What's Really Good?

Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, But to Your name give glory, Because of Your mercy, Because of Your truth.-Psalm 115:1

I cannot brag about my righteousness. I cannot say, “I have done so well,” and “I am so good.” In and of myself I cannot produce such things; this would leave room for pride, selfishness and hypocrisy. It would have me lifting myself up above others, excusing my own sin, ultimately bringing about self-sufficiency, making me my own “god” (Ephesians 2:8-9, 1 Corinthians 1:29-31).

My “goodness” and “righteousness” alone is but filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). They are tainted with the aforementioned, human tendencies. My self-sacrifice isn’t good enough. Apart from Him I can do nothing (John 15). Just ask someone, “Why did you help that widow with her rent?” or “Why did you give to the poor?” Their answer is almost always the same, “Because it makes me feel good to do something for someone else.” Now this may not seem like a terrible reason, and God’s not knocking good deeds, but the truth of the matter is, God is looking upon the heart. The heart without Him, seeks its own. And in this case, the person was doing it for selfish reasons; to make themselves feel good, thus nullifying the sacrifice, because it wasn’t done unto the Lord.

What or Whom then makes one righteous and good? It is Christ who lives within the believer. It is He who works righteousness, truth and justice, through the power of His Holy Spirit, for the good of those who have been called according to His purpose and His glory (Romans 8:28-29). I can boast in Christ but not in myself (Romans 15:17). This is why I am quick to offer up the praise and glory due to God alone, when someone gives me any kind of accolade. Now I am not saying affirmation and encouragement is not welcomed, rather I know who to give the credit to.

Before He came into my life, I was helpless and hopeless against my sin and the consequences of it. I was constantly trying to patch up my wounds with the same “so-called remedies” causing further damage and hindering the healing process. I was stuck in a cycle of insanity, desperate for answers, peace, fulfillment and happiness. When I responded to His spiritual “tugging” and made the decision to leave it all to go boldly forward with Christ, this was the pivotal moment in my life. This is when real change started taking place, but it wasn’t easy, and honestly still isn’t easy, but of course, I do not walk alone. He flipped the tables over and uprooted so much sin and damage, that it has made it possible to do what He requires of me, and to bear His light. I am not perfect at it, but His work in me is in the process of being perfected, by His perfect hand (Psalm 138:8, Philippians 1:6). He saved me from myself and from the enemy of my soul, giving me the freedom to walk it out and worship Him with my life. Christ is the only Bridge between sinful humanity and our holy God. We must come through Him, to bridge the gap in our estranged relationship with God, and receive son ship and eternal life into His kingdom.

For 18 years of my life, I knew Jesus as my Savior but not as well as my Lord. What does that mean, you say? It means that I accepted His gift of salvation, but I did not surrender to Him, making Him Lord over everything in my life. We cannot effectively change, move forward and be pleasing to God unless He is both. It means sacrifice. It means commitment. It means dying to ourselves every day. It means trusting Him in our darkest hour, when things make no absolute sense, doing the right things on purpose, when the solutions and answers evade us. This is a big deal. It is the most important decision we will ever make in our lifetime; to follow or not to follow Him, forsaking all other competing loyalties. But understand that the benefits far outweigh the sacrifice. It is the right choice, even when it hurts.

Walking the walk of faith has required me to do things the unconventional way. I’ve had to love people I didn’t feel like loving. I’ve had to forgive and make peace with people I did not feel like forgiving and being peaceful with. I’ve had to wait it out for God’s timing, doing what He said to do, instead of what I felt like doing. But in doing so, I have been blown away by what God has done with my obedience to Him!

It is obvious that we do not think and operate this way as human beings. We are still in the “eye for an eye” mind-set, apart from Him. When He tells us to “love our enemies” and “bless those that curse us,” He is revealing His secret weapons of warfare. He is showing us the way of the warrior and the champion. Sure it messes with our pride and makes us feel like we’d be wimping out, but think about it: How much strength does it take to react when someone provokes you to anger? And then think about how much strength it takes to react the godly way, HIS way, when someone offends you? Remember, love conquers all. You may suffer for a moment to allow Him to work, but He is saving you from a lifetime of pain and in the end, you get the victory. His way is the only “winning team” there is, no matter what it “seems” to be at the time.

God knows our sense of trust is mangled at best. And even though He does not have to prove Himself to us, He does so anyway because He loves us, and desires an intimate relationship with us. Through an obedient walk, God stretches our faith, and shakes the foundations of the things we put our trust in, proving that He is the only one that is our firm foundation that will not break from under us, that will never leave us or abandon us. He is the Rock of our salvation (Matthew 7:24-27).

Indeed, it is a process that takes time, but you have to be willing to put in the work and walk it out with whatever little faith you have in order for Him to give the increase, and the access to His power in your life.  His ways truly bring about the best outcome that brings His peace of mind, that this world can never bring, and prosperity in all we do. Now that does not mean we all become rich with money, but rather rich with kingdom treasures, things this world could never manifest or offer. There is a vast difference in the value of the two. One would have to behold it to understand it and in time if you continue to press in and press through, you indeed will know Him, understand His will for your life, and will behold the treasures of His kingdom, according to His riches in glory.

Christ paid a debt He did not owe, our sin, on the cross, so that we could be free from the chains that hold us bound, keeping us from being able to rise and walk uprightly. Only He is able to do this. And in the words of my dear friend, I say, “Can’t nobody do it, like Jesus do it!” To GOD alone be the glory, the credit, the fame, the kudos, the praise, forever and ever, Amen!

·         Do you know Christ as Savior? How about Savior and Lord of your life?

·         Do you think that you are going to heaven because you are a “good person?”

