I have added a song to the music download pages of this web site. I titled it; “Pardon Me Mister”. It’s a song I wrote and recorded a few years ago that was triggered by a conversation I had with a cowboy friend of mine.
He had been suffering terribly from a crushed hip and upper leg, the result of a horse falling on him. The hip and leg had been pinned and screwed back together, but the bones had since degenerated to a point that he had a serious limp and he suffered a lot of pain all the time. He had been told that he would never be able to have a replacement hip because of the severity of the bone damage and a dormant, unresponsive to treatment, blood infection. To make matters worse, he was shoeing horses to help support his ministry as a cowboy church planter. Because of the rapid degeneration of the leg bone, he was told, by Doctors, he must stop shoeing horses, and probably would end up in a wheel chair.
With this as background; He and I were talking one day and he said; “Keith, if I knew someone who could lay hands on me and pray for me so I could be healed,…….but I don’t know of anybody…..”
I went away that day, grieved in my spirit…and ultimately wrote the song; “Pardon Me Mister”.
The Story doesn’t end there. This cowboy kept earnestly seeking God about healing, and ultimately began to believe God could and would heal him, if he would ask some believers for specific prayer for his healing. He finally asked… and a bunch of us started praying for him.
The result; a complete cure came from God for the so-called “incurable” blood infection. A special Doctor was found who said he could replace the hip, even with all the leg bone damage. Surgery was scheduled and conducted. A few days in the hospital, a most remarkable recovery, and this cowboy was virtually pain free, leading a normal active life again. You know; normal stuff, like; breaking and training colts and physical construction work. Plus; he continued the work of his ministry.
This is not a; “He lived happily ever after” story, it is just a snip in time that got me thinking about what is real and what is religious tradition. In the end, it was this segment of my life that inspired me to write the song; “Pardon Me Mister” and to continue to seek the truth about Gods good news through Jesus Christ.
People around the world are constantly on the lookout for someone or something to help them with their sicknesses and troubles and there is no shortage of sick, injured and troubled people in the world. All too often, tradition and religion have given these hurting people more lip service than anything else. Tradition and religion always seem to want their money, but too often, what they get in return is little more than false but fleeting hope and/or, more bondage to more religious laws.
Travel here…no, over there…this person, that person, this religion, that denomination, this fellowship, that new movement… where is the truth? Where can you find real help?
Today, too many in the world are like the people Jesus found in Israel and we find described in Matthew 9:36
“And when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”
I imagine, in their own way, those so described above were also “looking for a Jesus man, a man of faith, indeed.” (Lyrics from the song; “Pardon Me Mister”) But, guess what? A “real Jesus Man” did show up for them.
I long to see; “the Church", or whatever part of “the Church” that will, “get our act together”. Or, more correctly; “surrender to Him and allow God to get our act together”.
God made an overwhelming sacrifice. He gave His only begotten Son. Jesus made an overwhelming sacrifice. All of this, in order to fulfill our Fathers desires to free those He loves so much from bondage. To free all of us who would believe, from the bondage of an enemy that only wants to kill, rob and steal from us. All this… that He might give to His beloved mankind, the gift of the Holy Spirit, in order that “WE” might be able to be partakers of “HIS” divine nature, and rule and reign in life, now and forever.
Paul’s description of the fulfillment of Gods purpose for the body of Christ is outlined, in part, in Epesians 4:1-15;
V13 “till we all come into the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.”
I had a good friend of mine tell me, not long ago, that if I point out an area of Church weakness, I should consider suggesting some helpful ideas or action steps for improvement. (Or words to that effect) I think that was Godly council.
So what are we waiting for, Church? If we only knew the truth, we are all looking for; The government of God (Kingdom of God) to fill us up as individual Christians and then spill over into our families, neighborhoods, nations, and finally the whole earth!
Action step:
The Kingdom or government of God is “at hand”, it is within us, if we are Christians. We just need to ask God to help us identify, and shuck out any further religious traditions and/or thoughts, or plans that are born of the flesh and that hinder or prevent Christ to govern within each of us. Then, pray that the Holy Spirit will, by any means He chooses, remove, root out, pull down and destroy, then build and plant by the Spirit and to further allow Christ in us to be fully manifest. (Don’t let me miss it Lord, no matter what it costs me!) This is not a time to be playing religious games.
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us” Romans 8:
Action step:
We are told to FIRST, seek the Kingdom of God, (the government of God) AND… HIS righteousness and then, all these other things will be added unto us. (See chapter 4, 5& 6 of “The Kingdom of Heaven’s At Hand” in “the book” section of this web site).
Remember, HIS righteousness is “obeying from the heart”, not trying to adhere to rules in our own strength.
We are also told that; if we seek, we shall find.
Action step:
We might pray, as Jesus prayed, obviously in the will of the Father;
“Thy Kingdom (government) come, thy will be done, IN EARTH, as it is in heaven.”
“I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: Ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, and give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth. Isaiah 62:6-7
Action step:
Pray, in the spirit, very frequently. For we know not how to pray as we ought. Rest, take a break. Allow the Holy Spirit to do His work through you, surrender to Him, Rest, Rest, Rest…. Pray in the Spirit, fill in the many holes in your prayer life, and let him fill in for your lack of knowledge and lack of understanding of the will of God. Let Him pray through you, in accordance with the will of the Father, every time. Then, as the scriptures indicate, again and again; If you ask, in accordance with His will…. it shall be done for you.
Ref: Romans 8: and 1 John 5: just for starters.
Church, if we are off the track, let’s not hold to our traditions that took us off the track or facilitated our remaining off the track. Let’s re-start the search. Because, all creation is groaning in travail, waiting for; “The manifestation of the Sons of God” and His government to fill the earth as Daniel foretold that it would.
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