The Best Life You Will Ever Have

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18 NIV)

When I read this one verse, I wanted to know the context, so I read through all of 2 Peter 3 to get the context. And the context has to do with the return of Jesus Christ one day and the fact that there are mockers who think that, just because he has not yet returned, that he isn’t coming back. But “the Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

And then the passage talks about the judgments of God and the earth being destroyed by fire. And, based on that knowledge, the question is, “Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.” “So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him” (2 Peter 3:11-12,14).

And then we read:

“Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen” (2 Peter 3:17-18).

So, one day Jesus is coming back to judge all people, and he is not willing that any should perish (die in their sins) but that all should come to repentance (a turning away from a life of sin to follow Jesus in obedience). So, obviously repentance is required. And then this talks about how we ought to be living holy and godly lives while we await his return (see Titus 2:11-14 on that point). And we need to be making every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with him, and we need to be growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord in walks of holiness and obedience.

For if we don’t turn from our sinful practices to follow Jesus Christ in walks of obedience to his commands, but we continue in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord, in willful defiance of his commands, then we will not have the life of Christ within us, we won’t have salvation from sin, and we won’t have eternal life with God. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands, in his power, then we have the hope of salvation from sin and eternal life with God, and that is the best life any of us will ever have, right in the center of the will of God.

[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 2:3-6,15-17; 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]

The Best Life You Will Ever Have

Video Talk

October 17,2022

https://youtu.be/JxQz-plkjgk

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Man and Wife

I now pronounce you man and wife,

Now go and live together life,

And love each other, say a prayer,

Your love not get in disrepair.

For life, it has its ups and downs,

And romance may not hang around,

And prettiness not always be,

Especially when two become three.

Love depends not on emotions,

Love enhanced by our devotion,

Loyalty to vows now taken,

Faithfulness not now forsaken.

Giving of ourselves to other,

And not living undercover,

Honesty in all we offer,

Love each other that much stronger.

An Original Work / May 8, 2023

We Also Ought to Love One Another

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” (1 John 4:7-12 ESV)

So, what does that look like if we truly love one another with this love that is from God? Well, it isn’t lust, and it isn’t just feelings (emotions). How did God show his love for us? Jesus Christ (God the Son) gave himself up for us in death on a cross, putting our sins to death with him so that we can now, by God-persuaded and God-gifted faith in him, be delivered out of our lives of slavery to sin so that we can worship, serve, and obey our Lord with our lives in doing what he commands and what he has called us to do and be.

So, lying to people to make them feel good about themselves is not love. Telling lies is not kind, no matter how you dress it up. And ignoring deliberate and habitual sin in the lives of our fellow professers of faith in Jesus Christ, and/or giving approval to them and to their lifestyles, is not love, either. Diluting and altering the gospel message to make it more acceptable and less offensive to the flesh and to the ungodly is also not love. For love tells the truth that people need to hear so that they can be saved.

And salvation from sin is not forgiveness of sins so that we can go to heaven when we die, but regardless of how we live. Jesus died to deliver us out of our bondage (addiction) to sin so that we will now walk with him in purity of devotion to him, living holy lives, pleasing to him. He died to transform us and to make us more like him in character and in thinking and actions. But if we reject his salvation by continuing in deliberate and habitual sin, we will not have salvation from sin and eternal life with God (Romans 6:1-23).

So, is love doing good to each other? YES! But the good that God has planned for our lives, not what we who are flesh might call good and that gratifies our fleshly cravings. So doing good to others is not pacifying them nor joining in with them in their sinful practices. For love prefers what God prefers, which is all that is holy, righteous, godly, morally pure, upright, honest, faithful, and obedient to our Lord. So in loving others we will not sin against them but we will love them as God loves us, in the same ways.

But we will do for them what is for their good. And so we will be sharing with them the true message of the gospel as taught by Jesus and by his NT apostles. And Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if for the sake of Jesus we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience, then we have eternal life with him (Luke 9:23-26).

[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 2:3-6,15-17; 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]

People Need the Lord

By Greg Nelson / Phill Mchugh

Everyday they pass me by

I can see it in their eyes

Empty people filled with care

Headed who knows where

On they go through private pain

Living fear to fear

Laughter hides their silent cries

Only Jesus hears

We are called to take His light

To a world where wrong seems right

What could be too great a cost

For sharing life with one who's lost?

