???  Don’t we know how deceptive our own intellects can be?

Solomon certainly did; look what he wrote in Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” What he is saying is that if we pursue a course of life dictated by our own thinking, we will ultimately end up in certain spiritual death, and possibly a pre-mature physical death as well.

So, I guess all those Disney movies and contemporary-pop songs are wrong then.  If we “follow our heart”, or “listen to our heart” we will not discern the best course of action for our lives, oh no my friend, but rather we will end up in a world of turmoil and frustration!

Surely we’ve all determined that it is not wise to listen to our own thinking when it comes to directing our lives.  And we also know that we ought to listen to our Heavenly Father for guidance.  But how exactly do we do this?  It’s not like He is going to verbally and audibly instruct us in our ways, so how, pray-tell, do we communicate with Him?!?

There are three ways actually–The Spirit, The Word, and God-ordained authority.
See John 14:26 “But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things…”  Jesus is telling us the Comforter will lead us as God the Father, Himself, would lead us.   So, if we simply yield to the inner persuasion of the Holy Spirit, we will essentially do as our Father knows best!  Remember, He said he will instruct us and teach us in the way we should go.  He will guide us with His eye (Psalm 32:8).

See Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword…and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”  In this verse, Paul is telling us the Father has provided the Scriptures as a roadmap for determining the proper pathways of our myriad thoughts.  If we use the Scriptures, captivate proper thoughts, and cast down improper ones, we will find our answers to be the answers of our Father Who knows best.  Remember, the Word is a light and lamp for our pathway.  (Psalm 119)

Our final means of communication with the Father can be found in Romans 13:1, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers.  For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”

Here, Paul is teaching us if we want to obey the Father, we should heed our leadership’s leadings. There are five basic “heads” to our God-ordained leadership: parents, preachers, teachers, employers, and the government.  God intends for us to use these avenues of guidance for directing the course of our lives, for He works through them to guide us. So once again, if we obey our God-given leadership, we are obeying the Father’s instruction, for only the Father knows best.

Rest assured, our Father in Heaven has nothing but the best in store for us. The prophet Jeremiah told us so, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Praise His Holy Name! When it comes to directing our lives there is no need to be pressed or stressed. Rather, be blessed as you engage with zest in your quest for rest by relying on the Father Who knows best!

Psalm 32:1, 2 promises us “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.”

Blessed means “happy”.  The key to happiness is to have our transgressions forgiven.  A transgression is a “violated rule or boundary”.  As Spirit inhabited believers we are given boundaries, as well as promptings from the Spirit to remain within them.  When we violate our boundaries, we lose freedom and inherit bondage.  This of course hinders happiness.  But forgiveness of our violated boundaries restores happiness; for it restores the relationship between our spirit and His.

David goes on to say that transgressions are forgiven through the covering of sins.  God’s design is to cover our sins that we may obtain restored fellowship.  In both the original language and in the English, the word “covered” means “concealed”.

Yet, we know that not all sins confessed to God are “concealed”.  Often, our sins are done in public.  Whether it is a secret sin that God exposes, or a public sin such as a lost temper or critical tongue that many may see , how do these “now public sins” become concealed?

The best way to understand the purpose of this supernatural restoration process is to recognize the gravest danger of our sin: condemnation!  The devil uses “condemnation of self” far more often than “public perception of others” to discourage or defeat us.

When we violate our God given boundaries, Satan has a heyday, not others.  Though others may critique and our testimonies may be tarnished, God has the ability to “restore such a one in a spirit of meekness”.  However, if Satan can reek havoc on the “meditations from our violations”, he can control a person indefinately.

We must remember the restorative power of confessed sin if we are going to enjoy the blessedness of transgressions forgiven.  David went on to say that when he remained quite (about his sin) he was miserable.

David could not have been referring to keeping his sin silent from His people.  For the whole nation knew of his sin.  It had been revealed publicly.  It was when He finally saw the damage his sin had done to him; he realized he had acquired a period of unnecessary silence between himself and God.  He confessed his sin and his “free spirit” was restored.

The devil cannot condemn a man who has had his sins covered.  For the coverage is not from man, but for us!  When I am protected in my meditations from condemnation, I can be happy despite my many mistakes in life.

It is true that when we reject the Spirit’s prompting we have officially violated a boundary and are in need of a transgression forgiven, our sin concealed.  When we confess it, God grants it and we are placed once again into a right relationship with the Spirit.  So what does that bring us?  Freedom from condemnation.  Silence!

The promise of Romans 8:1.  “There is therefore no condemnation to them that are IN Christ Jesus”.  Who are they?  He goes on to say it is they who “walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit.”

If we are not walking after the Spirit we will fulfill the lust of the flesh.  When this is thus completed, His grieved Spirit will not strive with our spirit.  We are thus exposed for our sins and uncovered.  No one may know of our sin except our Spirit, ourselves and the enemy who designed our temptation, but condemnation begins.

It is not the exposing of that sin that will bring happiness.  It is the silencing of our sin that brings happiness.  That silence comes from God forgiving our sin and removing the guile in our spirit.  The word guile is the word artifice.  It’s where we get the word artificial.

When we are in silence with God over our sin, we are artificial.  Whether people know it or not, we are.  But when we communicate our transgression in contrite confession, He restores our spirit and we can experience “peace and tranquility between He and me”.

So, when we are vocal with God, he shushes us up!  That, my friend, is how we can enjoy the “silence of the lambs”.