But Not Adversity?

Job was a righteous man who loved, worshiped and served God with his life. But, one day God allowed Satan to come after Job with all kinds of trials and tribulations. He lost nearly everything. And, then God allowed Satan to inflict Job’s body with all kinds of sores. But, in all this, Job did not sin against God. He said, “Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?”

Then Job’s friends came to comfort him in his grief. At first, they did right. They wept over his suffering, demonstrated sincere sympathy, and they sat with him in silence for seven days, for they saw that his suffering was great. But, after the seven days, Job began to lament his suffering, and even that he had been born. And, Job began to question the justice of it all.

Then Job’s friends began to speak, but not words of comfort, but words of accusation. They accused Job of being unrighteous and of his suffering being a result of sin in his life. Yet, how many times do the righteous suffer greatly while the unrighteous go relatively free from difficulty and suffering? Job’s friends were making a wrong assumption, and were falsely accusing him, and this only added to his grief instead of helping to alleviate his suffering.

How Long?

Job 19:1-6 NASB

Then Job responded, “How long will you torment meAnd crush me with words?“These ten times you have insulted me;You are not ashamed to wrong me.“Even if I have truly erred,My error lodges with me.“If indeed you vaunt yourselves against meAnd prove my disgrace to me,Know then that God has wronged meAnd has closed His net around me.

Job then responded to his friends’ false accusations. He questioned them regarding how long they were going to keep on in their insults, inflammatory comments and their wronging of him, which were coming from their pride, all of which were tormenting and crushing him emotionally and mentally.

Yet, it was not because of sin in Job’s life that he was suffering so greatly, but it was the hand of God on Job’s life that was allowing his suffering to take place.

So many people get this idea that Christians should never have to suffer, and that God would never allow or cause suffering to take place in our lives. Yet, scripture teaches the opposite of that. Scripture teaches that we are called to suffer for righteousness’ sake and that God allows or he causes suffering in our lives for our good, that we may share in his holiness and that it might produce in us a harvest of righteousness (See: Heb. 12:3-12; 1 Pet. 4:12-17; Jas. 1:2-4; 1 Pet. 1:6-7; 2 Co. 1:3-11).

No Answer

Job 19:7-12 NASB

“Behold, I cry, ‘Violence!’ but I get no answer;I shout for help, but there is no justice.“He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass,And He has put darkness on my paths.“He has stripped my honor from meAnd removed the crown from my head.“He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone;And He has uprooted my hope like a tree.“He has also kindled His anger against meAnd considered me as His enemy.“His troops come together,And build up their way against meAnd camp around my tent.

When suffering becomes great, and it is prolonged, and we pray for relief, and relief does not come in the way we had hoped, or in the timing we had hoped, if we focus on our suffering, and we get our eyes off the Lord, we can easily get discouraged. And, it can turn to self-pity, if we are not careful.

Relatives Failed

Job 19:13-22 NASB

“He has removed my brothers far from me,And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.“My relatives have failed,And my intimate friends have forgotten me.“Those who live in my house and my maids consider me a stranger.I am a foreigner in their sight.“I call to my servant, but he does not answer;I have to implore him with my mouth.“My breath is offensive to my wife,And I am loathsome to my own brothers.“Even young children despise me;I rise up and they speak against me.“All my associates abhor me,And those I love have turned against me.“My bone clings to my skin and my flesh,And I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.“Pity me, pity me, O you my friends,For the hand of God has struck me.“Why do you persecute me as God does,And are not satisfied with my flesh?

I read a book by Chuck Swindoll, which he wrote many years ago, that addresses this issue, I believe. It is called “Dropping Your Guard,” published in 1983. In it he addressed the issue of the church hurting its own wounded.

He said, “Churches need to be less like national shrines and more like local bars . . . less like untouchable cathedrals and more like well-used hospitals, places to bleed in rather than monuments to look at . . . places where you can take your mask off and let your hair down . . . places where you can have your wounds dressed.”
 “Do you know what you need? You need a shelter. A place of refuge. A few folks who can help you, listen to you, introduce you, once again, to ‘. . . the Father of mercies, the God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our affliction’ (2 Cor. 1:3-4). Christianity may be ‘like a might army,’ but we often handle our troops in a weird way. We’re the only outfit I’ve ever heard of who shoots their wounded.”

And, that is exactly what Job’s friends did to him here, and it is what many Christians do to one another, too. I am not inferring here that we should not speak truth to one who is clearly caught in (drowning in) sin in order to help our brother or sister out of the trap of sin and to freedom in Christ from sin’s addictions. We should, for that is what Jesus did.