Through His love our hearts can feel

All the grief they bear

They must hear the words of life

Only we can share

People need the Lord, people need the Lord

At the end of broken dreams, He's the open door

People need the Lord, people need the Lord

When will we realize that we must give our lives?

For people need the Lord, people need the Lord

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uZcGaixMhg

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Do You Work?

 

Don't Believe Everything You Hear

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.” (1 John 4:1-3 ESV)

Before I get into the meat of what this is teaching, I want to say that these words must be studied and taught in the context of the whole of 1 John to be correctly interpreted and understood. For a mere outward confession (or profession) of faith in Jesus Christ, or a mere outward acknowledgement that he has come in the flesh, does not mean that person is from God. For the Scriptures warn us about “wolves in sheep’s clothing” who masquerade as servants of righteousness, but inwardly are ferocious evil beasts.

[Matthew 7:15-20; Matthew 24:11,24; Luke 6:26; Jude 1; 2 Peter 2:1-22] 

Also, this word translated in English as “confesses”, means to speak to the same conclusion as God, to be in full agreement and alignment with God, together (united) with God. So this is not a superficial and false confession, and it is not lip service only, but this has to do with us being united with God in thought, belief, and purpose, and in truth. So, there is a reason why we must test the spirits, and why we must not believe everyone’s words, for liars and deceivers abound. So we can’t go strictly by what people say. 

So, what are these spirits which we are to test? Well, this is talking about human beings, is it not? We are to test their spirits. And a person’s spirit is his inner being, his nature, his character. But remember that these are deceiving spirits, so we cannot always go by what we see outwardly or what people display about themselves when they have an audience, and especially when they are desirous to be regarded by others in a particular way, sometimes for the sole purpose to deceive and/or to injure others.

So, we need to be aware that not everyone is who they claim to be or who they appear to be in front of other people. For many walk (in conduct, in practice) in darkness (sin) and will not come into the light (truth, the gospel of Christ, righteousness, repentance, obedience to God) lest their evil deeds be exposed for what they are. They hate the light (Jesus Christ, his gospel), and they prefer the darkness (their habitual sins), because then they can continue living in sin, and many of them while claiming faith in the Lord.

So, if we are going to test the spirits (the true nature of human beings), we can’t go by their words alone, although we must certainly test their words against the teachings of the Scriptures (in the right context) to make certain that what they are teaching is the truth and not the lies made to sound like truth. The Bible says we will know them by their fruits, by what they produce. For, those who are faithful servants of the Lord Jesus are going to produce what is righteous, godly, morally pure, and obedient to God/Christ.

Those who are false to the truth, who are wicked and immoral in their true nature, and who are those who use and abuse others to their advantage, will share particular natures, which are sinful natures, and which produce what is unrighteous. Among them you will find these characteristic traits: 

They are chameleons, lacking in moral character and consistency of character. They are one way with some people, but a different way with other people, or when they are alone and no one is watching what they are doing in secret. For they are double-minded, double-dealing, hypocritical, two-faced, deceitful, treacherous, unfaithful, double-crossing, without compassion, without caring, heartless, mean, cruel, and malicious. They are cold-hearted and cold-blooded, dishonorable, and utterly corrupt.

They are those who create and who exhibit (display) false impressions, distortions of truth, and the twisting of truth for the purpose to deceive. And they are those who are morally filthy, lewd, and licentious. They are those who spy on other people and who betray those they claim to love. For they are those who love to deceive, and who love to gossip and to convince people to believe lies about other people out of anger, spite, hatred, and resentment and bitterness. It is their way of “getting even” with people.

For they are those who are dishonorable, sordid, vile, wicked, depraved, dishonest, and evil, who will try to bait others into particular conversations with themselves in hopes that they can get them to say something that they can use against them. So, they will try subtly or deviously to elicit a response from others who they are targeting, which usually is then taken out of context and bent in their favor and against the person who they are betraying and targeting and baiting. Another way of “getting even.”

“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” (1 John 4:4-6 ESV)

So, when this tells us not to believe every spirit, this means we should not believe everything people tell us unless it is Scripture, or backed up with Scripture (in context), or consistent with the teachings of the Scriptures (in context), or proven true in some other way. But even there, just because we read it or hear it or think that we see it, it could be fake. It could be taken out of context. It could be photoshopped to make it look like one thing while it is another. So, we should test everything, especially what people tell us about other people. And we test these in prayer and with the Scriptures.

