A Waning Moon

Friday, November 29, 2013, 6:45 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with the song “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read James 2 (ESV).

Those Who Oppress You

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

The Lord Jesus led me to read several news stories, which I will reference below. The first story rings a familiar bell. Purportedly Thailand is now among the many countries in the world which have, in recent years, experienced uprisings and government takeovers. Supposedly there are two sides to this situation: pro-government and anti-government. Yet, the Lord Jesus continues to show me that what this is really all about is the New World Order (the US + allies) systematically taking over the nations, people and governments of the world, one at a time. So, the existing two sides are really the old order and the new order; the existing governments in nations and the global “Beast” government; freedom and slavery; democracy and communism; freedom of religion and one world religion, yet more specifically permitting the gospel of Christ to be proselytized openly and now opposing the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and persecuting and killing those who hold to the testimony of Jesus. In other words, Thailand’s government is presently being overthrown by the New World Order, and those within the country who hold to the testimony of Jesus Christ are now being opposed and persecuted, if they will not bow to the “Beast.”

I also read a news story about Ukraine. Evidently the president of Ukraine is being pursued (or forced) to sign some type of agreement with the European Union, yet last week he purportedly ditched such plans. The Lord Jesus is showing me here that these are really “move-out” papers. In other words he is being asked to sign over the sovereignty of his nation to the New World Order, which is a giant step toward the time of tribulation in which the one world beast rules the entire earth for a short and predetermined period of time. The path ahead will be hard (difficult). This will mean handing over control of his government and his people for this New World Order to rule as it pleases (oppresses). This will be like Hitler’s Germany during WWII on steroids, only Jesus Christ’s true servants and witnesses are the ones being singled out for extinction this time around, as well as are any political resisters (opposition) to the new rule. Evidently Ukraine’s president is having great difficulty signing, and it sounds as though he is under threat of the N.W.O. if he does not sign. I read an article about execution-style killings (shooting people in the head) in Baghdad, and I could not help but wonder if these were “examples” for intimidation purposes in order to get people to listen to the N.W.O. and to get others to comply.

Lastly, I read a news article about Obama and Obamacare (New World Order Communism). It appears to me that not everyone in Congress (and in local government) is onboard with signing on with the New World Order. Going into other nations and raping, killing innocents, confiscating property, and growing in power and strength due to oppression is one matter, but when it comes to handing over your own nation and your own people to be treated in like-manner, that is something else altogether. Signing the accord would make obvious what they have kept hidden from the American people, so it also appears to me that they have been exercising some delay tactics, some of which may have to do with the failed website. They do use stall tactics sometimes as distractions to hide what they are really doing behind closed doors, but it is inevitable that the truth will come out. We, the people of the United States, will be handed over to the New World Order “Beast” rule just like all the other nations of the world, and those in our nation who hold to the testimony of Jesus will be severely persecuted, too, and many will be killed for our faith. Our government will hand us over, and this will send the US on a path to destruction, hardship and severe trials.

Those Who Are to Be Judged

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Here the Lord Jesus is giving me a picture both of our government leaders here in the US and of our church leaders. God has laid the foundation of the earth, which is himself, and he laid the foundation of the church, which is also himself/Jesus Christ. Humankind, but in particular our government and church leaders, decided to redo that foundation, i.e. they built a flimsy wall in place of the solid foundation. Stemming from that flimsy (shabbily built) wall, they constructed a path off to the side which sidesteps the truth and which does not confront sin, but allows for it. In order to keep people from seeing all their filthy and sinful practices, they do everything they can to avoid dealing with or admitting to the sin by giving vague responses; by covering up their evil deeds by trying to appear righteous; by resisting the true gospel which exposes and deals decisively with sin; and by opposing those who teach the truth of the gospel, lest the truth might expose those sins being covered up.

The Lord Jesus also gave me a picture of these sinful practices, the revelation of which and the confrontation of which are being sidestepped, i.e. avoided and dodged from open and transparent discussion by the government and by the modern-church movement. He gave me a picture of a barren and muddy (lacking vegetation; fruit; outgrowth) area in the shape of a quarter moon, and which was situated between the flimsy wall (See Ezekiel 13:10-11) and the sidestep, and of which the sidestep went around (avoided revelation).

This ¼ moon is a waning moon, i.e. it is half-light and half-darkness and the light is waning, i.e. it is declining, weakening and diminishing. The light represents truth and it represents Jesus Christ and his gospel of salvation which is declining, being diminished to mere hints, shades or suggestions of light in today’s church. This is a picture of the world, but sadly it is a picture of the institutional church, too, much of which has laid a foundation other than the one Christ laid, and from which they have constructed their own path, which goes around (avoids) discussion of and dealing with sin, including the sins of the church people and those of the church leadership. It is half-light and half-darkness because they blend the spiritual (light/water) with worldliness (darkness/dirt), which then produces mud. “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud” (2 Peter 2:22b NIV).

So, judgment will come in the form of a hard path and difficult circumstances in order to open ears to hear God speak. The last quarter moon (the waning moon), also called “old moon,” also means “to draw to a close (finish)” or “the end of a period; the conclusion of a time or season” (Encarta). In other words, this is also illustrative of this final period of time on the earth known as the tribulation period, at which time God will judge the inhabitants of the earth, including he will judge his spiritually adulterous and idolatrous church (See Rev. 2-3). Yet I believe God has promised (scripturally) that the church will be revived and that many people from all nations will flock to Jesus Christ and to his gospel at this time, so there is hope for the repentant, because God will be merciful in forgiving the sins of those who come to him in humility and in forsaking their sins and in allowing the Spirit of God to transform their hearts and to give them new hearts which are moldable to Christ’s image.

Faith Without Works

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

We need to teach the true gospel of salvation, even if we are hated, persecuted, opposed strongly, lied about, accused falsely, ostracized, mocked, beaten, and killed. People’s lives and their eternities depend upon it. We need to teach people that the true gospel does not placate sin but it demands death, and not just Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins, but our death to sin and self. And it promises new life in Christ Jesus - free from slavery to sin, free from eternal punishment in hell, and free to walk in Christ’s righteousness and holiness in his power at work within us. Faith in Jesus Christ is not just an emotional decision or an intellectual assent to what Jesus Christ did for us in dying for our sins, but faith is action, and the action required is submission, surrender, repentance and following Jesus Christ with our lives (See Eph. 4:17-24; Lu. 9:23-25; Ro. 6; Gal. 2:20; 1 John & Titus 2:11-14).

