GOOD MORNING, LORD!

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Luke 6:38 KJVA

The way a father wakes up in the morning sets the mood for his family. It is either a cheerful, "Good Morning, Lord" or a grouchy "Good Lord, it is Morning!"

I am not sure that people really understand how they control other people by their mood swings. A moody person is a controlling person. Through their moods they demand their way even when they may not say it. Since most people want to live in harmony, they will usually allow the moody people to have their own way.

The unfortunate thing about moodiness and negativity is that it can be caught like the common cold and then spread like a virus.

When we are happy and positive, those around us seem to be happy and positive. If we are negative and grouchy, then those around us seem to be negative and grouchy.

There seems to be a relationship between being negative and being selfish. The negative person wants attention and the selfish person wants things. The negative person judges all things by their own standards. The selfish person can not bear the thought of not being recognized for their efforts. The negative person will tell you everything wrong with life. The selfish person can not enjoy the benefits of life because of their selfish mindset.

A negative or selfish father can easily brainwash his wife and children and make them feel insecure and unworthy

God, on the other hand, is a giver and wants us to have the best. Giving is part of the covenant we enjoy with the Father through Jesus Christ the Son. It would do us all well to practice the art and ministry of giving until it becomes a part of our lives. If we will practice being a giver, God said He would give back to us "pressed down, shaken together and running over." The great thing about giving is that it not only blesses others but it will also bless you. Giving makes those around us feel happy and secure. When that happens, your morning will become "Good Morning, Lord" and not "Good Lord, It is Morning."

Father,

I want to be a good example to my family. I want to be an example of faith, hope, joy and love. I want to live in the glory of Your presence so that I might be a reflection of Your light. Forgive the times I have been moody and thus affected others negatively.

Amen

Stars or Bars

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

John 8:36 KJV

One of saddest things to me as a father is when I see a child of God living behind the bars of circumstances. This should not be-in light of the fact that Jesus purchased our freedom on the cross. We have been given kingdom star freedom to enjoy. Unfortunately, many feel more secure being behind the bars of circumstances even though Jesus opened the jail door for them to walk out freely.

Such was the case with the man at the pool of Bethesda in John 5. The reason Jesus asked him if he wanted to get well was because the man had apparently made a friend of his sickness. Sympathy will do strange things to you.

Humanity is not only capable of making kings out of other men…but often they make kings out of their own circumstances. When one yields to such things the next logical step is that of proving they deserve abuse. Over the years I have ministered to many who felt their love and servant-hood to God should be tested regularly and severely because they were never secure in their standing with God.

A good example of this is the children of Israel. They felt safer behind the bars of circumstances back in Egypt than under the stars of freedom in following God.

Because there is so much insecurity in the world today, humanity in general seems to be more king prone than they are God prone.

I see this far too often in Christian circles. Some pastors almost insist on being the king with an expectation of allegiance from their parishioners. Other people need to be guided by such men of dominance because they do not want the responsibility of hearing from God themselves. Yet others are so drawn to great anointed men who are capable of drawing huge crowds for such things as healing campaigns…many are prone to make kings out of them.

Perhaps from time to time we all need to go back and reread the small print of who we are and what a price Jesus paid for our freedom. I am sure that we would then get a new perspective on living behind the bars of circumstances or enjoying the benefits of the stars of freedom.

Father,

Help us to enjoy our star freedom more consistently by spending more time with You and in Your Word. Lord, help us to also bring this good news to others who remain behind the bars of circumstances when the jail door has already been opened by the precious blood of Jesus. We thank you Lord for setting us free.

Amen.

Love Lifted Me

I extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.

Psalm 30:1

The very thought of being lifted up is intriguing enough that I decided to go to the Strong's Hebrew and Greek dictionary and see what it had to say. Strong's uses the example of "...being dangled. That is to let down a bucket (for drawing water); figuratively for deliverance."

There is a lot of typology that could be used in Strongs' explanation which is scripturally supported and would make a wonderful Bible study. However, the thing that captivates me most is how I personally was lifted up and delivered in such a way. It was the love of the Lord that reached His bucket down and lifted me above my sinful life. I do not know, maybe that bucket should be called the God bucket of love and deliverance.

I remember when I first came to know the Lord and heard the old hymn, "Love lifted me." I seemed to know that hymn without having ever heard it. I think it was because I had just experienced that ‘bucket-delivering love' of the Lord. I remember loving to sing that old hymn...and could not wait for the next time the music director would announce that we were going to sing it again. Every time we sang it I would hold my head back and sing it at the top of my voice. I would particularly put emphasis on the part that says "Jesus completely saves." I am sure the sounds of my voice would still be resonating in that small wood frame church building if it was still standing. Even though this hymn was very old, I always felt it was written just for me.

As strange as it may seem, it was through that old hymn that I first began to get some theology on the love of God. I was always excited and blessed to hear a good message on love, but it was through the singing about His love that made it more real to me.

I have sung that song many times through the years. Each time I would sing it my mind would always go back to the freshness of the very first time I sang it.

Many of the old hymns were written as singing messages with good basic doctrine embedded in them. Each time you sang one of them, you were feeding your faith with the Word of God.

Many of the past generation may have appeared shallow in Bible knowledge because they could not always quote chapter and verse of the Bible as others do today. However, many of that generation had a spiritual depth that could not be shaken, and a faith strong enough to take them through all the hard times that life threw at them. It is not what you know in your head that counts, but what you are able to walk out in your spirit.

Many of the little homespun preachers of that day did not have much theology, but the hymns they sang did.

It has been a while since I have sung the old hymn, "Love Lifted Me." But its message continues to have a deep impact on my life. As a matter of fact I am not sure I could sing the old hymn "Love Lifted Me" and do it justice unless I throw my head back and sing it at top of my voice as I once did.

Father,

I thank You for all the wonderful things You are doing in the kingdom today. I also thank You Lord for allowing me to be part of the past generation. I experienced Your move through fiery country preachers who also taught me the value of the message written in the old hymns. Father, I pray that the song writers of today will pen songs with a good theological base that will have the same affect on others as the old hymns did on me.

I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,
Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more,
But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry,
From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.
Refrain:
Love lifted me!
Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help,
Love lifted me!

Amen.