Churning, Burning

An Original Work / November 30, 2019

Heartless, callous, given to pride,

Cruel masters, side by side,

Churning, burning, inside out,

Leading people, God to doubt.

Winsome lovers of the flesh,

Oh, their sins they do caress.

Given to mockery, for a laugh,

Then, on purpose, make a gaffe.

Hiding all their sins, in pride,

They take people for a ride.

Big deceivers, known for tricks,

They hurt people just for kicks.

Laughing all their way to hell,

They mock God, and lies do tell.

Mysteries are in their bag,

While the innocent they gag.

Lovers, lovers of themselves,

They put God up on the shelf.

No regard for what He tells,

They are all about what sells.

Products, gimmicks, fun galore,

While God’s truth they do abhor.

Risky business, none do care,

If God’s righteousness they wear.

Numbers, numbers, please the crowd,

No humility; they’re proud.

People pleasing, that’s their deal,

Make the world love us, they feel.

God’s Word, they rebuke, in fun,

So the people’s hearts, they’ve won.

Keep them laughing, back for more,

Keep them rolling on the floor.

[See: 2 Peter 2; Jude 1; 1 Timothy 1 & 6]

Deliberately Overlooking

This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 2 Peter 3:1-3 ESV

We are living in the last days before the return of Christ. Where we are in that timeline of events, though, only God knows. But, he says that we will know when the end is near by the signs. And, he told us what those signs are, too, so that we will know them when they happen (Matt. 24; Mk. 13; Lu. 21; 1&2 Thess; Revelation; Isaiah; Jeremiah; Daniel; Joel; etc.).

Although most certainly scoffers and evil doers have always existed, there is an intensity in which these things will increase as we are closer to the time of our Lord’s return. True godliness will be hard to find. Many will desert the faith. False teachers will be in abundance. Deception will be all over the place, in every corner, in the church, in the government, in the media, etc.

So, what is a scoffer? He is one who makes fun of others, who mocks them, who laughs at them. Now, we haven’t had a TV since 2008, so I know that I can’t speak from recent experience here, but when we did have a TV, one thing I noticed is how much mocking and making fun of other people was prevalent across the board in TV shows, movies, and in the news, too. So, I am certain it has gotten much worse in the past 11 years.

But, it isn’t just on TV. It is in the church, too, and coming from many pulpits. And, they are even mocking the scriptures from the pulpits, too, and making jokes about God and about the Bible so that people will find the Bible humorous, and what is serious will be made light of. This has become so common place, and I found it to be true in the Bible translation called “The Message,” too. But, so many Christians are desensitized to this.

But, what I have seen take place in the past twenty years, which A. W. Tozer was seeing in the 1940’s, has been a huge shift away from taking God and his Word seriously, and taking holiness seriously, to taking God and His Word lightly, and to taking holiness lightly, too. It has been a shift away from the deep doctrines of the Christian faith toward fun and entertainment, too, and toward feel good messages and gospel lite.

And, with regard to people following their own evil desires – wow! There has been an explosion! And, it is in the church big time, and among the leaders of the church, too, and it has led to the vast majority of professers of faith in Jesus to adopt a cheap grace gospel that coddles them in their sins, and which gives free license for them to keep on in their sinful practices without guilt and without remorse. They can keep on in their sinful addictions guilt free, because they have been promised heaven no matter what.

And, I do believe that personal computers, then tablets, and then smart phones, especially in the hands of children, have contributed largely to this explosion of professing Christians, and even pastors, now living by the flesh, rather than by the Spirit. And, the cheap grace gospel just opens the door wide for that, for it makes no requirements for repentance, for obedience to Christ, or for surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives.

They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 2 Peter 3:4-7 ESV

The way that a lot of people today live, and this includes many who profess faith in Jesus Christ, it is obvious that they don’t take God seriously about the judgment that he said is coming against the ungodly. And, the cheap grace gospel has largely contributed to this, too, for it has convinced so many people that they can have salvation from sin and the hope of heaven when they die but that it doesn’t have to impact their lifestyles.

And, so they are convinced that if they pray a prayer and ask Jesus into their hearts that now heaven is guaranteed them, and it doesn’t matter if they keep on in their sinful practices and ignore God’s commandments. But, when God talks about judgment against the ungodly, he is talking about the ungodly, i.e. those who make a practice of sin, i.e. those who live ungodly lives, whether or not they professed faith in Jesus Christ (Gal. 6:7-8).

For, his Word teaches us that it is those who walk (in practice) according to the Spirit, and not according to the flesh, who have eternal life with God. It is those who say “NO!” to ungodliness and fleshly lusts and who live self-controlled, upright and godly lives. It is those who turn away from their sinful lifestyles, who are reborn of the Spirit of God, and who live to Christ and to his righteousness, not in absolute perfection, but in practice, as a matter of course, daily dying to sin and self and putting on Christ and his righteousness.

[Lu. 9:23-25; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Gal. 5:16-21; Gal. 6:7-8; Rom. 2:6-8; Eph. 4:17-24; Eph. 5:3-6; Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Pet. 2:24; 1 Co. 6:20; 2 Co. 5:15, 21; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Jn. 14:23-24; 1 Jn. 2:3-6; Jn. 8:31-32]

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 2 Peter 3:8-9 ESV

Just because God has not yet come in judgment doesn’t mean he isn’t coming. It just means that he is a loving and merciful God who is not willing that anyone should perish in their sins, but that all should come to repentance. But, he could come at any moment. You could die at any time. No one is guaranteed tomorrow.