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Joseph M. Scriven / Charles C. Converse

What a friend we have in Jesus,

all our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit,

O what needless pain we bear,

all because we do not carry

everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged;

take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful

who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness;

take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden,

cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge;

take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?

Take it to the Lord in prayer!

In his arms he'll take and shield thee;

thou wilt find a solace there.

News Sources: 1) http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/29/world/asia/thailand-protests/; 2) http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/30/world/europe/european-union-grapples-with-disappointment-over-ukraine.html?_r=0; 3) http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/11/29/us-iraq-violence-idUSBRE9AS07020131129; 4) http://www.wsbtv.com/ap/ap/financial-services/dems-obama-head-into-2014-distant-determined/nb6kP/

True Worship of God

Wednesday, November 27, 2013, 6:58 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with this song:

My Jesus, My Savior / Michael W. Smith

My Jesus, My Saviour,

Lord there is no one like you,

All of my days, I want to praise

The wonders of Your mighty love.

My comfort, my shelter,

Tower of refuge and strength

Let every breath, all that I am

Never cease to worship You…

Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read James 1 (ESV).

Joy

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds… V. 2

Do you ever have trouble counting it all joy when you face trials and tribulations? I know I sometimes do, because I occasionally lose my focus, and I need to be redirected. Yet, we should never confuse external or temporal happiness with joy, especially happiness which comes from indulgence in self-pleasure. One can be joyful and at peace with their circumstances while still sorrowful due to human loss, suffering and pain. Joy is more of an attitude of heart and mind which determines to rise above the circumstances, to accept God’s sovereign will, to look for the good that can and will come from it, and which chooses to keep an eternal outlook and perspective despite the difficulties of life. True joy in our lives comes from the Lord, and not from our own flesh, as we choose to yield to and accept his purposes in our lives. Happiness is often based in our circumstances, whereas joy is based in the Lord Jesus Christ, irrespective of what is going on around us.

Steadfastness

…for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Vv. 3-4

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. V12

When we are steadfast, we are resolute, committed, dedicated, determined, persistent, loyal, faithful, trustworthy, dependable and unwavering. I can attest from personal experience that these are not sustainable in our flesh, because our flesh is weak. Yet, in the Spirit of God we can be steadfast in our faith. I can also attest to the fact that this is learned through suffering and the testing of our faith, as we choose to yield to the wisdom of God in our circumstances, and we choose to not respond according to the flesh. Jesus, for the joy of our salvation set before him, endured the cross. When we keep our eyes, minds and attitudes set on Jesus Christ and the salvation of lives, and on loving others with his love, in the Spirit within us we can remain steadfast in persevering in our faith even despite severe persecution, rejection, abandonment and the fear of death for our witness for Christ.

Wisdom

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Vv. 5-8

When we pray for wisdom from above, and God clearly speaks to our hearts in very tangible ways, so that there is no doubt but what he has answered us, and we are certain it is God who is speaking, because the wisdom is supported and not contradicted by the teachings of scripture, then we should trust that wisdom and hold on to what he has told us without wavering back and forth in indecision. Why pray for wisdom and then end up doing what we want to do anyway? Why do we have such difficulty trusting God’s voice? Certainly we should make certain it is God’s voice, as there are many voices in this world speaking to us, and most usually just the opposite of God’s wisdom, but then we should follow the wisdom God gives to us, and believe him to work everything out for his purposes and for our good.

Humility

Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. Vv. 9-11

We may be physically poor or of low esteem in the eyes of humans, and yet we can be rich in faith, joy, peace, love, etc., in our Lord Jesus Christ. Or, we may be rich in the eyes of humans with regard to material possessions, and yet our true richness is not in the things of this world but in our humble submission to God’s providence over our lives. I find that snobbery is not something unique to the rich, for it exists, as well, in the poorest of poor, because we are all flesh, i.e. we are all human no matter our status in life or the amount of money in our purses. True richness and true humility are of the Spirit, and not of the flesh of man, and in that we can all rejoice! The things of this world are fading away and they will all die out. A person is truly rich who realizes this and who has the correct perspective about earthly things, and who lays up treasures in heaven instead of on the earth.

Temptation

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Vv. 13-15

I don’t believe all temptation is rooted in our own conscious and/or willful fleshly or sinful desires raging within us, though much is. Jesus Christ was tempted by Satan, and Jesus was without sin, yet he was flesh, too. Sometimes Satan will try to tempt us to do things that we have not even thought of, and perhaps the temptation there is more to get us to come over to his way of thinking, or to appeal to our flesh in general. And we are susceptible because we live in flesh bodies, so we must be on guard against all temptation which comes our way. Yet, much temptation presents itself to us because it is what our willful flesh desires, and so we are more easily lured and enticed, oftentimes because we are not fully armed with God’s spiritual armor, and/or because we are playing with fire and we are “testing fate,” i.e. willfully putting ourselves in harm’s way (a dangerous situation), thus making it inevitable that we will eventually give in.

Unchanging

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

God does not tempt us to sin, so we should never blame God when we are tempted. And, we should never get angry with God when we give in to temptation. If we sin, it is our own fault, and no one else’s. Others may contribute to our temptation, but we choose to sin. All that comes from God is good and is heavenly. He doesn’t change like humans do. He doesn’t say something is a sin one time and then later on tell us it is not a sin. His word does not change nor is it to be altered with the passing of time or with change in culture or political climate change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Amen! We can always depend upon him to be God, and for his word to remain steadfast and true. He gave us new life in Christ Jesus by the word of truth, and in that truth we should always remain.

Listening

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Vv. 19-20

I don’t know about you, but I need to be reminded of this frequently, in particular the parts about being quick to listen and slow to speak. I pray often that the Lord Jesus will remind me to listen more and speak less, or to at least be sensitive to know when to speak and when to keep silent. I don’t need to hear myself talk. I want my lips to be ones that speak truth, the word of God, praise and thanksgiving, honor and respect, love and admiration, as well as counsel, wisdom, guidance and direction of the Spirit and of the word of truth.

