Choose Life, Not Death

Psalm 95:1-5 ESV

“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;

    let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;

    let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

For the Lord is a great God,

    and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are the depths of the earth;

    the heights of the mountains are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it,

    and his hands formed the dry land.”

God is in control. No matter what happens next, God is still on the throne. He is still completely sovereign over all that he has made. We can trust him. We do not have to be afraid of what is going on or of all the projections of what might yet take place. We have to take God at his Word and not let Satan instill fear into our hearts and minds.

One of the best antidotes I know to Satan’s attacks of fear on our minds and hearts is to sing praises to God, and to sing them out loud. And, it is to rejoice in God even in the direst of circumstances. And, it is to be thankful to God in all things, whether we have plenty, or whether we are in want. For, God has all things in his hands. So, don’t let fear overtake you! Praise God!

Psalm 95:6-7 ESV

“Oh come, let us worship and bow down;

    let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!

For he is our God,

    and we are the people of his pasture,

    and the sheep of his hand.”

The only way, though, that we are going to be able to sing genuine praises to God, thank him in all things, trust him for all things, and rejoice in him in all circumstances is if we first of all bow down and kneel before our God.

And, this bowing and kneeling is done with our hearts and with our minds, for it is us submitting to the Lord’s rulership over our lives, and it is surrendering to God’s will for our lives. It is us leaving our sinful lifestyles behind us to now follow our Lord Jesus in obedience to his commands. And, it is trusting God with our lives in all circumstances, too.

And, worship of God is not just something done in a “worship service.” And, it is not just singing praise and worship songs, either. For, we can sing all kinds of Christian songs and not be worshiping God with our lives at all.

True worship of God, thus, is surrendering our lives to Jesus, holy and pleasing to God. And, holy means to live separate (unlike, different) from the world because we are being conformed to the likeness of Christ. And, what is pleasing to God is that we walk (in conduct, in lifestyle) according to (in agreement with) the Spirit of God, and that we no longer walk (in practice) according to our flesh (Rom. 12:1-2; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17).

Also, as his sheep, we listen to him, not just with our ears, but with our hearts and minds, and with the full intention of doing what he says to do. For, his sheep listen to him, and they follow (obey) him (Jn. 10:27-30).

Psalm 95:7-11 ESV

“Today, if you hear his voice,

    do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,

    as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,

when your fathers put me to the test

    and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.

For forty years I loathed that generation

    and said, ‘They are a people who go astray in their heart,

    and they have not known my ways.’

Therefore I swore in my wrath,

    ‘They shall not enter my rest.’”

When we go through difficult times, like what the world is experiencing right now, there is a tendency to want to self-medicate, or at least that seems to be what is being promoted.

I don’t know how many countries right now are going through what we are going through, and I don’t know if all of you are getting the same kinds of messages in your nations, but here in America this whole thing is being turned into a big picnic/party. They are encouraging people to drink alcohol, to play games, to watch movies, and even to look at sexual images for self-gratification, since we are all supposed to be staying apart from each other.

But, these messages about “party time” are also mixed in with confusing and rapidly changing messages which instill fear, cause panic, create chaos, and lead people to live in constant fear of everything and everyone, to where people are literally afraid to be with other people or to step outside their doors. So, the antidote they are promoting to combat the fear is to just have fun, but to stay at home, and to do all your socializing over the internet.

So, with all these mixed messages of “party time” and “fear mongering,” many people are following their emotions and their flesh, and if they are afraid, then they are self-medicating to mask the fear and to try to drown out the fear and confusion they are feeling inside.

Listen to God

I am not hearing many messages that tell us that this is the time when we should be drawing closer to our Lord, when we should be bathing our minds and hearts in the Word of God, when we should be calling out to the Lord in prayer, seeking his face, seeking his counsel, and asking for his guidance.

So, we must be so careful that we don’t get caught up in all the frenzy over what is going on in the world, and we must also guard against getting caught up in self-medicating with drugs, alcohol, game playing (excessive), sexual immorality, and/or vegging out on fantasy to escape the realities all around us. For, living in fear or escaping into fantasy solves nothing.

God has allowed all this that we are going through for a reason, and it is to get us to listen to him and to follow him in obedience.

So, don’t listen to the messages that try to get you to live in fear, and don’t listen to the messages that tell you to feed your flesh, and that tell you to escape into a fantasy world, or that tell you that it is ok to look at porn or to self-medicate during this time of global crisis, for those messages are from Satan.

Use this time to develop a close walk with the Lord. He has things he wants to say to us right now if we will have ears to hear and if we will not shut him out. But, we are not going to hear him if we are filling our time and our minds and ears with all the details of all the news stories and all the chats on social media and all the YouTube videos that are out there, too, or all the memes on social media, too, telling us what to feel and what to think.

Get alone with God. Ask him what is going on. Ask him to open your eyes to the truth behind all the lies. Ask him to show you what is truth and what are lies, for deception is rampant. And, many are being deceived. So, let the Lord open your hearts and minds to hear from him right now, and then follow him in his ways. Turn from your sins, and turn to follow God.

For, if we rebel, and if we go the way of our flesh, and we don’t take this opportunity to draw near to God in full assurance of faith, he is warning us that those who live by the flesh will reap destruction. But, he is also encouraging us that those who live by the Spirit will reap eternal life. So, choose life, not death (Gal. 6:7-8; Rom. 2:6-8; Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9).

Have Thine Own Way, Lord

Words by Adelaide A. Pollard, 1907

Music by George C. Stebbins, 1907

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Thou art the potter, I am the clay.

Mold me and make me after Thy will,

While I am waiting, yielded and still.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Search me and try me, Master, today!

Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,

As in Thy presence humbly I bow.

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Wounded and weary, help me I pray!

Power, all power, surely is Thine!

Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!

Hold o'er my being absolute sway.

Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see

Christ only, always, living in me!

*copyright status is public domain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z11avpKNLsA  

Changing Times

An Original Work / March 31, 2020

Ring those bells

Call the congregation

We will soon

Have a jubilation

Tell the truth

And, listen to it well

Sit ye down

And listen for a spell

God has called

His people to Him now

To know Him

And at His feet to bow

Changing times

Have people in a whirl

Doubting God

At him their thoughts do hurl

Fear’s ablaze

In the hearts of many

Believing lies

Hope, they ain’t got any

God’s not dead

He hasn’t left the scene

He’s engaged

In truly everything

All is well

For He’s not left our side

When in Him

We truly do abide

He works all

According to His plan

On His Word

We truly can depend.

What Do We Long For?

Psalm 14:1-3 ESV

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’

    They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;

    there is none who does good.

“The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man,

    to see if there are any who understand,

    who seek after God.

“They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;

    there is none who does good,

    not even one.”

Such is the character of our sinful nature. In our sinful flesh, we do not acknowledge God for the holy God that he is. We do not honor him as Lord. We do not give him true praise and the thanksgiving which he so deserves for who he is, and for all that he has done for us, the people of this earth.

In our sin nature, our righteousness is as filthy rags to God. We can’t do good, not as God defines good, because only God is truly good, and therefore all goodness comes from him (cf. Rom. 3).

In our sin nature we do not seek after God, either. Although God has revealed himself to all humankind, through his created works, those who are still living according to the flesh do not seek after God, they do not obey God, and thus they do what their corrupt hearts tell them to do (cf. Rom. 1).

Psalm 14:4-6 ESV

“Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers

    who eat up my people as they eat bread

    and do not call upon the Lord?

“There they are in great terror,

    for God is with the generation of the righteous.

You would shame the plans of the poor,

    but the Lord is his refuge.”

These evildoers, though, who are they? Are they solely the people of this world who have not acknowledged Jesus Christ as Savior of their lives? Or, could they be many who profess faith in Jesus Christ? Could they even be some people who truly trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives, but who have since fallen away from that pure devotion to Christ to follow after the ways of their sinful flesh (examples in Revelation 2-3)?

For, there is a reason there are so many warnings to the church in the New Testament about not doing evil like they did before they believed in Jesus, if they did believe in Jesus. There is a reason the church is continually reminded of what they were saved from, and what they were saved to, and how they need to forsake particular sins which are weighing them down, and how they need to live holy lives, pleasing to God (Rom. 12:1-2; Heb. 12).

And, there is a reason that God warns the church throughout the New Testament that if they make these sins their practice, that they will not inherit eternal life with God, which they are anticipating receiving from God. But, instead, they will die in their sins because they will not die to their sins (Gal. 5:16-21; Eph. 5:3-6; Gal. 6:7-8; Rom. 2:6-8; Rom. 8:1-17).

And, therefore, these persecutors of Christ’s true followers may well be many who profess faith in Jesus Christ, and perhaps even those who once walked by faith in Christ, but who then drifted away. They may even be pastors of churches, or church elders or deacons, or Bible teachers, etc.

For, many who profess faith in Jesus Christ have gone the way of the world and of business marketing schemes, and thus they are following man-made religion rather than God, and they are persecuting true Christ followers.

So, this is an encouragement to those who truly are walking by faith in Jesus Christ, who are holding fast to the testimony of Christ. God is with us, and he is our refuge, and he is our strength to help us through anything that our opposition might throw at us. And, he will see us through to the very end, and then he will take us home to be with him forever.

And, it is a warning to those who would oppose the Lord’s true servants and messengers, i.e. his righteous ones, that if they mess with the Lord’s saints, they are messing with God, for they are opposing God. For, God will judge them for how they treated his holy ones, and for how they treated HIM.

Psalm 14:7 ESV

“Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!

    When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people,

    let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.”

The salvation that we should be looking for from God, though, should not be solely to be rescued from our physical enemies, and it should not be to have him return life to us as normal, either.

For, too much of today’s church has gone the way of the world, and they have become enemies of God in how they treat God, and in how they treat some of those who are following the Lord in all sincerity, too. So, we need to pray for revival!

But, the reality of the situation is that so many who call themselves Christians have been ignoring God for a long while. They have not been listening to what he says unless it agrees with how they want to live their lives. Thus, they are living in sin while claiming God’s grace covers it all, and some of them are actually teaching that God requires no repentance, no obedience, and no submission to him as Lord, but that they can still be assured of heaven for eternity.

The other reality of the situation is, as history has proven, that revival often comes through hard times, and times of persecution of the church. When people close their ears to God, and they continue in their sinful practices, despite his many warnings, and despite his many pleas for them to repent of their sins and to follow him in obedience, then God disciplines them in order to correct them, to prune them, and so they will share in his holiness.

So, if we truly want to see the adulterous and idolatrous church of today revived spiritually, walking with the Lord in obedience to his ways, then we have to be willing to have the Lord do what is necessary to bring his wandering church to her knees in humility and in repentance and in obedience to his commands.

And, we shouldn’t be looking to have our physical fortunes restored, but the fortune we should be looking to have restored is in human lives surrendered to Jesus Christ, following him in his ways, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with the world around them so that many can be saved before our Lord returns.

We should be seeking things above and not things on this earth, in other words. We should have our minds set on God’s eternal kingdom, rather than having our thoughts focused on the kingdoms of men on this earth. And, don’t look to humans to save us out of the situation we are in, either. Look to God to deliver people from their slavery to sin so that they can spend eternity with God in heaven. And, put this global crisis in God’s hands.

