That We Should Be Holy

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” (Ephesians 1:1-10 ESV)

The words spoken here are addressed to those who are the saints and the faithful in Christ Jesus. And a saint is a holy one, and to be holy is to be separate (unlike, different) from the world because being conformed to the likeness of character of Christ Jesus, our Lord. This is of the Spirit of God and not of human flesh, but it involves our full cooperation with God’s work of grace in our lives as we submit to him as Lord, and as we surrender our lives to his will and purposes for our lives, and as we obey his commands.

[Romans 12:1-2; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Ephesians 4:17-32]

And the faithful are those who are full of faith which comes from God, is authored and perfected by Christ Jesus, and is gifted to us by God. It is not of our own doing – not of the will nor of the flesh of man so that we don’t brag that somehow we obtained our own salvation via our own fleshly good works. So we don’t even get to determine what this faith looks like. God does. And this faith is persuaded of God as to his righteousness and holiness, of our sinfulness, and of our need to turn from sin and obey God.

[Hebrews 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12-13; John 6:44]

Jesus Christ described those who are his true followers as those who deny self, die to sin daily, and who follow him in obedience to his commands. They are his sheep who listen to him, not just with their ears, but with their hearts and minds, with the intent to obey him, and then who obey him in his power, strength, and wisdom, by the grace of God. They are not those who merely profess faith in Jesus Christ with their lips, but they are those who follow him in obedience to his commands in holy living, in God’s power.

[Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Titus 2:11-14; Matthew 7:21-23]

We are those blessed of God in Christ Jesus with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. We are those whom God chose before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. We are those whom God predestined that we should be the children of God via faith in Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will. And the purpose of his will is that we should deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in walks of holiness and righteousness in obedience to his commands, in his power.

In him we have redemption through his blood. For Jesus Christ gave himself up for us on that cross that we might die to sin and live to his righteousness. He shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of slavery (addiction) to sin so that we would now serve him with our lives in walks of obedience and in surrender to his perfect will for our lives. So, by faith in him, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with him to walk, no longer as slaves to sin but as slaves to God.

[1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:15,21; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Acts 26:18]

Through God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in our Lord we are forgiven our sins and we are given the hope of eternal life with God in heaven. But we need to understand that biblical faith must be continuous, and biblical salvation is progressive sanctification. Biblical faith must be proved genuine through our walks of faith and obedience to our Lord in holy living. For, if sin is what we practice (our habit), we will NOT inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what faith in Jesus Christ that we profess with our lips.

[Matt 24:9-14; Jn 8:31-32; Jn 15:1-12; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 8:24; Rom 11:17-24; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; Gal 6:7-8; Col 1:21-23; 2 Tim 1:8-9; 2 Tim 2:10-13; Heb 9:28; Heb 3:6,14-15; 1 Pet 1:5; 2 Pet 1:5-11; 2 Pet 2:20-22; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10]    

Trust and Obey  

Words by John H. Sammis, 1887

Music by Daniel B. Towner, 1887

When we walk with the Lord 

in the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will, 

He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey. 

Not a shadow can rise, 

not a cloud in the skies,

But His smile quickly drives it away;

Not a doubt or a fear, 

not a sigh or a tear,

Can abide while we trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear, 

not a sorrow we share,

But our toil He doth richly repay;

Not a grief or a loss, 

not a frown or a cross,

But is blessed if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove 

the delights of His love

Until all on the altar we lay;

For the favor He shows, 

for the joy He bestows,

Are for them who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet 

We will sit at His feet.

Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.

What He says we will do, 

Where He sends we will go;

Never fear, only trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB4KcleYiWM

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When God Shuts Up the Heavens

“Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: ‘I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place.’” (2 Chronicles 7:12-15 ESV)

A House of Sacrifice

The house of the Lord that Solomon built was a physical temple. Today the temple of God is within the hearts and lives of all who are believing in Jesus Christ, our Messiah, with God given faith, who have died and are dying daily with him to sin, and who are walking in obedience to his commands. And all of this was made possible for us by Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins on that cross that we might be set free from slavery to sin and become slaves of God.

And we are now to give our lives to the Lord Jesus as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is our acceptable worship of God. And no longer are we to be conformed to the ways of this sinful world, but we are to be transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God away from living in sin to now living to God and to his righteousness. For Jesus died that we might no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave his life up for us.

