Fallen is Babylon the Great

“After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. And he called out with a mighty voice,

“’Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!

    She has become a dwelling place for demons,

a haunt for every unclean spirit,

    a haunt for every unclean bird,

    a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.

For all nations have drunk

    the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality,

and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her,

    and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.’

“Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,

‘Come out of her, my people,

    lest you take part in her sins,

lest you share in her plagues;

for her sins are heaped high as heaven,

    and God has remembered her iniquities.

Pay her back as she herself has paid back others,

    and repay her double for her deeds;

    mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed.

As she glorified herself and lived in luxury,

    so give her a like measure of torment and mourning,

since in her heart she says,

    ‘I sit as a queen,

I am no widow,

    and mourning I shall never see.’

For this reason her plagues will come in a single day,

    death and mourning and famine,

and she will be burned up with fire;

    for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.’

“And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say,

“’Alas! Alas! You great city,

    you mighty city, Babylon!

For in a single hour your judgment has come.’” (Revelation 18:1-10 ESV)

I live in the United States of America. Beginning in 2004 the Lord Jesus began opening up my eyes to see who my nation really is and the kinds of things that they were and are still doing across the globe in many other nations, and for a very long time. And he had me write down what he was showing and teaching me, and he had me put these writings on the internet. There are about 1000 writings on this subject alone, I believe. 

And what the Lord has shown me about my nation has been solidified and verified by many sources over the past 20 years, and when I was not even looking for verification. And a lot of this is public information, but it has largely been identified as “conspiracy theories,” which is anything that is said or written which expresses anything contrary to the official narrative being shared by the US government and via the government controlled media.

A few years ago I was posting these writings on a different Christian website than what I post on now, and two ladies approached me and told me, not so kindly, that “Everyone knows that,” as though what I was sharing was generally accepted and out in the public knowledge. I was very surprised at their response, and so I responded back to them, “Not in my world. They don’t.” For not many people I know are seeing what is really going on in the world.

Now it would take a very long time to explain all that the Lord has shown me on this subject over the past 20 years, and which has been verified multiple times, over many years, so I am going to attempt to simplify this as much as possible, but this is my understanding of what the Lord has opened my eyes to see and of what I have read and listened to by other sources in the know because some of them have personally witnessed what is going on.

Basically I have come to believe that the USA is this mystery Babylon. From what I know and understand of my nation’s dealings and activities in the other nations around the world, and within my own nation, there is no other nation on the face of this earth with the power, control, and influence that the USA has presently, has had, and possibly still will have for a limited time before God visits her in judgment, which I believe is not far off in the future.

If you look at our national seal and the symbolism in there, and if you look at the history of our nation and all the wars they have been engaged in, and if you look at the buildings and statues in Washington, D.C., our nation’s capital, and if you look at what other religions were foundational to the beginning of our nation (other than Christianity), I believe you will see that the USA was founded on much idolatry, false gods, and a hidden purpose.

And I believe that the purpose was to use the USA to bring about the order of the beast (the New World Order). So I believe that the USA is the harlot who rides the beast and who is hated by the other nations who will bring her to ruin one day, which could be not that far off. For the de facto government of the USA is not the puppets we have seen “leading” our nation all these years, but it is a shadow government of the elite, wealthy, and powerful people of the world, which is now out in the open, no longer hidden.

Please ask the Lord to show you who this beast is, for he isn’t just one person. He is a conglomerate of many people – kings, queens, heads of state, CEOs of corporations, the wealthy elite, the Trilateral Commission, the Council on Foreign Relations, NATO, the UN, the IMF, the World Bank, the Federal Reserve, the entertainment industry, the media, the institutional church, the Jewish nation, and the US government, and so much more.

And with regard to the harlot (Babylon), I believe that as far as a physical location is concerned that she is the USA, mainly the government, but also the entertainment industry, and the media, and the institutional market-driven worldly church (businesses), and the pharmaceutical industry, and many corporations and CEOs of corporations who are also part of the beast. But this isn’t just physical, but it is spiritual in nature, but not of God.

So this Babylon is largely the worldly church which is in bed with the government and with the world (the lust of the eyes, the lusts of the flesh, and the pride of life), and that is why we who believe in Jesus are being encouraged to come out from among her so that we do not share in her sins and in her punishment. We are not to unequally yoke together with the ungodly, and yet that is what these market-driven churches have done.

But this engages us coming out from all that is of the flesh and of the world and that is corrupt and of ungodly influences in our lives. For this is about demons and unclean spirits and sexual immorality (which is running rampant in today’s church in America). And this is about idolatry and us making other humans or nations the idols we worship instead of us worshiping God alone with our lives. We are to forsake all idols and worship God/Christ alone.

And we are not to turn God’s house, his church, his body (the body of Christ, the body of believers in Christ) into a marketplace to be marketed to the people of the world, although that is mostly what these institutional churches in America have done these days. For they have altered the message of the gospel and the character of God/Christ and his church in order to attract the world to their gatherings, so as not to offend them.

And that is not biblical Christianity! That is compromise with the world, and it is part of what Babylon is all about. And this has brought about the spreading of sexual immorality within the gatherings of these “churches” (businesses), because most of them are not teaching the necessity of self-denial, dying to sin daily, and walking (in conduct) in obedience to our Lord and in surrender to his will for our lives. They leave the door wide open to keep sinning while claiming salvation from sin and eternal life with God.

But it isn’t just the spiritual condition of the church at stake here, but it is the things that our government has been doing to people in other nations, and to their nations, over so many years, which is absolutely criminal, utterly cruel, and absolutely obscene and corrupt. For their actions in all these other nations has had as its purpose to bring about this rule of the beast and to bring all people in the world in submission to this beast.

So, the Lord is calling for his people to come out from underneath the influence of the world, of worldly governments (in this case the USA), and of all that is idolatrous and adulterous and that is contrary to God’s will and purpose for our lives. We are not to turn the body of Christ into a marketplace to be marketed to the world, and we are not to partner with the ungodly in their ungodly deeds, but we are to worship God and God alone.

Please take what I have shared here to God in prayer. 

[Matthew 21:12-13; John 2:13-17; Acts 5:27-32; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Philippians 3:18-19; Revelation 13:5-8; Revelation 18:1-5]

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/379406352

The Eyes Have It

The eyes have it, they tell all

Telling you’re about to fall

You can’t hide it, try you may

The eyes have it, they betray

The eyes have it, look so dim

Trying to cover up your sin

They’re revealing, so you know

The eyes have it, lots they show

The eyes have it, look about

Wandering there, they leave no doubt

Filled with lust at every bust

The eyes have it, feel they must

The eyes have it, cover not

Hidden memories, hidden thoughts

Eyes that wander very clear

The eyes have it, sin is near

An Original Work / November 23, 2020

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!” Matt 6:22-23 ESV

In the Meekness of Wisdom

“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” (James 3:13-18 ESV)

Our conduct is not only critical to our relationships with God/Christ, and with other humans, but it is critical to our salvation from sin and to eternal life with God. So many people are teaching that our conduct does not matter, and that works are not required of us, but that is a lie. So many people are believing that they can be saved from their sins, be on their way to heaven, be assured that nothing can take that away from them, but regardless of how they live. And that just is not true! (Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23; Galatians 5:16-21; Galatians 6:7-8).

So many people quote Ephesians 2:8-9, and they use that to say that works are not required of us, but they leave out verse 10 which says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” And this goes right along with Titus 2:14 which says that Jesus Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”

And we read in 1 Peter 1:14-15, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.” And in 1 Peter 2:12 it says, “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.” And to be holy is to be separate (unlike, different) from the world because God is conforming us to the likeness of character of Jesus Christ.