·         Do you understand that no one is good apart from Him? (Mark 10:18, Romans 3:10-12, Luke 18:18-19)

·         Do you struggle with the idea of surrendering all to follow Him? If so, why not start out small and see what God does with just a few things? If you are a believer, is there an area that you are struggling with that you need to surrender over to Him?

Pray to the Lord, asking Him to reveal what it is He would like you to surrender, and when you receive the revelation, do it and give the consequences to Him. He will give you all you need to let it all go. You will see Him move in a way you never thought possible; only believe. See for yourself.

Some things to consider surrendering: anger, jealousy, hatred, unforgiveness, pride, lust, greed. More specific: addictions, adultery, negative thoughts, pornography, gossip, impatience, lying, swearing, etc.

What Are We Holding On To?

It seems as though, apart from Christ, everything I've touched and hoped for, has been elusive. It is as though I've trekked so very far, for so very long, I finally get to what I think is my destination, it is within my grasp...then it turns to dust. I am then left empty, worn, and discouraged...and I no longer see the hope or the point in my relentless pursuit of happiness. It's like seeing an oasis in the midst of the dry, unmerciful desert, yet it is only an illusion due to your immense desire to satisfy your thirst.

We fail to see reality, when we are focused on the immediate desire. We fail to see the entire picture and perhaps even a more feasible means for coping and surviving. We are powerless against the unkind surprises of life. And we will continue to become despairing as long as we fight alone...apart from the clarity, provision, and enlightenment of God through Christ. We'll keep trekking the merciless desert, in a circle of insanity, grasping for the same things, with the same disappointing, unfulfilling results. Sound familiar? Yeah, and it’s been happening for thousands of years. Think of the Israelites and their trek in the wilderness for 40 years, when it was only an 11 day trip!

 The only sure thing I can hold onto, the only thing I know that is Rock-solid, is Christ. Everything else...like grains of sand...has slipped through my hands... and has ceased to be. What a waste of precious time. What a waste of life and purpose.

 My focus must always be on Jesus Christ, because I become desperate in hunger and thirst and for a salve for my pain. And nothing in this hell-hole of a world can save me or attend to my deepest needs. In fact, my choices have always added to the mayhem and made it unbearable. Outside of His love and presence we will always be looking for ways to cope.  Yes we have human needs and God knows all about them. But we don’t know exactly what we need. We THINK we do, but we don’t. All we have to do is take a look back at our track records. When we place everything into the hands of the One who KNOWS  all and IS all, we get all that we need and more, just not always in the form we expect it to be in. That’s just it! Satan always makes us think, that God is not sufficient that He is not faithful and that He can’t give us what we long for. He’s always waiting there with an alternate answer, one that goes against the very grain of who God is and the Truth that sets us free. And when we accept his suggestion over God’s we get the opposite of freedom. That’s right, we get chains and we become entangled in our circumstances. The enemy of our souls tells us that God is restricting and withholds our freedom to do what we want and what we feel. But you see, that is an obvious deception. Because if you KNOW GOD you KNOW that is NOT who He is or HOW He operates. God is ALL about freedom and has given us specific instructions on how to receive it and retain it. It’s just that it doesn’t normally comply with our understanding of what that means. That is why Proverbs tells us to NOT to lean on our own understanding  but to TRUST in GOD alone (Proverbs 3:5-7). 

God is always faithful to answer us and to guide us in His perfect timing. He is the one that set the universe in place and He is the one that determines its course. I think we can feel more than confident in placing our lives in His hands and let Him navigate the course. It is only when we become prideful and arrogantly self-efficient that we end up in confusion, pain and suffering.

The whole book of Ecclesiastes was about Solomon’s retrospective view of his life, how he lived it, and what he should have and should not have done. Solomon had women, riches, power, fame, wisdom, EVERYTHING you could think of, and his conclusion was that it was all foolishness. He wrote it under the direction and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in hopes of us not making the same mistakes. It’s not wrong to desire things, but when we pursue pleasures, things and people INSTEAD of God, that’s idol worship and those things cannot completely satisfy us or save us from the hell of this life or the next. 

I think of a part from the movie “Constantine” when the priest is under a great illusion from the devil, as he was a recovering alcoholic, and he walks into a liquor store, and grabs all these bottles of alcohol, and as he tries to consume them, it has already consumed him. The bottles all seemed to be empty, but in reality, he was intoxicating himself to the point of death. It’s deep and thought provoking.  I hate when I long for certain things because I know it’s needless compared to knowing Christ. Even Paul said that he counted everything he ever lost or gave up as “dung” yes, “CRAP” compared to the excellence of knowing Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:8). And until you do, you never even realize that you are satisfied with CRAP!  

Let’s face it; we’ve all been lied to; every…single…one of us. Thankfully we have Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus Christ, who made it possible for us to see things as they really are. And yeah, the process of first understanding that you’ve been duped is not always easy to swallow, but you get mad enough to want to do what’s right. I know I’ve taken a beating over the years, because I kept “drinking” from those supposed “empty bottles” and all the while I was really filling myself up with deadly, toxic things. It was insatiable and I went wherever my emotions and desires took me, with the exception of some moralistic decisions, and somewhat self-restraint. But mostly, yes, I was a slave to the master of sin and it wreaked hell and havoc on my mind, body, spirit and soul. I mean, did I really think the ruler of evil would produce for me heavenly/godly results?! Unfortunately, yes. And yes, I was foolish and ignorant to think so. You reap what you sow. (Galatians 6:8)

BUT GOD saved this wretch and I am a changed woman today, ya’ll. BELIEVE IT! Because I am sayin’….there is a reason that I never want to resurrect the “old me” and what she stood for. That woman was dead, lost, and without hope.