We are no longer to conduct our lives in practice like the ungodly who have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. That is not the way that we should have learned Christ if we were taught the truth in Christ to put off our old self, which belongs to our former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of our minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

We are, therefore, to no longer let sin reign in our mortal bodies, to make us obey its passions. For sin shall no longer have dominion over us. So we are not to present ourselves as instruments for unrighteousness but for righteousness, and no longer present ourselves to sin, but to God as those who have been brought from death to life – all because of God’s grace which trains us to say “No!” to ungodliness and fleshly lusts and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s soon return.

[1 Co 3:9,16-17; 1 Co 6:19-20; 2 Co 5:1,15,21; 2 Co 6:14-16; Eph 2:19-22; Eph 4:11-16; Rom 12:4-8; 1 Co 12:1-31; Col 1:24; Jude 1:20-21; Eph 2:8-10; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:24; Eph 4:17-32; Tit 2:11-14]

Divine Discipline

Those who the Lord loves he disciplines, scourges, reproves, rebukes, and chastises. It is for discipline that we endure. God disciplines us for our good so that we may share his holiness. When we are being disciplined of God, it is painful, yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness in our lives. So, we are to rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, character, and hope.

So, we are not to be surprised when a fiery trial comes upon us to test us, which I believe is the object of God shutting off the rain and sending locusts and pestilence among his people. But we are to rejoice that we share in Christ’s sufferings. For we are destined for afflictions. But we are to count it all joy when we meet trials of various kinds, for the testing of our faith produces steadfastness with the goal of us reaching spiritual maturity.

[Heb 12:3-12; Rom 5:3-5; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; Matt 5:10-12; Lu 21:12-19; 2 Co 1:3-11; Jn 15:1-11]

If My People

So, first we were told that God’s house is to be a house of sacrifice. And then the conversation went right into God sending trials and difficulties upon his people, and then it went right into a call for repentance. So, I believe we can fill in the blanks here and we can assume that the message being conveyed is that God’s house, his temple, his body, is to be a house given over to God, dedicated to him and to his service, according to his will and purpose.

Today this would be the body of Christ, his church, and individual believers in Jesus Christ. Our lives are to be given over to him as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to him. And the purpose of the discipline, in this case, would be because his people were not treating God and his temple as a place of sacrifice to God, but they were engaged in some kind of wickedness, perhaps to a large degree and involving many people, which is the situation with much of the Lord’s church today, at least in America.

And the purpose of God sending the divine discipline is to strongly encourage his people to turn from their sins and to turn back to God and to be those living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. And I believe that is why we are going through much of the difficulties our nations are going through right now, because God is judging his wayward people in order to encourage them to humble themselves, to seek his face, and to turn from wickedness.

Yet, I believe he is using these difficulties in all of our lives to get all of us to examine our lives and our relationships with the Lord, and to grow us in our walks of faith to maturity in Christ before our Lord returns for his bride. He is pruning and purifying us to make us ready for his return and for our marriage to him and our salvation yet to be completed when he returns. And the healing that will take place will be that our hearts are right with him.

And all of this is possible because of God’s glorious grace to us. Even the divine discipline and correction is his grace to us because we all still live in flesh bodies, and we all still have a propensity to sin against him, and so it is possible that some might wander from their purity of devotion to the Lord and fall back into sin and will need to be brought back into pure fellowship with the Lord. And only there do we find true healing and perfect peace!

[Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10, 15; Tit 2:11-14; Jas 1:21-25; Rom 12:1-2; Eph 2:8-10; Php 2:12-13; Col 1:21-23; Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6; Gal 6:7-8; Rom 2:6-8; Heb 10:26-27; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Matt 7:21-23; Rev. 2-3; Rev 18:1-6; Rev 21:8, 27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Glorious Grace  

An Original Work / August 8, 2012

Based off Ephesians 1:3-10 NIV

Praise be to God, the Father of Jesus,

Who has blessed us in heavenly realms.

For He chose us in Him from beginning

To be His holy children of God;

All in accord with His will and pleasure;

To the praise of His glorious grace.

In Jesus Christ we receive forgiveness.

We have redemption through His shed blood.

Glorious grace God freely has given us

In the One He loves and adores;

All in accord with the riches of His grace

Which He pours out on those He loves.

With all His wisdom and understanding,

God has made known His will unto us,

According to His will and good pleasure,

Purposed in Christ till all be fulfilled;

To bring all things on earth and in heaven

Under our Lord Christ; be unified. 

https://vimeo.com/119441766 

When We Desire a Human King

 

To Open Blinded Eyes

“But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’” (Acts 26:16-18 ESV)

The Apostle Paul was being held in prison for sharing the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ with the people. At this time he was standing before King Agrippa giving his defense against all the accusations of the Jews (select Jews, I presume). And so he shared his testimony of how he (Saul) was a Pharisee who persecuted Christians, but how Jesus Christ visited him in a vision on the road to Damascus where he intended to persecute and perhaps have put to death even more followers of Jesus Christ (of The Way).