But there are those among us who profess faith in Jesus Christ who believe nothing is required of them – no repentance, no forsaking of their sins, no submission to Christ as Lord, no living holy and righteous lives, pleasing to God, and no obedience to our Lord and to his commands under the New Covenant. So, out of pure selfishness and pride, they continue in deliberate and habitual and premeditated sin against God and against their fellow humans. And even spouses are sinning sexually against their spouses.

But where does this all come from? It comes from what is stored up in their hearts. Many of them have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition and unforgiveness and hate and pride and the lusts of the flesh all stored up in their hearts, and so this is what is coming out in their behaviors. And many of them refuse to deal with what is in their hearts, and so they continue in those same sinful patterns of behavior deliberately and habitually, hurting those they claim to love. And this is of Satan, not of God.

But we who are of genuine faith in Jesus Christ, who have been crucified with Christ in death to sin, who were raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer living as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness, we should not be holding on to such bitterness and unforgiveness and hate and pride and the lusts of the flesh, etc. But we should be those who forgive others, who refuse pride, who say “No!” to the lusts of the flesh, and who say “Yes!” to God and to his will.

But in our endeavors to live peaceably with other humans, and to show them gentleness, mercy, impartiality, sincerity, and good fruits, we should never compromise truth and righteousness nor the truth of the gospel in order to not offend others. For making peace with others should never involve compromise in essential areas such as holiness and godliness and moral purity and the truth, etc. But we can make compromises in non-essentials, in things that are not critical to our salvation and to eternal life with God.

In the Meekness of Wisdom

Video Talk

September 16, 2023

https://youtu.be/ZA92do19Dm8

Caution: This link may contain ads

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

Caution: This link may contain ads

Why Do I Do What I Do?

Why do I do what I do each day?

Why do I trust God and to Him pray?

Why do I give my life up to Him?

Why do I live for Him, not for a whim?

I have learned many things in my life.

Some things I learned from Him, learned in strife.

Empty, hurting I was, needed Him.

Needed the light of truth, not what’s dim.

Needed a fortitude, strength within.

Needed my sins forgiv’n, life in Him.

Needed a purpose, a plan for life.

Needed lies not believe that are rife.

In Christ I found what my life’s all about.

My faith increased in Him, not with a doubt.

Living for Him I now do ev’ry day,

Doing what He says to do and to say.

I find fulfillment in my life in Him.

And that is not going out on a limb.

For I do not operate now in myself.

In Christ, I find in Him, all of my wealth.

An Original Work / December 30, 2023

Things to Think About

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9 ESV)

The first thing that came to mind when I read this is that not everything that is true are things we should be focusing our minds on. A lot of bad things are true, but our minds are not to be set on what is bad and what is evil and what is not of God. But our minds are to be set on what is of God and what is holy and righteous and godly and morally pure, etc. So, the truth that we are to be focused on is what is of God and what is wholesome and good.

And what is honorable is what is moral, decent, proper, upright, good, fair, righteous, admirable, praiseworthy, and respectable in the sight of God, and not necessarily in the eyes of human beings. For this is the opposite of what is dishonorable, which is what is vile, sleazy, despicable, contemptable, evil, depraved, improper, corrupt, immoral, and dishonest. So our minds are to be set on what is honorable, not on what is dishonorable and sleazy.

Whatever is just is what is fair, impartial, objective, correct, moral, ethical, good, appropriate, proper, reasonable, sensible, honest and honorable, etc. – all in the sight of God and not according to the reasoning of human beings. And whatever is pure is all that is unblemished and unadulterated by the world and by sin and its trappings and desires. For pure is what is wholesome, clean and spiritually and mentally healthy in the eyes of God.

And whatever is commendable must be measured by the word of God and not by the thinking and reasoning and values of human beings. It must be what God regards as praiseworthy, worthy of him, admirable, and laudable in the eyes of God and according to the teachings of the Scriptures. And excellence must also be measured by God and by his word and not by humans. For the flesh of man doesn’t regard excellence (quality, merit, distinction) in the same ways in which God does.

So, what all this really comes down to is thinking like God thinks, with his mindset and with his values, and with his purpose and reasoning, etc. We need to have the mind of Christ and not minds which are clouded and cluttered with the thinking, values, and reasoning of human flesh. So we must feed our minds on the things of God and not on the things of the flesh and not on the values and thinking of this sinful world.

And then Paul said that what we have learned and received and heard and seen in him, these are what we are to put into practice in our lives, and the God of peace will be with us. And please don’t measure Paul’s life by what he said in Romans 7, which is often misconstrued and thus used by people to excuse away their sinful lifestyles. Read Romans 7 in the context of Romans 6 and Romans 8 and in the context of all of Paul’s writings.

For Paul led an exemplary life to the point to where he could encourage others to follow his example. He had not reached absolute perfection, for none of us will be absolutely perfect (complete in Christ) until Christ returns and he takes his faithful ones to be with him for eternity. For that is when our salvation will be complete, and not until then. For all of us who are of genuine faith in Jesus Christ are in the process of being saved and sanctified and purified and made holy in the sight of God, by the grace of God.

But Paul lived a holy life free from the control of sin over his life. So when he taught that we must die to sin and live to righteousness, and that we must no longer walk in sin or we will not inherit eternal life with God, he modeled what he taught with regard to how we are to live as followers of Jesus Christ. For we are to be those who are walking in obedience to our Lord, and not in sin, who are living holy lives to the glory of God, by the grace of God.

[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] 

Things to Think About

Video Talk

September 12, 2023

https://youtu.be/XTBai1Y6Z34 

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When I Go Home

By G. M. Eldridge

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes…” Revelation 21:4

In the moment He appears

And the light from heaven shines,

I’ll forget ev’ry fear,

Ev’ry pain I’ll leave behind.

Then I’ll see Him as He is

And I’ll know Him as I’m known.

Ev’ry tear wiped away when I go home.

Ever present is the tho’t 

That a moment waits for me

When unworthy as I am,

His glory I will see.

I will empty all my praise

Before my Father’s throne.

Ev’ry tear wiped away when I go home.

If the trial I endure,

And your presence I can’t find,

Be near me, Lord, I pray,

Bring back unto my mind

That your promises are firm

And I’m never on my own.

Ev’ry tear wiped away when I go home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z98Zvr1CyXg 

Caution: This link may contain ads

Mishmash Squish-Squash

Mishmash, squish-squash,

Dancers dancing, diners posh,

People singing, playing drums,

Words a plenty, others hum.

Tired limbs, feet sore,

Not aware of what’s in store.

Rainbows ending, lies a plenty,

Faith in God, they ain’t got any.

True love forsake,

Trust in God they will not take.

Having fun, so what’s at stake?

Sincerity they truly fake.

Time’s short, don’t snort,

Mocking God is not for sport.

World’s ending, people praying

For their loved ones who are playing.

An Original Work / April 16, 2023

“For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:37-39 ESV).

Do Not Refuse Him

“See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ‘Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’ This phrase, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:25-29 ESV)

The context here is we are being taught that, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are to get rid of every hindrance to our walks of faith in Jesus Christ and every sin which clings so closely, so that we can run with perseverance the race (our walk of faith) that God has set before us, keeping the focus of our minds and hearts set on Jesus Christ. And we are not to be lazy or slothful in our walks of faith and in obedience to our Lord, but we are to make straight (righteous, godly) paths for our feet (our walks of faith in Jesus Christ).

So, we are not to refuse the Lord who is speaking to our hearts and who is counseling us in the ways of righteousness, and who is warning us against paths of sin and slothfulness. We are not to be like the children of Israel of the Old Covenant who wandered in the wilderness for forty years, the majority of whom did not listen to God and to Moses, but they rebelled against the Lord and went their own way, and they indulged in sexual immorality and in idolatry, and they were revelers who put Christ to the test.