What I am talking about here is Christians falsely accusing other Christians of motives or actions that are not theirs, just because of some preconceived notion of their own as to how God works, and thus they end up hurting those who are already wounded, and who are needing help, and who are not needing more abuse piled on top of them.

We need to be so careful that we judge rightly, by the Word of Truth, with the right motives, and the right information, and that we don’t judge others by ourselves, or by worldly thinking, or by human understanding.

It appears to me that many people who oppose “judging” of others’ sins, as clearly defined in scripture, then turn around and judge the ones they accuse of judging, only they judge by human reasoning, for the wrong reasons, and with the wrong information, and thus they end up hurting the already wounded.

I Know That

Job 19:23-29 NASB

“Oh that my words were written!Oh that they were inscribed in a book!“That with an iron stylus and leadThey were engraved in the rock forever!“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.“Even after my skin is destroyed,Yet from my flesh I shall see God;Whom I myself shall behold,And whom my eyes will see and not another.My heart faints within me!“If you say, ‘How shall we persecute him?’And ‘What pretext for a case against him can we find?’“Then be afraid of the sword for yourselves,For wrath brings the punishment of the sword,So that you may know there is judgment.”

Even though Job was going through all this suffering, not only because of all that he had lost, and not only because of all the sores on his body, but also because his friends had added insult to injury by accusing him of wrongdoing falsely, still he had confidence in the sovereignty and providence of God.

He had confidence that one day he would be rescued, that he would be delivered, whether by life or by death. He believed that one day he would be exonerated (vindicated) by God, his Redeemer, too. And, he believed that God would judge his persecutors. And, scripture teaches this truth in other places, too (Is. 35:4; Is. 54:17; Ps. 135:14; 2 Thess. 1:7-9, et al).

So, we can be encouraged by this, as we share the same confidence of Job regarding our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, our Lord God. We may now be going through all kinds of suffering, hardships and persecutions, but one day we will be delivered from them all, if not while we will live on this earth, when our Redeemer returns for us to take us to be with him forever.

This should be our confidence, too, our hope, and what we hold on to when things get really bad or much worse, which they will in this world, that this world is not our final resting place. For those of us who are followers of Christ, and who are being called upon to suffer for Him, we have a home in heaven awaiting us. One day our Lord will remove all this suffering, he will vindicate us, and he will wipe all the tears from our eyes. Amen!

10,000 Reasons

Matt Redman

Bless the Lord oh my soul

Oh my soul

Worship His Holy name

Sing like never before

Oh my soul

I'll worship Your Holy name

The sun comes up

It's a new day dawning

It's time to sing Your song again

Whatever may pass

And whatever lies before me

Let me be singing

When the evening comes…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDGE_lRI0E

Sunday, April 29, 2018, 5:00 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for these words of comfort and encouragement. Amen!

The Lord, The Lord

The Lord, The Lord

An Original Work / April 27, 2018

The Lord, The Lord,

He is my light.

He’s the Rock

  Of my salvation.

In Him I trust.

The Lord, The Lord,

He is my strength.

He’s my hope

  And He’s my comfort.

In Him I rest.

The Lord, The Lord,

He is my song;

My delight

  I now find in Him.

To Him belong.

The Lord, The Lord,

He is the truth.

He’s the way

  Of Christian living.

I trust His Word.

The Lord, The Lord,

In Him secure.

Fellowship

  I now have with Him.

Through Him endure.

The Lord, The Lord,

My husband is.

One day will

  I go to meet Him;

Forever live.

Shine the Light

One Purpose

Philippians 2:1-4 NASB

Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are to have his mind about things. We are to think his thoughts, feel what he feels, love what he loves, hate what he hates, and share the same purpose as he has for our lives, which is that we walk in holiness and in his love. Then, and only then, can we, as his followers, be of the same mind, love, and purpose as one another. For, unity of mind with Christ is the only thing which should unite us all together.

For example, God/Jesus Christ loves purity, righteousness, godliness, holiness, honesty, and faithfulness, but he hates lies, deception, adultery, immorality, wickedness, and selfishness. So, if we love what is immoral, selfish, deceptive, hateful, and faithless, and we resist and reject the good, by our lifestyles, then we may be likeminded with others of similar minds, but we are not of the same mind as Christ.

A Bond-Servant

Philippians 2:5-11 NASB

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

If we have the mind of Christ, we will care more about others’ true needs than we care about our own. For example, what everyone needs most is a relationship with Jesus Christ, and salvation from sin, and the hope of eternal life with God. So, we will sacrifice our own lives and reputations in order to share with others the truth of the gospel, so that they can be delivered from their slavery to sin, and live in Christ’s righteousness.