And, notice with me here that “perish” and “repentance” are opposites. If we don’t want to die in our sins and spend eternity in hell, and if we want to live with Christ for eternity, we need to leave our sinful lifestyles behind us, and we need to follow our Lord Jesus in obedience to his commands. We have to walk, in lifestyle, according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh.

Confusion for Some

This causes some people confusion. Some people go overboard one direction and claim that every time we sin we lose our salvation, and that if we should sin, and fail to confess it before we die, we will go to hell, not heaven. This is not grace. And, this is like walking around with a hammer over our heads, so it is definitely not freedom, either.

But, then others take it to the other extreme. They claim that a mere confession of faith in Jesus Christ assures them heaven when they die no matter how they live their lives while they are on this earth, and so they give themselves carte blanche to continue in their sinful practices unhindered. This, also, is not grace, and it certainly is not freedom.

So, how do we know when we have sinned too much? Honestly, I think that is the wrong question, and even by asking that question, it can be an indication of lack of true surrender to Jesus Christ. But, this is what I understand of what scripture teaches on this subject.

True faith in Jesus Christ is evidenced by surrender of our lives to Jesus Christ, by walks of obedience to his commands, and by the forsaking of our sinful practices and our idols.

It doesn’t mean we are sinless, though (see 1 Jn. 2:1-2). It doesn’t mean we will never fail. But, it does mean that sin no longer is our master. It does not control us. We are no longer enslaved to it, but now we are slaves of righteousness. Sin is not what we practice. It is not our habit. Godliness is what we practice. It is our habit. We are continually growing and changing, by God’s grace.

We don’t have a hammer hanging over our heads ready to strike us every time we fail. But, we can’t use our freedom in Christ as free license to continue in sinful practices, either, while claiming heaven as our home. We can’t keep practicing sin and expect God’s grace to just cover it all, or use the excuse of “I’m not perfect” to cover up willful, premeditated and habitual sins, either.

The key is in surrender to Christ. It is in daily dying to sin and self and daily living to him and to his righteousness, by God’s grace, in His power.

Songs in the Night  

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.

You, my Savior, I now adore.

Hope in heaven awaiting me,

Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,

And I’m bound for heaven.

Jesus set me free from

All my sin, I say.

I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:

Overcame death, my vict’ry won!

Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!

I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!

My sin is but hist’ry!

I am free to please Him

With my life today.

I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me

A new life bought at Calvary.

Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.

Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;

Through my Lord, I’m able

To sit at His table;

Fellowship with Him.

I will thank Him always!

https://vimeo.com/112342407

The Church in Persecution

 1 Corinthians 12 ESV (the whole chapter) - link

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. 1 Corinthians 12:14-20

Like I mentioned in the previous writing on the subject of “the church,” God made us all different from one another. There is not one of us who is exactly like anyone else, not even those who are identical twins. And, God gifted us all uniquely, too. Even if we have the same gifts, he will have us use them in ways that are uniquely designed for us, but never out of his perfect will, and never in contradiction to the Word of God and its overall message.

So, we shouldn’t try to be like other people, and we shouldn’t strive to use our gifts in the same way they use theirs. And, we shouldn’t compare ourselves or our giftedness to others, either, whether we are thinking we are less than them or better than them. This is not a competition!!

I think that a lot of times people will say, “Oh, I am not very good at…” because they want attention, and they want people to say, “Oh, you are wonderful at that!” For, what may appear to be humility, sometimes, is not humility at all, but inverted pride. But, that is not always the case. Sometimes people feel they don’t belong to the body and that their body part is not needed or necessary because others give them that message.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 1 Corinthians 12:21

Do you know that this goes on all the time? Especially in today’s market-driven institutional churches, where marketing schemes and business training surpasses God’s Word, it definitely happens big time! So, if you don’t fit in with the modern business model for how to do church, and for how to grow your church (business), then you might be encouraged to “go someplace else” where you will be a “better fit.” I have been told that several times, and I wasn’t doing anything wrong.

I believe the Lord is leading me to share this one example this afternoon:

My husband and I had had a ministry to college age adults out of our home for four years (a total of 7.5 years). We had made several attempts to connect this ministry with a local church fellowship (an institutional church), but with every attempt, the door would eventually close, which I now believe was by God’s design – his intervention. This was our fourth attempt.

We contacted this church to see if they would be interested in partnering with us in ministry to college students. We met with them and we shared with them our heart for ministry to college students, and we shared with them what we valued at that time. Number one was teaching them the Word of God in all practicality so that they could apply it to their lives. Second was to get them involved in ministry, and to give each of them a part, something that they could do, where they would feel that they were needed, wanted and valued. And, that definitely fits with this passage of scripture here.

The church leaders agreed, and we began partnering together in ministry. And, it went well for several months, maybe even as long as six months until… One day the pastor called me into his office and he asked me, “Would you say that your praise team would ‘draw in large crowds of people’?” My heart sank. I had a feeling where this was headed. I asked him why he was asking me that. Well, he said he had another praise team that he thought would “draw in large crowds of people” and he wanted me/us to consider letting him replace our praise team with this other praise band.

Although I didn’t feel it was right to replace our praise team just to bring in another band, which would draw in crowds, I submitted to the pastor, and I agreed to bring this before our ministry team, which included some of these college age adults. And, then our ministry team met with the pastor to talk with him about this. His response? “I would never do that.” So, I asked, “Then what did you mean by what you said to me?” His response, “I would never do that.” It was a non-denial denial, for he didn’t say that he didn’t say that, he only said that he wouldn’t do that.