Doers

Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. Vv. 21-27

Before we can even take in the word of truth into our lives we must first put away all filthiness from our lives, which hinders the word of truth from being implanted into our lives. How can we possibly take in the spirit of the truth into our hearts and minds and apply its truths if we are willfully and knowingly involved in what is filthy and what is wicked? The two don’t mix. Yet, oftentimes believers in Jesus Christ will take in hours upon hours of filth via TV, movies, video games, the Internet, music, etc. and then give God a few minutes in reading his word and then wonder why they struggle with sin and why they seem to be going nowhere, and/or why they can’t seem to get anything out of the word. It is pointless to read the word of God if we are knowingly doing what is opposed to it, and so we read it and go away and just forget what we read. We have to apply its truths to our lives, and we have to persevere in doing what it says, and then we will be blessed!

My Jesus, My Savior - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqSQvoinDE4

The Hard-Liners

Tuesday, November 26, 2013, 6:53 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with the song “Living Water” playing in my mind once again. Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Hebrews 13:1-16 (ESV).

This morning the Lord Jesus directed me to read two news stories in relation to the nuclear deal the P5+1 (US, UK, France, Germany, China & Russia) just made with Iran (references at end of this writing). He also put the name of the musical production “South Pacific” in my mind. The setting for the story is an island in the South Pacific during WWII. The US tried to coerce a man living on the island to help them in “a reconnaissance mission against the Japanese, but he refuses; having run away from the outside world… He sees no reason to become involved in a war which he did not start and in which he had no interest,” but when his love interest “refuses his proposal of marriage, having nothing to lose,” he agrees to go on the mission” -  http://www.fandango.com/southpacific_v45781/plotsummary

Then, in reading the two news articles, with this scenario (above) in mind, the Lord Jesus gave me a picture of this “deal” different from the picture being painted for us in the government-controlled media. What I believe the Lord is showing me here, to the best of my understanding, is that the “deal” is more like a proposal of marriage, i.e. an engagement. The second article actually alludes to this scenario. Yet, the two parties making the deal (the US/P5+1 and Iran) are “married” to other people, i.e. to their own people, so they must “divorce” their own in order to make this engagement work. As well, the Lord is showing me Iran here as this Frenchman who at first refused the US request for help in dealing with the Japanese, but who later agrees to get involved in a war not of his own making or interest. I believe, thus, that this “deal” with Iran has more to do with getting their assistance in dealing with all opposition (hard-liners) to the New World Order.

A Hard-liner is “a conservative who is uncompromising; a person who is reluctant to accept changes and new ideas.” - http://www.thefreedictionary.com/hardliner Basically, a hard-liner is anyone who politically disagrees with the New World Order (a global government) and who refuses to make the necessary concessions and compromises in order to be part of the “international community,” such as may exist within our own Congress and local governments within the US, and within the governments of other nations. As well, a hard-liner is also a believer in Jesus Christ who holds fast to the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and who refuses to compromise their faith in order to fit in with the world around them; and is one who proselytizes their faith, i.e. who shares the gospel of Jesus Christ so that others can come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. These hard-liners must be dealt with (pushed back against) suggested one of the articles. The hard-liners “will be weakened,” stated the same article (#2).

What Can Man Do?

Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say,

“The Lord is my helper;

    I will not fear;

what can man do to me?”

In a world filled with evil, hate, deception, lies, manipulations and the forcing of others to comply with the New World Order “Beast” or pay the consequences, we must let godly love for our fellow humans continue, even if it costs us our lives. We must continue to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ and show the love of Jesus to the world around us. And, we must remember in our thoughts and prayers those throughout the world who are being persecuted for their testimonies for Jesus Christ and for holding firm to the truth of the gospel, many of whom are then martyred for their witness for Jesus Christ. And, we must remain loyal and true to our marriages and to our marriage relationship with Jesus Christ.

As well, we must face the reality of the times in which we live and that refusal to bow to the beast and to take its mark may mean death, persecution, and will definitely mean that we cannot buy or sell, so we will have to learn to be content with what we have. We will be cut off from society as a whole, and we will be completely dependent on the Lord Jesus (the Living Water) to sustain us. Yet, although our political and even religious leaders, family members, friends and neighbors may forsake us (divorce us), Jesus Christ will never leave us or forsake us. Amen! He is our helper, so we don’t need to fear mankind or what they might do to us. God will see us through whatever difficulties lie ahead for us, and he will take us safely home to be with him in glory when our time on earth is finished (completed).

Do Not Be Led Away

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp.

The leaders we must remember here are those who hold to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, not those who have compromised with the world and have thus diluted the gospel message to make it more appealing and acceptable to the world. We should only imitate the faith of those who are truly following Jesus Christ with their lives, walking in his holiness and purity, and who are proponents of the true gospel. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. His word and his gospel do not change with the passing of time, either. So, we must be students of the word of God and not believe everything we hear or read from human teachers and preachers, because not everything that is passed off as truth is really truth. Some is straight out lies, but the most dangerous of all “strange teachings” are those with subtle lies blended in with the truth so that many unsuspecting “follower,” due to lack of knowledge of the word, is led astray to what is false and is misleading.

The most dangerous of all “strange teachings” in today’s church, I believe, is what I call a “false grace.” I think most Christians today, though not all, have fled legalism and works-based salvation, which depends on what is external to save us instead of relying upon God’s grace. Yet, many of these have bought into this false grace instead of believing in the true gospel of salvation. Titus 2:11-14 offers us an accurate summary of the grace of God:

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

This is the purpose of God’s grace, i.e. this is the reason Jesus Christ went to the cross and took upon himself the sins of the entire world. He died so that we who live might no longer live for ourselves, but for Him who died and rose again on our behalf (See 2 Co. 5:15). Jesus said that if we want to come after him, we must disallow our self-life, die daily to sin and self and follow him in obedience and surrender to his will for our lives. He said if we hold on to our old lives of sin, we will lose them for eternity, but if we willingly die to our old lives of sin and self, we will gain eternal life with him in glory (See Lu. 9:23-25).