We will be willing to be hated, rejected, misunderstood, mistreated, gossiped about, misjudged, falsely accused and abandoned because we stand on the Word of Truth, and because we share the truth of the gospel with others, because we love others more than we love our own lives. This is because we love them with God-like love which prefers what God prefers, and which hates what he hates.

Seeing others free from their bondage (chains) to sin and able to walk in freedom and the joy of the Lord, in purity of relationship with Him, is worth whatever we may have to suffer in this life for telling them the truth.

Work it Out

Philippians 2:12-13 NASB

So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Our salvation is not a one-time experience after which we live our lives and then one day we go to heaven. It is not a religion or a religious experience or some creed we follow nor an intellectual assent to some belief or practice. It is life altering, though.

We can only be saved from our sins because of God’s grace to us, and Jesus’ death on a cross, and his resurrection back to life. By God’s grace we are saved from our sins, through faith, both of which are a gift of God to us. For, the faith necessary to bring about our salvation is divinely persuaded as to God’s will for our lives, thus it submits to God and to his purposes for our lives. It, then, turns from sin, and it turns to follow our Lord in obedience.

But, this change in our lives is of the Spirit of God, not of our flesh. In the same respect, the ability to turn from sin and to follow our Lord in obedience is also of the Spirit of God, but we have to cooperate with the Spirit’s work in our lives. We don’t become puppets on a string when we trust in Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior. Daily we must die to sin and self and take up our cross and follow Christ, empowered by the Spirit within us.

Hold it Fast

Philippians 2:14-18 NASB

Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.

We are not to be those who love to complain about everything or to argue about everything. We are, nonetheless, to be those who hate what God hates, and who love what he loves, and who stand on truth, and who refute lies, and who put on our armor daily in order to fight off Satan’s evil schemes against us. We are to be those who stand on truth and who expose the fruitless deeds of darkness, and who do not compromise with the world.

Being lights to the world means we are like Christ, in how he shone the light of truth, the light of the gospel, and the light of his love to the world. He cared about people’s legitimate needs, and he sacrificed himself, his time, his thoughts and his energies in order to help meet those needs. But, not only did he heal the sick and afflicted, raise the dead, deliver from demons and comfort the sorrowful, but he told people the truth about their sins, too.

In order to appear as lights to the world, we need to hold fast to the Word of Life. That Word of Life teaches that we must die with Christ to sin in order that we might live with Christ to righteousness and have eternal life in Him. It teaches that if we walk according to the flesh, we will die in our sins, but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, then we will live with Christ for eternity. And, it teaches us that God’s grace to us instructs us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we await Christ’s return.

If we are not teaching the truth, but we are giving people a false notion that they can have salvation from sin apart from true repentance, obedience, or submission to Christ and his cross, then we are not being the Light to the world that Jesus was or that he wants us to be. This crooked and perverse generation longs to hear such feel good messages as which tickle their itching ears, but which leave them still in bondage (chained) to their sins.

So, we need to shine the light of Christ on the lies so that people will not believe the lies, but so they will believe the truth, and thus be saved. Thus, we also need to be telling them the truth, i.e. the truth as Jesus and his NT apostles taught it, regarding our salvation and eternal life with God.

10,000 Reasons

Matt Redman

Bless the Lord oh my soul

Oh my soul

Worship His Holy name

Sing like never before

Oh my soul

I'll worship Your Holy name

The sun comes up

It's a new day dawning

It's time to sing Your song again

Whatever may pass

And whatever lies before me

Let me be singing

When the evening comes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDGE_lRI0E

Saturday, April 28, 2018, 1:01 a.m. – Yes, Lord, let me be singing the truth of Your Word, the Word of Life, always, for as long as I live. Amen!

When Windows Close

When Windows Close

An Original Work / April 26, 2018

When windows close,

A door will open.

Trust in your Lord.

Do not be frightened.

When dangers hail,

And windows shatter,

Don’t be afraid

Of what’s the matter.

Have peace in Christ.

Fully trust His Word.

God cares for you.

Every prayer He’s heard.

He’s in control

Over all your life,

So rest in Him,

Give not up to strife.

Your Lord is near,

Has your best in mind.

No other love

Like His could you find.

Porn, The Idol

They are Burdensome

Isaiah 46:1-2 NASB

Bel has bowed down, Nebo stoops over;Their images are consigned to the beasts and the cattle.The things that you carry are burdensome,A load for the weary beast.They stooped over, they have bowed down together;They could not rescue the burden,But have themselves gone into captivity.

Statistics have it that as much as 60% of the world’s porn sites are hosted in the USA. I believe if we had to pick one country to define “Babylon” today, it would be the USA. Regarding which state hosts the most porn, California has it at about 66%, according to most statistics which I found online.