And in that vision Jesus Christ called him to be a minister of the gospel of Christ, which was not yet written out for the people like it is for us now. Jesus Christ had shared the gospel message when he lived on the earth. And Paul was one of the apostles of Christ who first brought the message of the gospel to the people, to both Jew and Gentile. But a lot of this was shown to him by the Holy Spirit, some of it in visions and in dreams. And he believed the Lord and he shared with the people what he was being shown by God.

Now here I believe the Lord wants me to share a little bit of my own testimony, which is not exactly like Paul’s but with some similar character traits. For I believed in the Lord Jesus as a child at age 7 and I was dedicated to following the Lord with my life. I was not a perfect child, but I was not a rebellious child. I was a rule follower, for the most part. I took God and his word seriously from early on, but more so the older that I got. But along with that came rejection and persecutions of many kinds.

Without going into much detail, let me just say that I was raised by an abusive father and an emotionally distant (good) mother, and so I had a lot of hurt very early on in my life. But the closer that I walked with the Lord, the more I faced even more mistreatments, some from pastors of church congregations, some from fellow professing Christians, some from friends, and some from family members. And the hits just kept coming, one after another after another, until one day I gave up and I caved to my flesh.

So I struggled with my faith and with the persecutions that I had faced and was still facing whenever I obeyed God. And if I failed, and then I tried to get back on my feet, it seemed there was always someone there to “slam dunk” me, i.e. to treat me with disdain. And this went on for several years, on and off until the Lord turned me around and I slammed the door shut to my former way of life, never to reopen that door again. And that is when he visited me via his word and a vision, of sorts, and called me to this ministry.

And he opened up my eyes to many things that I had wrong or that I had learned wrongly or that I had been convinced of (brainwashed about) from childhood on up regarding what the Scriptures teach (in context), and what the gospel message is all about, and with regard to “wolves in sheep’s clothing” who are out to deceive the sheep, some of whom are pastors of “churches,” and some of whom are heads of governments, especially the government of the USA, which is where I live, which is not of God. 

And he called me, as well, to open the eyes of the spiritually blind that they may turn from darkness (sin, wickedness) to light (Jesus Christ, truth, the gospel, righteousness, godliness) and from the power of Satan (who tempts us to sin and who deceives us with his lies, too) to God (to follow our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands), that they may receive forgiveness of (and deliverance from) sins and a place among those sanctified (made holy, different from the world, for becoming like Christ) by faith in Jesus Christ. 

But, in reality, all of us who are His by genuine faith in Jesus Christ, who have been turned from the darkness to the light, are called of God to share with others the truth of the gospel so that their eyes can be opened to the lies they have been believing, and so that they will reject the lies, and so they will embrace the truth of the gospel. And this is so that they will, by faith in Jesus Christ, deny self, die daily to sin, and follow Jesus Christ in obedience to his commands until they die or until Jesus Christ returns.

[1 Pet 2:9; Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Acts 26:18; Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2]

To Open Blinded Eyes

Video Talk

November 6, 2024

https://youtu.be/NPPqQCjE7zw

Caution: This link may contain ads

Myopic  

An Original Work / August 19, 2013

Based off 2 Peter 1:3-11

Jesus has given ev’rything

Needed for life and godliness.

His great and precious promises

Free us from our sin and distress.

Add to your faith His goodness;

Knowledge; patience; godliness;

Brotherly love and mutual affection;

Kindness and unselfishness.

If you possess these qualities,

Growing in your maturity,

They will keep you from vanity.

You will bear fruit effectually. 

Nonetheless, if you lack them;

Forget you’ve been cleansed from sin,

Nearsighted are you; you can’t see Jesus.

You have closed your heart to Him.

Therefore, beloved, confirm, then,

Your calling and your election.

Do this by showing diligence:

Obey your Lord; be repentant.

Practice all these qualities

God provided on a tree.