We are also taught in scripture that the way in which we come to know Christ is by forsaking our former lives of living in sin, by being transformed (made new) in heart and mind of the Spirit of God, and by putting on our new lives in Christ, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (See Eph. 4:17-24; cf. Rom. 6; 1 John; Gal. 2:20, et al). This is true grace, it is the working of the Holy Spirit of God in our lives as we cooperate with that work, and this is the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So, don’t be led astray by those who tell you otherwise. True grace opens spiritually blinded eyes and turns them from the darkness of sin to the light of truth (the gospel; Christ’s righteousness and holiness), and from the power of Satan to God so they can receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus (See Ac. 26:16-18).

Outside the Camp

So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

They killed Jesus, not because he was Mr. Nice Guy, but because he told the people the truth about their sin, he called them to repentance and to faith in him, he told them that he was the only way to the Father, and that coming to him meant leaving everything else behind, i.e. it means death to self and sin, and it means following him in obedience and surrender. This is true faith. Many of his followers deserted him because they said his teaching was too hard. His own disciples deserted him, and his own people crucified him. And, becoming his disciple means we will be treated as he was treated. He suffered outside the religious political system, i.e. he suffered because he did not compromise with the world or with sin (See 1 Peter 2:21-25). And, they hated him because of that. And, when we choose to not bow to the “beast,” and we choose to not compromise with the world of sin, and we choose to maintain our testimony for Jesus Christ, which is “outside the camp” of modern society’s norms, we will face the very reality of death, too. Yet, we should continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, “that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name,” and lips which are never ashamed to tell of him and his gospel.

Living Water / An Original Work / November 21, 2013

Based off Various Scriptures

My people have forsaken Me,

Their Savior, who died on a tree;

Made idols, and they worshipped them;

So empty, they will ne’er fulfill.

Lord, You are the hope of Your chosen ones.

Those who turn away from You will be shamed;

The Spring of Living Water left behind.

Living Water satisfies.

The thirsty, let them come and drink;

Believe in Jesus as their King;

The gift of Jesus given them,

So they will never thirst again.

Indeed, the Living Water flows within.

It springs up like a fountain cleansing sin.

Eternal life in heaven promised them.

Living Water glorifies.

Oh people, won’t you come to Him?

Obey Him and repent of sin.

Let Jesus come and live within.

Surrender all your life to Him.

My people, won’t you turn your hearts to Me?

Forsake your idols and then you’ll be free.

Won’t you come now to Me on bended knee?

Living Water sanctifies.

http://originalworks.info/living-water/

News Stories: 1) http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/can-the-us-and-iran-bring-the-deal-home/article15589390/; 2) http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/as-iran-opens-to-the-world-canada-is-left-behind/article15583538/

The Great Monster

Monday, November 25, 2013, 7:53 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with the song “Living Water” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Hebrews 12 (ESV). 

The world today: There has been a rash of nations with internal conflicts and uprisings over the past two or three years, in particular. It would appear, on the surface, to almost be a domino effect, i.e. “an inevitable succession of related and usually undesirable events, each caused by the preceding one” (Encarta). Yet, the Lord Jesus continues to give me a different picture of these events. If you follow these stories, you will notice much similarity among them in situations and in language. The present country under consideration is Syria, but there have been many, and there are probably still countries yet to conquer.

The two sides are presented by the media as the national government and rebels within nations. They can’t solve their conflicts, there is much loss of human life, and so the “international community” steps in to “save the day.” The international community, alias the New World Order “Beast” steps in and supposedly tries to bring “peace” to the situation, and to get the two sides to now set up a “transitional government,” alias a One World “Beast” Government. Yet, the two sides presented in the news are really a creation of the US and their allies (the N.W.O.), as they act out both sides, when in reality it is the New World Order Beast forcing submission and compliance of nations to its dictatorship over the world.

A day is coming when this N.W.O. Beast will have successfully conquered the nations of the earth and will thus set up its kingdom reign for a predetermined and short period of time. It will set (and presently is setting) in place its own governors of nations (states) and rulers of particular designated areas within countries. They accomplish this takeover of the world, not just through orchestrated internal conflicts and uprisings within nations, but also via false flag operations (an excuse to go to war with other countries), man-made disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, cyclones, tsunamis, winter storms, and the like, plus orchestrated mass shootings, and bombings, etc. As well, they can also orchestrate the financial demise of nations via national debt. This will be a time of judgment of Almighty God upon the earth and upon the inhabitants of the earth (See Rev. 13), yet for some, this may have already begun. It is not my place to predict God’s timing in all this.

This will also be (and is presently) a time of huge loss of property, possessions and human life, and thus will be (and is presently) a time of great mourning, weeping and sorrow. This New World Order “Beast” is a cannibalistic leviathan and a gigantic predator, which is barreling across the countries of the world, threatening to and accomplishing the wreck of governments, land, houses and people’s lives, including and most importantly threatening to kill (and killing) those who hold to the testimony of Jesus Christ (See Rev. 12), thus trying to stop the spread of the gospel of Christ. Thus, the true “climate change” going on in the world is not that of weather pattern changes, but that of going from the “old order” to the “New World Order” (Beast) – “Out of many, one” (E pluribus Unum).  

Let’s Run!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

  

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,

    nor be weary when reproved by him.

For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

    and chastises every son whom he receives.”

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

The Race

The Christian life is described here as a race. The prize at the finish line is heaven (eternity with God/Jesus Christ in glory). We are instructed here to lay aside (or throw off) anything that hinders us in running this race. These can be good or bad things, but they are whatever keep us from running persistently and with full perseverance, i.e. all that is of this world which distracts us from our pure devotion to Jesus Christ and which weighs us down with earthly things or worldly things. This calls for much prayer and discernment.

We are also to throw off whatever sins (or sin habits) cling closely to us (or which easily entangle us). Sin most often first begins in the mind, so we must have a change of mind and heart about our sin, which is the working of the Spirit of God in our lives, as we yield to his work. So, we must first of all set our minds to submit to God/Jesus Christ in all ways, and we must allow him to change our minds and hearts with regard to sin and with regard to following Jesus Christ in obedience. Then we should examine what hindrances need to be thrown off which lead us into sin, or which become sin themselves by our participation in them, even though we may participate merely as spectators, i.e. via TV, movies, news shows, et al. You’ve heard the saying, “Garbage in, garbage out.” We can’t expect to have pure minds if we continually take garbage into our minds, for example.