According to the statistics I found online, too, it would appear that about 75% of Americans, at least those of the younger generation, regularly view porn, and the numbers seem to be even higher with teens and pre-teens, especially with boys, and now many children are also viewing porn.

The reason for these high statistics is the ease of access of porn in one’s home, and in the palm of one’s hand, but that is not the only reason.

The biggest reason, I believe, is the spiritual decline of the church here in America. Especially since the church united with the government and with big business, and turned Christ’s body into a corporation (turned God’s house into a marketplace), and they began to market the church to the world via the world, thus also diluting the gospel message, a large majority of the church rapidly began its decline down into the dumps.

Statistics I have read online also have it that as many as 50% to 75% of pastors have viewed or somewhat regularly view porn, as well. So, is it any wonder that the church has taken a giant nose dive down into the gutter? Is it any wonder that the gospel of our salvation has been reduced to a mere escape from hell and the promise of heaven when we die, but that death to sin and living to righteousness have been removed from the gospel?

Because of this, God has a day of judgment in mind for this nation and for the church in this nation who have partnered with the ungodly, who have turned God’s house into a marketplace, and who have removed the cross of Christ, as applied to our lives, from the gospel message.

He will judge those who have given people a false hope of salvation, which has left them still bound in slavery (addiction) to their sin, and especially to sexual sin. For, these leaders of these churches who are preaching this false gospel are giving their adherents the false notion that God requires nothing of them – no repentance, no obedience, and no submission to the cross – and that they can continue in their sinful addictions but still have heaven.

He Will Carry You

Isaiah 46:3-4 NASB

“Listen to Me, O house of Jacob,And all the remnant of the house of Israel,You who have been borne by Me from birthAnd have been carried from the womb;Even to your old age I will be the same,And even to your graying years I will bear you!I have done it, and I will carry you;And I will bear you and I will deliver you.

Even before the foundation of the earth was laid, God knew us and he had a plan for our lives. He formed us in the wombs of our mothers. All the days ordained for us were written in God’s book before one of them came into being (Ps. 139). We who are in Christ by faith in him were chosen in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. He predestined us to be his possession, the work of his hands, and that we would be set apart from the world and set apart to him and to his service.

He planned to save us from our sins and to give us new lives in him. He planned for Jesus Christ, God the Son, to be our sacrificial Lamb given for us on that cross to take away the sins of the world. Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, that we might walk in the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh, that we might walk in obedience to Him and to His Word, and that we might live godly and holy lives, pleasing to him.

Throughout our Christian lives, if we are truly his, by faith, he carries us all our days. He guides us in his truth, and he provides for our needs, and he shows us the way we should go so that we might walk in it.

So, for those who are following after the lies of the enemy, and who have returned to walking in the ways of the flesh, and who have made idols to replace God in their hearts, and who are giving their hearts, time and passion to these idols, our Lord will deliver, but he will do so through divine correction, if you do not turn back to him on your own, because he will not have pornography in his house, his body.

It Cannot Answer

Isaiah 46:5-7 NASB

“To whom would you liken MeAnd make Me equal and compare Me,That we would be alike?“Those who lavish gold from the purseAnd weigh silver on the scaleHire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;They bow down, indeed they worship it.“They lift it upon the shoulder and carry it;They set it in its place and it stands there.It does not move from its place.Though one may cry to it, it cannot answer;It cannot deliver him from his distress.

Only God can save us from our sins, and we will only be saved from our sins if we submit to him and to his cross, if we die with him to sin and live with him to righteousness. For, if we walk according to the flesh, we will die in our sins, not have the hope of eternal life with God in heaven. If we sow to the flesh, from the flesh we will reap destruction, but if we sow to the Spirit, from the Spirit we will reap eternal life. Please know this!

All the idols in the world which we might turn to in order to satisfy our sinful cravings and desires will never satisfy the deep longings of our souls. They will never bring us peace or joy or true freedom from sin’s deceitfulness, and this includes the idols of man-made religion, humanistic philosophy, men in pulpits preaching feel good messages, diluted gospels made to appeal to human flesh, and all that these false teachers and false gospels offer and produce in the way of idols of men.

If we follow these false teachers with their false gospels, and we believe we can keep on in our sinful addictions and still be saved from our sins and go to heaven when we die, we are believing in and following lies, and clever deceptions, whose author is Satan, who is the one who wants to keep us still “struggling” with sin, i.e. giving in on a regular basis. He wants us defeated and not living for the Lord, and not following our Lord in obedience.

But, these clever enchanters will be no hope for you when you are trapped again by sin’s deceitfulness and your lives are utterly ruined, and your marriages, and your home life and your families are utterly devastated by your addiction to porn. Your only hope is to surrender your lives completely to the Lord Jesus Christ in all humility, honesty, and in repentance.

