Get Rid of the Cockroaches

Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

From what I understand, this “great cloud of witnesses” is in reference to what was shared in the previous chapter, chapter 11, which is commonly referred to as the “faith chapter” of the Bible. For it lists for us many different people who all walked by faith in God – Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit. And about most of them it says that by faith they did what God directed them to do, showing that their faith was genuine faith.

So, we have them as examples, though not entirely perfect, of what it means to walk by faith. Therefore we are being strongly urged here that we need to get rid of everything in our lives which is weighing us down and which is leading us into sin. We need to get rid of all hindrances to our walks of faith… and just as I was saying this in the video, a cockroach started crawling across my floor.

I didn’t want to stop the video, and I felt the Lord had that cockroach there as an example, so I went with that and I shared this, basically: 

A cockroach represents someone is morally unclean, a deceiver, a manipulator, an opportunist, someone who is opposite of good, who tells lies, who is not trustworthy, who is egocentric, who is a fake and who fakes his Christianity. A person or a member of a group of people regarded as undesirable and rapidly procreating (breeding, multiplying).

So, the Lord had me share that we need to get rid of these cockroaches out of our lives which are the lies and the manipulations of truth, and they are the liars and deceivers who are telling the lies, too. We need to stop listening to those who are telling us lies and who might be leading us astray to a false gospel, and we need to find preachers and teachers of the Word who are teaching us the full gospel message.

And what is that full gospel message? In summary, certainly it is that the only begotten Son of God Jesus Christ, who is himself God, died on a cross in order that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He died to free us from our enslavement to sin so that we will now be slaves of God and of his righteousness. But now we must die daily to sin and walk in holiness and in obedience to our Lord, in the power of God, and no longer in sin. 

And if we walk in obedience to our Lord, and not in sin, and we live holy and godly lives, pleasing to him, we have the hope of salvation from sin and of eternal life with God in heaven. And we have the Spirit of God living within us leading and guiding us in the ways of God. But if sin is what we practice, and if righteousness and obedience to God are not what we practice, we will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what our lips have professed.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

And if that is not what you are being taught, then you aren’t being taught the full gospel, the whole counsel of God. And chances are good that you might be listening to some of these “cockroaches” who are lying to and who are deceiving the people with their “feel-good” messages and with their watered-down gospel messages intended to tickle itching ears and to appease human flesh and to not offend the ungodly of this world.

For the gospel of Christ teaches us that we must get rid of all hindrances to our walks of faith and every sin which clings so closely so that we can run with perseverance the race God has marked out for us to run. And that race is the Christian life and practice, and that includes self-denial and dying to sin daily and walking in obedience to our Lord in living holy lives, pleasing to him, in the power of God, and not of our own doing (not of our flesh).

And our eyes and our minds and ears need to stay focused on Jesus Christ and on his word, and we need to be walking in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, for that is included in us “looking to Jesus.” And we need to endure the cross by dying daily to sin and to self and by walking in obedience to our Lord, even when obedience to God will get us hated, rejected, mocked, laughed at, and falsely accused of wrongdoing.

Video Talk

https://youtu.be/labKdD4_E0Q

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I Will Lift My Eyes  

An Original Work / December 12, 2012

Based off Psalms 121-125

I will lift my eyes to my Lord Most High.

My help comes from Him, who saved me from sin.

He will not let your foot slip, and He who watches will not sleep.

Our Lord watches over you, and your life He will keep.

I will lift my eyes to my Lord Most High.

My help comes from Him, who saved me from sin.

I give thanks to Him.

I will lift my eyes to my God in heav’n.

I look to the Lord. My sins, He’s forgiv’n. 

Because of His great love for us, He made us alive with Christ.

Through the kindness of our Savior, He gave us new life.

I will lift my eyes to my God in heav’n.

I look to the Lord. My sins, He’s forgiv’n; 

My home, now in heav’n. 

Praise be to the Lord, who is on our side.

Our help found in Him. He gives peace within.

Those who trust will ne’er be shaken. God will supply all we need.

Our Lord has done great things for us. He’s our friend, indeed!

Praise be to the Lord, who is on our side.

Our help found in Him. He gives peace within.

I can count on Him.

https://vimeo.com/379508241