We need to keep our focus on Jesus Christ and not allow ourselves to get side-lined by the things of this world. We need to run this race with undivided attention, loyalty and heart to our Lord and Savior. Now, in all practicality, I know there are many things and people in this life which require our attention, time, affection and devotion, and for which and whom we lovingly, longingly and willingly give as such, yet Jesus Christ should be above all and in all that we do, and we should be acting as his hands and feet in all things and with all people with whom we are given such a trust while we are on this earth. Yet, there is much in this life and in this world that we willingly take upon ourselves which is unnecessary and unfruitful for God’s eternal kingdom, and this we must forsake so as to remain focused on Jesus Christ and on his purposes for us in this life and in this world.

Jesus Christ sets the example for us for how we should run this race, and for how we should respond to such situations as discussed at the beginning of this writing, i.e. for how to respond to unjust and unfair treatment, the threat of death if we do not renounce our faith and testimony for Jesus Christ, and the threat of loss of life and/or property for non-compliance to the Beast, or to hardships presented to us via the conquering of the world by this beast and by its underhanded and devious and destructive methods, etc. As servants and messengers of Jesus Christ, we were told that we would suffer just as Jesus suffered, so such treatment should come to us as no surprise. Jesus endured such opposition from sinful human beings for the joy of our salvation, and we should be willing to accept such opposition to the gospel and even threats to our lives and property because we bare testimony to Jesus Christ and for the joy of seeing people come to faith in Jesus Christ.

I think that oftentimes, especially for those of us who live in affluent societies and in countries where we have been given a great deal of freedom, and for those who have never really had to face the threat of death for their testimonies for Christ, our first tendency when persecuted or when faced with tragedy or difficult circumstances is to want immediate relief, even if it means looking for that relief anywhere or everywhere other than in Christ. Part of the reason for this, I believe, is because the church of today paints a false picture of God and of the Christian life, and we don’t see that suffering is to be part of this race. We don’t see that God disciplines – corrects, rebukes and directs – those who are his legitimate children, i.e. those he loves. Yet, this is for our good – to teach, train, and mature us; to build godly character within us; and to develop within us perseverance, commitment, and steadfastness in our relationships with Jesus Christ and in this race of the Christian life.

Therefore, we need to live like we are truly God’s people. We should not follow after the standards of this world, but we should follow Christ and his word. It is of great necessity that we put on godly deeds (hands) and lift our prayers to God, and that we bow (knees) in humility to God in full submission and surrender to his will for our lives and that we pray in the Spirit, and in heart examination, and that we make sure we are submitting to our Lord Jesus in all areas of our lives, following his straight (not crooked) and narrow path, rather than following the wide path of the world which leads to destruction. The peace that we are to strive for with all people is not the peace the world speaks of, for there can never be compromise of faith and practice in order to make peace. The main way in which we make peace is by not fighting our opposition with physical weapons of warfare or with unkind and bitter remarks, but rather with the armor of God so that people find peace with God.

We are to see to it that we do not refuse God who speaks to us. I believe this can be applied in two different ways (scripturally). First of all there are those who have refused to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives, so they will not escape the judgments of God nor the fires of hell. Then, there are those who have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives, but right now they are drifting away from him due to following after the ways and patterns of this world. Since this is clearly speaking to the church (cf. Rev. 2-3), I would suggest that the context here is one of warning to believers in Jesus Christ whose actions are useless and whose lives are not submitted to the cross of Christ.

God has been speaking to the church concerning what is presently going on in our world, and of the nearness of divine judgments on the earth, and he has been calling his church to repent of their sins of idolatry and spiritual adultery, to come out of their complacency, and to strengthen what is weak so that they can run the race with perseverance. If they do not repent, although they may escape the flames of hell, they will not escape the judgments of God on this earth, for they will come in order to purify the bride of Christ and to make her holy and ready for her marriage to her husband and Lord Jesus. God will shake created things SO THAT the spiritual, which cannot be shaken, may remain in our lives. Amen! In other words, through judgment revival will come to the adulterous church, and then many will flock to Jesus Christ and to his gospel of salvation. Praise Jesus!

Living Water / An Original Work / November 21, 2013

Based off Various Scriptures

My people have forsaken Me,

Their Savior, who died on a tree;

Made idols, and they worshipped them;

So empty, they will ne’er fulfill.

Lord, You are the hope of Your chosen ones.

Those who turn away from You will be shamed;

The Spring of Living Water left behind.

Living Water satisfies.

The thirsty, let them come and drink;

Believe in Jesus as their King;

The gift of Jesus given them,

So they will never thirst again.

Indeed, the Living Water flows within.

It springs up like a fountain cleansing sin.

Eternal life in heaven promised them.

Living Water glorifies.

Oh people, won’t you come to Him?

Obey Him and repent of sin.

Let Jesus come and live within.

Surrender all your life to Him.

My people, won’t you turn your hearts to Me?

Forsake your idols and then you’ll be free.

Won’t you come now to Me on bended knee?

Living Water sanctifies.

http://originalworks.info/living-water/

Flee These Things

Sunday, November 24, 2013, 7:55 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with the song “Living Water” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 1Timothy 6:3-16 (ESV).

Different Doctrine

Teach and urge these things. If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. Vv. 3-5

There are many different doctrines floating around these days, many of them obviously false to a Bible believing Christian, but some very subtle and smooth-sounding so as to deceive the minds of many. So, how do we know what is true and what is false? Anything that does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness is false. So, how do we know if something agrees with the teaching of Christ or with that which accords with godliness? We have to study the scriptures. Many false beliefs stem from people taking scriptures out of context to prove their theology, so we have to be students of the Word, and we have to prayerfully seek out the truth so that we are not led astray by what is false. Also, we have to obey the truth that we are given.

There is a modern movement in today’s evangelical church which I will call a “false grace” teaching, which fits with this description as to how we know if something is false. It is a half-truth gospel which presents well what Jesus Christ did for us in dying on the cross for our sins, but which does not explain what it means to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives. They promise the people salvation from sins and eternal life in heaven with God if they will just “believe,” yet absent of what the Bible teaches this “belief” entails, and that occurs largely because they take scriptures out of context to make their case, and when you lose the context, you lose the meaning of what it means to believe, as well. For example, read John 3:16 in the context of the entire chapter, and you will see what I mean.

