Alan Martin

7 articles

Let Grace Abound All the More by Alan Martin 2011-04-08

Let His mercy abound over our memory

Let His faith abound over our fear

Let His healing abound over our hurt

Let His power abound over our paralysis

Let His peace abound over our paranoia

Let His selfishlessness abound over our selfishness

Let His righteousness abound over our rebellion

Let His vision abound over our vanity

Let His brokenness abound over our brazenness

Let His Liberty abound over our licentiousness

Let His comfort abound over our confusion

Let His stillness abound over our striving

Let His powerfulness abound over our playfulness

Let His hopefulness abound over our hopelessness

Let His Godliness abound over our godlessness

~Am

Hearts of Flesh Bleed by Alan Martin 2011-04-08

As long as we live in this life, pain will be our companion. Pain comes in all forms, but its main conductor is always human. Bills and circumstances might cause disappointment or discomfort, but deep hurt always comes through people. Makrothumia is the Greek word for long-suffering, which is a fruit of the spirit. Another definition for long-suffering in the original language is to “breath-hard-long”...like a woman breathing through the pain of her contraction. As we learn to suffer long, we will gain the ability to patiently bear with the failings of the weak, especially when it hurts us. If we halt when we are hurt, we are in danger of growing hard of heart; this is often a self-protection reflex. Understanding that pain is part of the process of maturity has helped me to welcome it, instead of resent it. Resisting will only cause more pain, and might very well keep us from healing. Pain will not do its designed eternal work within us while we resent the hurt and give in to feelings that we deserve better. There is no gain by pain if our sole motivation is to stop it rather than learn by it. Those who willingly go into the fire of pain are set free from the limiting ropes that bind them. They will walk out of their personal fires not smelling like smoke, unbound, and become an attraction to others who will give praise to God because of what they have seen done in the life of one who has passed through the fire of pain as an overcomer rather than a victim.

Hearts of Flesh Bleed I’d rather have pain than porosis (hardness) It’s better to hurt than be hard If I would be formed in His image Like Him I'll be bruised and be scarred

Since my Lord was made perfect through suffering Then even in this let me share Taste His grief, feel his pain, through men's buffering Till all pride of self worth is laid bare

For stony hearts wince not at chastening But scourgings make hearts of flesh bleed And broken hearts yield to this mercy While proud hearts stay blind to their need

Lord save me from vain love of comfort And take from me my heart of stone I know hearts of flesh know more suffering But they also feel love like Your own

~Am

A Symphony of One by Alan Martin 2011-06-21

Make us a symphony of One

Focused upon One conductor

Tuned to One concert pitch

Submitted to One tempo

Content to play One part

Perfected to One sound

Resulting in One purpose

The praise of our Composer

Free us from solo vain glory

Content us to watch as we rest

Ready to play our one measure

Trusting our Maestro knows best

Teach us love’s concert ambition

Cleanse us from comparing pride

Put to death vain competition

Let harmony's fruit now abide

That Thou blessed Lord may have pleasure

Diverse yet through unity one

Accomplishing Your One true treasure

The summation of all in Your SON

Recognizing the Promises by Alan Martin 2011-09-19

How can we know that we have fully recognized the promises God has set before us? Is there a way to detect whether we have been diverted or distracted from obtaining the things promised? YES!

Those who are the most aware of the promises are the most aggressive in their efforts to lay hold of them. For Example, those who are most excited about the promise Paul set before the Corinthians can be clearly identified by their response. “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us purify ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord.” Those who have fully laid hold of this promise diligently set out to meet the conditions set forth to obtain it. Everyone truly conscious that God desires to be their personal Father is equally serious about continually purifying himself in order to experience the realization of the promise. Those who are casual and careless about continual purification are the ones who are the least aware of the promise that is slipping away through their negligence.

Another example of this is found in II Peter where he sets “exceeding great and precious promises” before his readers. What promises? – “that through God’s own glory and virtue” we can become “partakers of His divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world through lusts.” WOW! We can partake of God’s own divine nature, His glory and virtue, and escape the corruption in the world. Those most captivated by the thought of it, are the most careful in their response to it. “FOR THIS REASON – GIVE ALL DILIGENCE to add to your faith….”

It is easy to identify the believer who is most aware of the promise of sharing in the divine nature and escaping the corruption in the world; just look for the one who is the most diligent about adding to his faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, godliness, perseverance, brotherly kindness and love. The diligent response is the clearest indicator of how conscious we are of the promise Peter sets before us.

Careless consideration of the promise is evidenced by the casual indifference of the responder. Those with the greatest anticipation of the promises of God will be recognized by the dedication of their diligence.

“And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

The DE-Liberation of Women by Alan Martin 2011-11-15

Now here is a cause worth promoting and celebrating – the DE – liberation of women. Paul promoted women’s Deliberation, and Peter jumped on the bandwagon too. Sadly, the Deliberation of women movement has lost much of its early momentum as the DE has been lost to a great extant. The only place the De liberation of women ever had a strong beginning was in the church, but the DE liberation of women in the church is now a very controversial matter.

Terms often need a definition in order to glean their meaning. DE liberation comes from the French language, the root word being deliberate – a compound of the preposition “de”(of or from) and “libra” (scale). Deliberate therefore applied to things that had been weighed in the scales to access their worth.