Today I stand tall, strong and firm, no longer in the fetal position of pain. I have greater strength, clarity, wisdom, understanding, insight, and I am healed, I am delivered, and I know how to truly love today, and receive love, by the grace of my awesome, loving God. He has changed this heart of mine and my life. Today, I am able to help others and minister to others in ways I NEVER thought possible. My mess is now my message and God is in the business of recycling! Hallelujah!  

What is it that you keep reaching for that you just can’t touch? That you can’t hold onto long enough? Is it peace? Is it sobriety? Is it security? Is it self-acceptance? Is it love? All those things and more are not found in whatever you’ve been diving into, my dear friends. It is only found in Jesus Christ. You don’t have to believe me, but the truth speaks for itself, as it has in my own life, a living testimony to His greatness. You’ve been looking in all of the wrong places. That is why you keep getting the same undesirable results.  So why don’t you respond to His gift of Salvation, an invitation to come as you are and never leave the same? You’ve done tried everything else, right? I can’t make you take the “medicine” that is going to heal you, brothers and sisters; I can only tell you where to go and get it.

 

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: (Ephesians 1:17)

Jesus answered, “It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of. (Matthew 4:4)

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
(Luke 21:33)
(Matthew 24:35)
(Mark 13:31)

 

 

 

 

Walking the Same Pace to the Same Place

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? -2 Corinthians 6:14

Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?-Amos 3:3

Although I am far from perfect, and am well aware of my own shortcomings as a human being, I pay close attention to people's true intentions and character. The Holy Spirit gives believers discernment so that we can test the spirits, to know what kind of person we are dealing with.

 

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. - 1 John 4:1In doing so, we are able to not only receive red flag warnings but also we are able to know how to pray for others, especially those of the faith.

 

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. - Galatians 6:1

(Also read 1 Timothy 5:1-16)So, it is important to not only look out for ourselves so that we do not fall, but for others as well. If we become linked up with unbelievers or those who are teetering the fence in the faith, we become what the Bible calls, "unequally yoked."

A yoke is a wooden crosspiece that is fastened over the necks of two animals and attached to the plow or cart that they are to pull. To plow in this way, the animals have to walk at the same pace, in the same direction. If one tries to pull away from the other, the job cannot be done effectively. It makes sense that this metaphor would be used to describe what it is like when people in friendships or romantic relationships are trying to be close to each other, or intimate, but not be walking in the same level, same pace, or same direction in the faith. It's causes a mess on many levels, and frustrates the will and work of God.

In the past, I have justified certain behaviors, especially in my romantic relationships with believers. I didn't want to appear to be judgmental or uncaring. The early warning signs/red flags that were revealed to me I ignored and proceeded to walk with them anyway, to my detriment. It was subtle at first, beginning with unclean words/phrases/inferences, that they'd speak and were comfortable with. Then soon to follow, the actions took place. Before I knew it, I was so entangled in the relaitonships, in my hopes, my dreams, enjoying things of the flesh, that I had no idea how far I had fallen, nor how much damage had been done! I kept dismissing the still small voice, the gentle whisper of God, chalking it up to me just being "unreasonable." I endured so much pain, heartache, and suffering on so many levels because of my foolishness. It opened up a door for the enemy to wreak havoc on my spirit, and my life, draining me of my energy, watering down my witness for Christ, causing me to fear and doubt my identity, leaving me broken, frustrated, confused and without His peace. The Devil's subtlety is his specialty. I was listening to myself, to the devil, my emotions, instead of the Word of God, which is the final authority and standard of the life of the believer. His Word indeed protects us and guides us if we live by it. Without walking obediently with the Lord, we will never see it coming and often ignore His warnings of protection. The Spirit whispers, the Devil screams. This is why we need quiet time alone with the Lord every day, to hear Him and to gather strength against temptations.

If  there is one phrase of advice I could share with all of you, to spare you the pain and sorrow of compromising your faith in relationships it is this, "DON'T DO IT!" I am telling you will be defeated every time and come out with less than what you started with. Going with God and His standards and His ways, is the only way that leads to the life you long for.

I believe that if I am able, by the grace of the Living GOD, to walk this walk of faith, and desire to please Him with my life and actually do that, then there is no reason that any self-professing Christian in my life, whether a potential partner or friend, should not be able to do the same. Because the same Spirit that lives in me and is doing this work in me and my life, should be evident in you also. I should be able to reach for you and you reach for me.

The Scripture above, "Can two walk together unless they are agreed?" is a rhetorical question. The answer obviously, is NO! Walking by faith is hard enough alone, let alone with someone who is pulling off into a completely different direction. There's no support, no understanding, and no progress. Avoid unequal relationships altogether, but love them from a distance. Jesus had said in Matthew 7:15-20, "You will know them by their fruits."  Just like we know what kind of tree we are looking at by the fruit it produces, for instance, an apple tree is not going to produce peaches, or a rotten tree is not going to produce healthy, good fruit, we will know the true character of a person, by the way they speak, act, and live.

God is always faithful to give us a "heads up" in interpersonal relationships. We just need to pay attention, act upon His revelation of the situation, through the knowledge and application of His Word, walking in the Spirit, and not according to our flesh and our own fallible understanding.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.-Proverbs 3:5-7

I will close with this: If I see something that has been revealed to me about someone that is not Christ-like, and this person is unrepentant, (unremorseful, comfortable in it), I make my assessment right there. While I will pray for them, and if the Spirit moves I will admonish in love, they will not  have access beyond the gates of my personal arena. We must guard the gates of our hearts with all diligence and protect our faith, as we walk along the narrow path that leads to life. An imbalance of any kind, will cause us to lose our ground and fall.

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you. let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil.-Proverbs 4:23-27

 

~Shalom & GOD bless.