Not Far Off

Isaiah 46:8-13 NASB

“Remember this, and be assured;Recall it to mind, you transgressors.“Remember the former things long past,For I am God, and there is no other;I am God, and there is no one like Me,Declaring the end from the beginning,And from ancient times things which have not been done,Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;Calling a bird of prey from the east,The man of My purpose from a far country.Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.I have planned it, surely I will do it. “Listen to Me, you stubborn-minded,Who are far from righteousness.“I bring near My righteousness, it is not far off;And My salvation will not delay.And I will grant salvation in Zion,And My glory for Israel.

The Lord means business! His will and his purposes for his church will be accomplished. He will not let his church be utterly ruined by these liars and deceivers and manipulators who have exchanged God’s truth for a lie. He will silence these deceivers who preach these false gospels which placate sin and which require no death to sin or living to righteousness. And, he will rescue his people from out of the clutches of these false teachers so that he will return his people back to their God, that they might worship him in truth.

He has had in mind how he was going to accomplish his purposes even before he made any of us. He knew who he was going to call to come against his wayward people, for forever. He will bring an enemy against the USA and against the church in America which has wandered far from him. And, he will do this in order to revive his church, and to purify her and make her holy before he returns one day to take us to be with him forever.

So, this is a call, and it is a warning to those who are stubbornly refusing to bow the knee to the Lord, who have cast him off in favor of their idols of choice, and who have given their hearts and passion over to idols of men instead of to their one and only true God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. What he has planned, in the way of divine judgment, is not that far off. He will do what he said he would do. For, his house is to be a house of prayer and of holiness and purity, not a house of ill repute.

So, don’t wait until he forces you to your knees. If you are following the idols of men, and especially if you are regularly giving yourself to this idol of pornography, I pray you will repent of your sin today, and make Jesus Christ truly the Lord of your life.

10,000 Reasons

Matt Redman

Bless the Lord oh my soul

Oh my soul

Worship His Holy name

Sing like never before

Oh my soul

I'll worship Your Holy name

The sun comes up

It's a new day dawning

It's time to sing Your song again

Whatever may pass

And whatever lies before me

Let me be singing

When the evening comes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDGE_lRI0E

Wednesday, April 25, 2018, 4:29 p.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for this teaching from Your Word. Bring it home to our hearts, I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Keep Pressing On

The Faithful Saints

Colossians 1:1-8 NASB

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.

To those of us who are the faithful in Christ Jesus, who love him, who have been crucified with him in death to sin, and who are living to please him, walking in the Spirit, and who are no longer living to please the flesh: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. Be encouraged!

By God’s grace, through God-given faith in him, we have been delivered from our slavery to sin, and we have been given new lives in him to be lived to his righteousness. Amen! God has made us holy in him, and he has also instructed us to live holy lives in him, separate from the world of sin, and set apart unto God for his service, becoming like him in his death and in his life.

For those of us who are giving our lives to the Lord in service to him, and who are living in his love, expressing his love to others in acts of compassion and kindness, and in sharing the truths of God’s Word for the salvation of human lives, and for the building up of the body of Christ, to bring us all to maturity in him, be encouraged!

In a Manner Worthy

Colossians 1:9-14 NASB

For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Know the will of God for your life. Hear from the Lord what he wants to say to you in this moment. Be encouraged. Let him speak tenderly to your heart the words that you need to hear, to bring comfort, strength, and healing, so that you can walk in the way of the Lord in all respects, and not be afraid.

God is working, even when you can’t see him. He is listening to the cries of your heart, even though you don’t yet have the answers you desire. Your service to him, and the love you have for others, and your service to them is bearing fruit, although you may not always see that fruit. So, don’t be discouraged. Rely on the strength of the Lord, keep singing, don’t be silent, and keep loving others with the love of Christ, even if you are rejected and abandoned in return.  

You have the message of hope. You have the message of healing, and of deliverance and freedom, so keep sharing it. They may not all want to hear it now, but God’s Word will never return empty, but will accomplish the purposes for which he sent it. So, keep telling them the way of life. And, keep warning them against the way of death, so that they, too, might be transferred from the domain of darkness to the kingdom of God, and be forgiven of their sins, and have true hope of eternal life with God.

You Were Formerly

Colossians 1:21-23 NASB

And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach— if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

For, this is the essence of the gospel message. This is our hope. When we believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, we die to our former way of living for sin and self, we are reborn of the Spirit of God, and we are given new lives in Christ Jesus to be lived for him and for his righteousness. This is why Jesus died, to set us free from our slavery (addictions) to sin, and to present us as holy, set apart from the world, and set apart to him and to his service, and that our lives might be beyond reproach. This is possible through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

Not one of us has to continue living for sin and self. This is not to say that we will never sin, but if Christ is in us, we are delivered from the control of sin over our lives, so that sin is no longer our master, and we are no longer its slaves. We can walk in freedom! We can live in victory over sin! We can do so in the power, wisdom and strength of the Lord. Amen!