Some assume that modern, “liberated” women have increased in worth, but how are we to know the worth of women who no longer “weigh on the scale”? Many women have an aversion to scales! This is an area where nearly all women insist upon privacy – unless of course they believe they are doing very well. But enough rabbit trailing – back to our DE liberate topic.

Nowhere is it more evident that women have abandoned Paul and Peter’s DE liberation movement than in the mode of women’s dress. Here we are able to discern the difference between women who once were DE liberated in how they dress but are now simply liberated. There is no disputing that Paul and Peter would both be greatly disturbed at this trend, for both of these two spirit-filled apostles were staunch DE liberationists.

Their instructions on women’s dress called for careful DE liberation in the choices that women were to make while adorning themselves. A simple word study on the appropriate biblical passages will substantiate this unequivocably (without a doubt). Both of these distinguished church founders wanted women to dress DE liberately – weighing carefully their choice of attire. I will not delve into the specific cautions included in their instructions, but would strongly encourage those who are still with me to examine them on your own.

What I will say is that SIN happens when women fail to dress DE liberately; yes, many miss the mark simply because they have not carefully weighed what they put on. Improper dress can be due to “intentional” or “unintentional” factors, but the affects of either were the apostles concern. That is why they both exhorted Christ honoring women to dress DE liberately.

In order to restore the DE liberation of women movement in our churches and our homes, we will have to give careful consideration and pay close attention to this subject, awkwardness or difficulty notwithstanding. Pastors, Dads, and Moms, those under our care may not be “intentionally” dressing inappropriately, but without instruction DE liberate dressing will likely never occur. If our wives and or our daughters are NOT dressing DE liberately, be a Parent, and exercise our God given calling to oversee those under us. If we see attire that has not been carefully “weighed” – DE Liberated – our place is to help.

This is one area where the “liberation” of women will never produce true freedom. Virtuous women of faith do not seek liberation from God’s council; the liberty they seek is “from” conformity to the world never “to” it. Godly women will always be very DE liberate in how they dress.

DE liberated women do not fear the oppression or opinion of men. DE liberated women are empowered by God Himself to throw off any unjust oppression of man-made tradition or rules, but a DE liberated woman will never throw out the godly concerns of the apostles of Jesus Christ. Virtuous women always weigh everything they do very carefully – in word, in deed and in dress.

The Monster and Mary by Alan Martin 2011-12-02

“Keep your little monster away from my Mary!” Mary’s mom lovingly said

“If you will not watch that sly little devil, someone just might end up dead!”

Monster’s mom attempted a smile as she mumbled a painful thank you

While Mary’s own mother whirled ‘round in a huff and left without further adieu

The lesson that morning from Sunday School hour was for such occasions as this

To recognize need others’ burdens to bear so as not opportunity miss

In contrast one Father all perfect in love decided to spare not His son

But sent him a sheep to live among wolves knowing exactly just what would be done

Though such an example has clearly been given and taught in our own Sunday School

It seems that the lesson has failed to persuade us to walk in the same golden rule

For our love has limits and we’re ready to fight when protecting those children our own

And Monster’s mother like hundreds of others must still fight their battle alone

So next time when your little innocent angel is trampled by Monster again

Remember the Father whose Son we all slaughtered so we can become just like Him

The Snares of the Enemy by Alan Martin 2012-10-18

The "snares" of our only real enemy are fabricated with facts; facts based upon actual evidence that form the basis for sound judgment. Satan presents the facts like a noble district attorney to the grand jury of our mind, will, and emotions. Agreeing with this prosecutor based upon the "evidence" he presents is the very means by which we step into the snare of pronouncing sentence in our hearts. If we listen to his arguments, we will end up agreeing with his accusation against our brethren. If we hold his opinion within our hearts (giving place to the accuser), it will not be long before we lay a snare for others as the accusing thoughts well up from our hearts and pass through our lips. We do this by simply communicating the evidence we have seen to others, explaining why we have reached our verdict. We will always be tempted to explain why we have reached a conclusion against a brother or sister in Christ. This is part of the grand scheme of the accuser.

There is always one element missing from these fabricated factual snares of the enemy - the fact of mercy! The enemy has no interest in reminding us that we have all received mercy. A good DA rarely pleads for mercy, for his role is to uphold the law, prove the case, and “categorize” the offender guilty as charged. Pleading for mercy is the role of the Advocate, who does not necessarily attempt to deny the charges, only to mitigate the consequences through seeking mercy for the accused.

How do we know whether we have been lured into the snare of fabricated facts. It’s rather simple, if we search our hearts and find a “guilty” verdict towards any brother or sister, we have been ensnared. The only way to get out of the snare facts is to wash the ropes away in the blood of the Lamb. Even the most proven facts must give way to the blood of the Lamb. As we apply the blood of the Lamb to the facts of our verdict, mercy triumphs over judgment and we are set free from the snare.

The real aim of the snare is our own condemnation, for the accuser of the brethren knows that - “judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.” He really is the thief, come to kill, steal, and destroy, but he likes to appear as a messenger of light, a minister of righteousness - out to save the public from the accused. When we are lured by this strategy into agreeing with his conclusions, we are in grave danger of receiving his condemnation. We have become ensnared by the devil – “taken captive to do his will” – to accuse our brethren of their sins rather than covering them by the blood of the Lamb.

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