And if you are a person who is being targeted by these who fake their Christianity and who fake their true character for the purpose to deceive, and for the purpose to do evil to others, don’t let what others do to you make you afraid. If you are following Jesus Christ with your life, he has you in his hands. And you can overcome them via prayer and faith and continued walks of righteousness and holiness, in obedience to the Lord, regardless of lies being spread about you or any other persecutions you might face. Keep following Jesus, and keep speaking the truth of his word. Some people are listening.

People Need the Lord

By Greg Nelson / Phill Mchugh

Everyday they pass me by

I can see it in their eyes

Empty people filled with care

Headed who knows where

On they go through private pain

Living fear to fear

Laughter hides their silent cries

Only Jesus hears

We are called to take His light

To a world where wrong seems right

What could be too great a cost

For sharing life with one who's lost?

Through His love our hearts can feel

All the grief they bear

They must hear the words of life

Only we can share

People need the Lord, people need the Lord

At the end of broken dreams, He's the open door

People need the Lord, people need the Lord

When will we realize that we must give our lives?

For people need the Lord, people need the Lord

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uZcGaixMhg

Caution: This link may contain ads

Honor Christ the Lord as Holy

“Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.” (1 Peter 3:13-17 ESV)

Who is there to harm us if we are zealous for Jesus Christ and for his gospel and for sharing the truth of God’s word with the people of the world? Satan definitely is, and many who are following him with their lives, knowingly or not. For many have been deceived by Satan’s lies, even many who profess faith in Jesus Christ, and so they end up opposing God and the truth of his word, some deliberately, but others more naively. And so they may end up mistreating the Lord’s true servants out of ignorance, though some willfully.

For Jesus Christ said that if we follow him with our lives that we will be hated and persecuted as he was hated and persecuted. And who persecuted him? His own people of his own race and nationality and heritage, and some from his own family, too. And it was the religious rulers and influencers in the temple of God and in the synagogues (I believe) who were jealous of him and who hated him to the point to where they arranged for his arrest and for his death on a cross in hopes to silence him and to put an end to him.

So, if we are following Jesus Christ with our lives, in walks of obedience to his commands, and if we are not compromising with the world and with sin, but we are living holy lives, pleasing to him, we will be persecuted. And if we are sharing with others the truth of the gospel, especially as opposed to the lies of the enemy, and if we are exposing the fruitless deeds of darkness for what they are, and if we are calling out the lies of the enemy, we are going to be opposed, even by the religious who are following what they believe.

And so we may end up being rejected and cast aside as unwanted and mistreated and misjudged, even by others who profess faith in Jesus Christ, and even by pastors and elders of “church” congregations who misjudge us based on their own prejudices, or by their own fleshly standards, or by themselves. Especially in our world and “church” today here in America, where the gospel is being so diluted and where they are appeasing human flesh, those who hold to the tenets of the faith may be persecuted.

But all of this is under the control and sovereignty of God. None of this can happen to us unless God allows it, and he allows it for a purpose, to make us into the people who he wants us to be. I know that the Lord has taken me through a lifetime of abuse and mistreatment and persecution for my walk of faith in the Lord Jesus and for my testimony for him and because I believed him and his word and I followed him with my life. And I am not saying that I was perfect in every way, but I was persecuted much for following Jesus.

But God allowed what he allowed in my life to make me into the person that he wanted me to be so that he can use me in the way that he is using me today in sharing with the people of the world, on the internet, what the Lord is teaching me through his word each day. And he took me through many hardships to make me strong so that I would not give up, and so that I would not run away, but so that I would stand strong on the truth of his word and keep sharing it, even if I get opposed, in return.

Anyway, I know God has allowed difficulties in your lives, too, and if you surrender your lives to him, he can use those trials and tribulations for his glory and for your good and for the good of others. Just trust in his sovereignty over your life, and yield to his control. Had I not gone through what I did, I would not be prepared to do what I am now doing, and it just wouldn’t have happened. And the lives this is touching would not have been touched by this, or at least I would not have been a participant in it.