 

 

 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better.-Ephesians 1:7

He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness-Hebrews 5:2

 



 

 



The Subtlety of the Enemy

And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.-2 Corinthians 11:14

When you think of attacks from the enemy of our souls, Satan, what do think of? How about the obvious stuff, like all negativity, violence, slander, etc.? I do, but I also know that, he has weapons that he uses that are far more damaging than the "obvious" of evil schemes.

 One word can sum it up perfectly: subtlety. The devil loves to disguise himself as something, good, alluring, innocent, harmless , even “holy” just so that you will take the bait, like a fish on a hook, getting ready to be fried on the fiery grill! You never see it coming, like a slippery, slimy snake, like a lion getting ready to pounce on and devour his prey!

 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.-1 Peter 5:8-9

 He can weasel himself into what you perceive as “good intentions.” He’s in that “thing” you call an “escape.” He can steal your attention and time away from God by alluring you with the internet, television, or even reading a passion novel instead of the Word of God. Perhaps you took that job, ignoring that little voice inside that said, “Don’t do it, it isn’t right and you know it,” but you took anyway, thinking there is nothing else out there, and it makes good money, and it is supporting you and your family. But, it is stealing in some way, or demeaning in character. Perhaps you are always doing for everyone, you are a “yes” person, but are exhausted and barely have time for God to pray and spend time with Him, because you are always doing things for other people. You feel used, abused, and don’t even see why. Or, he’s the voice that says, “It’s only one hit, that’s it, you got this.” He loves to influence us, to go into the places we should not go, and question and seek after, that which we should  not ponder. He's been doing it from the beginning and he's only gotten more cunning at his craft.

 In our finite vision, we do not see very clearly apart from God. These things “seem” like a good idea that the time, but as we all know, things aren’t always what they seem. Being wise in our own eyes is dangerous, at best. God warns us about this: 

Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.-Proverbs 3:7

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.-Isaiah 5:21

We need the Holy Spirit’s illumination of what lurks in the darkness, the hidden things, to bring those things into the light, to expose them, so that they cannot consume us, so that they cannot destroy us. His Word IS that LIGHT: 

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.-Psalm 119:105

 Having the right balance in our lives is important too.  We can’t be leaving God our “leftovers.” He deserves the best of us, of our time, of our lives.

My personal experience on a really low-down dirty level with the enemy was in a so-called “Christian” relationship, where the person didn’t live for God at all. It was a snare that got me good. And I kept trying to not to be “judgmental” and would just try to say to myself, “He’s in his own walk with God, it’ll get better.” And by this, I fell flat on my face! It disturbed my fellowship with God, and caused many other issues. Ultimately, I ended it, but I paid the consequences for not listening to God in the VERY BEGINNING. Instead, I rationalized and that is dangerous.

 We are to use good judgment and pay attention to anything that is in opposition to the things of God and His character. But the only way you can do that is if you are in His Word, knowing the truth and knowing who He is. His truth will set you free IF you believe it, and apply it to your life.

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free ...-John 8:31-32
 By doing what He says, you will be able to discern the voice of God from the voice of the enemy. Otherwise, you will fall for his lines, every time, hook…line…and sinker. This is usually where you are saying to yourself and your friends and family: “Where did I go wrong?” "Why does the same thing keep happening to me?” “When will my misery end!?”  Because you are in mass confusion, and do not know where to turn, or what to do. But God is not the Author of confusion;

For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.-1 Corinthians 14:33

How do we enter into His peace? How do we really obtain that peace of mind so many of us long for and need? ….

Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.-Philippians 4:6-7

In order to maintain peace and order in your life, guarding against the enemy’s subtleties you need to pray to God, and be obedient. Through obedience to God, we are protected from the enemy. Every sin has a negative consequence no matter how “innocent” it may look.

 The enemies list of scams and weapontry are so vast, I can't even list them all here. The good thing is, you just have to know and do what is right by God, and those weapons formed against you, will not prosper.

No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
and every tongue which rises against you in judgment
you shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
and their righteousness is from me,”
Says the Lord.-Isaiah 54:17

Be alert! Be watchful! Be discerning, for the times are evil and they are only getting more evil.  The more you know in the Lord, the more equipped and victorious you will be and will be able to unveil the murderer (the devil) behind the mask called “subtlety” and you will not be fooled.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.  For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says:

“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,  redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.-Ephesians 5:8-17

 

Women's Struggle with Self-Image

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.-Proverbs 31:30

My sisters who struggle with self-image and self-worth, I believe the Lord has a word for you.  

In a world full of constant change and desire for more, people are only finding worth on the surface. With the way women especially are exploited in the media, there are expectations of others that just are not realistic for the masses. Hollywood is most guilty of this. They have plastic surgeons, personal trainers, chefs or personal dieticians they can afford this lifestyle because they primarily rely on their “looks” to survive. They have no "roots" to keep them strong and unmoveable, because the emphasis is on the shallow.

The world has become so hyper-visual that so much is being rejected and overlooked. We feel exhausted and anxious because we try to live up to these expectations but we can’t. So we begin to be self-critical, loathing ourselves, wallowing in misery. This is not the way God wants us to be. Our perspective has been clouded and so we need to come to the throne of God in prayer seeking HIS perspective of WHO we are and how we appear to Him.

God says we are His “precious jewels,” 

And they shall be mine, said the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spares his own son that serves him.-Malachi 3:17 

Our vision of ourselves is poor… 

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.-1 Corinthians 13:12

BUT, GOD is doing something so AMAZING and BEAUTIFUL to us on the inside!!! He is giving us a spiritual “make-over!”