And what happened to those who rebelled and who continued in their sinful practices? They died, and they did not get to go into the Promised Land. But worse is that they did not get to enter into God’s eternal rest, so they were not saved from their sins, and they did not have eternal life with God. And these things were written down for us as examples, and for our instruction, so that we do not desire evil as they did and face the same punishment. For if sin is what we practice, and not obedience to God, we will die in our sins.

Hebrews 12:1-24; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13

So, if we ignore the words of the Lord, and if we think that we can live however we want while we go through the motions of religious practice, then we have another thing coming. For he says in Romans 11 that we can be cut off, too, like he cut off all the non-believing Jews who refused Jesus as their Messiah, the Christ. For we are all going to be judged by God on the basis of our deeds. Those for whom sin is their practice, and not righteousness, and not obedience to the Lord, they will not inherit eternal life. And all Jews who do not believe in Jesus will not inherit the promise God made to Abraham.

[Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 9:4-8,25-28; Romans 11:1-36; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:6; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:22; John 8:18-19,38-47; Jude 1:5; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16; Hebrews 8:6-13; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9]

And the Lord will judge his people. And he will shake the earth and the heavens in order to remove the things that have been made in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain, such as genuine walks of obedience to our Lord in holy and righteous living, to the glory and praise of God, in the power of God, by the grace of God. For Jesus died on that cross so that we will die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness, not so that we will go on living in sin while claiming heaven as our eternal destiny. Heaven is not promised to all those who do not obey God.

And so the encouragement here is for all of us who profess the name of Jesus Christ to offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe. And that acceptable worship of God is for us to give our lives to God as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is our acceptable worship of God. And that also includes that we must no longer be conformed to the ways of this sinful world, but we must be transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God so that by how we live our lives we prove what is the acceptable and perfect will of God. Thus, we must no longer walk in sin, for our God is a consuming fire to all who will not obey him.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2]

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/379406352

Bring Them Home

“Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.” (1 Peter 4:1-5 ESV).

This is a very passionate plea to all of you out there who are professing faith in Jesus Christ but who are still deliberately and habitually sinning against the Lord and against other humans, while convinced that you are saved from your sins and on your way to heaven, and that nothing can take that away from you, regardless of how you live. 

Please know that the Scriptures do not teach you can be forgiven all your sins, including future sins, while you go on living in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord and against other humans. For Jesus Christ died on that cross to put our sins to death with him so that by God-given faith in him we can now die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness, in the power of God, by the grace of God (Romans 6:1-23; 1 Peter 2:24).

We are not forgiven our sins so that we can go on sinning without feeling guilt for our sins and while we just “claim who you are in Christ” in order to alleviate that guilt. First of all, you are not even in Christ unless you have been crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. For Jesus said we must deny self, die daily to sin (in essence), and follow him in obedience if we want to have eternal life (Luke 9:23-26).

And second of all, who we are in Christ must be who we really are, in practice, not just because we read these character traits on a list someone gives us. They don’t apply to us unless they truly apply to us, because this is how we are living. For our salvation from sin is not a status that we wear, but it is how we live. We are saved (past), we are being saved (present active), and we will be saved (future) when Jesus returns for his faithful bride, but provided we are putting sin to death and walking in obedience to our Lord in holy living, in practice, unto the very end.

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

For, yes, the time that is past suffices for doing what the ungodly want to do (or are doing), living in sensuality, sexual immorality, sensual passions, the lusts of the flesh, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, lawless idolatry, lying, cheating, stealing, faithlessness and committing adultery, etc. These are to have no part in the life of a follower of Jesus Christ. We are to put all such things out of our lives, by the grace of God, and we should now be walking in moral purity, holiness, honesty, faithfulness and obedience to God. For to this we have been called of God to live holy lives, pleasing him.

Now those who are living in sin, especially who are professing faith in Jesus Christ, may malign those of us who are taking the Scriptures seriously and who are walking in obedience to our Lord, in practice, although not in absolute perfection. For so many today are believing the lies which teach that we can live in sin, but because of God’s grace we can be forgiven it all and have heaven guaranteed us even though that means ignoring our Lord and his commands and not following him in his ways. That’s a lie!

For we are all going to have to give an account to God for what we did in this life in relation to what his word teaches us with regard to how we must live if we are going to be saved from our sins and have eternal life with God. And those who choose to continue in deliberate and habitual sin, and not in walks of faithful obedience to our Lord, in holy living, they will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what their lips professed. But they will die in their sins. So this is my plea to God…

The following song is taken from the musical “Les Misérables,” a play which I don’t recommend because it has some questionable scenes, I believe. But the song is a plea coming from a man who is praying to God and pleading with God to save the life of a young man, even if it means that he, the man himself, must lose his own life. The song is extremely passionate and heart-felt. And if we would translate this into spiritual terms, this is my heart-felt plea for all who do not believe in Jesus, but especially for those who profess his name but who are still living in sin, that the Lord would save their lives from hell and bring them home to God and to heaven for eternity.

Bring Them Home

Video Talk

October 31, 2023

https://youtu.be/ppzcIaUL82g 

Caution: This link may contain ads

Bring Him Home

By Alain Boublil / Claude Michel Schonberg / Herbert Kretzmer

God on high

Hear my prayer

In my need

You have always been there…

He's like the son I might have known

If God had granted me a son…

You can take

You can give

Let him be

Let him live

If I die, let me die

Let him live

Bring him home

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXnRf3TQcpk

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Overconfidence and Denial of Truth

“”A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’

“Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.’ Peter said to him, ‘Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’ Jesus answered, ‘Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.’” (John 13:34-38 ESV)

The love that we are to have for one another is the same love that we are to have for God which is a selfless and self-sacrificial love which prefers to live through Christ, to embrace God’s will, to choose his choices, and to obey them (his commandments) in his power, strength, and wisdom. This love loves others even if we are hated and mistreated in return. It is a love which leads us to lay down our own lives to obey our Lord’s leading in our lives, and which leads us to share the truth of the gospel for the salvation of souls.

So, when we love other people, especially those of the family of God, with this kind of love, we are going to do for and say to them what is for their good and not what is evil, and not what is going to get them to like us at the sacrifice of truth and righteousness. We are going to put their welfare above all consideration of whether or not they are going to like us in return. And we should be setting an example before all people as to what the life of a follower of Christ should look like, and I am still growing in this area.

So, if we who confess Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives are all putting this into practice, what should that look like? For this is not “love” as the world defines love, and it is not saying and doing just what makes other people feel good, and it is certainly not refraining from speaking the truth in love out of fear of being hated, mistreated, and rejected by others. We need to love like Jesus loved us and sacrificed his life for us so that we might die with him to sin and now walk with him in obedience to his commands.

And as fellow believers in Jesus Christ, when we gather together, it should be for our mutual encouragement and exhortation, that we might not fall into the temptation of sinful addiction, that we might not fall prey to people in their deceitful scheming who are telling us lies and who are altering the truth to make it more acceptable to human flesh. We should be helping one another to know and follow the truth of God’s Word and to grow to maturity in our walks of faith in Jesus Christ, living holy lives pleasing to God.

[Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; 1 Corinthians 14:1-5; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Ephesians 5:15-21; Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 2:1-8; Colossians 3:12-16; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; James 5:19-20]

We should be kind and compassionate toward one another, but kindness is not lying to people to make them feel good, especially if they are trapped in sin. And compassion is not being tolerant of deliberate and habitual sin in the lives of those who call themselves followers of Christ but who are ignoring the Lord’s commandments and who are choosing their sin over obedience to God. For we are to speak the truth in love to one another so that none of us is trapped in sin’s deceitfulness and so we follow Jesus.

