God Only

Thursday, October 20, 2016, 5:00 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “When I Am Afraid.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 62 (Select vv. ESV).

On the Attack (vv. 3-4)

How long will all of you attack a man
    to batter him,
    like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.
    They take pleasure in falsehood.
They bless with their mouths,
    but inwardly they curse. Selah

Probably most of us have enemies, if the truth be told. There will always be people who won’t like us, for whatever reason, mainly because we are not like them, or because something about us offends them. Their reasons for hating us don’t even have to be logical. They don’t have to make sense. They will hate just for the sake of hating, because it gives them a power high to feel superior to others. They will hate us, too, because we believe in Jesus Christ, and because we hold on to the truths of scripture, and do not deny His name. And, they will despise us for spreading the truth of the gospel message as taught by Jesus and by his NT apostles, because the message of the cross is an offense to those who are perishing in their sins.

There are many people today whose hate, and their thirst for power, are leading them to do indescribable things to others who are weaker than them. Persecution of Christians in the world has reached epidemic proportions. The beast of Revelation is rising, and is conquering nations, peoples and followers of Jesus Christ. The US government is riding this beast, and is leading the charge, in many cases, but they are not alone in their commission of crimes against humanity. They are joined by many of their political allies across the globe in committing atrocities against other nations and people and Christians.

Together they are forming a New World Order, which consists of a one-world totalitarian government and one-world religion, and they are forcing independent nations to “cooperate” with the “international community,” or to pay “dire consequences.” As well, they are making a big push for unity of religion and tolerance (lenience) of all lifestyles (and sin), and are pushing for breaking down all which divides us as a people. Well, the gospel divides – saved and unsaved – so it is being targeted for extinction (elimination).

How long will this go on? I believe it will go on until Christ returns for his bride, and we go to be with him forever. It will go on until God visits the world in judgment and he sends the beast and the false prophet to the lake of fire and he binds the dragon, Satan, for 1,000 years. This does not mean that God will not rescue us, at times, from evil men, or that he won’t give us times of reprieve from suffering. He may. If he wants us to survive this onslaught against Christians, because he wants to still use us to spread his gospel throughout the earth, he can deliver us from out of their hands until our time on earth is done, and he is finished with us here. Yet, we must know that suffering for our faith in Jesus Christ is a normal part of our Christian lives, so we should not let it undo us.

In God Alone (vv. 5-8)

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
    for my hope is from him.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my salvation and my glory;
    my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

Trust in him at all times, O people;
    pour out your heart before him;
    God is a refuge for us. Selah

One of the main things the Lord has been teaching me these past two weeks, since we first discovered that we have bed bugs, is to rest in him, and to trust him to deliver me (us) in his perfect timing. He has been impressing on my heart, through his Word (the Psalms) that my trust should not be in human strength to save me from these bugs, but that God is my only hope for deliverance. He has been teaching me, as well, not to be afraid to suffer, and to not fear these bugs. And, since he has been paralleling these bloodsucking parasites over to humans who are also bloodsucking parasites, i.e. those of this New World Order beast, he has been encouraging me that I should also not fear them (humans) or what they might do to me, but that I should rest in my Lord and trust him only for my deliverance.

Steadfast Love (vv. 11-12)

Once God has spoken;
    twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
    and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.
For you will render to a man
    according to his work.

I am reminded again here of Job’s words: “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" (Job 2:10). Jesus said that if we are to be his disciples that we will suffer like he suffered, and as he was treated, so would we be treated. We are promised in scripture that we will be hated, persecuted, rejected, despised, abandoned, betrayed, falsely accused, mistreated, beaten, imprisoned and killed for our testimonies for Christ and for his gospel of salvation. As well, we are told that God disciplines (reproves, chastises) those he loves, and that he does so for our good that we might share in 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” (See: Heb. 12:10-11).

So, God’s steadfast love towards us does not bring only happy times, or personal comfort, or freedom from trouble. No! He loves us so much that he disciplines us so that we might be holy, and so it might yield a peaceful fruit of righteousness in us who have been trained by it. What loving parent does not discipline his child? And, I don’t mean just in punishment, but in setting boundaries, and in establishing rules, and in leading his or her children to follow those rules, which are for their good. If all we ever received from God was what brought us personal enjoyment and pleasure, we would be spoiled rotten, and we might get the idea that God is a doting grandfather in the sky there to grant our every wish. But, he isn’t. He has a standard he has set for us to live by, not to make us miserable, but to conform us to his likeness.

We live in troubled times. God is getting our hearts ready for what lies ahead of us, and he is working to make us holy and to conform us into his likeness. He is getting us ready for the wedding banquet which will take place when he returns for his bride. So, that is a good thing. So, we need to be ready to accept adversity from God as well as the good times when things are not quite so difficult, because we need these times to mature us, to strengthen us in our faith, to teach us perseverance, and to build within us godly character and the tenacity necessary to stand strong in our faith against much strong opposition. And, through it all God will be with us, and he will lead and guide us, and he will strengthen us and preserve us for when Jesus will come and take us home to be with him forever.

So, don’t be afraid! Don’t let the tough stuff get to you and to get you down. And, whatever you do, don’t quit! Keep putting on that spiritual armor daily with which to fight off Satan’s evil attacks against us, and keep on doing what God has called us to do and to be. Our faith will be rewarded.

When I Am Afraid / An Original Work

October 17, 2016 / Based off Psalms 56-57

When I am afraid, Lord, I will trust in You.

Your Word, Lord, I praise. I yield my life to You.

Enemies pursue me, slandering Your Name.

Lord, have mercy. I trust in You. Hear my cry today.

Lord, I love Your Word. It comforts me today,

As I look to you, and bow my head and pray.

You are Christ, my Lord. You saved me from my sin,

That I may walk, Lord before You, purified within.

Steadfast is my heart, O God, I sing of You.

I will praise You, Lord. To You, I will be true.

Oh, how great Your love. Your faithfulness endue.

Be exalted, God of heaven. Glory be to You.

https://vimeo.com/187821104