But, we have to continue in him. We have to keep walking in faith, by the Spirit. We have to remain in him and in his Word. Our faith is not a one-time experience and then we’re in. For, if we claim to have fellowship with God, but we walk in darkness (in our sin), we are liars who do not live by the truth.

The Christian life is a walk of faith. Daily we take up our cross and we follow Christ. Daily, by the Spirit, we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh. Being saved is not just something we do. It is what we live. We live and we walk in freedom, we love our Lord, we walk in obedience to his Word, we listen to what he says, and we do it, maybe not perfectly, but we keep pressing on in the Lord and in his strength, and we keep submitting to him.

So, if life gets tough sometimes, don’t give up. Keep pressing on in following the Lord, in doing his will, and in trusting him with your future, and with the lives of those who you love who are not walking in fellowship with the Lord, but who are still walking in darkness. Just keep shining the light of Christ through your life and witness, and keep committing your life and your loved ones to Christ, and keep believing in all of God’s promises. And, don’t let Satan rob you of your joy.

Arise and Shine / An Original Work

March 6, 2014 / Based off Isaiah 60

Arise and shine; your Lord has come.

Allow His light to flow through you,

For many walk in wickedness.

Show them the way to life anew.

Arise and shine. Your Lord loves you.

Lift up your eyes, and look about.

Some do believe, while others doubt.

Believe in all God’s promises.

The many will, In Christ, find rest.

Lift up your eyes, and you’ll be blessed.

Arise and shine; salvation comes

To all who trust in Christ, God’s Son.

Forgiven of their sins, they’ll be,

When they repent on bended knee.

Arise and shine, so all will see.

Lift up your eyes, and see your Lord.

He will revive his church, forlorn.

Though humans have forsaken you,

They will find Christ, and walk in truth.

Lift up your eyes; God honors you.

https://vimeo.com/88371130

Tuesday, April 24, 2018, 11:06 p.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for these encouraging words. Make them real to our hearts, I pray in Jesus’ name.

A Living Hope

New Birth

1 Peter 1:3-5 NIV

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

I am so thankful for God’s grace and mercy, aren’t you? Where would I be today, if it were not for the grace of God? I hate to even imagine. For, I am so grateful that he delivered me, not only from eternal damnation, but that he delivered me from my slavery to sin, too, and that he set me free to walk in his righteousness and holiness, all in his power and strength within me.

All Kinds of Trials

1 Peter 1:6-7 NIV

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Life gets hard sometimes, doesn’t it? Whether you are a Christian or not, life has its challenges. Because of the curse of sin on the world, due to the sin of the first man Adam, we are all born into sin, we all have the propensity to sin, and we are all tempted to sin.

Also, we get sick or hurt, or we are born with birth defects, have illnesses, or we face abuse or mistreatment, etc. We may go through hardships of many kinds, such as financially, or due to the death of a family member, or due to a natural disaster, etc.

Yet, as followers of Jesus Christ, if we are truly following him, and if we are doing what he says, and we are living lives which are separate from the world of sin, and unto God, and if we are sharing the message of the gospel with others, then we will also be hated, persecuted, rejected, abandoned, gossiped about, slandered, falsely accused and/or maybe even killed for our faith and for our testimonies for Jesus Christ and for his gospel.

But, when we go through these difficulties, we are to rejoice, because God has allowed these trials in our lives for a purpose, and they are ultimately for our good, even though they don’t feel good. For, these trials are given to us both to test and to refine our faith, so that it may be proved genuine, and so it may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

The End Result

1 Peter 1:8-9 NIV

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

I believe it is essential to our salvation that we understand what all this is saying here with regard to our eternal salvation. We are not saved based upon some prayer we once prayed, or based on some intellectual or emotional acknowledgment of who Jesus is, and what he did for us. Our salvation is also not based on some acceptance of his forgiveness of our sins, absent of true repentance (turning from our sin) and absent of obedience to Christ (following Christ in righteousness).

Yes, our inheritance can never perish, spoil or fade, and it is kept in heaven for us, who THROUGH FAITH are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation, which is future. In other words, we are saved (past), we are being saved (present), and we will be saved (future), depending on our faith being continuous, depending on it proving genuine in trials, and depending on it resulting in us walking according to the Spirit and no longer us walking (living, conducting our lives) according to our sinful flesh.