And then we need to be people of integrity who are, in practice, who we say we are with our lips. None of us should be living hypocritical lives, professing one thing with our lips while we live the opposite. But how we live, i.e. the kind of lives that we live must be according to the teachings of the Scriptures and in accord with the will of God for our lives. And I am not claiming absolute perfection in everything in every area, for I am still clay in the Potter’s hands, but I do know that my life is surrendered to Jesus Christ.

And where Jesus draws the line between those who are of genuine faith in him and those who are not has to do with our daily practices, our lifestyles, how we live and speak, day in and day out, as a matter of life course. For we must deny self, die to sin daily, and follow our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands if we want to be his disciples. But if, instead, we make sin our practice (our life pattern), and not obedience to our Lord’s commands, then we do not have salvation from sin nor eternal life with God.

[Matt 7:13-14,21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 10:27-30; Ac 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10]

So, if you are addicted to any sinful habit, and you have continued in that sinful habit knowingly and willfully and deliberately, and so you regularly sin against others you are supposed to love, and you do so with full intention to do what you know is wrong and is sinful and is against others, then that is the opposite of love. And you are not capable of loving God and others if you habitually and deliberately do against them what you know is wrong and hurtful. So it is best if you do not claim “love” where love does not exist.

Now this was not Peter’s situation, so I am only going to use a part of his situation to make a point to go along with what has been said above. Some people who profess faith in Jesus Christ are living in sinful addiction, many of them in sexual immorality and in adultery against their spouses, but in other sins, too. But they will deny that they have a problem or that it is as severe as it is, and they will convince themselves that they are followers of Christ even though they are living the opposite of what that means, deliberately.

Peter denied that it was possible that he would deny the Lord. He was sure that he would lay down his life for Jesus Christ. But Jesus knew Peter better than Peter knew himself. But Peter was overconfident of his commitment to Christ, and then he really ignored the Lord’s warning to him, too, so that he ended up doing exactly what Jesus said he would do. So be humble in your estimation of yourself and be realistic, and listen to what Jesus and the Scriptures teach, for pride comes before a fall.

If the Lord has been pointing out to you something in your life that is wrong and that is against him and against his word, and that is against your fellow humans (or just one or some of them), then listen to him. He knows you better than you know yourself. And let him show you what is in your heart and why you do what you do, and what you need to do to change. For he made the way of escape for all of us out of bondage to sin. We just have to take the way he provided for us. No excuses if we do not!

Keep On!  

An Original Work / December 15, 2011

Praise the Lord! Praise Him now!

Before Him humbly bow.

Repent of your sins now.

Turn to Him; obey now.

Walk in fellowship with Him daily,

And abide in His truth.

He will forgive you,

And He’ll cleanse you,

And He’ll give you new life.

Trust in Him. He is truth.

He will not forsake you.

Rest in Him. Let Him lead.

He will meet all your needs.

Obey His ev’ry word to you,

And listen to all He says.

He will be faithful

In all His promises,

So rest in Him. 

Do not bow – gods of men.

Let Christ rule in your hearts.

Do not stop – share your faith.

Keep on: speak Jesus’ name.

Share His truth with all He leads you to

Be a witness for Him.

Never yield to sin

Against your God.

Obey Him in ev’ry way. 

https://vimeo.com/125862760

Stand Up for Jesus

“And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, ‘Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.’ And he answered them, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.’” (Mark 3:31-35 ESV)

If we go back and we read verses 20-21, it helps with the context here:

Then he, meaning Jesus, “went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, ‘He is out of his mind.’”

I believe Jesus’ mother Mary supported him, but she was human, so it could be that she thought he was out of his mind, too, yet that doesn’t fit with what I understand of her relationship with Jesus. But we do know that Jesus’ brothers (half-brothers) were opposed to him, and that they even mocked him and tried to goad him on one occasion to do something. For they did not believe Jesus. And Jesus told them that the world could not hate them but that the world hated him because he testified that its works were evil (see John 7:1-9). So it makes sense that his brothers would think he was nuts.

And so this is the context of today’s passage of Scripture in Mark 3. His brothers, in particular, were opposed to him, did not believe him, and previously they had mocked him and attempted to goad him. And here they decided that he was out of his mind. And so they (and maybe his mother, too) tried to stop him from speaking to the people because they believed he was crazy (bonkers, gone off the deep end, flipped his lid, etc.)

And that could happen to any one of us, too, if we are truly the Lord’s disciples, and if we are following in his steps, and if we are obeying his commands, and if we are living holy lives (separate, unlike, different) from the world because we are being conformed by God to the likeness of character of Jesus Christ. And that will most likely happen to us if we are preaching the same messages that Jesus preached and that his NT apostles taught, for what they taught is largely being rejected in America today.

The majority appear to be teaching a cheapened and an altered version of the gospel of our salvation which is giving many people the idea that all they have to do is profess faith in Jesus Christ one time in their lives and now all their sins are forgiven (past, present, and future) and heaven is now guaranteed them when they die, and it can’t be taken away from them, but regardless of how they live. But, according to Jesus and his NT apostles, how we live has everything to do with where we will spend eternity.

For what did Jesus say here? He said, “For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother,” i.e. of the family of God and of genuine faith in Jesus Christ. For Jesus also said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven but only the one DOING the will of God the Father who is in heaven. For many will stand before him on the day of judgment professing him as Lord and claiming they did things in his name, and he will tell them, “I never knew you. Depart from me you workers of lawlessness,” for they would not obey him (Matthew 7:21-23).

[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] 

Stand Up For Jesus

Video Talk

September 5, 2023

https://youtu.be/ztRM0jzTpcU 

Caution: This link may contain ads

Seek the Lord  

An Original Work / July 20, 2012

Based off Isaiah 55

“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.

Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,

And your soul will delight in richest of fare.

Give ear to Me, and you will live.

I have made an eternal covenant with you.

Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him. 

Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.

Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.

Freely, God pardons him.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

Nor are your ways My ways,”

declares the Lord, our God.

“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.

It will not return to Me unfulfilled.

My word will accomplish all that I desire,

And achieve the goal I intend.

You will go in joy and be led forth in peace.

The mountains will burst into song… before you, 

And all of the trees clap their hands.”

https://vimeo.com/379408296 

Do You Believe in Santa?

 

Don't Fake It!

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” (Romans 12:9-13 ESV)

This love, in the Greek, is Agape love, a love which comes from God and is divine love because God is love. It is a love centered in moral preference and it prefers what God prefers, which is what is holy, righteous, godly, upright, morally pure, honest, and faithful. It prefers to leave our sins behind us to follow the Lord Jesus in obedience and in a walk of faith in Christ Jesus, in his power, by the grace of God. So, it is an unselfish and a giving love.

Some people, though, who do not love will try to fake that they do, usually as a means of deception and/or manipulation and trickery. Sometimes it is because the person faking it is sinning against the other person, perhaps in committing adultery against his/her marital partner. And to try to cover up the adulteries this person will try to put on a show (a performance) of loving his spouse, but it isn’t real. For that person is still sinning against him/her.

So we need to let our love for others be genuine. Now this is not saying that we have to have warm fuzzy feelings for the ones we are to love. For we are to love even our enemies. So it is not faking it to truly love others in action who may be people who are doing evil against us. But it is faking it if we are pretending to love them while we are doing evil to them, especially when that evil is being done behind their backs in sneaky and underhanded ways.

For we are to be people of God who absolutely detest all evil, and not who fake disliking evil, or who just admit that doing evil is wrong. But we are to be people who literally break down into tears at the evil that we are seeing going on in the names of liberty and compassion and Christianity and God and religion, etc. It should break our hearts and send us to our knees (literally or figuratively) in prayer, calling out to God to rescue us.