Jesus said we have to repent of our sins if we want to have eternal life with God (Lu. 13:5; cf. Ac. 3:19). Some people like to take that word repent and say it merely means to have a change of mind. While it is true that is the meaning of the word, in scriptural context it means to turn away from sin and to turn toward God in obedience and surrender to his will. Jesus also said that if we want to come after him we have to disallow our self-life and daily die to sin and self and follow him in obedience. He said if we try to hold on to our old life of sin, we will lose our lives for eternity, but if we die to our old lives of living for self and sin we will gain eternal life (See Lu. 9:23-25; cf. Eph. 4:17-24; Ro. 6). Jesus also said that if we love him we will keep (observe; honor; continue in; obey; and carry out) his word and that he and the Father will make their home with us (See John 14:23). So, if the gospel you have accepted does not teach death to sin and following Jesus Christ in obedience and surrender to his will for our lives – all in the power and strength of the Spirit within us – then it is false because it does not agree with Christ’s teachings and those of godliness.

Wandered Away

But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. Vv. 6-10

Godliness is reverence, respect, loyalty and devotion toward God, which comes only from God, and not from within ourselves, and is appropriated to our lives via the working of the Holy Spirit, as we cooperate with that work in surrender to God and to his will for our lives. If we truly reverence God, and we are loyal and devoted to him, then we will desire what pleases him, and we will submit to his will for our lives. Part of this submission means accepting and being content with wherever God has us. This is not speaking of complacency, though, for it is not God’s will that we should ever be content with just “status quo,” but that we should be continually growing in our faith, growing in our knowledge and understanding of who he is, and what he requires of us, and that we should be following him daily in obedience and surrender, i.e. daily walking in the Spirit.

The problem today is that “godliness” is not being taught or modeled for us much in the church and among church leadership. Also the church often gives a false idea of who God - Jesus Christ is, and so many have lost this reverential respect and honor (fear) of God. Instead, much of the church has gone the way of the world, and so many professing Christians fall into the same traps of the evil one as do those in this fallen world. They are not discerning about what they take into their minds, they make compromises with the world in order to please the flesh, and they often follow after the model of the world instead of the one set down for us by Christ and by his word. I believe this is largely due to the fact that so many Christians devote so much time to taking the world into their minds via TV, movies, secular books, the Internet, music, social networks, etc. and so little time is spent in God’s word, in prayer, in seeking God’s face and then in obeying what he teaches them.

The Remedy

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen. Vv. 11-16

So, if we want to live godly lives pleasing to God, and we want to follow the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, and we want to keep from falling into temptation to sin and into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin, then we must flee all these false, misleading, harmful, and senseless things. To flee means to run away from something; to escape. One of the scriptures that comes to mind here is Hebrews 12:1 where we are instructed to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles,” so we can “run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” In other words, we can’t spend multiple hours a day taking in the ways of the world into our minds via the media provided to us by the world and then spend very little time in God’s word, in prayer, and in obedience to what he teaches us, and then expect to live godly lives. What goes in comes back out.

We need to run away from all that is contrary to God and the teachings of Christ and of godliness, and we need to pursue what is of God and is of his righteousness. To pursue means to chase, follow, hunt, practice, engage in, work at and carry out. This is a picture of repentance, too – fleeing, forsaking, and putting off our old lives of sin and pursuing, chasing after, practicing, engaging in and following after Christ in obedience and surrender to his will. Again, we cannot do this in our own flesh, but only in the Spirit of God as we yield our lives over to God and we choose to follow him wherever he leads us. Yet, so many people just try to ride the fence, or balance their lives between worldliness and godliness. The two don’t mix. We have to flee one and pursue the other or we are like the church in Laodicea which was neither hot nor cold but lukewarm. So, if you want victory over your sinful habits, cut out of your life whatever leads you into temptation, run away from it, and don’t play with fire. And, come to the Living Water, Jesus Christ, and let him satisfy you.

Living Water / An Original Work / November 21, 2013

Based off Various Scriptures

My people have forsaken Me,

Their Savior, who died on a tree;

Made idols, and they worshipped them;

So empty, they will ne’er fulfill.

Lord, You are the hope of Your chosen ones.

Those who turn away from You will be shamed;

The Spring of Living Water left behind.

Living Water satisfies.

The thirsty, let them come and drink;

Believe in Jesus as their King;

The gift of Jesus given them,

So they will never thirst again.

Indeed, the Living Water flows within.

It springs up like a fountain cleansing sin.

Eternal life in heaven promised them.

Living Water glorifies.

Oh people, won’t you come to Him?

Obey Him and repent of sin.

Let Jesus come and live within.

Surrender all your life to Him.

My people, won’t you turn your hearts to Me?

Forsake your idols and then you’ll be free.

Won’t you come now to Me on bended knee?

Living Water sanctifies.

http://originalworks.info/living-water/

Living Water

Many within the church of today have forsaken the Lord Jesus Christ. They may have a form of godliness, and they may even be fully involved in religious activities, but they deny and reject Jesus Christ by their lifestyles. They have even made idols for themselves in the form of public figures, sports, TV, games, possessions, houses, cars, careers, personal intellect and appearance, leisure activities, entertainment, and/or sinful pleasures, etc. And, so Jesus Christ is barely on their radar, forgotten altogether, or else he gets only an occasional passing nod here and there.

They run their own lives, and don’t inquire of the Lord or submit to his will for their lives unless they are in trouble, and then they expect him to come through for them. They have forgotten the Living Water which springs up like a fountain within those who believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior, and they have chased after what can never satisfy. Some of them may never have truly trusted Jesus Christ with their lives, while others have, yet they have since wandered away and have gone after the things of this world. So, Jesus is calling for them to turn from their sin and their idols, and to surrender their all to Him.

Living Water / An Original Work / November 21, 2013

Based off Various Scriptures

My people have forsaken Me,

Their Savior, who died on a tree;

Made idols, and they worshipped them;

So empty, they will ne’er fulfill.