So, whatever you are going through, please know that God is greater! And please know that he is still in charge and that what you are going through has a purpose. So, yield control of your life over to the Lord and let him work his will and purpose in your life even through your trials. Do not fear what the enemy may do against you, but take courage and trust the Lord with your life, and let him turn the evil done to you around for good. And just know that what Satan means for evil, God can use for good in our lives.

What Satan Meant for Evil, God Can Use for Good

Video Talk

October 16, 2022

https://youtu.be/MUfUwr4Lzrk

Caution: This link may contain ads

Another Day

Another day on this world called earth

Another day that has been started

What will you do? 

Where will you go?

Will you be carded?

As freedoms slowly ebb away

Will you be different?

As mass confusion hits the scene

As we become the offering

Are you indifferent?

Do you know your master’s name?

Or are you playing unfair games?

He’s the answer!

Got a clue?

Will the truth be up to you?

Day to day we face the storms

Chaos! Chaos! Much alarm!

Here their idols on display

Making choices, much dismay!

The time is now! The day is here!

Will you to God your will adhere?

Something’s missing, but do you see it?

It’s in the air, but can you breathe it?

The will of man

Is on the stand

You think he’ll make it?

Not a chance! No happenstance!

In his flesh, he’s got no chance.

Watch him in his flesh

Speaking his address

Telling all his lies

Nothing he says flies

Wisdom he defies

Lust is in his eyes

God not magnifies

Will he continue in this madness?

Oh, his eyes, do they need glasses?

What will the answer be?

Do you know?

Or are you just following the show?

Are you aware of what’s in store?

Or else the truth, do you abhor?

Times are changing

Do you see it?

We’re not the same

No turning back

No time for wasting

No time for slack

No more time for being lazy

For this world is going crazy

Time for you to make decision

Will you follow Jesus’ vision?

The line is now drawn in the sand

There’s no more standing in the middle

Will you give your life to Christ?

Or now your thumbs will you still twiddle? 

The global force is on a mission

They’re following their preplanned vision

Their plan to make us all their captives

To get us to bow to their objectives

You can read about in the book of Revelation

There’re no surprises, it has all been told us

The beast and his false prophet – elevation

And Christians on the chopping block, they’ll scold us

So, give your hearts to Jesus

Let him hold you

In his tender arms

Let him enfold you

Turn away from your sins

Trust him with your life

And obey him right now

Both day and the night

An Original Work / October 8, 2021

Whoever Desires to Love Life

“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For

“Whoever desires to love life

    and see good days,

let him keep his tongue from evil

    and his lips from speaking deceit;

let him turn away from evil and do good;

    let him seek peace and pursue it.

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,

    and his ears are open to their prayer.

But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” (1 Peter 3:8-12 ESV)

These instructions are to us who believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, in truth, and in righteousness, and in godly living. We are those who have been crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. Sin is no longer to be what we practice, what we obey. Righteousness and obedience to our Lord and to his commands are now to be what we obey (see Romans 6:1-23; 1 Peter 2:24).

Collectively we are the body of Christ, his church. The church is NOT a place we go to. It is not a building. It is not a church denomination. It is not a social club nor a civic center. And it is not a corporation under the state and a business being marketed to the people of the world. And it is not a place we visit for an hour or two once or twice a week and then we leave until the next week. And it is not a place for us to be spectators while a few people do all the ministering. But that is what many have made “the church” to be.

The church is us who believe in Jesus Christ, in truth and in righteousness. We are the temple of God in whom God dwells by his Spirit. And we are to gather together for mutual encouragement and edification, as each body part (that’s us) does its work. All of us are to be exhorting and teaching and encouraging and urging one another to live holy lives pleasing to God and to no longer walk in sin, and to serve the Lord Jesus with our lives. And we are to be warning each other against the lies of deceitful false teachings, too.

So this unity of mind that we are to have with one another is not the mind of the flesh nor the mind of men in their marketing gimmicks and deceitful scheming. So if you hear “unity” stressed in the gatherings of what are called “churches,” test what that “unity” is all about. Is it unity with business plans and goals of human making? Or is it unity with Christ and with his gospel message and with his plan and purpose for our lives? For Peter is talking about unity with the mind of God/Christ and with his purposes.

And we can only be united in mind with one another if we are first of all united with God and with his mind and purpose for our lives. And when we are united with Christ in heart and mind and actions, all these other things will be the outgrowth of our relationship with Jesus Christ. We will be people who love one another as Christ loves us and gave himself up for us. We will not be proud, but we will be humble, not bragging on ourselves for our own accomplishments, but humbly giving God the glory for the good within us.