I had several subsequent conversations with him about this, for I was still trying to ascertain why he would say that to me and then tell our team that he wouldn’t do that, but he kept answering me the same way. And, then he told the elders of the church about it, and then they demanded that I meet with them privately, and they set a prerequisite for the meeting that I had to admit that I lied about the pastor. But, I didn’t lie. I had no reason to lie. Lying was not my practice.

So, I wrote to the elders, and I appealed to them to please reconsider this, and to remove the prerequisite to this meeting, but they refused. So, I had no recourse other than to not attend their meeting, because I could not tell a lie. And, so they put me on church discipline. And, then my husband and I and our college ministry all went back to our home, which I believe is where God wanted us, and which is why he kept closing these doors.

But, was how they treated me fair? No! Was it just? No! Was it loving? Definitely not. They were Christians. They were the leaders of the church. And, they wouldn’t even give me a chance to defend myself against their accusations. They just charged me as guilty and then they cast their verdict, and then they executed the punishment without even hearing me out.

After that I made several attempts to get this reconciled with them, but they stood by their decision. And, so today the Lord brought this back to my mind, and so I sent a letter to the man who was the main leader there, and I have asked him to make this right with me, so I pray God will soften his heart and that he will be reconciled with me about this matter, for it has now been 16 years since this took place.

On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. 1 Corinthians 12:22-26

But, God is good! He used this in my life, and many other situations where I was treated unfairly and unlovingly and where I was basically told, “We have no need of you!” and he has brought good out of them in my life. Through each one of these situations where I was told I was not wanted or I was accused falsely of something I did not do, God strengthened me in my faith and in my walk with him, and he used each of these situations as stepping stones in preparation for the present ministry he has given to me.

For, the Lord has me confronting sin, exposing lies, calling people to repentance, calling people to obedience to Christ, and teaching the truth of his Word, the whole counsel of God, daily, and he has been doing that in my life for the past 13.5 years (daily). And, I would not have been prepared to stand strong against the enemy, and against opposition, if I had not been through some of the things I had been through.

So, although I was treated unfairly and unjustly, God allowed this in my life to make me into who I am today doing what he has called me to do. And, he encouraged me one day through this verse here where it says:

But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.

For, I was definitely one of those parts which was lacking in honor, but God gave honor to me by calling me to this ministry. And, when we think of the body of Christ universally, and not just in the sense of one local congregation, we realize that God puts us all in assigned areas within his universal body, especially when we are rejected locally, so that there would be no division in his body.

But, I believe with all my heart that God allowed me to be rejected by so many local congregations and their leaders (within the institutional church) because he had something for me to do outside of a local body, but part of his universal body in writing what he teaches me each day and putting it on the internet where people from all over the world can read it. And, so I am needed now, and I am wanted, and I am treated with value, just like was our goal to treat these young adults God had placed in our care.

You Gave Me Love

By Claire D. Cloninger / Archie Jordan

You gave me time when no one gave me time of day,

You looked deep inside while the rest of the world looked away,

You smiled at me when there were just frowns everywhere,

You gave me love when nobody gave me a prayer.

That's why I call You Saviour ... that's why I call You Friend…

https://www.allthelyrics.com/lyrics/bj_thomas/you_gave_me_love-lyrics-94713.html (full lyrics and audio)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PKk7oXYXuU (lyrics and video)

But God!

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,

    for his steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods,

    for his steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords,

    for his steadfast love endures forever

Psalm 136:1-3 ESV

The Lord is bringing to my remembrance something that happened in my life nearly 38 years ago. The year was 1982, and I was 32 years old at the time. It was at the beginning of the year. My children were 1, 3, 5 & 8 years old at the time. We had moved away from our home town 2 years prior to this, but that was a bad year, and now we were back, and had been back for a year.

Our pastor had preached a series of sermons on spiritual gifts a while ago. He had distributed to every church member (or every church attendee) – church, in the sense of a local body of fellowship – a form to fill out. On the form we were asked to list our spiritual gifts, and we were asked to express interest in particular areas of ministry within the church. And, the expectation was that we would then be contacted by the pastor or an elder to ask us to serve in one of those areas of ministry.

Much time had passed since I had filled out the form, and I was not contacted. It may had been 6 months to a year since I had filled out the form. So, I contacted the pastor. He came to our house. We had not ever really talked before, so he didn’t know me and I didn’t know him. But, he had formed impressions or opinions of me from observations he had made about me, based on his own thinking and reasoning, and based on himself.

He made no effort to try to get to know me or my heart. He had already decided who I was and what I was about, and so he just blurted out his opinions about me, which were very hurtful. And, then he asked me if I would say that I had been crucified with Christ. I said, “Yes.” And, he said, “I would say you haven’t!” And, that met me with a crushing blow!!

I took his opinions of me to heart, and I believed that they could conquer me, and so I just withdrew. I retreated. But, as I was reading the story of Jonah to my children one day, the Lord spoke to me and told me that I was Jonah, and that I was running from God, and that I needed to get back in there and fight this thing through.

And, you know what I said to him? I said, “But God, you don’t understand!”

