Psalm 119:57-60 ESV
The Lord is my
portion;
I promise to keep your words.
I entreat your favor
with all my heart;
be gracious to me according to your
promise.
When I think on my
ways,
I turn my feet to your testimonies;
I hasten and do not
delay
to keep your commandments.
From early on in my life I believed in Jesus Christ to be my
Lord and Savior, to leave my life of sin behind me, and to follow him in his
ways. And, early on in my adult years he began to show me his plan and his
purpose for my life, i.e. his calling on my life. And, I took him, his word and
his calling very seriously. I was very sensitized to the Spirit’s voice, and I
had childlike faith which believed God for his many promises. And, I did follow
his leading.
But, as the church in America, in general, became more worldly,
I, too, began to adopt many of the ways of this sinful world and to incorporate
them into my life. And, I abandoned God’s calling on my life to largely follow
after the flesh, instead. But, God wasn’t finished with me. He still had a plan
and a purpose for my life, and so he brought me back, and he made his calling
on my life even more sure and even more specific.
And, so I shut the door on my former way of living, and I
chose to follow the Lord no matter where he took me or what he called me to do,
and no matter what rejection or persecution I might face because of it. For,
what he called me to do is to say to whomever he wills what he gives me to say,
no matter how difficult it may seem, or how unpopular it may be.
For, he has called me to shine his light into the darkness,
to expose what is in the darkness for what it is, and to teach what is true in
opposition to the lies that are being passed off as truth. For, many people are
being led astray by liars and deceivers and by false gospels which are of human
origin and not of God, but of Satan, who is the great deceiver. And, it is of
necessity that they be reached with the truth, for their eternity depends on
it.
Psalm 119:61-64 ESV
Though the cords of
the wicked ensnare me,
I do not forget your law.
At midnight I rise to
praise you,
because of your righteous rules.
I am a companion of
all who fear you,
of those who keep your precepts.
The earth, O Lord, is
full of your steadfast love;
teach me your statutes!
There are many wolves in sheep’s clothing within the
gatherings of the church here in America, and I imagine in other countries, as
well. And, they are teaching a flesh-driven gospel which allows for “believers”
in Jesus Christ to remain consumers of the flesh. For, their “gospel” is very
broad in nature, like the broad road which leads to destruction, as opposed to
the narrow road which leads to eternal life. So, it makes room for the flesh
rather than puts the flesh to death, so that the life of the Spirit might dwell
in our hearts.
This “broad” gospel message is insensitive to the Spirit’s
voice, hardened to the whole counsel of God in scripture, diluted, and
watered-down in order to make it more appealing and acceptable to human flesh. It
is also very “You” focused (shaped) in character, for it coddles the flesh,
makes breathing room for it, and it makes no demands for repentance, for obedience
to Christ and his Word, or for submission to the Lordship of Christ.
This flesh-driven and “You” shaped gospel is also an add-on
to the Word of God, our Sword of the Spirit, as it comes from Satan, the father
of lies. It is fleshly and sensual in nature, soft on sin, short on truth, and
light on obedience. And, it was the worldly and the fleshly church which
invited this flesh-driven gospel into the church gatherings. And, the worldly
and sensual church doesn’t seem to care that the naïve and the immature are in
danger of believing the lies, of rejecting the truth, and of holding on to a
false hope.
Much of today’s leadership within these flesh-driven and
market-driven church gatherings have handed their people over to this “You”
shaped gospel message, too, and they are themselves unwilling to seek out the
truth and to follow after the truth, for they have bought into the lies, too.
And, so the church in America today is severely lacking in pastors and teachers
of the Word who are telling people the truth about sin, hell, judgment and our
salvation. Rather, they are entertaining them.
So, the Lord is calling whomever will listen and who will
follow him in truth to expose these lies of Satan which are leading people away
from the Lord, and to teach what is true, so that people will be called out of
the darkness into the light, and so they will be turned from Satan to God, so
that they can receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those sanctified by
faith in Jesus Christ. For, they need to know the truth which will set them
free.
Psalm 119:69-72 ESV
The insolent smear me
with lies,
but with my whole heart I keep your
precepts;
their heart is
unfeeling like fat,
but I delight in your law.
It is good for me that
I was afflicted,
that I might learn your statutes.
The law of your mouth
is better to me
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
Yet, when we expose the lies of Satan, and we tell the
truth, so that people can be rescued from the darkness and from the control of
Satan over their lives, so that they can walk in holiness and in truth, this
angers Satan. And, it is arousing these liars and deceivers who hate the light.
So, Satan and his followers are on the attack of the true gospel and its
messengers.
And, so they are lying about the true gospel and its
messengers in hopes that no one will listen to the truth but that they will
continue to believe the lies. For, they are unfriendly and cold towards the
gospel as Jesus and his NT apostles taught it, and so they are secretly
devising ways in which to discredit the gospel and its messengers in order to
bring them into disrepute so that people will reject them in favor of the lies.
For, they want to stop the spreading of the true gospel, for
they also want to stop the moving of the Holy Spirit in people’s hearts. And,
so they attack the gospel of Jesus and they call it works-based salvation, or
legalism, hatred, bigotry, and intolerance and the like. And, a plot is afoot
to create internet rules that will censor what can be said and what can’t be
said with regard to the truth of the gospel, too, in order to keep people from
hearing the truth and to keep them in the dark, believing the lies.
Nonetheless, despite what they do to us or say about us,
even behind our backs, without our knowledge, we need to hold strong to the
truth of God’s Word and not cease to keep spreading the truth which will set
people free. We have to remain steadfast in faith, committed to our Lord and to
his Word, and to following our Lord in obedience and in surrender to his will.
And, we also need to remain faithful to our callings, too, no matter what.
For, people need to know the truth that Jesus died on that
cross that we might die with him to sin and live with him to righteousness. They
need to know, too, that if we walk (in lifestyle) according to our flesh, we
will die in our sins. But, if we are walking according to the Spirit and we are,
by the Spirit, putting to death the deeds of the flesh, then we have eternal
life with God in heaven (Rom. 8:1-17; Lu. 9:23-25; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Eph. 4:17-24).
For, we will all reap what we sow. If we sow to please the
flesh, from the flesh we will reap destruction. But, if we sow to please the
Spirit, from the Spirit we will reap eternal life (Gal. 6:7-8). So, believe the
truth, for your eternity depends on it.
Oh,
to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer
Lyrics
by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music
by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897
Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s
treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Oh, to be like Thee! full of
compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the
fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.
O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.
O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy
love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.
Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy
fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
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