We will not be people who feel as though we have to get even with those who we believe have done evil to us. But we are to love even our enemies. And we are to do good to them, and pray for them, and say to them what will be beneficial to them in the eyes of God. And even if they do evil to us continually, we are to love them in return, and to keep doing good to them. And if those who oppose us are those who profess faith in Jesus Christ, but they are walking in sin, we should warn them of the consequences of sin.

[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]

When we come to faith in Jesus Christ it is not of our own doing – not of the will of the flesh nor of human origin. So we don’t get to decide what that faith should look like. God does! His word does! But we have to read the Scriptures in their context. For many liars and deceivers are teaching Scriptures out of context to make them say what they do not say if studied in the appropriate context. For the faith that comes from God will result in us dying with Christ to sin and walking with him in obedience to his commands.

So, faith in Jesus Christ is not forgiveness of all sins and a promise of heaven when we die while we go on living like we did before. Faith in Jesus Christ results in us dying to self and to sin and now following our Lord in obedience to his commandments. So sin is no longer to be what we practice. Lying, cheating, stealing, committing adultery, slandering, gossiping, and living in sexual immorality, and the like, are not to be what we practice. For we are now to turn away from evil and do what God requires that we do.

And the peace that we are to pursue is not world peace. For us to have world peace, that will involve all of us compromising our faith and convictions in order to unify with the people of the whole world. So we will become like minions, all believing and doing the same things under the control of some type of tyrannical government. And this is what is coming (Revelation 13). But we are called by God out of the world to be different so that we, by God’s grace, are now being conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ.

For those who are righteous in the eyes of the Lord are all who are living righteously, by the grace of God, for whom righteousness is their practice. And to be righteous is to live under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit of God in following our Lord and his commands. For it means to be right in the eyes of God, i.e. what he deems as righteous, holy, morally pure, upright, faithful, and submissive to God and to his will for our lives. This is how we are to live as followers of Jesus Christ.

But if we should choose to continue living in (walking in) sin, in practice, and not in walks of holiness and righteousness and obedience to our Lord, the Bible teaches us that we will die in our sins. We will not inherit eternal life with God regardless of what our lips profess. For Jesus said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God the Father in heaven. So if sin is what you practice, heaven is not your eternal destiny.

[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 2:3-6,15-17; 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]

In Harmony  

An Original Work / September 2, 2012

Based off Ro. 12:9-21; 1 Pet. 3:8-17

Love each other truly. 

Cling to what is good.

Hate all that is evil. 

Never lack in zeal.

Serve the Lord with fervor. 

Joyful in hope be;

Patient in affliction; 

Praying faithfully.

Honor one another. 

Live in harmony.

Share with all God’s people

Who are found in need.

Do not be conceited.

Sympathetic be.

Love, and show compassion

In humility.

Keep your tongue from evil.

Peaceful you must be.

Honor one another.

Live in harmony.

God sees who are righteous;

Listens to their prayers.

But He’s against evil – 

Is His to avenge.

Do not fear what they fear.

Suffer patiently.

In your hearts, make Christ Lord.

Serve Him faithfully.

Honor one another.

Live in harmony.

https://vimeo.com/112832903 

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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Steadfast in Trials and Persecutions

“Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;

    protect me from those who rise up against me;

deliver me from those who work evil,

    and save me from bloodthirsty men.

For behold, they lie in wait for my life;

    fierce men stir up strife against me.

For no transgression or sin of mine, O Lord,

    for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.

Awake, come to meet me, and see!” (Psalms 59:1-4 ESV)

For we who are followers of Jesus Christ, who are our enemies? They should be the same as those who are enemies of God – Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit – in truth. And if truth be told, God’s enemies are all who are still walking in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord and who are not walking in his holiness and righteousness, in obedience to his commands. And they are all who alter his character and his gospel message to make them more acceptable to human flesh and to the ungodly of this world.

And among his enemies are many who profess faith in Jesus Christ, some of whom are preachers and teachers of the word and who serve as pastors and elders in what are called “churches,” but which are really businesses of men being marketed to the people of the world, incorporated under the state. One with the world, they are following the business models for how to “grow their churches” and for how to “draw in large crowds of people from the world” into their gatherings (their businesses). The Holy Spirit is pushed out.