And, if you have a lot more free time on your hands because of this current global crisis, then pray and ask the Lord how He wants you to spend that time, and be talking with people about Jesus Christ, and share his gospel with others, and demonstrate the love of God by how you live your lives for the glory and praise of God. For, this is why we are here, isn’t it?

O Could I Speak the Matchless Worth

Author: Samuel Medley (1789)

Tune: ARIEL

O could I speak the matchless worth,

O could I sound the glories forth

Which in my Savior shine,

I'd soar, and touch the heav'nly strings,

and vie with Gabriel while he sings

in notes almost divine,

in notes almost divine.

I'd sing the precious blood he spilt,

my ransom from the dreadful guilt

of sin, and wrath divine:

I'd sing his glorious righteousness,

in which all perfect, heav'nly dress

my soul shall ever shine,

my soul shall ever shine.

I'd sing the characters he bears,

and all the forms of love he wears,

exalted on his throne:

in loftiest songs of sweetest praise,

I would to everlasting days

make all his glories known,

make all his glories known.

Well, the delightful day will come

when my dear Lord will bring me home,

and I shall see his face;

then with my Savior, Brother, Friend,

a blest eternity I'll spend,

triumphant in his grace,

triumphant in his grace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0Rd-873CY4

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For He Freed You

Isaiah 53:1-3 ESV

“Who has believed what he has heard from us?

    And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For he grew up before him like a young plant,

    and like a root out of dry ground;

he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,

    and no beauty that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by men,

    a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

and as one from whom men hide their faces

    he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

That’s an interesting question, in light of where we are today as the church, as nations, and as the world. Who has believed what he has heard from us regarding Jesus Christ and his plan of salvation for our lives? And, who has believed the lies, instead? Who is listening to and is heeding the true gospel? And, who is following after a man-made gospel which appeases the flesh?

For, the way Jesus is being taught by so many these days, it makes you wonder why in the world the religious leaders put him to death on a cross. For, Jesus is painted as a good deed doer who just went around saying nice things to people to “bless” them, i.e. to make them feel good about themselves right where they are, no matter where they are.

How do I know this? Listen to what so many of these preachers are teaching their people. They are teaching them to “stay in your own lane,” and to not make anyone feel “uncomfortable,” and to not “offend” people with the gospel, but to just “be the gospel” by doing nice things for people. They are teaching them that they should not “preach” to people but to just be nice to people, and that people will see Jesus in them.

But, being “nice” often means lying to people, and it means telling them things they want to hear but that are not the truth. It means comforting them and consoling them in their sinful addictions rather than to urge them strongly to cast off those sinful practices so that they can now follow Jesus in obedience to his commands. And, it means just being “good deed doers,” which may also include much worldliness and sensuality, too.

So, let’s take a look at who Jesus was (and is), in truth. He wasn’t this “nice” guy who made everyone like him, and who shied away from confrontation so as not to offend anyone. He was despised. He was rejected. People hid their faces from him. They did not esteem him. He wasn’t voted most popular. Yes, he had crowds follow after him, because he fed their bellies, and because he performed miracles, but when “push came to shove,” most abandoned him, for they said his teaching was “too hard” (Jn. 6:35-66).

And, when the religious leaders called for Jesus to be crucified, the crowds joined in in calling for him to be crucified, too: “Crucify Him!” they shouted.

Isaiah 53:4-6 ESV

“Surely he has borne our griefs

    and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

    smitten by God, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions;

    he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

    and with his wounds we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray;

    we have turned—every one—to his own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

    the iniquity of us all.”

Jesus Christ was put to death on that cross because he wasn’t a “team player.” He didn’t follow the crowd. He didn’t abide by all the man-made rules of man-made religion, either. He didn’t say all the right things to all the right people. He spoke the truth, in love. And, the truth wasn’t this “mushy-gushy” “feel-good” stuff, either. It was hard truths. And, the religious leaders didn’t like his truths (such as what he said in Luke 9:23-26).

And, the vast majority of our religious leaders today don’t like those hard truths, either. In fact, I had one pastor tell me, regarding his training for becoming a “church planter”: “I was warned about people like you” (like me) – “people with strong convictions.” And, I did nothing to deserve that. I did and said nothing that was out of line. I was totally in subjection to the leadership, and I was very encouraging to them, in fact.

Yet, he invited me to leave and to go someplace else where I would be a “better fit.” And, he even offered to help me find someplace else, which was an action not particular to just him. For, this type of thing was and/or is being encouraged far and wide. For, they want “sheep” they can conform to the marketing goals and schemes of the market-driven church of today.

But, back to Jesus, whom we represent, as his followers, he wasn’t killed for being a “nice guy.” He was killed because he did the will of God the Father, he fulfilled the prophecies concerning himself, and he did what he was destined to do, as well as he spoke the truth regarding who he was.

He confronted sin in sinful humans, he warned of divine judgment, and he called for repentance and obedience to his commands. And, he promised salvation from slavery to sin and eternal life with God to the penitent and to the obedient (See Isaiah 61:1-3; Lu. 9:23-26; Jn. 6:35-66; Jn. 10:27-30).

Yet, it was God’s will that he should suffer in this way. For, in his death on the cross he bought us back for God that we might become the righteousness of God, and that we might now honor God with our lives. For, he died that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness, and that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us (1 Pet. 2:24; 1 Co. 6:20; 2 Co. 5:15, 21).

Isaiah 53:7-9 ESV

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,

    yet he opened not his mouth;

like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,

    and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,

    so he opened not his mouth.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away;

    and as for his generation, who considered

that he was cut off out of the land of the living,

    stricken for the transgression of my people?