Holding fast to what is good is living the life we are to live in Christ, in walks of holiness and righteousness and obedience to our Lord. And it is holding on to the truth and rejecting the lies, and even confronting the lies for what they are. And it is sharing the truth of the gospel of our salvation, and letting people know that Jesus died to deliver us out of our slavery to sin so we can now walk in holiness and in obedience to him.

When we love other believers in Christ with brotherly affection, we are treating our brothers and sisters in Christ as though they are literally our own family. And we should show honor to those who are walking in love and in faithfulness and in obedience to the Lord, and not in sin, and who are suffering persecution for the sake of righteousness. But we should not honor evil nor those who do evil nor those who speak lies and who tell people that they can keep walking in sin and still go to heaven when they die.

We are not to be lazy people who are unconcerned about our walks of faith or how we live, and for whom it is not essential nor important that we submit to Christ as Lord and that we obey him and that we give our lives to him as living sacrifices to do his will. But we are to be those who love the Lord and who are grateful for all he has done for us and who, thus, long to serve our Lord and to do what he has called us to do and to be.

And all of us are going to have tribulations, even the ungodly have tribulations, but those who are serving the Lord with their lives and who are walking in his ways and who are speaking the truth and not the lies are facing persecution for their commitments to the Lord and to his service. But we are to endure unjust suffering patiently, and just keep praying and just keep obeying our Lord.

And then we are to do good to those who belong to the family of God. And we are to meet one another’s legitimate needs, so this will not always involve handouts. Sometimes it will involve helping them to learn to help themselves. Teaching may be involved here. Practical lessons could be applied. Speaking the truth in love may be part of this, as well. Encouragement to the hurting can be part of this, too. But we are to love one another and not sin against one another.

Don’t Fake It

Video Talk

August 26, 2023

https://youtu.be/cbbN43k6JvE 

Caution: This link may contain ads

Love Must Be Genuine 

An Original Work / October 22, 2013

Based off Romans 12:9-21

Love must be genuine.

Hate what’s evil; cling to good.

Love each other with affection.

Show respect for ev’ryone.

Never lack in your zeal.

Serve the Lord with diligence.

Rejoice in steadfast hope.

In affliction, patient be.

Keep on praying; share with others.

Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute.

Feel with others sympathy.

Be not filled with conceit.

Daily sit at Jesus’ feet.

Live in harmony with others.

Live at peace with ev’ryone.

Repay not to someone

With the evil he begot.

Do not take your revenge;

Leave it to the wrath of God.

If your enemy is thirsty,

Give to him something to drink.

Do what’s right for mankind.

Evil: overcome with good.

https://vimeo.com/114695549 

'Tis The Season

‘Tis the season to be jolly,

Light the trees, and hang the holly,

Join in all the merrymaking,

And in all the cookie baking.

Light your candles on your altars,

Don’t misstep, now don’t you falter,

Cross your T’s and dot your I’s,

Prepare yourself for the surprise.

Join in the bands, and raise your hands,

And stand your ground, and take your stands,

And shop till your true hearts’ galore,

While your True God you do ignore.

Traditions can take quite a trip,

A godly life they likely snip,

You hurry here, and worry there,

For what you’ll buy and what you’ll wear.

You celebrate till half past ten,

A holiday that’s made from men,

That God did not initiate,

And truth be told, He truly hates.

For Jesus came to die for us,

To give His life, to shed His blood,

That we might die with Him to sin,

In righteousness, to live for Him.

So, celebrate His life and death,

By giving Him your life, in debt

For all that He has given you –

His life, so you can walk in truth.

Commit your life, give all to Him,

And let His Spirit live within,

Obey His words, do what He says,

Let Him now rule your life, instead.

An Original Work / October 21, 2021

They Honor God with Their Lips

Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

“‘This people honors me with their lips,

    but their heart is far from me;

in vain do they worship me,

    teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” (Matthew 15:1-9 ESV)

There are many people in this world who go through the motions of religious practice and tradition but whose hearts are far from God. And many of them, for the sake of tradition, have indeed made void the word of God. For their loyalty to their traditions is far greater than their loyalty to God and to the teachings of his Word. Their religious practices, thus, supersede God’s commandments and his requirements of those who profess him as Lord and as Savior of their lives. In vain do they worship God, for their faith is of man.

They may appear religious on the outside, but it is in form only. They religiously attend weekly gatherings in something called “churches,” which may or may not be the biblical body of Christ ministering to one another according to the teachings of the Scriptures. For when we gather together, it is to be with those of genuine walks of faith in the Lord Jesus. And the purpose is to be mutual edification. It is a time when we are to be using our spiritual gifts in our assigned (by God) body parts to encourage each other.

It is a time when we are to be speaking the truth in love to one another so that not one of us is led astray by the teachings of humans in their cunning, craftiness, and deceitful scheming. So we should be testing what is being taught against the Scriptures to make certain that what is being taught is of God and is biblical in its correct context. And then we should be helping one another to discern truth from lies so that we are all following the truth. And we should be helping one another to maturity of faith in Jesus Christ, too.

And we are to be addressing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and exhorting one another daily so that none of us may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. And we are to be stirring up one another to love – which is of God, and which prefers all that is holy, righteous, morally pure, upright, honest, faithful, and obedient to our Lord – and to GOOD WORKS which God prepared in advance that we should now walk (in conduct) in them.

And our gatherings are to be led of the Holy Spirit, and for one another’s mutual spiritual edification, and for the purpose to help one another to not walk in sin but to now live godly and holy lives for the glory of God. And we should be holding one another accountable for our walks of faith and obedience to our Lord. Our gatherings are not to be for the purpose to entertain the people of the world so that the world will feel comfortable among us. Our gatherings are not to be marketed to the people of the world.

We are to gather together for the purposes mentioned above so that we can all grow together in our walks of faith in obedience to our Lord so that we can then go out into the world with the message of the gospel. And then the people of the world can hear the truth, and can surrender their hearts and lives to Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior of their lives in dying with Christ to sin and in being raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness.

[Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Lu 6:27-28; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Ac 1:8; Ac 2:14-18; Ac 26:18; Rom 10:14-15; Rom 12:1-8; Rom 15:14; 1 Co 12:1-31; 1 Co 14:1-5; Gal 6:1; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:11-27; Eph 6:10-20; Php 2:1-8; Col 1:9; Col 3:12-16; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-25; Jas 5:19-20; 1 Pet 2:9,21; 1 Jn 2:6; Jude 1:22-23]  

And this is how we all are to be living our lives, dead to sin, but alive to God and to his righteousness, our lives surrendered to Christ to doing his will, not just for a couple of hours a week, but all the time, every day of the week. And we are to be ministering the truth of the Scriptures to one another for our mutual edification every day so that none of us will be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. But the way most “churches” are operating today is not biblical, and is not being led by the Spirit, but by marketing books, instead.

And so we have “churches” full of people who are going through the motions of religious performance, who are honoring Christ/God with their lips via the singing of “praise and worship” music, but whose lives are given over to the flesh and who live to please the flesh and not God. They are “religious” for a couple of hours on a Saturday or a Sunday morning or night, but once the “church service” is over, their lives go back to normal. And they may have daily devotions they follow, but their lives are still being led by their flesh.

And this is not describing everyone who professes faith in Jesus Christ, and it is not describing every gathering of the biblical body of Christ, but it is describing probably the majority of those professing the name of the Lord and their weekly religious gatherings, at least here in America. For Christianity has become so secularized here in America and “Church” has largely been turned into a social gathering of people of all walks for an institutionalized time of singing and then listening to a sermon.

So the true biblical meaning of “church” and the true biblical purpose of our gatherings has gotten swallowed up in human traditions and in secularism and in marketing “the church” to the people of the world. And, thus, the gospel message has also been diluted (altered) to be more acceptable to human flesh and to the ungodly of this world. And the character of God and of his church have also taken a big hit. And so many are going through the motions of religious practice, but their hearts are far from God.