Truly, in the depths of my heart I believed that, though with my mind I believed he was an all-powerful, all-knowing and Omni-present God. In my mind I believed he was completely sovereign over all things. But, in my heart I believed differently. I believed this man, this pastor, could defeat me, and that God could do nothing about it.

Why did I feel this way? Because I had been severely abused by my dad growing up, and God had not rescued me from that situation. He had not rescued me from other painful situations, either. So, I had formed this picture of God as someone who I knew loved me, and who cared for me, and who comforted me in my sorrow and pain, but who was somehow powerless to intervene in my circumstances.

With my mind I believed one thing about God, but in my heart of hearts, where I had been hurt, I believed something else. I believed man had power over me that God could do nothing about, and that came out through my mouth when I said, “But God, you don’t understand!”

to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,

    for his steadfast love endures forever;

and brought Israel out from among them,

    for his steadfast love endures forever;

with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,

    for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who divided the Red Sea in two,

    for his steadfast love endures forever;

and made Israel pass through the midst of it,

    for his steadfast love endures forever;

but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,

    for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who led his people through the wilderness,

    for his steadfast love endures forever;

Psalm 136:10-16 ESV

The Lord said that I was to go back to this pastor to fight this thing through, so I contacted the pastor again, though I was “shaking in my boots,” so to speak. And, he suggested that it was the elders who had an issue with me, so he sent the elders to my house to talk with me about it.

The elders had also formed their opinions of me based on their own personal prejudices and on their own preconceived notions about how God works, and based on their own selves and how their minds and their own flesh operated. They thought I was like them, but I wasn’t, and so they didn’t get me.

They kept trying to tell me that it was my attitude, but when I asked them for specifics, regarding what I was doing wrong, they didn’t know. They had nothing that they could pinpoint and say that I was doing anything wrong. They couldn’t even tell me what they thought was wrong with my attitude. So, again, I was left up in the air, up against men who disapproved of me, and who would not let me serve in the body of Christ in ministry, but who didn’t even know what it was about me that they disapproved of.

But, the Lord had told me to “fight this through,” so I contacted my best friend, who was the wife of one of the elders. I went over to her house and we talked for a long while. She was trying to pinpoint what the problem was, so we went back and forth on that for a while. And, then she said, “Hon, I know what it is.” I said, “What?” She said, “It’s a spirit of fear.”

I knew immediately as soon as she said that that she was correct. The Holy Spirit witnessed it in my heart. I asked her if we could pray for God to deliver me from that. So, we prayed, and I physically felt that oppressive spirit leave my presence. My countenance completely changed. My facial expressions went from ones of fear to faith to joy. God had delivered me!

It is he who remembered us in our low estate,

    for his steadfast love endures forever;

and rescued us from our foes,

    for his steadfast love endures forever;

he who gives food to all flesh,

    for his steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of heaven,

    for his steadfast love endures forever.

Psalm 136:23-26 ESV

What came next was something I would never have anticipated. All of a sudden, memories of my childhood, which had been locked down inside of me, began to surface. For, you see, I was taught to forget the past, so I did, but I didn’t release it to God, I had just buried it down inside my heart. I didn’t know any different. It was what I had been taught about forgetting.

So, I called my best friend. I asked her what to do with these memories, which were quite painful. She didn’t know. She suggested I talk with the pastor. I told her I couldn’t do that because he hated me. So, she asked for permission to talk with him. I gave her permission. She called him. She told him about my past, about my upbringing, and about the fears that I had had. And I am most certain she told him about our prayer for deliverance.

So, he called me. The first thing he did was apologize to me. He said, “As your pastor, I am to be your spiritual father, but I haven’t been a very good one. I want to be now,” or something to that effect.

I just sobbed. I had not ever had a human father who loved me. God had now broken through this pastor’s heart, and he was reaching out to me in love. Praise God! This would never have happened, though, if I had not listened to God, and if I had stayed bound in my fears, and if I had not gotten back in there and “fought this thing through,” which was not easy, I guarantee you.

So, I asked the pastor what to do with these memories. He simply told me to give them over (to release them) to God. For, you see, I had buried them thinking I was doing right by “forgetting” them, but I hadn’t forgotten them, really, because they were buried in my heart, still impacting my life. But, God doesn’t want us to bury our hurts, for then they are not truly forgotten, and they can turn to bitterness or they can bind us in fear.

So, I let the memories surface, and one by one, as they came up, I felt them as though they had just happened to me. I then cried them out to God, and I released them to him, and I forgave my dad with every one of them. And, the Lord lifted those burdens from me, and he gave me newfound freedom in him that I had never experienced before. And, the Lord began a healing process in my heart to set me free from those damaged emotions.

And, that pastor, who had been my “enemy” now became my friend. And, instead of fighting against me, he began to help me to be an overcomer. And, I submitted to his leadership, and I did what he asked me to do.

And, one day he admitted to me that he and the elders had been wrong about me. I just wasn’t like them, and they didn’t understand me and my relationship with the Lord, and so they had judged me by themselves, but God delivered me because I listened to him, and I did what he said.

I would like to say that I never struggled with fear from that moment forward, but that would be a lie. But, what began that day opened the door for many more victories to come. And, what God was doing in my life was preparing me for a future ministry which he had planned for my life from before I was even born.

There were many more battles ahead, but the Lord brought me through every one of them. I just had to step out in faith and “fight them through” under his guidance, and He got the victory!

For Our Nation  

An Original Work / September 11, 2012

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Trust Him with your life today.

Make Him your Lord and your Savior.

Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.

He will forgive you of your sin;

Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.