And they made his grave with the wicked

    and with a rich man in his death,

although he had done no violence,

    and there was no deceit in his mouth.”

Because Jesus did the will of God the Father, he was oppressed and he was afflicted. They falsely arrested him, charged him with crimes he did not commit, twisted his words, beat him until he was barely recognizable, made him carry his own cross, and then hung him on it to the point of death.

This passage in Isaiah says he did not open his mouth. It is true that there were times during his arrest, mock trial, and crucifixion when he remained silent, even when being questioned, but he wasn’t silent through the whole process. He said plenty.

But, the meaning behind this, I believe, is that he did not fight back. He didn’t try to resist the authorities. He didn’t try to get out of it. He submitted himself to death on a cross so that we could be free from slavery to sin and so that we can now walk in his holiness and righteousness in the power of God’s Holy Spirit living within us, who is giving us strength.

Although he had done no wrong, for he was sinless, they treated him as though he was a common criminal. And, although none of us are sinless, as he was, we can live righteously by God’s grace, and thus we may be treated much in the same way as he was. We may end up being hated, despised, rejected, mistreated, and persecuted for righteousness’ sake, like the example I gave to you earlier, although we have done no wrong.

But, because of Jesus’ obedience in going to the cross, and in dying for our sins, and in being resurrected from the grave, we can, in the power of God, die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness. We can be set free from our slavery (addiction, bondage) to sin, and we can live lives which are holy, separate from the world, and pleasing to God (Rom. 6:1-23).

But, just know this: As Jesus was treated, so will we also be treated if we are following him in his ways and in his truth, and if we are shining the light of the gospel to the people of this world so that they can also be saved from their slavery to sin and have eternal life with God.

But, all this is just temporary. One day Jesus will come and he will take us home, and then our trials will be over. Our tears will be wiped from our eyes, and we will rejoice that we are finally home with our Lord. And, what a day that will be when our Jesus we will see face to face. Hallelujah!

Hallelujah  

An Original Work / May 3, 2011

Hallelujah, hallelujah!

He is coming, hallelujah!

He’s our Lord God and we love Him

For He saved us from our sin.

He is with us, hallelujah,

And He loves us, hallelujah!

We adore Him; give our worship

To our Lord God, King of kings.

He’s our Savior, hallelujah!

He provided our redemption;

Paid our ransom; we’re forgiven;

In His death He bore our sin.

He is risen, hallelujah!

Conquered death, hell, sin, in vict’ry;

Sent His Spirit; lives within us;

Cleansed and purified within.

He is coming, hallelujah,

To receive us, hallelujah,

As His pure bride for our wedding

To our Lord God, priest and King!

Live in vict’ry, hallelujah,

For He freed you, hallelujah,

To obey Him; turn from your sin;

Walk in fellowship with Him.

https://vimeo.com/113438723

If Anyone is In Christ

2 Corinthians 5:1-5 ESV

“For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.”

The ”We” in this passage of scripture is referring to all of us who have genuinely trusted Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives. We have died with Christ to sin, we have been regenerated of the Spirit of God, and we are now walking by faith according to the Spirit of God in righteousness and holiness, empowered by the Spirit of God, and not according to the flesh (Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; 1 Jn. 2:3-6).

Even though we are in Christ, by faith in him, and even though his Holy Spirit lives within us, we still live in flesh bodies. We still live in this world, too. So, we are going to get hurt. We are going to suffer. We are going to experience sorrow, pain, disappointment, tragedy, disasters, troubles, hardships, and persecutions, and the like. And, we are going to groan.

Yet, we have the promise that one day, when this life on earth is over, that we will have a home with God for eternity where we will no longer be in pain, and we will no longer suffer, but God will wipe away the tears from our eyes. We won’t be in these flesh bodies, and so we won’t be tempted to sin, either. And, the older that I get, especially, and the more that I go through in this life, the greater my groaning and my longing for my heavenly home.

2 Corinthians 5:6-10 ESV

“So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.”

But, groaning doesn’t mean we go around moaning, grumbling and complaining. On the contrary, we should be at peace, we should have the joy of the Lord in our hearts, and we should always be of good courage no matter what is going on all around us.

And, continually we should be in God’s Word, in prayer, and seeking his counsel and direction. Then we should be following him in his footsteps, being who he wants us to be, going wherever he has us to go, and doing whatever it is that he has for us to do. For, he didn’t put us on this earth just so we could wish we were in heaven, instead. He has something for us while we are still here, so we need to be that and do that.

Our goal in this life should be to please God in every way. Our desire should be for him, to walk in his ways, and to live for his glory and praise. And, please know that God is not pleased with us no matter what we do or no matter how we live, as some people would have you believe. Scripture is real clear on this subject. We must do what pleases him, and we must refrain from doing what displeases him (Rom. 8:8; Col. 1:9-11; Eph. 5:10).

For, we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil (2 Co. 5:10; cf. Gal. 6:7-8; Rom. 2:6-8; Gal. 5:16-21; Eph. 5:3-6).

2 Corinthians 5:11, 14-15 ESV

“Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others… For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”

Do we know the fear of the Lord? Not intellectually, but experientially? Are we living our lives for his honor, glory and praise, in his power and strength within us? Do we revere him, treat him with respect, and walk in obedience to his commands, as a matter of our life course? Do we take his Word to heart? And, do we do what it says, as a matter of practice, and not just when it is convenient for us?

And, then if we do know the fear of the Lord experientially, in practice, do we try to persuade others to also walk in the fear of God? And, I am not talking here about pushing ourselves on others who don’t want to hear what we have to say. But, are we sharing the good news of the gospel regularly and consistently with others? Are we encouraging the body of Christ, too, to walk in faithful obedience to our Lord?

