Here's your blessing! Sincerely, R.C.

Numbers 6:24-26, The LORD bless you, and keep you:

                           The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you:

                           The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

 THAT SPECIAL PLACE!  That place like no other. Set apart! Separate from everything else. A place beyond ordinary human understanding. It's a place for all to come, but limited to only those who are authorized to come. I used to have a secret clearance as a young G.I. when we were part of the United Nations while stationed in Korea. That clearance doesn't even come close to the one we are referring to now. That authorization, that clearance, access that you and I and anyone and everyone can have if they so choose. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, Come unto me, all you that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

It starts with coming to Jesus. He is then the one that will give us the authorization, the clearance,  and the access to where we can go to places we have never been before. (THE SECRET PLACE)

Romans 5:1,2, Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
      By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Ephesians 2:18, For through Him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

A PLACE BEYOND ORDINARY HUMAN UNDERSTANDING:

I Corinthians 2:14, But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (Examine, investigate)

If you or I would only examine, and investigate the Word of God. Spiritual examination! Spiritual investigation! This will equal spiritual understanding! Notice how the scripture reads above, But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God? This is key here. This is where you have to have that personal relationship with the LORD JESUS CHRIST. He is the one that will give us that spiritual discernment. He is the key!

I want to go ahead and try to wrap this up and then publish it for all to see in hopes that it would be a blessing to someone out there. If nothing else it has been a blessing to me to study God's Word, and share the goodness of God! I want to leave you with Psalm 91. Sometimes referred to as the Psalm of protection. When I was in the 1st Gulf War this became my safeguard. Not knowing at the time this is considered the Psalm of protection. But the one Psalm in which I was drawn to and then felt compelled to commit to my memory. Which I did do. But you know what the key was? I believed every Word! I am thankful today that I still do believe every Word! 

It was yesterday while spending time, quality time with my God, my Father in Heaven, and the Word of God, that's the key. Spend some quality time in the Word of God! Believe what you read is true. Because it is. Trust me I know. Trust Him because He knows! As I began to read the first verse of Psalm 91 it dawned on me, I was in the secret place. After all the times I have read this Psalm, and have never got tired of reading it over and over I might add, there I was alone with God in the secret place. I have asked myself before when reading this verse, Where is this secret place? I was in it! I had been there many times before. Alone with God. In prayer. Communion with God. And His Word. It was something so refreshing. Something God was teaching me. Sharing His goodness and mercy and love with me again. There isn't anything that is more wonderful than Him. His Word. His Son. His name is JESUS. I leave you now with Psalm 91. Be blessed. I am. It's personal to me. I hope to you also. Sincerely, R.C.

PSALM 91 He that dwells in the secret place of the most High will abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge, and my fortress: my God; in Him I will trust.
  Surely He will deliver me from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
  He will cover me with His feathers, and under His wings I will trust: His truth will be my shield and buckler.
  I will not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flys by day;
  Nor for the pestilence that walks in darkness; nor for the destruction that wastes at noonday.
  A thousand will fall at my side, and ten thousand at my right hand; but it will not come near me. (This really happened to me in the war)
  Only with my eyes will I behold and see the reward of the wicked.
  Because I have made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, my habitation;
  There will no evil befall me, neither will any plague come near my dwelling.
  Because He will give His angels charge over me, to keep me in all my ways. (That He did)
  They will bear me up in their hands, lest I dash my foot against a stone.
  I will tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon I will trample under feet. (Didn't tread upon any real lions, or trample any real dragons. I did tread and trample on the lies of the devil though! Which he is referred to as a lion and dragon in the Word of God. How about that?! satan is real. and he is your enemy. the enemy of your soul)
  Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him: I will set him on high, because he has known My Name. (Have you set your love upon Him?)
  He will call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
  With long life I will satisfy him, and show him my Salvation. (He has shown me His Salvation! You should know by now who that is.) 

Deep subject, hey? Oh, yes! This would include you women folk out there too. I don't want you to feel left out. And by no means you are! We are in this together. Right? Of course we are. This post title, "A MAN'S LIFE" was taken from Luke 12:15. We see Jesus teaching not only on a man's life in this passage, but life itself. The considerations and warnings, instructions and keys and preparations of life. Answers to some of life's questions. And who better to teach them but the Giver and Maker of life Himself. He gives us the answers to the things that are the most important in life. Let's look at it for a little while shall we? Here is the verse to consider carefully. If you will do this, and ask God's guidance and help, you will be blessed for it. I promise!