On our knees to God we’re praying,

Seeking God to give us answers

That are only found in Him.

God is sovereign over all things.

Nothing from His mind escaping.

He has all things under His command,

And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling

You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: we’re believing

In our Lord, and interceding

For our nation and its people

To obey their God today.

He is our hope for our future.

For our wounds He offers suture.

He is all we need for this life.

Trust Him with your life today.

https://vimeo.com/112351857

The Church in Humility

The Lord Jesus has led me to write a series of devotions on the subject of the church. This will be the fourth in that series, as I am looking into what the church should look like and how we should function as the body of Christ.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2 ESV

As I was contemplating this passage of scripture, it came to mind that I often write on these first 2 verses by themselves, or separately from the following section which talks about the body of Christ. And, then I usually continue on beginning in verse 9. And, that is often due to the subject matter at hand, and because vv. 3-8 seem to be on a different subject.

But, there is a reason that Paul wrote what he did in the order he wrote this, so I want to look at vv. 1-2 in light of vv. 3-8, and vice versa, and see why Paul wrote this the way that he did, in this particular order. So, with that in mind, I want to now examine vv. 1-2 in that light.

So, first I am going to move ahead just a little to get the context here. For, in vv. 3-8 it speaks much on the subject of humility in our relationship with the rest of the body of Christ, particularly in the use of spiritual gifts and in ministry, one with the other.

And, this is really critical if we are to work together in unity in the Spirit alongside one another, that we don’t see one another as competition or as less (or greater) than us. And, it is critical, too, that we are not jealous of one another’s gifts or roles within the body of Christ, for God made us all uniquely different, and he uniquely gifted us, as well. So, I am not to be you, and you are not to be me. We are to work in harmony, though.

The Appeal

So, if we are going to be humble, and if we are going to be in harmony and unity with one another, then we need to first of all be in unity and in harmony with our Lord. And, that is what these first two verses are about.

For, our salvation is not just about our sins being forgiven so that we can go to heaven when we die. It is about us dying to our old lives of living for sin and self, us being reborn of the Spirit of God to new lives in Jesus Christ, our Lord, and it is about us living to Christ and to his righteousness – all in the power and working of God’s Spirit who now dwells within us who are His.

But, this is not something we do just one time. This is something we are to do every day. Every day we are to give our lives to Jesus as living sacrifices on his altar of praise. And, this means that daily, and sometimes moment by moment, in the power of God’s Spirit, we have to say “No!” to our flesh, and “Yes” to God and to his righteousness, his holiness, his truth and his purity.

For, this is our true worship of God. This is our true praise and thanksgiving to our Lord. It is not so much with words, but it is with our actions. It is in us yielding control of our lives over to the Lord one day at a time, separating ourselves from the ways and the patterns of this sinful world, and allowing the Lord Jesus to transform us in our thinking, in our beliefs, in our attitudes and in our behaviors.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. Romans 12:3 ESV

Only when we bow the knee to God are we going to be able to have the proper self-evaluation of ourselves. For, as long as we are still running the show, and we are doing what we want, we aren’t going to have an honest look at our own lives, and we aren’t going to be in the practice of bowing the knee, and so we might get a higher opinion of ourselves than what is warranted.

Basically, if we think we are who we are because of what WE did, then we have already failed the test. If we are in the habit of taking the credit for what God does in our lives, and maybe because we are embarrassed to give God the glory, because we are concerned about what others will think of us, then we already are thinking too highly of ourselves.

So, to have the correct perspective of ourselves, we need to see ourselves through the eyes of God. Without him, without Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we are nothing. We were sinners, born into sin, without God and without hope, when Jesus gave his life up for us, and when he reached out to us in love and he invited us to believe in him and to receive his salvation from our slavery to sin. We can do nothing to earn or to deserve our own salvation. Only by his grace and by God-given faith in him can any of us be transformed from death to life and have the hope of eternal life with God.

So, when we understand that it is only because of God’s grace that we are even here, and that we have salvation, and that we are filled with the Spirit, and we are given spiritual gifts for the glory of God, then we can have the right mindset for serving alongside other followers of Christ in the body of Christ in ministry to our Lord.

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Romans 12:4-8 ESV

Again, I am not you and you are not me. We are all different. God made us all different and so he uses us all in ways which are unique to us, and to who he called us to be, and to his unique giftedness that he put within our lives.

We will cover this in more detail when we get into 1 Corinthians 12, but we are not to think everyone should be like us, or that everyone should fit into some institutional church model of the ideal church worker. For, God doesn’t work inside an institutional box. He often works outside the box (read the gospel accounts of Jesus and his encounters with the Pharisees, for example). So, don’t get locked inside a box that limits who God is and what he can do through us for his glory.

The only confines we should work under are the confines of God’s boundary lines which he laid out for us in scripture.

So, let me give you just a few examples from my own life. I had one pastor tell me that if I volunteered for ministry that I must be doing it because I want to be seen by others. Well, he obviously did not know me at all. Wasn’t it Isaiah who said, “Here am I. Send me!” The call of God to ministry is already there. We just need to be willing to answer that call.

On another website I wrote on several years ago, I had several women chide me because the Lord includes songs in every one of the devotions he has me write. Since they had never seen any examples of that being done before, they assumed that could not be of God. But, how can singing songs of praise to God not be of God? And, doesn’t his word commend us at least twice that we are to speak to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs?