For, the love of Christ should be what controls us, what leads and guides us, and what motivates us to do what we do. And, that love sent Jesus Christ to the cross to die for our sins so that we would no longer live for ourselves, and for our own selfish desires, but so we would live for Christ who gave his life up for us, and who was raised from the dead to give us life in him.

And, that is the kind of love we should have for one another, too, that we would willingly lay down our lives and our reputations to see others be free from their slavery to sin and to walk in the fear of the Lord. We should care more about others and their relationships with God, and about them no longer living for themselves, but for Jesus Christ, than we care about what other people will think of us if we tell them the truth.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 ESV

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

This is the truth that is in Christ Jesus, that we are to put off our old self, which belongs to our former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires. And, we are to be renewed in the spirit of our minds, and we are to put on the new self in Christ Jesus, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:20-24; cf. Rom. 6:1-23; Lu. 9:23-26).

We aren’t supposed to live to satisfy the passions and desires of our flesh any longer, like we did before we believed in Jesus. For, if we are truly “in Christ,” by faith in him, then the old manner of life we once lived is to be gone, dead. And, now we should be new creatures, new creations in Christ Jesus, our Lord, living no longer for ourselves, but for Christ who died for us and who was raised from the dead, on our behalf, that we might live.

And, all this is from God, i.e. we can do nothing in our flesh to earn or to deserve our own salvation. Our good works of our flesh will never be good enough for us to be acceptable to God. Even the faith to believe in Jesus is gifted to us from God, as is repentance, i.e. the ability to turn away from our sin to follow our Lord in obedience.

But, just because Jesus provided the way of salvation for us on the cross, i.e. the way for us to be reconciled to God, it doesn’t mean everyone is reconciled to God. We have to be reconciled to God.

We have to put away that former life of sin. We have to die with Christ to sin, and we have to live to him and to his righteousness, in obedience to his commands. This is what it means to have faith (Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; 1 Jn. 2:3-6; Tit. 2:11-14; Lu. 9:23-26; Jn. 6:35-66; 1 Pet. 2:24).

So, I implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. Don’t put this off until tomorrow. Today is the day of salvation!

O Could I Speak the Matchless Worth

Author: Samuel Medley (1789)

Tune: ARIEL

O could I speak the matchless worth,

O could I sound the glories forth

Which in my Savior shine,

I'd soar, and touch the heav'nly strings,

and vie with Gabriel while he sings

in notes almost divine,

in notes almost divine.

I'd sing the precious blood he spilt,

my ransom from the dreadful guilt

of sin, and wrath divine:

I'd sing his glorious righteousness,

in which all perfect, heav'nly dress

my soul shall ever shine,

my soul shall ever shine.

I'd sing the characters he bears,

and all the forms of love he wears,

exalted on his throne:

in loftiest songs of sweetest praise,

I would to everlasting days

make all his glories known,

make all his glories known.

Well, the delightful day will come

when my dear Lord will bring me home,

and I shall see his face;

then with my Savior, Brother, Friend,

a blest eternity I'll spend,

triumphant in his grace,

triumphant in his grace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0Rd-873CY4

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Pure Hearts and Good Consciences

In 1 Timothy, chapter one, Paul wrote to warn against those who are teaching false doctrine, who are swerving from pure hearts and good consciences and sincere faith, and who have wandered off to vain (empty, useless, and conceited) discussion, lacking in understanding of the truth.

He went on to talk about how the law is good if it is used lawfully, and how it is meant for those who are transgressors of the law, i.e. for the sexually immoral, the murderers, the disobedient, the ungodly, and liars, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the true gospel of Christ.

He then shared some of his own testimony, and then he went on to exclaim that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, including himself.

And, then he gave a charge to Timothy, which can certainly apply to all of us, and that is that we must fight the good fight of faith, holding on to our faith and a good conscience.

And, we must be careful to not swerve from pure hearts, good consciences, and sincere faith. And, we must be cautious that we not wander off to conversation that is empty and useless, lacking in understanding of the truth of the gospel, resulting from listening to liars and deceivers.

1 Timothy 2:1-4 ESV

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Ok, so I shared a summary of chapter one so that we can read chapter two in that context. Thus, our supplications, prayers and intercessions and thanksgivings for all people, and for people in positions of authority over us, must coincide with what was taught in chapter one.

Therefore, our prayers and intercessions must be in accord with sound doctrine, and must come from pure hearts, good consciences, and sincere faith. And, they must be founded in the truth of the gospel and not in vain conversation. As well, they must have as their goal the salvation of human lives for eternity, for this is why Jesus came, to save sinners, not to coddle them in their sins, and not to ignore their sins and their ungodly ways.

For, you see, we are not instructed here to pray just anything for the people of the world or for our leaders. So, if we are aware that people, in general, or those in authority over us are among the ungodly who are living wicked and immoral lives and/or who do not honor God, but who do what is evil in his sight, should we be praying that God will give them guidance and that he will direct their paths?

Think with me just for a moment on this. What if our governments are serving the beast (of Revelation), and thus they are serving Satan and his purposes? Should we pray God’s protection over them and that God will lead them in what to do, as though they are serving God and not the devil?

What should we pray for the ungodly, the wicked and the immoral of this world who serve themselves and the devil? We should be praying for them to come to the knowledge of the truth, that they would be humbled before God in confessing their sins, that they would turn away from their sins, and that they would turn to God to follow our Lord in godliness, and in obedience to his commands. We, thus, should be praying for their salvation from sin.

1 Timothy 2:5-7 ESV

“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.”