And many professers of faith in Jesus Christ are being taught a false gospel message which is promising them freedom from the punishment of sin and the assurance of heaven as their eternal destiny, but regardless of how they live. But their worship of God is empty because it is based in the teachings of humans and not on the foundation of the truth of the Scriptures, if taught in their correct biblical context. And since they have not died to their sins, they will die in their sins even though they profess faith in Christ Jesus.

[Matt 7:13-14,21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 10:27-30; Ac 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10]

Empty Chairs at Empty Tables

From Les Misérables

Songwriters: L. David Lewis / Kim Williams / Edward Monroe Hill

There's a grief that can't be spoken

There's a pain goes on and on

Empty chairs at empty tables

Now my friends are dead and gone

Here they talked of revolution

Here it was they lit the flame

Here they sang about tomorrow

And tomorrow never came

From the table in the corner

They could see a world reborn

And they rose with voices ringing

And I can hear them now!

Phantom faces at the window

Phantom shadows on the floor

Empty chairs at empty tables

Where my friends will meet no more

Oh my friends, my friends

Don't ask me what your sacrifice was for

Empty chairs at empty tables

Where my friends will sing no more

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uethb1O3a0E

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Be a Missionary from Your Own Home

 

Called of God to Be His Servants

“Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 

“He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, do you wash my feet?’ Jesus answered him, ‘What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.’ Peter said to him, ‘You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.’ Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!’ Jesus said to him, ‘The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.’ For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, ‘Not all of you are clean.’” (John 13:1-11 ESV)

If we pay close attention to all the wording of Jesus in this dialogue we will soon realize that what Jesus did with his disciples here was like a parable being acted out before them which had a much deeper meaning than just the physical washing of feet. And notice how this particular section of Scripture begins and ends with the knowledge that Judas, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, was going to betray the Lord to the death. And this is significant in us understanding Jesus’ words and actions, too.

Now I particularly want to focus the attention here on Jesus’ dialogue with Peter, for herein we get the true meaning of Jesus’ actions. Now Peter refused to have Jesus wash his feet. Why? Perhaps Peter believed it was beneath the Lord to wash his feet, but then impulsive Peter wasn’t paying close attention to what Jesus had just said, either. For Jesus had just said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” So that should have been a cue to Peter to trust the Lord.

But here comes the lesson in this which is to us all. Jesus said, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” But Jesus wasn’t talking just about the necessity of allowing the Lord to wash his physical feet, which is evident by what Jesus said next when he told him that the one who is bathed only needs to wash his feet, for he is completely clean. For he told him that he was clean, but then he added, “but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

What does this all mean? Obviously he is not speaking of a literal washing of the physical body with physical water, but he was speaking of the need to be clean spiritually. All of the twelve except for Judas were regarded by Jesus as being spiritually clean. But, they still had to have their feet washed. And this is a picture of what our salvation looks like. For our feet represent our walks of faith, and Jesus said that if we will come after him that we must deny self, take up our cross daily, and follow (obey) him (Luke 9:23-26).

Now when Jesus took up his cross what did he do? He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). But we become the righteousness of God through daily dying to sin and to self and by following our Lord in obedience to his commands. Jesus said it and so did Paul (Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Ephesians 4:17-24). For we must now walk (in conduct, in practice) according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh to have salvation.

So Jesus was teaching them what it means to be saved. Yes, when we believe in Jesus with God-ordained, God-persuaded, and God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ, we are made spiritually clean. But then the Scriptures teach that we must die daily to sin, and by the Spirit we are to be putting to death the deeds of the flesh, for if we do not, then we have no share in the Lord. For if sin is what we obey, it leads to death, but if obedience is what we obey, it leads to life eternal with God (Luke 9:23-26; Romans 6:1-23).

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-24; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-11; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

“When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, ‘Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.’” (John 13:12-17 ESV).

So, Jesus did what he did to teach his disciples a spiritual lesson with regard to what it means to be one of his followers (servants). We not only have to believe in him with God-persuaded faith in him, but we must daily deny self, die to sin, and follow him in obedience. And then we are to serve him with our lives in the areas of ministry to which he has called us. And he has called all of us to be his witnesses and to share the gospel message with the people of the world, and to do so humbly with a servant spirit.

But part of that daily washing of our feet, i.e. that daily dying to sin and walking in obedience to our Lord is also going to involve us being persecuted as Jesus was persecuted for righteousness’ sake. And we will have people who will hate us and turn against us and betray us while they are pretending to be our friends, and while they are pretending to love us and to care about us, too. For to follow the Lord in obedience is to do what he has called us to do which is also to share the truth of the gospel with others.

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-19; Jn 15:1-21; Jn 16:33; Jn 17:14; Ac 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]

All Through the Night  

An Original Work / December 7, 2013

Based off Various Scriptures

Blessed are you when you’re persecuted

Because of your faith in Jesus Christ.

Blessed are you when people insult you,

And falsely say what leads folks to doubt.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is

Great in the heavens. You’re not alone.

When you are persecuted in one place,

Flee to another. God will be there.

You will be hated by all the nations

Because you testify of God’s grace.

Many will seize you and persecute you,

And put to death the foll’wers of Christ.

Yet do not fear what humans may do to you,

For I’m with you all through the night.

I tell you, love your enemies with my love,

And forgive as I forgave you.

Pray for those who do evil against you.

Rest in my love and grace from above. 

https://vimeo.com/379481617 

Walking in Love

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:1-2 ESV)

When we imitate God with our lives, we are not mimicking nor are we impersonating him like some actors and comedians imitate other well-known people for the purpose of entertaining them. For us to imitate God is to emulate him, to copy and to reproduce him in thinking, speaking, attitude, motivation, and behaviors. His purpose is now to be our purpose. His thinking is now to be our thinking. His will is now to be our will. And his character is now to be our character. We are now to be his followers.

Now, this doesn’t mean that we are perfect as he is perfect, for we won’t be perfect until Jesus returns and he takes his faithful ones to be with him for eternity, which is when our salvation will be complete and our marriage to Christ will be spiritually consummated. But it does engage how we walk in practice and in conduct. Are we following Jesus Christ with our lives in conduct and in practice day by day? And is it our practice to emulate him in character, in attitude, in speech, and in our behaviors?

And then we are to walk in love as part of our daily walk of faith in Jesus Christ. But this love is not like human love. For I can love ice cream, or I can love taking a walk, or I can love listening to good music, and it is not necessarily the same kind of love as this. For this love comes from God, who is love, and so this is divine love which prefers what God prefers. And what he prefers is what is holy, righteous, obedient to him, morally pure, upright, godly, honest, and faithful, etc. 

So, if we are walking in love, this means we are walking (in conduct, in practice) in a lifestyle which prefers what is holy, righteous, obedient to God, morally pure, honest, and faithful, etc. So we are no longer going to walk in deliberate and habitual sin, and we will not refuse to obey our Lord’s commands (New Covenant), and we will not willfully do what we know is evil and that will hurt other people. But we will show others love and kindness, which also includes speaking the truth in love to one another.

For Jesus Christ and his walk on this earth are our model to follow for how we ought to live. It doesn’t mean we will do everything that he did, for God has gifted us all in different ways, but we should be actively doing the kinds of things he did, and we should all be sharing the truth of the gospel with others and refuting the lies which are sending people to hell on the promise of heaven when they die. We should do this in order to save lives from hell and to lead people to the way to salvation from sin and eternal life with God.

But when we do this, and we emulate our Lord, and we do the kinds of things that he did, and we say the things that he said, and that his NT apostles taught, and so we walk in love, and we speak the truth in love, and we share the truth of the gospel, and we call out the lies of the enemy, then we should expect to be treated like Jesus was treated, too. We should anticipate that we are not going to be well liked, but we will be opposed, and we will be hated and mistreated, and we may even be killed for our faith.