So, just saying, don’t let people intimidate you into not following God, and don’t reject other people’s giftedness just because it doesn’t fall into your preconceived notions of how God works. For, he is going to work in different ways with different people, and he is not going to work in all the same ways in all of us. But, whatever he does in and through us, it will be in agreement with his character, with his will for our lives, and with His Word.

So, allow God to do unique things in your lives, and don’t limit him in your life or in other believer’s lives by institutional boxes which say God doesn’t work in that way. Just make certain that what you are doing is in line with God’s Word, and with his character, and with his will for our lives.

A Believer’s Prayer

An Original Work / July 31, 2012

With my whole heart, Lord, I pray

To be Yours, and Yours always.

Lead me in Your truth today.

May I love You, and obey.

Lead me in Your righteousness.

When I sin, may I confess;

Bow before You when I pray;

Live for You and You always.

Love You, Jesus, You’re my friend.

Life with You will never end.

You are with me through each day,

Giving love and peace always.

You will ne’er abandon me.

From my sin You set me free.

You died on that cruel tree,

So I’d live eternally.

Soon You’re coming back for me;

From this world to set me free;

Live with You eternally.

Oh, what joy that brings to me.

I will walk with You in white;

A pure bride, I’ve been made right

By the blood of Jesus Christ;

Pardoned by His sacrifice.

https://vimeo.com/114796263

Truly Thankful

Today, in America, we celebrate a national holiday called “Thanksgiving.” It is a day that is to be given over to giving thanks to God for all his wonderful blessings and provisions, for it originated as a harvest festival. And, it is traditionally celebrated with a meal of Turkey, bread stuffing (dressing), cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and/or sweet potatoes, and some kind of green vegetable, plus pumpkin pies and other pies for dessert.

Sing to the Lord, all the earth!

    Tell of his salvation from day to day.

Declare his glory among the nations,

    his marvelous works among all the peoples!

For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,

    and he is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,

    but the Lord made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty are before him;

    strength and joy are in his place.

1 Chronicles 16:23-27 ESV

So, this begs the questions, “In what ways does God want us to give him thanks?” And, “Does this national holiday truly give to God the kind of thanks, honor and praise that he desires?” Or, “Is it just an idol, a tradition that we follow, and God is not truly honored by our celebrations at all?”

I believe it is possible to celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving and to truly not give God the kind of praise and thanksgiving that he desires or that he deserves at all. I believe that we can call the day a day of thanksgiving, while ignoring God entirely, and while living to the flesh, and just doing what pleases the flesh, including eating too much food, and just spending the day entertaining ourselves and talking about the things of this world.

I have even seen Thanksgiving Day celebrations where thanks were not even given for the meal, let alone for anything else, and God was never mentioned. And, this was among those who professed faith in Jesus Christ.

For, the holiday had become just about eating too much food until people were stuffed even to the point of feeling sick for having eaten too much. And, it had become a day of self-indulgence and self-gratification rather than a day set aside to give true honor, glory and praise to God. For, it had become a day of feeding the flesh, not of giving true gratitude to God.

Is God pleased?

So, is God pleased by these kinds of celebrations? No, he isn’t! So, what does he want in the way of our thanksgiving and praise? He wants top billing! That’s what He wants! He wants the day and every day to be about Him, to honor him, though not just with our lips, but with our lives, by how we live our lives, for him and his righteousness and not for the flesh.

He wants us to choose to cling (adhere, cleave) to Him and to his ways, which are godly ways, and for us not to cling to “other gods” (idols) of this world. And, so this morning he is having me take a look at some of these “other gods” that Americans, including American Christians, cling to, often to the exclusion of God, or in usurping God by replacing him in his rightful position as Lord of our lives with other “lords” we follow, instead.

Other gods

Another holiday that Americans celebrate around this time of the year is Christmas. Christmas is typically regarded by Christians as the celebration of Christ’s birth, but it is a mixture of paganism and Christianity, which I believe is purposeful, and is a design of Satan, not of God.

For, who, in reality, gets top billing on Christmas Day in America, even among Christians? Santa Claus, hands down! And, if not Santa, then commercialism, greed, materialism, partying, games, fun, entertainment, and, again, self-pleasure, self-indulgence, and self-gratification.

For, the food, the games, the tree, the decorations, the partying, etc. have nothing to do with celebrating Jesus Christ. In fact, the only thing he asks us to do specifically in remembrance of him is to take communion, in a worthy manner, where we remember his body and his blood which were given for us that we might die with him to sin and live with him to righteousness (Lu. 22:18-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-25; 1 Pet. 2:24).

And, Santa (alias Satan) is a false god, who is given the attributes of Almighty God. And, who wanted to be God? Satan. And, who steals the hearts of boys and girls throughout the world on Christmas Day? A helpless baby lying in a manger? Or, an all-powerful Santa who flies through the air and who brings gifts to all the children of the world in a single night? I think the answer to that question is quite obvious.

[See: Pagan Revelry]

The Church

The church can be another idol, but not so much the true church, but the institutional market-driven church which is a business of human-making, and which is about building earthly kingdoms of men more than or in place of being about building God’s eternal kingdom. For, they often follow business models and marketing schemes for how to “build” the church, rather than following the teachings of the scriptures on how to build up the body of Christ, that we might all reach maturity in Christ.

Most of these institutional churches, at least here in America, are state churches, in reality, for they have willfully partnered with the government in an unholy union, which God forbids, which then puts the government as head of this church, which is not the true church, because the body of Christ is not an institution of men or a business or a corporation under any government. But, his body has joined with these state churches.