For, Jesus Christ (God the Son) is the only way to salvation from sin, to relationship with Almighty God, and to eternal life with God. Only through genuine God-given faith in Jesus Christ can any of us find true hope, true peace, and true deliverance out of our sinful lifestyles, forgiveness of sin, eternal life with God, and the hope of heaven when we leave this earth.

For, Jesus Christ, although he was God, left his throne in heaven, came to earth, took on the form of man, suffered like we suffer, and was persecuted and put to death on a cross although he had done no wrong. But, in his death he took our place so that we could be delivered out of our bondage to sin and so that we could have new lives in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Rom. 6:1-23; Eph. 4:17-24).

In his death and via his resurrection, he conquered sin, death, hell and Satan on our behalf. So, through faith in Jesus Christ we are no longer under the power and control of Satan or sin, we are no longer bound for hell, we are free from our bondage to sin, and we are empowered of the Spirit of God to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to God, and for his glory and praise.

His grace, which brings salvation from sin, though, is not just a free pass to heaven, and it isn’t just an escape from hell. His grace puts sin to death in our lives and it resurrects us to newness of life in Christ Jesus, our Lord. For, it instructs us to say “NO!” to ungodliness and fleshly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s return (Tit. 2:11-14; cf. Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9).

Jesus died on that cross, in fact, in order to buy us back (redeem us) for God so that we would now be God’s possession and so we would now glorify God by our lives (our lifestyles). He died on that cross that we would die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness. And, he died that painful death in order that we might no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave his life up for us (1 Pet. 2:24; 1 Co. 6:20; 2 Co. 5:15, 21).

Jesus died and was resurrected from the dead in order to give us completely new lives in him which are surrendered to him as Lord, which are committed to him and to his service, and which walk in his ways and in his truth.

His goal is that we be in fellowship with him, daily listening to him speak his truths to our hearts, and that daily we are following him in where he leads us. And, this includes daily putting on the armor of God with which to fight off the devil’s evil schemes against us, for he is a liar and a deceiver.

Jesus, though, gave his life up for us that we might have pure hearts, good consciences and sincere faith in him, that we follow sound doctrine, and that we don’t swerve from purity of heart and devotion to him, and that we don’t wander off to following after the empty and vain teachings of men.

And, he set us free from our captivity to sin, so we should no longer be those who practice sexual immorality, gossip, hatred, and lying to cover it all up.

So, we need to be those who have forsaken sinful practices, who are walking in the ways of the Lord, who are living to please God, and who are sharing the truth of the gospel with others, and who are praying for others in order that they, too, may be delivered from their slavery to sin and that they might walk in the Spirit of God in true holiness and godliness. Amen!

All The Way My Savior Leads Me

Lyrics by Frances J Crosby, pub. 1875

Music by Robert Lowry, pub. 1875

All the way my Savior leads me,

What have I to ask beside?

Can I doubt His tender mercy,

Who through life has been my Guide?

Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,

Here by faith in Him to dwell!

For I know, whate’er befall me,

Jesus doeth all things well.

All the way my Savior leads me,

Cheers each winding path I tread,

Gives me grace for every trial,

Feeds me with the living Bread.

Though my weary steps may falter

And my soul athirst may be,

Gushing from the Rock before me,

Lo! A spring of joy I see.

All the way my Savior leads me,

Oh, the fullness of His love!

Perfect rest to me is promised

In my Father’s house above.

When my spirit, clothed immortal,

Wings its flight to realms of day

This my song through endless ages:

Jesus led me all the way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWdmZGik1Jw

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Copyright status is public domain

Take It to Heart

Isaiah 42:18-20 ESV

“Hear, you deaf,

    and look, you blind, that you may see!

Who is blind but my servant,

    or deaf as my messenger whom I send?

Who is blind as my dedicated one,

    or blind as the servant of the Lord?

He sees many things, but does not observe them;

    his ears are open, but he does not hear.”

When we come to faith in Jesus Christ, if it is biblical faith, and not man-made faith, we die with Christ to sin that we might live with Christ to his righteousness. We forsake our former lives of living to sin and to self, and we are transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God away from sinful lifestyles to now walking in obedience and in surrender to our Lord Jesus.

And this faith we now have, which is a gift from God, is a choice to change how we live our lives, from the moment we believe in Jesus to be Lord and Savior of our lives, until the day that we die. For, we realize that faith in Jesus Christ is not a one-time commitment which can easily be dismissed at any time for our convenience, but that it is a walk of faith that lasts forever.

We understand that we aren’t saved just so we can escape hell and so we can go to heaven when we die, but we understand and accept that we are saved so that we might no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave his life up for us, and that this faith we have in Jesus Christ must endure to the very end if we want to have eternal life with God (Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; 1 Jn. 2:3-6; Col. 1:21-23; 1 Co. 15:2).

Blind and Deaf

Nonetheless, not everyone who professed faith in Jesus Christ maintained that belief. Many were persuaded somewhere along the line to take a short-cut, so to speak, and to settle for spiritual mediocrity, laziness, apathy and spiritual stagnancy. They chose an allotment, supposedly from God, but not of God – not his portion assigned to them at all. And, that is where they parked themselves and have remained.

But this portion, this share, supposedly in Christ, that they have chosen for themselves as a short-cut, so that they don’t have to walk the walk of faith for a lifetime, has placed them half-way between biblical (conservative) Christianity and Unitarian Universalism (1), i.e. a one-world all-inclusive religion which is of Satan, not of God.

And, that is because they have partnered with the world in cutting short the gospel of our salvation to where it can include anyone of any religion, for it requires no real allegiance to God at all, but it uses God merely as a stepstool to gain heaven, or so they think.