For, scripture teaches that if we love God that we will keep (obey) his commandments, i.e. his instructions to us, his church. If we repent of our sins, he will forgive us our sins. If we know him, we will walk according to his Spirit. But, if we walk according to the flesh, we do not have the hope of eternal life with God. If we sow to the Spirit, from the Spirit we will reap eternal life, but if we sow to the flesh, from the flesh we will reap destruction. The kind of faith which saves us is divinely persuaded as to God’s will for our lives, and it submits to God and to his purposes.

What we believe to be our salvation from sin is not a “living hope” if it leaves us still in slavery to our sin, living in sinful addictions, and making sin our practice. If that is where we are, that is a dead hope. So, if you are being told that your faith requires no repentance, obedience or submission to Christ, then you are being fed a lie, resulting in a dead hope.

Set Your Hope

1 Peter 1:13-16 NIV

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

So, we need to set our hope on things of eternal value, not on the things of this earth. We need to be spiritually alert, and fully serious about our walks of faith. We cannot take God’s grace for granted, or think that his grace is liberty to keep on in our sinful addictions without guilt. We need to live lives which are alert to the enemy of our souls and to temptation and to the traps of the devil, putting on the armor of God daily to fight off Satan’s evil schemes against us, so we don’t fall prey to his traps, and fall back into sin.

God’s grace to us is not just deliverance from hell and the promise of heaven when we die. His grace, which brings salvation, teaches us to say “No!” to ungodliness and worldly passions (lusts) and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we await our Lord’s return. His salvation, his grace to us, turns us from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God so that we can receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ.

So many people have the wrong idea about our salvation, and think that they can continue in their sinful addictions because of God’s grace, but they have it all backwards. Because of God’s grace, we can now walk in freedom from conformity to evil desires, and we can now walk in holiness. And, holiness is living lives separate (unlike, different) from the world of sin, because we are being conformed to the likeness of Christ.

In Reverent Fear

1 Peter 1:17-21 NIV

Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

In the time that we yet live on this earth, we are to live it in reverent fear of God, not in the sense of being afraid of him, though we should be if we are still walking in sin, but in the sense of honoring, respecting, and obeying him. Jesus Christ gave his life up for us on that cross that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, but also that he might purchase us back for God with his blood, so that we are no longer our own, but we are his, and our lives are to be lived for his praise, honor and glory.

With his blood, shed on a cross, He redeemed us OUT OF the empty way of life in which we lived before we trusted in Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior. So, we are not to continue in that empty way of life, where there is no hope. But, we are to live now in the Spirit, according to the Spirit, walking in holiness and righteousness. And, this is true hope!

Jesus, I am Resting, Resting 

Jean Sophia Pigott

Jesus, I am resting, resting,

In the joy of what Thou art;

I am finding out the greatness

Of Thy loving heart.

Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,

And Thy beauty fills my soul,

For by Thy transforming power,

Thou hast made me whole.

Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,

I behold Thee as Thou art,

And Thy love, so pure, so changeless,

Satisfies my heart;

Satisfies its deepest longings,

Meets, supplies its every need,

Compasseth me round with blessings:

Thine is love indeed!

Ever lift Thy face upon me

As I work and wait for Thee;

Resting ‘neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus,

Earth’s dark shadows flee.

Brightness of my Father’s glory,

Sunshine of my Father’s face,

Keep me ever trusting, resting,

Fill me with Thy grace.

Tuesday, April 24, 2018, 6:00 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus!

Without Excuse

An Original Work / April 23, 2018

Based off Romans 1 NIV

God, our creator,

Has made himself plain,

Through all his creation,

He revealed His plan.

All of His virtues

Were made clear to all.

Mankind, without excuse,

Now choosing to fall.

Godless and wicked

Face God’s holy wrath.

Not lacking in knowledge,

They deny the truth.

Man claims to be wise,

But thinking is vain.

Their foolish hearts darkened,

They give God no thanks.

They traded their God

For idols of man.

Their Savior rejected;

Discarded His plan.

So, God let them go,

To do what they will,

Follow what flesh desires.

Their hearts, so impure.

Although they know of

God’s righteous decrees,

They continue these things,

And don’t bow the knee.

Not only are they

Depraved in their minds,

But to others’ bad deeds,

They turn a blind eye.

But there is hope…

Our Lord Jesus died,

So we could be free

Of our bondage to sin,

If Him, we believe.

The gospel of grace,

Gives freedom to us.

So, no longer enslaved,

We’re free from our lusts.

To holiness called –

Obey God’s commands.

Walk in righteousness now.

On Christ, take your stand!

Mutual Encouragement

Obedience of Faith

Romans 1:1-7 ESV

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We who have trusted in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior are the called of God. We are called to be saints, to be holy, to be set apart (unlike, different) from the world of sin and separate unto God. And, we are called to belong to Christ, for with his blood he purchased us back for God so that we might be his possession, to his praise. So, we are to honor God with our lives.