Luke 12:15, And He said unto them, TAKE HEED, AND BEWARE OF COVETOUSNESS: for a man's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses.

Let's break it down. Take heed? Pay real close attention, consider carefully. And, beware? Be on guard! Observe! Of what? Covetousness. It is a sin. It is an unlawful desire of the property of another; also a desire of gain or riches beyond what is necessary for our wants. Or rather, beware of all inordinate desires. The desire to have more and more and more... Let a person possess whatever he may. Jesus taught to take heed, and beware of this type of thinking. This type of desire and affection. This will only lead to much misery and sorrow and brokenness. Unsatisfied! Discontent! Hence the strong warning by the LORD!

In the latter part of the verse Jesus gives us an explanation. How about that? GOD IS A GOD THAT EXPLAINS THINGS!!! So we can understand. He makes it plain! Jesus says, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: Why?

for a man's life, or you could say, because a man's life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses.

That is, a man's life depends not on the abundance, the possessions. Nor preserved by the abundance. His possessions will not prolong it. The things of the world will never satisfy the desires of a soul.

I would like to add a small excerpt from my journal here. Yes something very personal to me. I feel in my heart to do it. Why? Hopefully to be a blessing to you and me. That is the whole purpose in what I am endeavoring to do here. Through all of this that you would be blessed by the LORD Himself. That my life would make a difference in your life for the better. For eternity. This excerpt was the very first entry in my journal. This is mainly about my Pop. Here it is,

Entered on August, 2oth, 2009. My dad turned 74 yesterday. As I sit here in this peaceful, beautiful, and lovely garden, outside this huge hospital complex, which is full of wonderful color, that's the garden I speak of now. Although there is equally and perhaps more wonderful color and beauty, and peace, inside such a large complex such as the U of M. I am not talking about the building, but among all the sickness, and vile and ugly diseases, and the pain and suffering, and sorrow, brokenness, and death, there is life! There  is the wonder and beauty of the color of a man's soul! WHO HE REALLY IS! Not in what he possesses in terms of the material, but the color of character in which he possesses. The very thing in which we will be remembered. I will always remember my Dad, or my Pop, which I refer to him more often as, a man of great color of character. One of the bravest men I know. And glad to say my hero. Who in the last days of his life, and throughout, shined forth with such brilliant color the man he really is and was! and always meant to be! MY POP!!!

The bravest man to ever have lived, and died, was and is the LORD JESUS CHRIST! That was the whole purpose in His coming. To die. For you and me. So we could live. He's not dead anymore! But He is alive for evermore. Arms wide open to receive you and me. And all that would come and receive Him into their life. THE WONDER AND BEAUTY OF THE COLOR OF A MAN'S SOUL?! BEHOLD THE ONE THAT DIED ON THAT CRUEL CROSS! That was none other than the LORD HIMSELF! The life that shined brighter than any life ever lived! Shine Jesus Shine! In my life and all who would say yes to You! THE GREATEST HERO EVER! AND EVER WILL BE! HIS NAME IS JESUS!!! You want to talk about pain? Suffering? Brokenness? Sorrow? Vile and ugly disease? Behold the One that hung on that awful cross that day! If you dare? That's right! I challenge you to stop and behold the cross at Calvary! Look upon the one that was crucified! Take heed! And beware! Pay close attention. Consider carefully! Be on guard and observe! Do this with honesty and sincerity of heart and you will never be the same. Go ahead. Just do it. Remember though, He did this all for you and me! Oh what love! Oh what grace and mercy! Unmerited favor! Receive it! Believe it! Receive Him! Believe Him! The greatest hero ever to live and die! This is none other than Jesus. My number one hero. My Pop knew this about me. I am so very thankful for this! To have been able to share my faith with my Dad. My Pop wasn't a pretender. He never claimed to be something he wasn't. He taught me a great lesson. Thanks so much Pop! And to the greatest lesson teacher, and the One that never claimed to be something he wasn't, that is NONE OTHER THAN JESUS!!! Thank you so much Jesus! I am forever indebted to You. Forever thankful and forever grateful! Sincerely, R.C.