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-19; Jn 15:1-21; Jn 16:33; Jn 17:14; Ac 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]

Walking in Love

Video Talk

August 24, 2023

https://youtu.be/j-PcOpP5Op0 

Caution: This link may contain ads

Down in The Dumps

Do you ever get down in the dumps?

You’ve certainly taken your lumps.

Discouragement’s settling in.

You wonder if you’ll ever win.

Time seems to not be your best friend.

You wonder if this will e’er end.

Will you ever see the light of day?

You cry, and you hope, and you pray.

But, time then goes on with no change.

You wish it would all rearrange.

You wonder, is this all you’ll see.

A miracle’s not meant to be?

Things keep going on as they were.

True change, of which you can’t be sure,

Elusive seems to you right now.

So, humbly, on your knees you bow.

You have no control of this, see? –

This working of your enemy.

For, God has permitted it now, 

That one day, all would to him bow.

He prophesied these days would come.

When evil would reign over some; 

When we would be hated, for sure,

And we would be called to endure.

So, don’t let discouragement in.

One day, this all will have an end.

God’s purpose for all will take place,

And we’ll see Him then face to face.

So, trust Him now with everything.

Your offerings now to Him bring.

Believe that your life’s in his care,

And do not give up in despair.

An Original Work / January 29, 2019

If You Were of the World

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.” (John 15:18-21 ESV)

Who were Jesus’ greatest persecutors? Who were those who were “hot on his tail” continuously, looking for ways to trip him up with his words, who were continually accusing him falsely of wrongdoing when all he was doing was what was good? Who wanted him dead? Who plotted his death and had it carried out? They were his fellow Jews, those who professed to believe in the same God the Father as he, some of whom were rulers in the temple and in the synagogues. And they were some of his family and neighbors, too.

So they were not technically the people “out in the world,” which then would have been the Gentiles (the non-Jews). So a parallel to that for us today would be that some (or all) of our greatest opponents and persecutors are those within the gatherings of “the church”, some of whom are pastors and elders and other professers of faith in Jesus Christ and in the one true God. And why would they be opposing and persecuting us? If we are following Jesus Christ in obedience to his commands, living the life he has for us.

And why would this be? It is because so much of what is called “church” these days is not the body of Christ. It is not the collective body of believers in Jesus Christ who have died with Christ to sin, who are dying to sin daily, and who are walking in obedience to the Lord and to his commands, in practice, though not necessarily in absolute perfection. What is called “church” so much these days are institutions of human making being marketed to the world, trying to win the world to their gatherings.

And so they have largely diluted and altered the character of God (Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit) and of his church and of his gospel message of salvation from sin in order to make them all more appealing and acceptable to human flesh and to the ungodly of the world. And so many of them have become just like the world in order to attract the world to their gatherings. So, in essence, they are “the world” because they are of the world, and that is why they reject us if we are not of the world, too.

So, we are not to be surprised if some of those who profess faith in Jesus Christ end up being our enemies and opponents and persecutors if we are walking in obedience to our Lord and no longer in sin. But we should also not let how they treat us “take us out” to where we get discouraged and so we give up. We must stay the course, and keep obeying our Lord, and keep sharing the truth of the gospel, even if our fellow professers of faith in Jesus Christ end up hating and mistreating us or just rejecting and ignoring us.

We must keep speaking the truth of the gospel, and we must keep following our Lord in obedience to what he has called us to do and to say. And we must keep loving and forgiving those who oppose us and who mistreat us, and we must never retaliate. As God has forgiven us, we must forgive others who sin against us. And we must keep loving even our enemies, and do good to them, and pray for them, and say to them what is beneficial for them to hear so that they can know the truth that can set them free.

For Jesus Christ gave his life up for us on that cross that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness. He shed his blood for us to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of slavery to sin so that we can now serve the Lord in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living. For Jesus said that if we want to come after him we must deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience, or we don’t have salvation from sin nor eternal life with God, and he will deny us if we deny him.

[Matt 7:13-14,21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 10:27-30; Ac 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10]

If You Were of the World

Video Talk

November 24, 2024

https://youtu.be/_APvNWEpSYQ

Caution: This link may contain ads

Love Lifted Me

Love Lifted Me

Hymn lyrics by James Rowe, 1912

Music by Howard E. Smith

I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,

Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more,

But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry,

From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.

All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I’ll cling,

In His blessed presence live, ever His praises sing,

Love so mighty and so true, merits my soul’s best songs,

Faithful, loving service, too, to Him belongs.

Souls in danger, look above, Jesus completely saves,

He will lift you by His love, out of the angry waves;

He’s the Master of the sea, billows His will obey,

He your Savior wants to be, be saved today.

Love lifted me!

Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help,

Love lifted me!

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

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Taken Captive by Empty Deceit

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” (Colossians 2:8-15 ESV)

Now the context here is that we are being instructed to make certain that the gospel message that we are hearing and accepting is the full gospel message as taught by Jesus Christ and by his NT apostles, and that we are not being taken captive by any other gospel being promoted as the true gospel of Christ. And the gospel that Jesus taught says that we must deny self, die daily to sin, and follow Jesus in walks of obedience to his commands or we do not have salvation and eternal life in him (see Luke 9:23-26).

In the verses following in this chapter, the subject matter is that of the Judaizers who were trying to convince the Christians that they had to be circumcised and that they had to follow some of the Old Covenant ceremonial laws, which included the keeping of the Jewish Sabbath and certain restrictions as to what foods they were not allowed to eat. But chapters 1 and 3 spell out for us what true faith in Jesus Christ looks like according to the gospel message that Jesus and his NT apostles taught.

So, if we are to see to it that no one takes us captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, and not according to Christ, then we need to learn to identify what is of human tradition versus what is according to Christ. And it is the Scriptures, taught in their context, that define for us what true belief in Jesus Christ should produce in our lives in order for it to be the faith which saves, and in order for it to be according to Christ and not according to human tradition or human philosophy.

And this is critical that we understand this and that we apply to our lives what is being taught us here, for there are many people who are teaching a diluted and altered gospel message which does not require us to die with Christ to sin and to walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands. For they are putting that in the same category with what the Judaizers were trying to push on the Christians. They are calling that legalism and works salvation, and so they are convincing people to reject the true gospel.

So, we have to watch out for these distortions of truth which are being promoted as truth, but which are coming from human philosophy and vain conceit rather than coming from God and the purity of his word. We especially need to be on guard against Scriptures which are being taught out of context and made to say what they do not say if taught in the proper context. And this is happening BIG TIME in “the church” and on social media and in movies and TV shows and even in what are called “revivals.”

So many people are taking liberties with the gospel of Jesus Christ these days in order to make it more acceptable and appealing to human flesh. I don’t know if you have noticed or not, but it seems to have become very popular in our culture here in America right now to claim faith in Jesus Christ. But what many are teaching and proclaiming is not biblical faith but a diluted and altered faith based on a verbal profession of faith in Jesus without the requirement of dying to sin and walks of obedience to God.

And there are those who have all kinds of excuses for why, even though they profess faith in Jesus Christ, they cannot “walk the walk,” even though they have no trouble talking it when they want to. And I am certain that the excuses must vary from person to person, but they are still excuses for why they cannot do what Jesus said to do in order to have salvation from sin and eternal life in him. And some will cast the blame on others, but in reality they have no one to blame but themselves. For God’s way is perfect.

For the gospel taught, even in just the book of Colossians, teaches us that we are to walk (in conduct) in a manner worthy (fitting) of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, for he has delivered us from the domain (power, control) of darkness (sin, Satan) and transferred us to the kingdom of his Son Jesus Christ. For Jesus Christ gave his life up for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our bondage to sin so that we might now serve our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living.