But we all see the glory of THE LORD JEHOVAH with unveiled faces, as in a mirror, and we are changed into the image from glory to glory, as from THE LORD JEHOVAH, THE SPIRIT.-2 Corinthians 3:18
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.-Romans 8:29

His beauty and glory, as we walk closer and closer with Him, will begin to ooze out of this temporary shell we call the “flesh.” People will encounter GOD without even recognizing what is happening. They’ll look at you and may not know why. They’ll be attracted to your spirit, because of Christ. God wants to show you so much and reveal so much to you about your purpose and Him. He wants you to be rooted and secure in Him. Self-acceptance is one of THE hardest things to overcome. We may be aliens in this world, but we are still in this body and we have to deal with things breaking down, scarring, and de-beautifying. As we grow older, it’s inevitable. But we cannot put our confidence in the flesh! That is why so many are so despairing…nothing temporary can hold us up, but instead will have us crashing down…

For we are the circumcision, those who serve God in The Spirit, and we glory in Yeshua The Messiah, and we do not trust upon the flesh-Philippians 3:3

            “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”-Matthew 7:24-27

I’m not saying don’t take proper care of your bodies, rather I’m saying, don’t compare yourself to anyone else. Don’t feel inferior next to someone who is beautiful. Appreciate the beauty, but don’t let it undermine yours. We have to be careful to not hyper-focus on ourselves, but to direct our focus on our King and His will for our lives. Remember what happened to Peter when he began to sink? He doubted and he took his focus off of Jesus. When you keep the focus on Christ, you will see yourself from His eyes and accept yourself as He accepts you. The world is a blinder, a stumbling block, and so we need to guard ourselves against all of its devices and all it is offering. Don’t watch programs that focus on image, don’t look at pictures that focus on image, don’t listen to songs that focus on image. You are a CHILD OF GOD NOT of the world! Take that in. Let it marinate. Believe it. You struggle, because you are in the “old man” mind-set.” You are no longer apart of this world. You are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). That old mind-set will always trip you up, because it is in conflict with your new nature.

What a great privilege and honor to be a princess of the KING of kings! Remember, the enemy always speaks to the flesh. God is Spirit and He speaks to our spirits, because that is where the source of all of our thinking and being generates from. If you are miserable, something has malfunctioned between you and the Father. Whenever you begin to feel bad about yourself, look to the Creator of you. Read His Word. Hide it in your heart. I don’t care if you have to recite it in the mirror a 1,000,000 times, about whom you are in Christ and that you are beautiful and of much value. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind! (Romans 12:2) Stop marinating on the lies and negativity and start speaking and thinking about the TRUTH of GOD’s Word.  

Let Him heal you. Work on yourself and take time for you and the Lord. Don’t look to a man for validation because remember…

For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world.-1 John 2:16

Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.-Proverbs 27:20

People of the world have so much doubt that they are like the waves of the sea being tossed to and fro...

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.-James 1:6I don't know about you, but I do not want to place any confidence in someone like that. I'd be all sick from that commotion on the inside and instability! Man in and of himself (including women) can not be entrusted with our image. It doesn't belong in the hands of fallible man, but in the hands of the "Potter" the infallible God. It's no wonder some of us actually look and feel as though we've been "ship-wrecked" from the inside out! Who we ridin' with anyway? I'm just sayin'! ;-)

Ok ladies, to sum it all up, two things to remember to live by, that will help you remain on the right track:

Who does GOD say I am? 

What does GOD say I should do? 

Jesus paid a heavy price for you. He sees you as invaluable. That is all that matters. Like-minded/spirited individuals know the same. If God says I am beautiful and valuable in His sight, well then, who am I to argue with that!? ;-)  May you come to the full-knowledge and acceptance of who you are in Christ. God bless.

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Spiritual Pulse Check

The Lord is with you, but are you with Him? Is Jesus/God in a glass case that reads "Break open in case of emergency" in your life? Is He only on reserve for what you want and need? This isn’t to invoke feelings of condemnation, rather think of this as a spiritual “pulse check.”

When God said He is the "Husband" of the church (the Bride/body of believers not a building), He was speaking of an eternal covenant/promise/commitment (Hosea 2:16, Isaiah 54:5). He's not looking for  “weekend visits” or random “hellos”. We must walk with Him, pray to Him, spending time with Him daily in His Word and consider Him in all that we do, think, and say. I’m not saying we'll be perfect at it, because we won't be. But we have to give it our absolute best. Better yet, we have to give HIM our absolute best; which still falls short of what He deserves. How we respond to His leading determines the course of our lives and is vital in the sanctification process of our spirits. Are you thriving or just barely hanging on?

When Jesus comes back for His Bride, will He know you? Will He find your loyalty to something/someone else? Only those who are truly seeking a right relationship with Him, by faith in Him will be known by Him. The others, no matter what they say, no matter what they do, will not join Him in His kingdom (Matthew 7:22-27, Revelation 3:15-17).

We can't just be accepting a good word now and then, smile, check off that we "Like" it on a comment and not do anything about our walk of faith (James 1:22). Even the parable of the sower talks about the different types of people who hear the Word, what they do with it, and what happens as a result (Matthew 13:1-23). In order to receive His peace in our lives and the abundance He promises, we have to submit to Him in ALL areas of our lives. This is also the only way He can effectively use us to do His kingdom work.

We have got to choose to do what is right according to His Word. We have to on purpose, choose Christ over our own selfish desires. We have to consider His holy Name that we represent and are witnesses  to over the popularity and acceptance of our own name and reputation, seeking glory and honor and praise for Him alone. Christ must be #1 in our lives. We can't be posting blessings in one comment and then curses in another, for this does not honor God. Instead, it blurs the lines between what people think is acceptable and unacceptable. The way you can tell a true follower of Christ is by the way they communicate and the way they act. There will be no question about their faith and whom they are loyal to, because it will be evident in their character and the way that they live (Matthew 7:15-20). The work of the Holy Spirit always bears fruit and is evident in the people He inhabits. There will be unmistakable change! God's children are made to "stand out" not "blend in."