So, because they are followers of man and of marketing schemes and of diluted gospel messages which appeal to human flesh, because their goal is to attract the world to their gatherings, and/or because they want to continue in deliberate and habitual sin while claiming Jesus as Savior and heaven as their eternal destiny, many are those who are wolves in sheep’s clothing whose purpose is to deceive and to trick and to manipulate. They willfully deceive, make false promises, and betray others routinely.

“Each evening they come back,

    howling like dogs

    and prowling about the city.

There they are, bellowing with their mouths

    with swords in their lips—

    for ‘Who,’ they think, ‘will hear us?’

But you, O Lord, laugh at them;

    you hold all the nations in derision.” (Psalms 59:6-8 ESV)

Now, God does not promise to keep us from being mistreated, hated, rejected, and falsely accused by our (and his) enemies. In fact, in the New Testament, he and his NT apostles told us that if we follow Jesus Christ with our lives that we will be hated and persecuted as he was. Those who are enemies of God will not like (approve of) us if we are following Jesus Christ in obedience to his commands. And so they may look for ways to try to trip us up so that they will have cause to accuse us, as Jesus’ enemies did him.

But the Lord will deliver us through our times of mistreatment and persecution and rejection. Sometimes it may be physical removal from such as this, while other times it will be the strength and endurance and wisdom and grace that we need to walk through these difficult situations in the power of God. For our God is completely sovereign and in control over everything that he has made, and nothing can thwart his purposes, and evil people are only able to do evil if God allows it to happen, for a time.

But we need never to fear what evil other humans might do to us, or attempt to do to us, for if God allows it, he will see us through it. God will accomplish his purposes in and through our lives for his glory if we remain steadfast in trials and persecutions, and if we keep trusting in him to work all things for good for us who love (obey) him, who have been called according to his purpose. We have to just keep believing that he has all things under his control and that it is all going to work out for our ultimate good.

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 12:49-53; Luke 21:12-19; John 15:1-21; John 16:33; John 17:14; Acts 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Eph 6:10-20; 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]

“O my Strength, I will watch for you,

    for you, O God, are my fortress.

My God in his steadfast love will meet me;

    God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.”

“But I will sing of your strength;

    I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.

For you have been to me a fortress

    and a refuge in the day of my distress.” (Psalms 59:9-10,16)

Now, under the New Covenant, we are taught that we are to love our enemies. We are to pray for them, and do good to them, and say to them what will be of benefit to them in the eyes of God. And we are to forgive them and to not retaliate, and not get even, no matter what they do to us or how often they do it. But forgiveness is never permission to keep on in deliberate and habitual sin. Forgiveness says, “Go and sin no more.” So forgiveness of sin is never free license to keep on in deliberate sin.

And God will give us that (agape) love for our enemies. And he will give us the power and the desire to forgive. For Jesus loved us while we were still his enemies, and he gave his life up for us on that cross to forgive us and to deliver us out of our slavery (addiction) to sin, for those who are repentant and who obey his commands. So if God (the Son of God), who is perfect and without sin, can love and forgive us our sins, how can we who are sinners by nature not forgive others their sins? And how can we not show them love?

In Harmony  

An Original Work / September 2, 2012

Based off Romans 12:9-21; 1 Peter 3:8-17

Love each other truly. 

Cling to what is good.

Hate all that is evil. 

Never lack in zeal.

Serve the Lord with fervor. 

Joyful in hope be;

Patient in affliction; 

Praying faithfully.

Honor one another. 

Live in harmony.

Share with all God’s people

Who are found in need.

Do not be conceited.

Sympathetic be.

Love, and show compassion

In humility.

Keep your tongue from evil.

Peaceful you must be.

Honor one another.

Live in harmony.

God sees who are righteous;

Listens to their prayers.

But He’s against evil – 

Is His to avenge.

Do not fear what they fear.

Suffer patiently.

In your hearts, make Christ Lord.

Serve Him faithfully.

Honor one another.

Live in harmony.

https://vimeo.com/112832903 

They Seem Eager to Know God's Ways

I read in Isaiah 58 (NIV). And I began with verse 11:

“The Lord will guide you always;

    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land

    and will strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

    like a spring whose waters never fail.”