For, by cutting the gospel short, many have opened the way to heaven to all by making it so broad that anyone can enter with no real commitment to God at all. For, all they have to do is accept God’s grace and they are told that they are now part of God’s family and that heaven is their eternal destiny. No repentance, no obedience and no submission to God/Christ required at all. Just acknowledge God’s grace and you are in, set to go.

Not all have taken it to that extreme, though, but many have. For, when they make the gospel of our salvation merely an escape from hell and the promise of heaven when we die, but obedience to Christ and repenting of sin are either discouraged, ignored or made optional, then all one has to do is acknowledge Christ for what he did, and they are told heaven is their eternal destiny and that it can’t be taken away from them no matter how much they sin.

So, it is free license, not only to continue in willful, habitual and premeditated sin against God, but it is free license to ignore God, too. It is free license to refuse to hear God and the teachings of His Word, for they now have their “free pass” and they think their sins no longer matter.

Isaiah 42:21-23 ESV

“The Lord was pleased, for his righteousness' sake,

    to magnify his law and make it glorious.

But this is a people plundered and looted;

    they are all of them trapped in holes

    and hidden in prisons;

they have become plunder with none to rescue,

    spoil with none to say, “Restore!”

Who among you will give ear to this,

    will attend and listen for the time to come?”

But, the Lord warned the church in scripture against spiritual apathy, spiritual lukewarmness, and thinking that they can play church, and play religion, thinking they can still continue in their sinful practices unhindered. The Lord even used the example of the Israelites in the wilderness and how many of them God cut off and they were not able to enter into his rest because of unbelief, which was due to their disobedience to God.

He warned his church that they must repent of their sins or face judgment, and he warned them, too, that if they continued on a sinful course, and if they did not acknowledge him and obey him that they were in danger of dying and going to hell and of not having eternal life with God (Gal. 5:16-21; Gal. 6:7-8; Eph. 5:3-6; Rom. 2:6-8; Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 2:3-6).

And, he has been sending messengers to his church here in America for at least 70 to 80 years, confronting them with their sins of idolatry and spiritual adultery, warning of divine judgment, calling them to repentance, and promising restoration for the repentant and the obedient.

But, the vast majority of the American church appears to have continued on their short-cut rather than to surrender their all to Jesus Christ and to make him truly Lord of their lives. And, so God has sent multiple judgments upon the church in America, over the years, but many of those did not shake the church out of their apathy, and so they continued on their own course.

And, so now the adulterous and idolatrous church in America, and perhaps throughout the world, is facing more of God’s divine judgment with this pandemic which is resulting in loss of jobs, loss of incomes, the shutting down of our society, closing of stores, restrictions regarding being with other people, and the closing of church doors (forbidding us to gather together), etc. But, we are all impacted by it, just like Jeremiah shared in the punishment of his rebellious people, even though he was righteous.

Isaiah 42:24-25 ESV

“Who gave up Jacob to the looter,

    and Israel to the plunderers?

Was it not the Lord, against whom we have sinned,

    in whose ways they would not walk,

    and whose law they would not obey?

So he poured on him the heat of his anger

    and the might of battle;

it set him on fire all around, but he did not understand;

    it burned him up, but he did not take it to heart.”

So, we are now surrounded by the New World Order, and we are being conquered, I believe, for this is all part of the rise of the beast, and this is all part of the fulfilling of the agenda of a conglomerate of the wealthy and powerful of the world whose agenda it is to conquer us all. And, we are being brought down one piece and one step at a time. And, this is because the vast majority of the church, at least here in America, has gone the way of the world and they have refused to listen to God.

But, I have this sense that the majority of the church here in America still doesn’t get it. They still don’t understand what is going on and why it is happening. And, I feel as though they assume that this will all just blow over and then we can resume life as normal.

But, if normal is spiritual laziness and stagnancy, and if it is quenching the Spirit of God, and if it is following after man-made religion, and giving God a passing “hi” while we continue on a sinful course or on a self-absorbed and self-gratifying walk of life, then is normal a good thing? NO! It isn’t!!

So, we shouldn’t want to return to normal. We should not be ok with spiritual stagnancy, like the church in Laodicea. We should not be giving people “high fives” while they continue in sinful practices, and while we refuse to speak the truth to them in love for fear that they will reject us and that they will call us out as “odd.” But, it is ok to be odd. Jesus was!

I do believe there are Christians who are taking notice, and that their lives are changing for the better, because they are taking this time to take stock in how they have been living their lives, and so they are now having closer walks with the Lord because of this trial we are all going through. So, this has been a very good thing for the church.

But, many are still not taking this to heart. They are not seeing this for what it is, and they are not being moved to change their hearts or their lifestyles, for I believe they are convinced that soon they will return to normal and that everything will be as it was before, with some minor adjustments.

But, God is calling his church back to him, to make him truly Lord of their lives. So, please listen to what he is saying to the churches.

Nearer, Still Nearer

Lyrics and Music by Lelia N. Morris, pub. 1898

Nearer, still nearer, close to Thy heart,

Draw me, my Savior—so precious Thou art!

Fold me, oh, fold me close to Thy breast;

Shelter me safe in that “haven of rest.”

Nearer, still nearer, nothing I bring,

Naught as an off’ring to Jesus, my King;

Only my sinful, now contrite heart,

Grant me the cleansing Thy blood doth impart.

Nearer, still nearer, Lord, to be Thine!

Sin, with its follies, I gladly resign,

All of its pleasures, pomp and its pride,

Give me but Jesus, my Lord crucified.

Nearer, still nearer, while life shall last,

Till safe in glory my anchor is cast;

Through endless ages ever to be

Nearer, my Savior, still nearer to Thee!