So where do you stand in your faith in Christ? Are you in lukewarm waters; playing it safe (which isn’t safe at all)? Are you on fire for Him, bearing the “cross” every day and following Him? There is a difference between acknowledging that He exists and existing to acknowledge Him in all areas of your life. He will only accept the latter. Get right or get left while you still have today. He is always waiting to receive you and forgive you. Seek Him while He may be found.

Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.-Isaiah 55:6

Regeneration of the Holy Spirit

by Michael Bradley

n the article we have titled, “Sealed With the Holy Spirit,” I gave you the specific verses from the Bible that show us that not only do we receive the Holy Spirit at the exact moment of our conversions to the Lord, but that we are also sealed with His actual presence on the inside of us.
This divine seal now becomes a very powerful, spiritual bond between God and us, and we are now sealed for all of eternity as a result of receiving the Holy Spirit on the inside of our human spirits.
However, in addition to receiving the Holy Spirit and actually being sealed with His presence, one other incredible thing will occur at the exact moment of our conversions to the Lord – and that one other incredible thing is that we will be “regenerated” by the Holy Spirit.
Here is the verse that will specifically tell us that we will be regenerated by the Holy Spirit at the exact moment of our conversions to the Lord:

“But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7)

Notice two very important things in this verse:
First, this regeneration is being directly tied to us getting saved in the Lord. The words, “but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, “ are definitely telling us that we are saved by God’s grace and mercy and that when He does save us – He is saving us “through” the regeneration of the Holy Spirit.
Second, this regeneration is done directly by the Holy Spirit Himself. The words “regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” are telling us that this regeneration is being done directly by the Holy Spirit Himself.
As I explained to you in my article on “Sealed With the Holy Spirit,” when the Holy Spirit comes to live on the inside of us at the moment of our conversions to the Lord, He comes to live and take up residence in our human spirits. The Bible says that we have three parts to our being – body, soul, and spirit. The Holy Spirit will move in and take up residence in our human spirit. As a result, our bodies have now become His actual temple.
What this means is that our human spirit is what will actually be regenerated at the moment of our conversions to the Lord – not our souls or our bodies.
As you will see in some of the definitions I will list below, once our human spirits are regenerated by the Holy Spirit at the moment of our conversions to the Lord, several incredible things will immediately happen. But before I get into the actual specifics as to exactly what will happen in this regeneration, here are some of the basic definitions of what this regeneration of the Holy Spirit is all about from some of the different Bible Dictionaries and Commentaries:

• Spiritually reborn
• Spiritual rebirth producing a new beginning
• A spiritual rebirth, being renewed, reformed or reconstituted
• Renewed or restored after a decline to a low condition
• New birth, the begetting of new life
• Renewal of moral and spiritual nature
• The rebirth of the human spirit to a restored relationship with God
• Renewed to life and salvation by faith in God
• An act of God through the Holy Spirit resulting in an inner, personal resurrection from sin to a new life in Jesus Christ
• The radical spiritual change in which God brings an individual from a condition of spiritual defeat and death to a renewed condition of holiness and life

All of the above definitions perfectly describe what happens in this regeneration with the Holy Spirit. To think that the Lord will literally allow His Holy Spirit to enter into our human spirits at the exact moment of our conversions to Him so that we can have His divine life and power start to flow and operate through us for ministry and sanctification – is enough to knock you right off the couch when you really stop and think about what is really in this regenerative work by the Holy Spirit.
So you can really grasp how powerful and wonderful of a thing it really is to literally be fully regenerated by the Spirit of God, I will break down all of the incredible blessings and benefits under the captions below. It is one thing to know that you have been saved by the blood that Jesus has personally shed for you – but it is quite another thing to fully realize and understand exactly what we have as a result of this new spiritual rebirth in the Lord.

Study these benefits and blessings very carefully if you really want to know who you really are in your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Without question, our personal salvation and regeneration in the Lord is absolutely the greatest and most profound and powerful thing that can happen to any human being this side of heaven. There is absolutely nothing greater than to be truly born again into the kingdom of God.

1. Regeneration is Instantaneous Through the Holy Spirit

The first thing you need to know about your regeneration in the Lord is that it is an instantaneous event. It is not something that has to be worked out over the course of time. It is a one time event and it is perfectly completed at the time that it is done by the Holy Spirit.
Regeneration occurs immediately at the time that you receive the Holy Spirit into your human spirit. In other words, it occurs at the exact moment of your personal salvation and conversion to the Lord. It is not a progressive process like our sanctification in the Lord is.
Not only is our personal salvation in the Lord a direct free gift, but so is our personal regeneration in Him. It’s a full package deal. In our personal salvation is our personal regeneration in the Lord. There is nothing that we have to do on our end to earn it or achieve it. It’s all given to us as a direct free gift from God the minute we are willing to admit that we are sinners in need of a personal Savior to save us from our sins.

2. Only Our Human Spirits Are Regenerated At Salvation

The Bible says that we have three distinct parts to our beings – body, soul, and spirit. As explained above, the Holy Spirit initially only comes to live and dwell in our human spirits – not in our souls or our bodies. What this means is that only our human spirit is immediately regenerated at our conversion with the Lord.
The body is obviously not regenerated as it is still subject to the aging and death process as a result of the Adamic curse that is still in full operation on this earth. Our physical bodies will eventually be giving out and dying on us. Our soul is who we really are. It is our total personality. It is our mind, will, and emotions. However, our souls are not regenerated at this new birth.
The Bible tells us that we have to enter into a sanctification process where God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, will start to mold, shape, and transform us into the express image of His Son Jesus Christ. This sanctification in the Lord is a progressive and ongoing process. It is not something that is instantaneously received at our conversions like our regeneration in the Holy Spirit is.