And, many of these institutional churches, which do have the true church as part of them, are following man-made religion, a diluted gospel, marketing schemes of men, and humanistic philosophy instead of God Almighty, the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God. And, God also forbids turning his house into a marketplace, for it is to be a house of prayer, and that house is us, his true church, his body.

The Government

Government worship has been foundational in evangelical Christianity in America all of my life. From early on in my life I was taught, not just in public school, but in the church gatherings, to pledge (vow) allegiance (fidelity) to the American flag (republic, government) with hand over heart, signifying that my heart and my loyalty and devotion were given to the government of the USA. But, only God should get that kind of allegiance, devotion, loyalty and fidelity from me, a follower of Christ.

Also, in the gatherings of the church we periodically sang patriotic songs giving worship, glory and honor to our government, and we honored and praised our military as our “saviors” who were the ones keeping us safe from harm. They were to be considered our heroes, and we were to look to them as the ones who were insuring our safety. But, God/Christ is our only Savior, and he is the one who protects us, and he is the one who keeps us safe and who provides for our needs, and he gives us the freedoms that we have.

So, we are not to give such worship to the government, which is not godly, and which, if truth be told, is anything but godly. Our government is not to be an idol to us, and our presidents and leaders are not our saviors, either, who are going to improve our life situations. In fact, if truth be told, they are not working for us, but against us. Take a look at Agenda 21, for example.

Our True Worship

So, how can we give God our true worship, praise, and thanks today and every day? We can do so first of all by choosing to cling to his way of holiness and righteousness and by refusing to cling to the idols of this world and the idols of our flesh. We need to forsake all other gods/idols, i.e. anything to which we give our worship, praise and devotion in place of or over God, or in combination with our worship of God.

And, we need to walk in the fear of the Lord in giving God (Jesus Christ) our wholehearted devotion and obedience. He needs to get top billing in our lives, and our lives are to be about Him, not about pleasing ourselves and feeding our own flesh. We are to be for his glory and praise.

And, then we need to not only be living for him, every day, and making him truly Lord of our lives, thus considering him in all that we do, and doing what he desires of us and what will truly give him honor and praise, but we are to be sharing him with others, especially with other believers in Jesus. Our conversations need to be about him, not mostly about the things of this world and about our own pleasures and pastimes. We are to make him known, and make his will and purposes known, not make ourselves known.

Songs in the Night 

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.

You, my Savior, I now adore.

Hope in heaven awaiting me,

Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,

And I’m bound for heaven.

Jesus set me free from

All my sin, I say.

I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:

Overcame death, my vict’ry won!

Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!

I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!

My sin is but hist’ry!

I am free to please Him

With my life today.

I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me

A new life bought at Calvary.

Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.

Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;

Through my Lord, I’m able

To sit at His table;

Fellowship with Him.

I will thank Him always!

https://vimeo.com/112342407

You Loved Me

An Original Work / November 27, 2019

When I was lonely and afflicted,

You were there to pick me up.

You took me in Your arms,

And You tenderly held me.

Your love embraced me.

Your grace sustained me.

When my heart cried out to You

In my despair,

You did not shun me,

But You let me know that You loved me.

Your grace forgave me.

You did not shame me.

Then I answered the call,

“Here Lord, send me.”

And so You sent me to where

You planned ahead of time to use me.

Your mercy held me.

You did not fail me.

And, when trials and tribulations

Came my way to test me,

You gave me everything I needed

So that I would not fail, but would survive.

Your kindness blessed me,

And You caressed me.

And, when I needed the body of Christ

To lift me up

And to encourage me so that my

Heart did not fail,

You gave me friendships,

Their presence cheered me.

And, even when I walked

Through the valley of the

Shadow of death and tears

Overflowed from my eyes down my cheeks,

Your touch, it healed me.

For, I believed You.

And, even now when I think

About all the many ways

In which you have blessed me,

So many ways I cannot count them all,

My heart, it thanks You.

And, gladness fills me.

The Church in Service

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Ephesians 4:11-14 ESV

We have the teachings of Jesus Christ and of the prophets and the apostles to instruct us in the wisdom of God, and to equip us spiritually for the work of the ministry and for the encouragement in the faith for the body of Christ. And, they are written down for us in our Bible (Genesis to Revelation). So, we need to be studying our Bibles, especially the New Testament, so that we know what God has for us, and so we are equipped for life and ministry.

And, we have pastors and teachers of the Word, and those with gifts of evangelism, discipleship, prophecy, teaching and encouragement, as well, for the equipping of the saints and the building up of the body of Christ.

And, this equipping of the saints involves evangelism and discipleship, and it involves training in specific areas of ministry, but under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit, and according to the teachings of the scriptures, and not according to humanistic philosophy, modern psychology, and/or business marketing schemes.

The Equipping

This equipping of the saints is first and foremost training us in holy living, in forsaking our sins and our idols, in surrendering our lives wholeheartedly to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and in following our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands and to his will and to his ways. And, this is to be taught as a daily practice, and as something that must be continued throughout our entire lives.

And, this equipping must be practical and applicable to our everyday lives. It must touch home right where we are and deal with our real life issues. And, it must instruct us and encourage us in how to deal with these issues in a godly manner, according to the teachings of scripture. For, we must be taught how to deal with anger, bitterness, jealousy, pride, selfishness, lust, etc. and in how to put these things off and in how to put on Christ’s righteousness and holiness in their place.