Copyright status is public domain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5DLDBIo22s

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(1)       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitarian_Universalism

My Refuge is God

Psalm 62:1-2 ESV

“For God alone my soul waits in silence;

    from him comes my salvation.

He alone is my rock and my salvation,

    my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.”

Do you read the news each day? Do you watch it on TV? Or, do you watch YouTube videos on the crisis? Do you get on social media, too, and read up about what is going on in the world? Or, what they want you to believe is going on in the world? Or, what the general populace’s opinions are supposedly about, regarding what they think is going on in the world?

As a side note: We need to know that there is a difference sometimes or oftentimes between reality and what is being reported. Pray and ask the Lord about that one, please!

It is not only depressing to read or to watch the whole saga of what is going on, or what is being purported as going on, but it can be very confusing, too, as the stories keep changing. And, it feels sometimes like a game of table tennis with the ball continually being hit back and forth from side to side.

If we allow ourselves to get caught up in all the upheaval and all the emotionalism of the situation from day to day, it can play havoc with our minds, with our faith, and with our emotional stability, too. For, some days it seems like what is being reported is “all over the map.”

So, what do we do? How are we to respond? Should we read every article and every opinion on the situation at hand? Or should we watch TV news incessantly, afraid that if we don’t that we might miss something important? And, should we believe everything we see or hear in the news no matter who says it? Or, should we give our total loyalty to what appears to be one side of the situation or the other?

I believe we have our answer to those questions right here in this psalm. Our God and Savior Jesus Christ is our only salvation in times like these, or any time. He alone is the Rock on which we are to place our trust and our dependence. He alone is to be our strength and our support, not the government or the news media or the wealthy and powerful or even some pastors, all of whom could very well be lying to us and deceiving us.

Psalm 62:3-4 ESV

“How long will all of you attack a man

    to batter him,

    like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?

They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.

    They take pleasure in falsehood.

They bless with their mouths,

    but inwardly they curse. Selah”

We are not to place our trust in human beings, making the assumption that they are all telling us the truth of the matter.

For, if we believe the scriptures, and if we believe prophecy of scripture, we have to know that we have an enemy out there who is out to get us any which way that he can. And, we have to know that he has people working for him who are antichrist and whose goal it is to destroy us, not to help us.

And, we have to believe that a beast is on the rise and that he/it is conquering nations and peoples, and its goal is to bring us all into a one world order and a one world religion.

And, if we believe that, we have to acknowledge that there are liars and deceivers within our governments, within the news media, and among people in positions of wealth and power in the world, and even among the leadership in some of our churches.

So, we should not be so naïve as to believe whatever we hear or we think we see, for anything can be faked these days. Deception abounds!

Actors abound, too, whose goal it is to deceive us into believing their lies. So, we need to take what we hear in the news, or coming from the mouths of politicians, and even from pastors, “with a grain of salt.” We need to be discerning people, in other words, by taking it all to the Lord in prayer.

Psalm 62:5-8 ESV

“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,

    for my hope is from him.

He only is my rock and my salvation,

    my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

On God rests my salvation and my glory;

    my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

“Trust in him at all times, O people;

    pour out your heart before him;

    God is a refuge for us. Selah”

Bottom line in all of this? We need to make God our trust and our refuge, not other human beings. And, we need to rest in the Lord through all of this upheaval, no matter the outcome. And, we need to not let other humans get us in a tizzy over what may be true, or over what may be a lie disguised as truth, but which is in order to accomplish an agenda for world domination.

We need to be reasonable in the amount of information that we take into our minds and hearts, and we should not confine our information to all one source. And, then we need to take what information we are receiving to the Lord in prayer, seeking his guidance and counsel so that we don’t end up following after lies thinking we are believing the truth.

We also need to find our hope only in the Lord, not in the promises of politicians, and not in the promise of a stimulus check, or in their remedies to what appears to be a global crisis. We need to not put our hope and trust in modern medicine, either, especially if we believe the scriptures with regard to our enemy who is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

I am not saying that we should regard everything as a lie that doesn’t come straight from the Bible, but that we need to be realistic, that we need to live what we say we believe, and that we need to exercise much spiritual discernment in these matters so that we are not caught in the enemy’s trap.

Discerning Spirits

So, rather than just believing whatever you read or hear, pray for a discerning spirit to know what is true and what is false, for much deception is out there. And, it comes in all different shapes, sizes and colors, too.

But, if you want discernment in these matters, then you also need to be walking with the Lord in his righteousness, and you need to not be giving the devil a foothold in your life, or you are not going to be discerning.

Then, put your total trust in the Lord. Spend much time with him in his word and in prayer. Listen to what he says, and then make it your practice to do what he says to do. Ask for his guidance and counsel, and then be willing to hear whatever it is he wants to say to you. But, test what you hear against the scriptures, in context, to make certain it is the Lord you are hearing.

Make the Lord your fortress and your refuge and not human beings or institutions of men. If you do make the Lord your trust, then when trials come, or when things get much worse, you will not be shaken because you have built your house on the Rock, which is Christ, and not on sinking sand.

In the Garden

Lyrics and Music by Charles A. Miles, 1913

I come to the garden alone,

While the dew is still on the roses,

And the voice I hear falling on my ear

The Son of God discloses.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice

Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,

And the melody that He gave to me

Within my heart is ringing.

I’d stay in the garden with Him,

Though the night around me be falling,

But He bids me go; through the voice of woe

His voice to me is calling.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,

And He tells me I am His own;

And the joy we share as we tarry there,

None other has ever known.

Copyright status is public domain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv6q6ZZLHw0

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