He died for our sins so we’d be given

Life with Him eternally. 

https://vimeo.com/115839336

When I Don't Know What to Pray

So, when I don’t know what to pray

I don’t know what to God to say

He intercedes for my requests

For He knows what is truly best

He counsels me when I’m confused

When I am hurting or misused

When things in life just don’t make sense

When people live lives in pretense

He shows the way I am to go

And how His truth I am to know

He leads me in His righteousness

And comforts when I’m in distress

For He’s my Lord, my Savior King

To Him I give my everything

I want to walk with Him each day

To read His word, to bow and pray

I want to make Him Lord of life

So I do not live life in strife

He gives me peace I would not know

If love for Him I did not show

So He’s my life, my everything

My life to Him my offering

I follow Him where’er He leads

While on His Word I daily feed

An Original Work / November 8, 2022

In The Interest Of

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” (1 Timothy 2:1-6 ESV)

[Greek interlinear of verse 1: “I exhort therefore first of all to be made entreaties prayers intercessions thanksgivings on behalf of all men.”]

“On behalf of” – “In the interests of a person, group” (Oxford Languages). 

“In the interest of” – “In order to achieve a particular goal/result” (MWD).

And what is “in the interests of” all people? What is the intended particular goal or result? The answer is found in verses 3-4:

“This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

We need to be praying for the salvation of all people, including those people in high up positions within our nations, that they would all come to the knowledge of the truth of the gospel of our salvation. We must pray for them that – by the grace of God, and because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us on that cross in putting our sins to death with him, and by God-persuaded and God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ – they would deny self, repent of their sins (die to sin daily) and follow our Lord Jesus in walks of obedience to his commands from this day forward, to the end of time on this earth or until they die.

[Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Acts 26:16-18; 2 Chronicles 7:12-15; Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 4:17-24]

Today in America

*The Lord has been having me write these devotions 2 weeks in advance, so this was originally written on November 6, 2024.*

Yesterday was voting day in the USA, and this morning Donald Trump was declared to be the next president of the USA, beginning his term of office in January of 2025. Many (not all) professers of Christianity here in America apparently voted for him because they believe he is “the chosen” of God at this time to lead our nation, and that he is going to make life better for us than what we have had under the present administration. And so they are thanking and praising God that this man is going to be our next president.

But is that biblical? No! It isn’t! For they are treating this man as though he is our “savior” instead of Jesus Christ being our only Savior and Lord. They are looking to this man to save them from what ails us as a nation, but what ails us are the sins of the people, and only Jesus Christ can deliver us out of our slavery to sin and empower us to live godly and holy lives for the glory and praise of God. And they are trusting in the words of human flesh when that man may be lying to the people with a grin on his face.

We are not to look to other humans to save us from what ails us as a nation, but we are to be looking only to God. We are not to put our trust in princes who cannot save, but our trust needs to be in God and God alone, who is the only one we can trust in 100%. For this man very well could be the man of perdition, the antichrist, our betrayer, who betrays with a kiss but who is truly our enemy. He may be a “Pied Piper” leading many people of this nation to their deaths while he portends to have our best interest at heart.

So, “Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save” (Ps 146:3). “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes” (Ps 118:9). “They set up kings without my consent; they choose princes without my approval. With their silver and gold they make idols for themselves to their own destruction” (Hos 8:4). “Where is your king, that he may save you? Where are your rulers in all your towns, of whom you said, ‘Give me a king and princes’?” (Hos 13:10).

“..and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God” (1 Co 2:1-5). “You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men” (1 Co 7:23). “As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming” (Eph 4:14; cf Col 2:8; 2 Pet 3:17).

The Purpose of Our Prayers

So, if we are going to pray for our leaders, we need to pray first of all for their salvation, but salvation from sin as defined by God and by the Scriptures, taught in their appropriate context. For just because they call themselves “Christians,” as some of them do, and they profess the name of Jesus as their Savior, it does not mean automatically that they are truly the children of God, saved by God’s grace, and on their way to heaven. It could mean that they are proclaiming Christ as their Savior falsely, and perhaps even with the intention to deceive those who profess to be his followers.

And do not look to those humans to be your “saviors,” to save your nations from what ails them. Look to God and to God alone. Do not make idols of men who are flesh and blood. Do not raise them up above other men to where you have blinders on and cannot see who they might really be when they are behind the curtain. All flesh is flesh. For there is ONE GOD and ONE MEDIATOR between God and men, and that man is CHRIST JESUS, who gave his life as a ransom for all, that we might all be saved from our sins.

If you have not done so before, I would encourage you to play the video of the following song, not for the purpose of being entertained, but for the purpose to grasp the meaning behind the words and the images which tell us the story of my nation (USA), but any nation, in reality, which is governed by human beings who lie, cheat, steal, and betray their own people:

For Our Nation  

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Trust Him with your life today.

Make Him your Lord and your Savior.

Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.

He will forgive you of your sin;

Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.

On our knees to God we’re praying,

Seeking God to give us answers

That are only found in Him.