Lies vs. Truth

We must also be warned against deception and false teachings and against falling away and lukewarmness, and against idolatry and selfishness, and against sinful practices. And, these must be named specifically so that we know what to be on the lookout for. But, these warnings must be biblically based and not just be the opinions of men.

And, then we must be taught the truth in contrast to the lies and the deceptions and the false teachings, etc. so that we can put off the lies and put on the truth, and so we don’t continue to be deceived, but so that our eyes will be opened, and so we will now walk in the light of Christ and of the truth of His Word.

And, all of this is part of our encouragement in our walks of faith. All of this is included in the building up of the body of Christ to unity in Christ and to spiritual maturity in Christ, too. For, encouragement is not just a pat on the back or a word of cheer, but it is urging, inspiring, fostering, nurturing, persuading, and moving people away from what is of this world to walks of holiness in Jesus Christ, their Lord.

And, this is, too, so that we aren’t led astray by false doctrines and teachings which are not of God and which are opposed to God and to His Word. It is also so that we don’t bounce back and forth from this teaching to that, having no solid direction, not knowing what is true or what is false. And, it is so that we don’t get caught up in teaching that sounds good but that is not good, for it comes from liars and deceivers who are scheming against us and against Christ and against his gospel.

Help Wanted!

So, we need people of God within our church fellowships who are going to teach us the whole counsel of God and who are going to teach us to walk in purity and holiness, and who are going to teach the truth of the gospel, and who are going to bring us to maturity in Christ, and who are going to warn us against false doctrines which tickle itching ears.

But, in our day and age, these seem to be severely lacking in the majority of today’s modern congregations, and that is contributing greatly to so many professers of Christianity living immature, selfish, unruly and ungodly lives. So, we need to call out to God and pray for him to send us men and women of God who will lead us to maturity in Christ and who will lead us to walk in holiness and in purity and in faithfulness to our Lord and Savior.

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Ephesians 4:15-16 ESV

So, instead of us being led astray by these men in their deceitful scheming, and instead of us allowing others to be led astray, because we are afraid to say anything, lest they feel we are being judgmental of them, we need to be those who make it our practice to speak the truth in love to one another. For, lying to one another just to make one another feel good is not of God, it is not loving, and it is definitely not kind.

And, this is not the responsibility just of people with specific gifts, or just of people who are in specific roles of leadership within the church. This is the responsibility of each and every one of us within the body of Christ. We are to be telling each other the truth and warning each other against being deceived, so that we can help one another to maturity in Christ.

We are ALL needed. We are ALL necessary to the proper working of the body of Christ and to the maturity of the body of Christ. The church can’t work as God intended if we don’t all have a part, because we are all supposed to have a part. For, we each have something to add, which is something today’s modern church is greatly neglecting. For, it is all lopsided and top heavy, and there just isn’t any or much room at all for us to all use the gifts God has given us for building one another up in our faith to maturity in Christ.

God-assigned Parts

But, our parts are not decided by man. The roles we are to have within the body are not assigned by man. They are assigned by God, and our gifts are given to us by the Holy Spirit of God as he determines (Rom. 12; 1 Co. 12).

But, yes, the elders and deacons are selected (chosen) based on particular spiritual and biblical criteria, at least in theory, and men, led of the Holy Spirit, are the ones who are to select these men for these positions, as best as I understand how this is supposed to work.

And, within the physical gatherings of the church we are all to submit to godly leadership, and we are to work under that leadership in proper order, so in that sense men do choose us for specific ministries, and they are to give us guidance and direction of the Spirit of God which we are to follow. But I believe we are to seek the counsel of God in these matters and make certain that what we are being asked to do is what God wants us to do.

For, God is not going to lead every one of us to ministry within the formal gatherings of the church, but he may use us in home ministries, or on the internet, or out in the work place, or on the mission field, where we will still be ministering with and to the body of Christ as well as he will use us to share our faith and testimonies with those who make no profession of faith in Jesus Christ.

So, we need to each seek God’s face and inquire of him as to what He wants us to do, for I believe he has a very specific calling for each and every one of us, and it may not be anything you or I have thought of before. Like, I would never have imagined that I would be writing devotions and posting them on the internet, but I believe God had this planned for my life all along, and that everything that has happened in my life up to this moment has been in preparation for what he is now having me do.

So, I just want to encourage everyone reading this to find out from the Lord what he wants you to do within his body, which is not limited to one specific gathering or location, for remember his body is universal. And, then obey him in doing what he has called you to do, but which should also be for the encouragement and strengthening of the body of Christ to maturity in Christ, by God’s Spirit.

Your Servant  

An Original Work / September 21, 2011

Lord, I love to have You near me

As I go throughout my day,

Walking daily in Your footsteps,

As I humbly pray.

List’ning to You, hear You teaching

Me to live and work for You,

Lord, I pray You lead and guide me

Daily in Your truth.

Lord, I want to be Your witness,

Telling others of Your grace;

Telling how they can be set free

Of their sins today;

Share with them the love of Jesus,

He died on a cruel tree,

So that we’d be forgiven

For all eternity.

Lord, I want to serve You only,

As I bow on bended knee,

Making You my Lord and master,

And Your servant be.

Humbly walking in obedience,

Doing what You say to me,

Lord, may I be an example

Of one who’s set free.

https://vimeo.com/126318100

Wednesday, November 27, 2019