Thursday, August 22,
2013, 5:00 a.m. – I woke with the song “Sweet
Hour of Prayer” playing in my mind. I knew that meant that I was to get up
and pray, so I did. I prayed for my family members. I prayed for salvation or
for spiritual renewal for specific individuals, and for other specific
requests. And, I prayed for people outside our family, too, who are in need of
healing or encouragement. And, then I prayed for myself. I read Rev. 3:7-13 (ESV):
“And
to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one,
the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who
shuts and no one opens.
“‘I
know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is
able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my
word and have not denied my name. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of
Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them
come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you.
Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the
hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the
earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your
crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God.
Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and
the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God
out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit says to the churches.’”
The Church
There is a distinction to be made between the institutional
church and the church, the body of Christ. One is an institution of humankind, in
a yoked relationship with and under the authority of the government, a
corporation (business) of man; marketed much in the same ways as any other
business is marketed, and run governmentally like a business, too. In the USA,
this government is under the leadership and authority of Satan. I believe that
with all my heart! Research will bear that out if you take the time to
prayerfully do the homework.
The institutional church is not only incorporated under the
authority of the government, thus the government taking the place as the head
of the church in place of Jesus Christ, but they, for the most part, are also
followers of human leaders, and of humanistic teaching, marketing plans, and
techniques; and they are very entertainment focused and use worldly methods to
reach worldly people for a worldly church. Thus, most of them dilute the truth
of the gospel to make it more comfortable and more appealing to the world so
that the world will keep coming back to their meetings and will feel at home
there. What is wrong when the sinful world feels at home in our churches?
The true church, nonetheless, may exist within the
institutional church, but human businesses called “churches” are not to be
confused with the true body of Christ. They are not one and the same. We don’t “go”
to church. We are the church. The “sanctuary” inside a building is not the
sanctuary of God. Our hearts are his sanctuary. The building called a church is
not the house of God, and when we enter into that building made by human hands,
we are not entering into God’s house nor are we necessarily coming into his
presence any more than what we had before we entered, if we truly know him as
Lord and Savior of our lives, because he should be dwelling within us. We the
people of God are thus God’s house. So, when the true church comes together,
they can meet anyplace and at any time. The early church met daily from house
to house and in the temple courts.
Liars and Deceivers
So, if someone flees the institutional church (conceptually –
in principle - or in actuality) in favor of meeting only with the true church,
the body of Christ, we should not judge them, because this does not mean they
have left God. In fact, it most likely means they have drawn even closer to God
and have sought him out for refuge in the face of much worldliness and evil
existing now within a vast majority of today’s institutional church. These who
have fled to take hold of their Lord, who have committed themselves to truth,
faithfulness, obedience, surrender, and service under the call and direction of
Jesus Christ and his Spirit are to be commended for their faith. They have seen
the enemy enter into the institution of church, they know what he looks like,
and they have been resisting him and his influences in the power and strength
of the Lord Jesus for some time now.
So, how does the enemy look? He (or she) is someone who is
being ruled and controlled by this sinful world; who feels self-powered and
confident; who is selling (pitching) lies and deceptions; who is two-faced,
i.e. who gives one appearance but is something else just the opposite; whose
character is twisted, warped, off-course (deviated), misleading, and altered;
who pulverizes (destroys; damages; corrodes) the pure word of truth to his own
advantage, i.e. he talks right over it; who is uncouth, foulmouthed, vulgar,
crude, indecent, morally offensive and earthly; and/or who gives a sugar-sweet performance
with all smiles and happiness on the outside, i.e. this person can be very
charming and convincing.
Nonetheless, he (or she) is a liar and a deceiver, saying
one thing but hiding the truth so no one will know. But God knows, and if we
pray for discerning spirits, he will help us to recognize these liars and
deceivers among us, too, in government and in the church. And, we should not
give in to them for a moment. We should not enable them to continue, and we
should expose all that is false so that others do not fall into the trap of the
enemy. And, we should give them no leeway in our own lives to follow after
their lies.
You have Kept My Word
Yet, we cannot do this in our own strength and will power,
though. We must take refuge in the Lord Jesus in his place of holiness,
repentance, renewal, cleansing, healing, truth, and righteousness. And, he will
give us all we need to resist the devil (our true enemy) and to fight off his
attacks of lies and deceptions by daily putting on the armor of God with which
to fight off his wicked schemes. We need to pray for much discernment, too, so
that we recognize these wolves in sheep’s clothing who disguise themselves as
true followers of Jesus Christ when they are not. And, we must patiently endure
all ridicule, rejection, persecution, chastisements, betrayals and hatred of
the enemy, for truly our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against
the spiritual forces of evil all around us (See Eph. 6).
Nothing is going to happen to us but what God allows it and
he allows it for a purpose, and he will give us all we need to daily combat
those enemy forces coming against as we daily take refuge in our Lord and we
put on his full armor. He has opened the door to salvation to anyone who will
enter through the door (Jesus Christ) by faith, which involves turning from our
sins, dying with Christ to our old ways of living by the flesh, and being
transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God as he cleanses us from all
sin; and it involves putting on our new lives in Jesus Christ and walking in
his Spirit daily, listening to what he teaches us and obeying his commands (See
Lu. 9:23-25; Eph. 4:17-24; Ro. 6; 1 John; Gal. 2:20; et al). It also means
keeping (obeying) his word and not denying his name by anything we do or
believe or follow after, including by not following after the clever lies of
humans but exposing the lies, and by always telling the truth, even if we get
rejected in return.
The New Jerusalem
One day that door to heaven (salvation) will be shut and
there will be no more entry. What that means for Christ’s true followers who
have overcome the enemy of their souls is that we will receive our eternal
reward in heaven, and we will no longer have to fight off Satan’s lies,
deceptions or temptations coming against our souls. We will truly be free!
Amen!
Yet, what that means for those who choose to walk in the
ways of the world, and to follow after the lies of Satan, is that one day that
door will be shut and there will be no more opportunities. So, make sure today
that you are walking in true faith and fellowship with our Lord, that you are
resisting the enemy of your souls, that you are not buying into his clever lies
and deceptions, but that you are remaining true to Jesus Christ, faithful in
all things, keeping (obeying) his word, and not denying his character in our
lives by the choices we make each and every day, though not one of us will ever
do this perfectly. Yet, lack of perfection should never be an excuse for
continued willful sin. Let us all be among those who remain faithful to Jesus
Christ, who obey his word, and who do not deny his name.
Fully
Surrendered /
Alfred C. Snead / George C. Stebbins
Fully
surrendered—Lord, I would be,
Fully
surrendered, dear Lord, to Thee.
All on the
altar laid,
Surrender fully
made,
Thou hast my
ransom paid;
I yield to
Thee.
Fully
surrendered—life, time, and all,
All Thou hast
given me held at Thy call.
Speak but the
word to me,
Gladly I'll
follow Thee,
Now and
eternally
Obey my Lord.
Fully
surrendered—silver and gold,
His, who hath
given me riches untold.
All, all belong
to Thee,
For Thou didst
purchase me,
Thine evermore
to be,
Jesus, my Lord.
Fully
surrendered—Lord, I am Thine;
Fully
surrendered, Savior divine!
Live Thou Thy
life in me;
All fullness
dwells in Thee;
Not I, but
Christ in me,
Christ all in
all.
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