God is sovereign over all things.

Nothing from His mind escaping.

He has all things under His command,

And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing

In our Lord, and interceding

For our nation and its people

To obey their God today.

He is our hope for our future.

For our wounds He offers suture.

He is all we need for this life.

Trust Him with your life today.

https://vimeo.com/379406352

Can Humans Be Trusted?

Psalms 118:5-9,14-15 ESV

“Out of my distress I called on the Lord;

    the Lord answered me and set me free.

The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.

    What can man do to me?

The Lord is on my side as my helper;

    I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

“It is better to take refuge in the Lord

    than to trust in man.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

    than to trust in princes.

“The Lord is my strength and my song;

    he has become my salvation.

Glad songs of salvation

    are in the tents of the righteous.”

Should we put our trust in other humans? What do the Scriptures say about that? We are not to put our trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. God’s pleasure and his delight is not in the legs of a warrior. Our faith is not to rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. The wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. So, let no one boast in men. You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. And more…

Trust Not in Man: 

[Psalms 146:3; Psalms 118:9; Isaiah 40:23; Hosea 8:4; Hosea 13:10; Psalms 147:10-11; Jeremiah 17:5-61; Corinthians 2:1-5; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9,18-23; 1 Corinthians 7:23; Galatians 1:10; Galatians 2:12; Ephesians 4:14-16; Ephesians 6:5-8; Colossians 2:8,20-23; Colossians 3:23-24; 1 Thessalonians 2:3-8; 1 Peter 4:1-5; 2 Peter 3:17-18]

Instead, the Lord is to be our strength. He is to be the one in whom we should place our absolute and total trust. And if our trust is in the Lord, and if he is truly Lord (Owner-Master) of our lives, and so we are walking in obedience to his commands, and we are following him wherever he leads us, then when life kicks us hard, which it will, and when other humans reject and persecute us, which they will, we can know the Lord is on our side, and so we have no reason to fear what other humans might do to us. For the Lord is our helper, and so we can live in victory over our enemies.

Now, there are many voices speaking to us in this world. We have government heads, and people running for political office, and people of renown, and famous people, and the news media, and pastors, preachers, and evangelists, as well as those who are purportedly putting out “Christian” literature, videos, movies, and TV shows, and the like, who are all trying to convince us of something, or they are trying to get us to follow them. But should we listen to them? Should we follow them? We should never put our blind trust in any human being, but we should test them all.

Why? Because there are so many liars and deceivers in this world of ours. Lying is so commonplace now, even among those professing faith in Jesus Christ. It is socially acceptable even within the gatherings of the church. And even some (or many) pastors of “churches” here in America are being trained in marketing tricks, schemes, and manipulations, in order to draw in large crowds of people from the world, in order to get people to do what they want them to do, and in order to silence those who are not accepting of their marketing schemes and who are speaking the truth of God’s Word.

So, don’t believe everything anyone says. It doesn’t matter who they are. Just because so and so said it doesn’t mean it is the truth. Remember that Satan’s servants disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Remember what the Scriptures teach us about liars and deceivers and wolves in sheep’s clothing. Just because he looks like a sheep doesn’t mean he (or she) is one. Don’t make other humans your gods and/or your saviors. Learn to test everything you read or hear or think you see in prayer and against the Scriptures in context. And make God the Lord your trust!!

Test Them All: 

[Matthew 7:15-23; Matthew 24:11-14; John 10:1-15; 2 Peter 2:1-22; 1 Timothy 1:3-7; 1 Timothy 6:3-10; 2 Timothy 3:1-9; 1 John 4:1-6; Jude 1:1-25]

Can Humans Be Trusted?

Video Talk

April 24, 2023

https://youtu.be/W02Wio4NxOE

Caution: This link may contain ads

Mighty in Power

An Original Work / June 17, 2019

Jesus, our Savior, reigneth forever;

Mighty in power, His name we honor.

He’s our refuge from all evil.

God our righteous, He’s our fill.

He satisfies us with all His blessings.

We magnify Him. Our praise to Him sing.

Glory and honor, praise to the Father,

Perfect in wisdom, He is our vision.

He delivered us from all sin

So, in Christ, we’d be forgiven.

He purifies us. His love will guide us.

He is beside us, holy and righteous.

Our Holy Spirit, comfort in sorrow,

Strength in our weakness, hope for tomorrow.

He gives courage to be bold in

Witnessing for Jesus Christ.

He teaches all things about our Savior.

New life in Jesus, we found His favor. 

https://vimeo.com/343126112