Once we were doing (practicing) evil deeds, for if our faith is genuine we should not continue to practice evil deeds. Once we were like lost sheep going astray, walking in sin and in rebellion against our Lord and against his commands. But by faith in him we were reconciled to God, i.e. we changed from walking in sin to now walking in holiness and purity of devotion to our Lord, by his grace and in his power, because of Jesus’ sacrifice on that cross. But we must continue in that faith, not shifting from the gospel truth.

For, as those who are of genuine faith in Jesus Christ, we are now to put to death in us all that is earthly – all sexual immorality, impurity, evil desire, idolatry, lying, cheating, stealing, murdering, committing adultery, and the like. These we are to put out of our lives and we are to put on the truth, righteousness, godliness, moral purity, faithfulness and obedience to our Lord, by the Spirit, in the power of God. And via Jesus’ death on that cross he has made the way for us to do just that, so that there are no excuses!

[Matt 7:13-14,21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 10:27-30; Ac 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,15-17; 1 Jn 3:4-10]

Full Release  

An Original Work / April 15, 2012

Walking daily with my Savior 

brings me joy.

Loving Father; precious Jesus; 

He’s my Savior and my Lord.

Gently leads me; follow Him.

I’ve invited Him within.

Now abiding in His presence, 

oh, what peace.

From my self-life 

He has brought me,

By His mercy, full release.

Hope and comfort, 

peace and safety Jesus brings

When I daily bow before Him;

Obey freely; do His will.

Follow Him where’er He leads.

Listen to Him; His words heed.

Now obeying his words fully, 

oh, what love

That He gives me 

through salvation,

By His Spirit, from above. 

Loving Father; precious Jesus, 

He’s my friend.

With my Savior, by His Spirit, 

I will endure to the end.

Share the gospel, tell what’s true.

Witness daily; His will do.

Tell the world of how their Savior 

bled and died.

On a cruel cross He suffered 

So that we might be alive. 

https://vimeo.com/115169203 

Servant of the Lord

An Original Work / July 26, 2012

Based off Romans 1:1-17 

Servant of the Lord;

For the gospel you’re set apart.

Promised through the prophets of old:

Jesus, Son of God.

Through Him, and for His name alone,

We receive His grace

To call people, Him to obey;

Coming from their faith.

Servant of the Lord,

For the gospel you’re set apart.

Promised through the prophets of old:

Jesus, Son of God.

You belong to Christ;

Loved by God, and called to be saints;

Serving God with whole heart and mind;

Preaching Jesus Christ;

Always praying for others’ needs;

Helping hand to lend;

Giving courage to others’ faith,

For the praise of God. 

You belong to Christ;

Loved by God, and called to be saints;

Serving God with whole heart and mind;

Preaching Jesus Christ.

Servant of the Lord;

Of the gospel, I’m not ashamed;

For salvation, power of God

To those who have faith.

In the gospel find righteousness:

Being right with God.

Turn from sin, and trust Jesus Christ.

By faith, live in Him.

Servant of the Lord;

Of the gospel, I’m not ashamed;

For salvation, power of God

To those who have faith.

https://vimeo.com/119511640 

I Just Want to Say, "Thank You!"

I just want to say, “Thank you,” to everyone who reads and/or who responds to what the Lord has me post on the internet each day. He called me to write down what he is teaching me each day from his word and to post these writings on the internet, and then later he added on songs, poems, books, video talks and memes which also share the truths of what the Scriptures teach, just in different forms, because we all connect in different ways.

Yet, I would write and speak and sing what the Lord has me share each day even if no one responded, because I know that this is God’s calling on my life, and this is the task to which he has assigned me within the universal body of Christ, for the glory and praise of God, according to the will of God and to his purpose for my life. And I will continue in the work to which he has called me even if I face much opposition and I get no encouragement along the way. Why? Because this is what God has called me to do.

Mary’s Calling

“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!’ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’

“And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’

“And the angel answered her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:26-38 ESV)

Mary’s calling of God was to be the one to give birth to Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. But this was no ordinary calling, and it was definitely not one without risk to herself. For she was a virgin who was espoused to a man named Joseph, and now she would be pregnant of the Holy Spirit, which would be very difficult to explain to anyone, and people would assume that she did the unthinkable, and it could mean her death or at least that Joseph now would divorce her. But she accepted the call of God knowing all that.

Now Mary did not doubt what the angel of God had said to her, but she did have a very practical question for him which was, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” She just wanted to know how she would become pregnant, for she had not been with a man. That’s reasonable. And so the angel then explained to her how this was all going to take place, and Mary accepted what the angel said to her, and she believed God. She said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Amen!!

And so she did give birth to Jesus Christ, and Joseph received her as his bride, and then their marriage was consummated. And she raised the Son of God, the only begotten Son of God who is God, and who was with God in the beginning, and who is our creator God, the giver of life, but not just physical life, but eternal life to all who trust in him to be Lord and Savior of their lives. And this kind of trust in Jesus involves us denying self, dying daily to sin, and following our Lord in obedience to his commands (see Luke 9:23-26).

God’s Callings on Our Lives

But now I want to relate this to our lives. For if we are followers of Jesus Christ, we are all called of God to be his disciples, to deny self, to die daily to sin, and to follow him in obedience to his commands. But we are also gifted of the Spirit with Spiritual gifts, and we are each assigned tasks by God, our specific roles (body parts) within the body of Christ, which we are to do in the power of God, in cooperation with his will and purpose for our lives. And we should all respond to God’s callings on our individual lives as Mary did.

“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

In other words, if it is God who has called us to his service, and all true believers in Christ have been called of God to a very specific task, then our answer needs to be the same as Mary’s. We need to be willing to step out in faith and believe God for the impossible and trust him even if what he has called us to do may not make sense to most people. For it is not the people whom we are to please with our lives. We are to live to please the Lord, and we must be willing to lay it all down to follow him wherever he sends us.

For he promises us that if we follow him with our lives in obedience, not only to his commands, but to his specific callings he has on our individual lives, that we are going to be hated, persecuted, rejected, falsely accused of wrongdoing, misunderstood, and cast off as unwanted, which I am most certain that Mary definitely faced. But our service is to be according to the will of God, not according to human will and desire. And we are to live as those who are pleasing to God, although we may be displeasing to humans.

For if you are someone who is speaking the truth of the gospel these days, in the way in which Jesus and his NT apostles taught it (in context), then you will be treated as they were treated. Especially since we now live in an era where the truth of the gospel is largely being altered (adulterated) to make it more attractive and acceptable to human flesh, if we are speaking the truth that Jesus taught, we are not going to be well liked. We will not have many friends or followers, and we will have few encouragers.

So, when God calls us to his service, we can either choose to reject his calling or we can humbly receive it in surrender to his will and purpose. We can be more concerned about what people will think about us, or we can be more concerned about pleasing the Lord and sharing the truth which will save human lives. Just think about this: What if Mary chose to reject the call of God on her life out of fear of what other humans would think about her, or how they might treat her? We have to be more like Mary, don’t we??

So, if you consider yourself a follower of Jesus Christ, i.e. one who is born of God and is promised salvation from sin and eternal life with God, then God has an assignment that he wants you to do. Will you be willing to say “Yes!” to the Lord, even if it means that people (including other “Christians” and pastors of “churches”) will hate, misjudge, persecute, exclude, gossip about, ignore, reject, and cast you aside as unnecessary and as unwanted? For God requires a “Yes” response from us if we are to be his true followers.

“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

[Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; 1 Corinthians 14:1-5; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:1-16; Ephesians 5:15-21; Ephesians 6:10-20; Philippians 2:1-8; Colossians 3:12-16; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:23-25; James 5:19-20]

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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