Lord, You are the hope of Your chosen ones.

Those who turn away from You will be shamed;

The Spring of Living Water left behind.

Living Water satisfies.

The thirsty, let them come and drink;

Believe in Jesus as their King;

The gift of Jesus given them,

So they will never thirst again.

Indeed, the Living Water flows within.

It springs up like a fountain cleansing sin.

Eternal life in heaven promised them.

Living Water glorifies.

Oh people, won’t you come to Him?

Obey Him and repent of sin.

Let Jesus come and live within.

Surrender all your life to Him.

My people, won’t you turn your hearts to Me?

Forsake your idols and then you’ll be free.

Won’t you come now to Me on bended knee?

Living Water sanctifies.

http://originalworks.info/living-water/

http://youtu.be/3HlyE6Xthjk

Mere Talkers

Thursday, November 21, 2013, 6:00 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with the song “Draw Me Close to You” playing in my mind. Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 1 Timothy 1 (NIV).

Myths and Such

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. Vv. 3-4

A myth is “a widely held but mistaken belief” (Encarta). A myth can be based in stories passed on from generation to generation, or it can be based in family or cultural tradition, or it can be merely something that is believed by many people, but that is not true. Generally speaking, those who propagate these myths are people in positions of trust and/or in public positions of authority and/or respect, such as parents, pastors, teachers, public officials and the news media. This is why the Bible tells us that we should test everything, and why it often warns us against those who teach what is false, and why it encourages us to be discerning and to be seekers of truth, and why it says we should not put our trust in humans, but in God. Not everything that claims to be true is true.

One myth I know of that is widely believed, for example, is that the church building (physical structure) is the “house of God,” and that when we go inside the physical building we have somehow now entered into the house of God or into God’s presence, and that the sanctuary (physical room in the building) brings us more into his presence, and that Sunday, particularly Sunday morning, is the Lord’s day and the day we are to worship with other believers, and inside “God’s house,” too. Yet, scripture teaches that we, the Body of Christ, are the Lord’s temple, that his Spirit dwells within us, and that we are to worship God in Spirit and in truth every day, and that the early church met from house to house and in the temple courts daily. So, the presence of God is within each one of us, not inside a physical building, and we can meet with the Body of Christ any day in the week and anywhere for teaching, prayer, fellowship and the breaking of bread, and that is church.

The main “false doctrine” I believe that is being propagated in today’s church is one of “easy believism,” i.e. a false grace absent of true repentance, dying to self and sin, and being transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God (new birth); and absent of putting on Christ in his true righteousness and holiness, following Jesus Christ in surrender and obedience to his will and commands – all in the power of the Spirit of God within us as we yield control of our lives over to Christ for him to live his life in us and out through us. This false grace teaches a diluted gospel to make it more appealing and acceptable to the world, yet what it really teaches is a broad/wide road that leads to destruction, not the narrow road that few enter which leads to salvation and eternal life with God (See Matt. 7:13-14). By leaving out these critical components of the true gospel (See Lu. 9:23-25; Eph. 4:17-24; and Rom. 6, Ac. 26:16-18, et al), these false teachers are giving people a false hope of salvation based upon a lie, and they are condemning their adherents to eternity in hell, because they did not tell them the truth, so that they could be truly saved. The truth is:

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. ~ Titus 2:11-14

Some Have Departed

The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm. 1 Tim. 1:5-7

Some have departed (deviated; diverged; strayed; wandered; or digressed) from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith. Instead they have turned to meaningless, empty, useless and/or mere talk and deception. They are rebellious people who follow after their own fleshly desires, rather than following after the Spirit of Christ. Some may give off a pretense of religion or faith in Christ, but they are professors only whose lives deny and reject Jesus Christ. They have a form of godliness, but they deny its power in their lives. Some lack true conviction, so they may be easily swayed by various differences of opinion of humankind and/or may go back and forth between truth and lies, as if on a see-saw. Some may speak the absolute truth, at times, yet not know from personal relationship or experience what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm, because it is mere talk (pontificating), and thus is deception and is hypocritical. They may just be copying what they hear others say. Scripture says: “They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for doing anything good” (See Tit. 1:16; cf. Tit. 1:10). And, these are oftentimes the very ones who are teaching myths and false doctrines, so be careful and be discerning.

We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me. Vv. 8-11

Shown Mercy

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme. Vv. 12-20

Some of those who have “departed” from the true faith may be among those who are true believers in Jesus Christ but who have since strayed away from the truth to follow after the lies, and thus they need to return to their Lord in full assurance of faith and a good conscience. Yet, some of those who have deviated from a pure heart and sincere faith may be among those who have been taught the truth of the gospel, perhaps from infanthood, but who have never truly said “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and thus have never yielded their lives over to Christ Jesus in order to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the power and strength of His Spirit within them. In other words, they have not truly accepted the grace of God into their lives, but perhaps only a false grace. They may have a form of godliness in their lives, but it may be surface only. They are in need of a true relationship with Jesus Christ which understands that the gospel teaches we must die to our old lives of living for self and sin, and we must be transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God away from sin and Satan and toward following after Christ in his true righteousness and holiness. This IS the working of the Spirit of God, and not of our own flesh or good deeds, but we must yield to his work in our lives, i.e. we must cooperate.

So, if you know that you are truly in Christ Jesus, yet you also know that you have not been living what you say you believe, and you know you have been making compromises with your faith in order to please your flesh, I pray today that you will return to your Lord Jesus with a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith which honors God with your life.

Yet, if you know that you are a mere talker, who gives lip service only to your Lord, and you know that you lack true conviction, and so you go back and forth between truth and lies as if on a see-saw, and you know that your true lifestyle and behaviors do not match what you say you believe, then I pray today that you will turn your heart and your life completely over to God/Jesus Christ in full surrender to his will for your life, that you will die to sin and self and that you will allow the Spirit of God to transform you in heart and mind so that you can live a life that is holy and pleasing to God (not perfect, but yielded and submitted).