Bottom line – only our human spirits are immediately regenerated as soon as we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior.
Our human spirits are immediately regenerated because the Holy Spirit has now moved in and has taken up full residence in them. As a result of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power now residing in our human spirits, our spirits are immediately and instantaneously regenerated with a new, divine, spiritual life.

3. We Are Now Born Again Into the Kingdom of God

As a result of accepting Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior and receiving the Holy Spirit into our human spirits – the Bible tells us that we have now been “born again.”
Here is the verse that will give us this incredible revelation:

“… I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God … unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3,5)

Notice that being born again is referring direct to being born of the Holy Spirit Himself. In other words, if you do not have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of you, then you are not truly born again in the Lord.

It is only when the Holy Spirit comes and enters into your human spirit are you truly born again – and the only way to be able to get the Holy Spirit to enter into your human spirit is to be willing to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. There is no other way into the kingdom of God. We either come through Jesus and the blood that He has personally shed for all of us on the cross or we do not come through at all.

As a result of being truly born again, our spiritual relationship with the Lord has now been fully restored.
When Adam and Eve first sinned in the Garden of Eden, not only were they banished from this most incredible environment, but they also lost their direct spiritual connection and relationship that they so perfectly had with the Lord. Their spiritual relationship with the Lord was completely severed and broken the minute they sinned by eating the fruit off the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In other words, Adam and Eve suffered a direct spiritual death as a result of their one transgression against the Lord.
However, as a result of Jesus coming down to our earth in the flesh to die on a cross for all of our sins, we now get our spiritual relationship fully restored back with both God the Father and Jesus Christ if we are willing to accept Jesus and His sacrificial death on the cross. This is why the word “again” comes after the word “born.”
Being born “again” means that we are getting something back that we had originally lost – and that specific something is our spiritual relationship with the Lord. As a result of accepting Jesus as our personal Savior, we get to receive the Holy Spirit. And as a result of receiving the Holy Spirit on the inside of our human spirits, we now get our spiritual relationship once more fully restored back with the Lord. This thus is a spiritual rebirth.
Without the Holy Spirit living and operating on the inside of us, we would all still be spiritually dead, spiritually dead in all of our sins and trespasses against the Lord. This is why it is so vitally important that all Christians know exactly what it means to be born again.

5. Our Human Spirits Are Fully Resurrected

As a result of what happened in the story of Adam and Eve, every single human being that is born into this world is born into this world in sin and iniquity. We are all born into this world with a fallen and sinful nature and no amount of good and holy works, no matter how many good works we may do, and no matter how holy and good those works may be, will ever be good enough to get us back into the good graces of our Lord and Savior.
As a result of being born into this world without the Holy Spirit living on the inside of us – our human spirits are now born “dead” into this world. In other words, we have no God-life anywhere in our beings. Our human spirits are born completely dead into this world as a result of the first sin of Adam and Eve.
Here is the verse that will show us that we are all spiritually “dead” in our sins and trespasses as a result of being born into this world in a fallen, unsaved, and corrupt state.

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world …” (Ephesians 2:1)

Once we are willing to accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, then the Holy Spirit will come and enter into our human spirits. And once the Holy Spirit comes and enters into our human spirits – then our human spirits are fully resurrected once again! We now have God’s divine spiritual life running through our spirits.
Just stop and think for a moment of what kind of spiritual reality we are dealing with. We are born into this world with completely dead spirits. As a result of being born into this world with completely dead spirits, we have no lifeline back to the Lord, and no chance to be able to enter into heaven once we die and depart from this life.
But once we are willing to accept Jesus as our personal Savior, all of this completely changes within a matter of seconds. Here is what will happen the minute we accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior:

• We are immediately born again
• We immediately receive the Holy Spirit into our spirits
• Our dead spirits are immediately resurrected and regenerated 
• We immediately get to go into heaven after we die and cross over

Just as Jesus Himself fully resurrected on the third day from His crucifixion, so too are our human spirits fully resurrected the minute we get saved in the Lord. In other words, our human spirits are going from maximum death to maximum life in just a matter of seconds after we are saved! Any unbeliever can thus transition from total death to total life in the snap of a finger if he is willing to take the big step of admitting that he is a fallen sinner in need of a personal Savior to save himself from his sins.

6. All Of Our Sins Will Be Fully Forgiven

As a result of accepting Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, all of our sins – both past, present, and future sins will be totally and fully forgiven.
The Bible tells us that at the exact moment of our conversions to the Lord that:

• Our sins will be fully forgiven
• Our sins will be fully blotted out
• Our sins will be fully washed away
• Our slates will be fully wiped clean
• Our sins will no longer be remembered by the Lord
• God will remove our transgressions from Him as far as the east is from the west

All of your sins will be totally and completely forgiven by the Lord if you are willing to admit that you are a sinner, that you need a personal Savior to save you from your sins, and are willing to confess out all the wrong and sinful things that you have ever done in your life in an appropriate sinner’s prayer to the Lord.

What this means is that there is no more baggage, no more weights, no more anchors, no more guilt, and no more burdens that you have to be carrying around on you.
The blood that Jesus has personally shed for you on the cross has now set you totally and completely free from all of your sinful and guilt-ridden past – no matter how bad your past may have been, and no matter what kinds of vile, bad, and heinous sins you may have committed in your past.

With the exception of the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, there is no sin that is too vile or too heinous that the Lord cannot fully forgive you for if you are willing to accept the full pardon that He is willing to offer you through His death on the cross. As a result, you are now fully free to start living again in your present and your future with whatever the Lord will have in store for you from here on in.