I have a little card holder that has memory Scriptures on index cards with little devotions on the backs of them, and this was today’s verse. But I wanted to know the context of this, so I read Isaiah 58:1-11 to get the context. For this was to be the context of today’s Video Talk (linked below).

The people of God of that time were living in rebellion against the Lord. Even though they seemed eager to know God’s ways – as if they were a nation that did what is right and had not forsaken God’s commands, and so they were fasting, thinking that God should be pleased – they were habitually and deliberately sinning against God. Yet they were asking God for just decisions and they seemed eager for God to come near them.

So, they were griping and complaining to God, thinking that he was not noticing their fasting, and so God answered them back. He let them know what he saw, which was that on the day of their fasting that they did as they pleased, not as was pleasing to God. They exploited their workers, and they were engaged in quarreling and strife, and they struck each other with wicked fists. And so he told them plainly that they could not fast as they did and expect their voice to be heard on high.

And then he let them know that the kind of fast that He has chosen, and that is acceptable to him, is to loose the chains of injustice and to untie the cords of the yoke, and to set the oppressed free. It is for them to stop doing evil to others and to treat others with love and kindness, just like he is saying to the church today to stop committing adultery and living in sexual immorality and lying and cheating and doing harm to other humans but to do good to them and to love them as God loves us.

And it was for them to share their food with the hungry and to provide shelter for the poor wanderer, and when they saw the naked to clothe them, and to not turn away from their own flesh and blood. But even many who are doing good to strangers are turning away from their own flesh and blood and they are deliberately and habitually sinning against them knowing that they are doing harm to them. And this must not be!

But when you turn away from your sinful practices, and you choose to do right in the eyes of God and to treat other people with love and not hate, and you choose to follow Jesus in obedience to his ways, then you will be blessed of God and you will call and God will answer you. And then the Lord will guide you always and will strengthen you and help you. And this is not just Old Testament. The New Testament teaches the same.

[Matt 7:21-23; 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; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 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]

Anyway, this is the subject the Lord had me talk about in today’s Video Talk, and he had me share some of my own testimony as part of this lesson, too:

They Seem Eager to Know God’s Ways

Video Talk

October 15, 2022

https://youtu.be/HawowNVF0aw

Caution: This link may contain ads 

They Set a Net for My Steps

“They set a net for my steps;

    my soul was bowed down.

They dug a pit in my way,

    but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah

My heart is steadfast, O God,

    my heart is steadfast!

I will sing and make melody!

    Awake, my glory!

Awake, O harp and lyre!

    I will awake the dawn!

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;

    I will sing praises to you among the nations.

For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,

    your faithfulness to the clouds.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

    Let your glory be over all the earth!” (Psalms 57:6-11 ESV)

Who are “they”? They are those who trample on us who are following Jesus Christ with our lives. They are liars, deceivers, manipulators, and tricksters. They are accusers (falsely) of those who are upright in heart, i.e. who are following Jesus Christ with their lives. And they are preachers and teachers of “the Word” who are teaching lies and who are teaching Scriptures out of context and who are twisting them to say what “itching ears” want to hear. And many of them are “marketeers” selling a product to please the flesh.

Therefore, if you are one of the few (who are following the narrow path) who take the Scriptures to heart, and who believe what they teach, in context, and who are sharing the truth of the gospel, and not the lies, you will likely be hated and persecuted by these liars who trample on the truth of the gospel and on those who are still teaching the truth. For they are learning in their training to get rid of those with “strong convictions” who might bring to light those things hidden in darkness and might expose the lies being told.

So, what kinds of “nets” do they set for our steps? Many of these modern-day preachers and evangelists are being trained in marketing schemes and goals and techniques in what to do or to not do in order to “draw in large crowds of people into their gatherings.” And these schemes will often supersede the teachings of the Scriptures, for they are wanting to attract the world to their gatherings in order to grow their “churches,” i.e. their businesses, and to build their earthly kingdoms.

So, if you are someone who holds to the truths of the Scriptures, taught in context, you may be ostracized, rejected, cast aside as unwanted, rebuked, encouraged to change course, encouraged to compromise with the world, lied about, falsely accused of wrongdoing, and otherwise mistreated and rejected and told to “go someplace else where you will be a better fit.” You may be treated as the enemy within the gatherings of what are called “churches” (businesses marketed to the world), and therefore dumped.