Draw Me Close To You / Donnie McClurkin

Draw me close to You

Never let me go

I lay it all down again

To hear You say that I'm Your friend

You are my desire

And no one else will do

'Cause nothing else can take Your place

To feel the warmth of Your embrace

Help me find a way

Bring me back to You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAnwBixzuNo

Things Are Heating Up

BIG TIME

Wednesday, November 20, 2013, 9:00 a.m. – I woke up and got up the first time at 5:30 a.m. Jesus put the song “Great Is The Lord” (Ward, A.A./Michael W. Smith) in my mind. I read 2 Thessalonians 1 (NIV), and took some notes, then fell back asleep around 7:30 a.m. and slept until 9. This time, when I awoke, the Lord put the song “Unless You are Born Again” (Original Works) in my mind. I read the news and I read 2 Thessalonians 2 (NIV). Speak, Lord, your words to my heart.

Great is The Lord / Ward, A.A. / Michael W. Smith

Great is the Lord, He is holy and just,

By His power we trust in His love.

Great is the Lord, He is faithful and true,

By His mercy, He proves He is love.

The Rebellion

Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God. ~ 2 Thess. 2:1-4

The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. Vv. 9-12

None of us knows the day or the hour of the coming of the Lord, but what we do know is that Jesus Christ will not return for us until the “rebellion occurs” and “the man of lawlessness” is revealed. This is what scripture teaches. Exactly how he will be revealed it doesn’t say, but I believe we will know it when we see it, because “He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” So, what exactly does this mean? Remember that God’s temple is now the body of Christ, the true church. And, proclaiming himself to be God may not be literal, but figurative, i.e. this could have to do with him taking the rightful position of God/Christ in the church as the head of the church, which is, by the way, what the church has allowed via the 501c3 status underneath the authority of the U.S. government, but that is just in the US, not in the world as a whole.

A “rebellion” is “an organized attempt to overthrow a government, or other authority, by the use of violence” (Encarta). Now, I know that rebellions have been going on for generations. Yet, let me share with you what the Lord Jesus is showing me here. The US and their allies and the global elites of this world have been plotting the takeover of the world for some time now. And, they have systematically been taking down the governments of nations one at a time for several years now via false flag operations, man-made disasters/storms, orchestrated uprisings and internal conflicts within nations; and via the killing of innocents and Christ’s true servants and witnesses, and blaming others for their dirty work. We can’t trust anything they say or anything we read or hear in the mainstream media these days.

The P5+1 of the UN Security Council is presently meeting with Iran in Warsaw, Poland, supposedly to negotiate Iran’s nuclear program, i.e. to try to get Iran to cease with moving forward with their nuclear activities and ambitions. Nearly every time the Lord has shown me anything related to our negotiations with Iran he has shown me that what we blame Iran of doing is really what we are doing, and now the Lord is showing me that these meetings are really about stopping the progression of the gospel of Jesus Christ from spreading, i.e. the goal is to stop the proselytization of the gospel, and it is about the murdering of those who are spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, because we (and the gospel) are the biggest threat to Satan’s kingdom. And, the goal of the UN Climate Conference in Geneva, which ends in two days, is to make the nations of this world bow to the real climate change, i.e. that of the rise of the New World Order Beast to global power, and to do so through threats of and violence against people and nations, and also targeting Christ’s true servants and witnesses – “those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus” (See Rev. 6:9; 12:11, 17; 17:6; 19:10; 20:4).

Imagine with me the world of politics as a gigantic chess board. This New World Order Beast is coming into power, so for the N.W.O. to truly rule the entire earth, the opponent’s chess pieces must either be removed, taken out, or blocked from moving any further, if I understand the game correctly (I am not a chess player). The pieces are moved around on the board until all are in position and then “checkmate,” i.e. the total defeat of the kings of the world so that we are all brought underneath this one world government. And, that is what is going on presently. They will remove anyone who stands in the way of their rise to power or who presents a threat to them in any way. Many stories we read in the news, blamed on other people, are really stories of the “Opponent’s chess pieces” being removed or blocked from any further moves. And, this includes the murdering of Christians in an attempt to halt the advancement of the gospel of Jesus Christ, but that is futile. As well, they create stories to cover for their dirty work, even by blaming the dead for acts they did not commit. This calls for much wisdom and spiritual discernment.

Stand Firm

Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you. ~ 2 Thess. 1:4-10

For those of us who know Jesus, and who bare testimony to the gospel of Jesus Christ, we need to be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power, and put on the full armor of God daily with which to fight off Satan’s evil attacks against us (See Eph. 6:10-20). We need to stand firm in our faith and in our testimony for Christ and his gospel, and we need to hold on to the teachings of the Word of Truth and the true gospel of our salvation. We do this through yielding daily the control of our lives over to our Lord Jesus and his Spirit within us, and we allow him to do his work in and through us for his purposes and for his glory. He will give us all the encouragement and hope and strength we need to endure, to persevere, and to never give up. No matter how bad things get, the Lord will see us through. We just have to call upon him and yield to his will for our lives, trusting him that he will work all things out for all of our good – to make us holy, and for the furtherance of the gospel of Christ so that many will be saved before the Lord returns.

If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and you have bought into the lies and deceptions, and feel as though you can do without him or you can just “get by,” then I pray you realize today that you need Jesus Christ to save you from your sins, and I pray you will surrender your life to him today, while you still have today. None of us ever knows if we have tomorrow, but things truly are heating up, and time is running out. Don’t wait until it is too late. Accept his gift of salvation today and give him your all!

Unless You Are Born Again

An Original Work / November 3, 2013

Based off John 3:1-21

Nicodemus came to Jesus.

He acknowledged God was with Him.

Jesus said, “You can’t see heaven

Unless you are born again.”

“How can a man be born when he’s old?

Can he enter into his mother’s womb?”

Jesus answered, “Flesh is flesh,

So of the Spirit, you must be.”

Jesus said to Nicodemus,

“You’re a teacher, and yet you don’t

Understand of what I tell you,

Because you will not believe.

“For God so loved the world that He gave

His one and His only Son for your sin.

So, whoever believes in Him

Has eternal life in heav’n.

“Light has come into the world,

But human beings love the darkness,

Because their deeds are so evil,

So in truth, they stand condemned.

“Everyone who practices evil

Fears that the Light will expose his sin.

Yet, whoever lives his life by the Light

Does so through his God.”

http://originalworks.info/unless-you-are-born-again/