We are also called according to his purpose, which is that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, that we might walk according to the Spirit, and no longer according to the flesh, that we might love him and all humankind, and that we might be his servants and witnesses throughout the world.

We, too, are called into fellowship with Christ, to freedom from slavery to sin, and to holiness and purity. And, we are called to God’s own glory and excellence, for his praise and glory and honor. When we came to faith in Jesus Christ, thus, he called us out of darkness into his wonderful light, therefore we are to proclaim his excellencies to the world about us.

We who are in Christ, by faith in him, are Christ’s representatives to the world, for we are his body, and he, in the person of the Holy Spirit, lives within us. We are the Light of the world and the salt of the earth. We are his witnesses, and we are to go into all the world with his gospel, baptizing, and making disciples of Christ of people, teaching them to obey everything which Christ commanded us to do.

Mutual Encouragement

Romans 1:8-12 ESV

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine.

When we come to faith in Jesus Christ, and we are saved from our slavery to sin, and we now become followers of Jesus Christ, we also become members of his body, his church. This is not speaking of “church” in the sense of a building or an organization or a denomination or a corporation. This church is spiritual, not physical, and it is made up of people, not bricks and mortar. It is not a place we go to, either, for we are the church. We, the people, are God’s house, for he dwells within our individual hearts.

As individual followers of Jesus Christ we have been given spiritual gifts which are to be used within the body for its strengthening and encouragement in the Lord, for its building up in the faith, that we all might be brought to maturity in Christ Jesus. Therefore, we are to speak to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, which are for our mutual edification. And, we are to speak the truth, one to the other, so that we might grow up in Christ together, as each part does its work.

God has also assigned each of us specific roles within his body, which are spiritual assignments intended for our mutual encouragement, as well. And, we are to work together as a body, each of us fulfilling our specific God-given assignments. When the body works together, as God intended, it is mutually encouraged and strengthened in the faith, and it does grow toward maturity in Christ, for all of us are necessary. We need one another!

But, encouragement is not a word which means merely cheering people on. We need to be inspiring and cheering one another on in the faith, but we also must urge, help, nurture, and persuade one another toward spiritual maturity, toward holiness and purity, and toward walks of obedience to our Lord. If we are to edify one another, it will also involve instruction, teaching, informing and speaking truth to one another so that we are not hardened by sin’s deceitfulness, but so that we all walk in holiness and purity.

I’m Not Ashamed!

Romans 1:13-17 ESV

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Not one of us, thus, should be ashamed of the gospel of our salvation, or ashamed to tell it to others so that they, too, can come to know Jesus Christ and be delivered, as well, from their slavery to sin. For the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.

The gospel, though, is not what many are purporting that it is these days. What many are calling the gospel now is a diluted version of the gospel which was taught by Jesus and his NT apostles. Many preachers today have weakened the gospel message to make it more appealing and acceptable to human flesh. So, what they preach is a half-truth gospel absent of the power of God to deliver us out of our slavery to sin. So, it leaves us still in bondage to sin and convinced that God requires nothing of us in the way of repentance, obedience, submission or surrender to him as our Lord (owner-master), yet believing we still can claim heaven as our eternal home.

The true gospel, which has the power of God to deliver us from our slavery to sin, puts sin to death in the life of the sinner, and it delivers the sinner to now walk in Christ’s righteousness and holiness. It doesn’t just forgive him. It transforms him from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that he might receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified (made holy) by faith in Jesus Christ (See: Acts 26:18).

The faith that the righteous will live by, as well, is God-given faith, divinely persuaded of God as to God’s righteousness and holiness, and of our need to submit to his righteousness. For, if we walk (in lifestyle) according to the flesh, we will die in our sins. But, if by the Spirit we are putting to death in our lives the deeds of the flesh, then we will live with Christ for eternity. So, we live by that faith. We don’t just profess it with our lips while our hearts are far from God. If we live by that faith, then we are walking according to the Spirit, and no longer are we living to gratify our sinful cravings. Amen!

10,000 Reasons

Matt Redman

Bless the Lord oh my soul

Oh my soul

Worship His Holy name

Sing like never before

Oh my soul

I'll worship Your Holy name

The sun comes up

It's a new day dawning

It's time to sing Your song again

Whatever may pass

And whatever lies before me

Let me be singing

When the evening comes…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDGE_lRI0E

Sunday, April 22, 2018, 12:30 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for this teaching from Your Word. Help us to keep on in our faith, and to keep on singing your praises and sharing your gospel so that many may be saved. Amen!