7. We Now Have the Power of the Holy Spirit For Ministry and Sanctification

As a result of immediately receiving the Holy Spirit at our conversions to the Lord – we now have His divine power available to us to help us in the sanctification process that the Lord wants to start with each and everyone of us – and we now have His divine power available to us to help us be very good and very successful at whatever God will be calling us to do for Him in this life.
In other words, God’s divine power is immediately available to all of us for service, ministry, and sanctification if we are willing to fully yield and surrender ourselves to Him and the call that He wants to place on each one of our lives.

So not only do we get our dead spirits fully resurrected and regenerated, our lifelines and spiritual relationship fully restored back to the Lord, all of our sins fully forgiven, and full entrance into heaven after we die and cross over – but to top it all off, we now get to have the power of the Holy Spirit Himself flowing and operating through us so that we can become everything that the Lord is calling us to become in Him (sanctification), and accomplish everything that He is calling us to accomplish for Him in this life (ministry).

So not only does God want to get us into heaven when we die and cross over, but He also wants to start the real show with us right down here on this earth.
We do not have to wait until we get to heaven to have God start the sanctification process to make us into a better and more holy people. We do not have to wait until we get to heaven to be able to start to go to work for the Lord in whatever He will be calling us to do for Him in this life. It can all start right now – right where you are standing at with the Lord.

8. We Have Now Become New Creations – All Things Are Now Brand New

I will now leave you with one whopper power verse that will put the icing on this entire cake. This next verse will now tell us as a result of all of the above benefits and blessings – that we have now become “new creations” in Christ, that all “old things” have now “passed away,” and that everything has now become brand “new.”
Once you really meditate and chew on all of the above benefits and blessings – you will see that God the Father is now giving each person that will accept His Son as their personal Savior a completely brand new fresh start with their lives.
God is telling us that not only is all of our past and all of the bad things of our past fully behind us – but that we have now been made into brand “new creations” in Him. The reason God the Father can state that we are now new creations in Him is because we now have the Holy Spirit and His divine power living and operating on the inside of us to transform us into those new creations.
Before we had received the Holy Spirit, we did not have God’s supernatural power operating in us to transform and sanctify us. Due to the fallen sin nature that we have all been born into this world with, we do not have the natural power or ability within our own beings to change ourselves for the better. It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit operating on the inside of us can we change and transform into the true sanctified saints that God is calling all of us to become in Him.
As a result of this divine power now residing in us in the Person of the Holy Spirit – we now have the power, the ability, and the means not to only change ourselves for the better, but we now have the power, the ability, and the means to change our whole lives for the better. Not only can the Holy Spirit help you with your inner life, but He can also help you with your outer life as well.
Once you get saved, and then fully surrender your entire life over to the Lord so that He can fully guide you into His divine destiny for your life, you will then be given a brand new and different life from the old life that you had been living in. Once you enter into God’s perfect plan and destiny for your life, you will then find out what you were really created to be in this life.
As a result of this brand new life and brand new direction that God will now be giving you – all things will now become brand new as this next verse will tell you. Here is the verse that is giving us this powerful piece of revelation:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Notice that you have to be “in Christ” before you can be given this brand new life. And the only way to be “in Christ” is to become a born-again believer. Unbelievers are not in Christ and as a result, they are all living in dead and fruitless lives.

Conclusion

As a result of this new rebirth and regeneration in the Lord, we now have a new restored relationship with the Lord.
With the Holy Spirit now residing in our human spirits, we now have God’s divine life, power, and abilities flowing and operating through us to help us to:

• Overcome different types of temptations
• Pull out of any sins that we may have fallen into
• The power to defeat Satan and all of his demons
• The power to be able to be truly sanctified in the Lord
• The power to be able to fully serve the Lord in whatever He will be calling us to do for Him in this life

I believe that many Christians are totally unaware of all of the above benefits and blessings. As a result of not fully realizing who they really are in Christ, and exactly what they have immediately available to them as a result of the Holy Spirit now living on the inside of them, many Christians are living defeated, joyless, and unproductive lives in the Lord.
There is no true spiritual growth occurring in their lives – and as a result of not truly abiding and growing in the Lord, demons and the rest of the world just keep beating down on them and keep driving them further down into their defeated and depressed worlds.
Before they know it, they start to lose all desire to even want to try anymore. Life is just too much of a hassle, and they would just prefer to throw in the towel and spend the rest of their earthly lives doing and accomplishing absolutely nothing for the Lord.

If you really step back and objectively look at the big picture, each Christian only has one of two roads they can take in this life.
We can either choose to believe that we really are brand new creations in Christ, that God the Father has a perfect plan and destiny set up for each one of our lives – and that God, through the power of the Holy Spirit operating on the inside of us, can give us the grace, power, ability, and means to perfectly complete and fulfill that divine destiny.
Or we can choose not to believe and realize who we really are in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ – and choose to live this life only seeking after own ways, our own interests, and our own desires – thereby completely ignoring God and the call that He wants to personally place on each one of our lives.

You thus only have the fully surrendered Christian who is walking and operating in God’s perfect will for his life – or the carnal, fleshly, and worldly Christian who is only living this life for themselves and for whatever they can get out of this life while they still can.
The choice is now yours as to which road you will choose to travel on in this life. All God can do is show you through His Word exactly what we have available to us, and exactly what He is wanting from each one of us. The Lord has made all of His divine life, power, opportunity, and destiny available to each and every born-again believer who will fully surrender their entire lives over to Him.
It simply does not get any better than this – even in the fallen, cursed, and depraved world in which we all still live in.

Remember – you are now a true, born-again child of the Most High God. You don’t have to settle for mediocrity or second best in your personal life. You can now enter into God’s personal best for your life, and it can immediately start right where you are standing at right now – no matter what your age – and no matter how bad, how bloody, or how sinful your personal past may have been.