For so much of what are called “churches” here in America today are just businesses of human origin incorporated under the state, and thus they are “state churches,” i.e. not the church of the living God, the body of Christ, with Christ only as her head. There may be genuine believers in Christ among them, but they are mixed in with the people of the world, and the goals and objectives come largely from marketing books and seminars, and they are not the goals and objectives of Christ for his church.

So, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are to keep steady our paths of following Jesus Christ in walks of obedience to his commands, in holy living, and in daily putting our sins to death, by the Spirit. And we are to hold on to the truths of the Scriptures, taught in their appropriate context, which we are to be living, in practice, and which we are to be sharing with other people. And we are not to let any opposition get us down and discouraged to where we give up or to where we retreat and to where we cave to conformity.

And the most critical thing we must hold fast to, and which we must be sharing with other people, is the truth of the gospel as taught by Jesus Christ and by his NT apostles (in context). For they taught that Jesus gave his life up for us on that cross in order that we might now die with Christ to sin and live to him and to his righteousness in walks of obedience to his commands in holy living. And if sin is what we practice, and not obedience to God, and not righteousness, we do not have eternal life with God.

[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 2:3-6,15-17; 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]

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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The Perfect Storm

Lies, deceptions, all around.

Character actors on the ground,

Spinning, spin webs of deceit.

So that others they defeat.

Tricks and trappings are their game.

They treat all of us the same.

Getting us to fight each other,

Christian brother against brother.

Left and right, and black and white,

They want all of us to fight.

Chaos, chaos is their game.

They turn the world to insane.

Fakery, fakery – all’s about,

Getting us to our God doubt.

Wanting us to believe them,

Following in their diadem. 

So, they throw us a curve ball,

Echoes, echoes, through the hall.

Hoping we will take the bait,

And that others we will hate.

Then a prince in shining armor

Suddenly appears on the scene.

He’s got just the fix we need,

So that we can live serene.

“Peace and safety,” promises him, 

If we will bow to his diadem.

“No more worries,” so he says,

“Trust me, and I’ll be your head.”

But he’s a liar straight from hell

Who wants to put us in a spell.

Incantation, that’s his game

So the strong will now be lame.

So be wise. Don’t be a fool.

Put on your armor as a tool.

Fight the good fight of the faith.

And don’t e’er take of their bait.

Trust in God, your ONLY LORD,

Use that mighty, mighty sword.

Speak the truth and fight the lies.

You will then save many lives.

An Original Work / June 5, 2020

Till the Storms of Destruction Pass By

“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,

    for in you my soul takes refuge;

in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,

    till the storms of destruction pass by.

I cry out to God Most High,

    to God who fulfills his purpose for me.

He will send from heaven and save me;

    he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah

God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!

“My soul is in the midst of lions;

    I lie down amid fiery beasts—

the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,

    whose tongues are sharp swords.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

    Let your glory be over all the earth!” (Psalms 57:1-5 ESV)

I live in the United States of America. Right now our nation is in a pivotal year because it is the year when the people of this nation, who are registered to vote, are in the process of choosing what man or woman that they want to lead them for the next four years (2025-2029). And so there is much discussion going on in people’s blogs, on social media, in the news media, and on YouTube and other sites regarding the candidates for the US presidency, and with regard to their qualifications and desired outcomes.

Now, over the past 20 years, the Lord has been showing me and teaching me about my nation and its beginnings and its leaders and who they are and what they are doing, and how that all fits in with prophecy of Scripture regarding these last days before the return of Christ. So the Lord led me to read many articles on various subjects in combination with where I was reading in the Scriptures. And I learned much about my nation and its government and military and their actions in the other nations of this world.

Based upon my years of research into these subjects, as being led by the Lord in what to read, my understanding of it all is that the USA (on a national and governmental level) is not who they purport themselves to be. Our leaders are not the ones truly running our country, but there is a small number of very powerful and wealthy people who are called “the shadow government” who are the ones running this nation, and the ones truly taking over the rest of the world (as is described in Revelation 13).

I believe that the USA is the woman who rides the beast, i.e. Babylon, and that she does the bidding of this beast (the wealthy and powerful elites) who comprise the all seeing eye of Horus, which is one of our national symbols hovering over top of an unfinished pyramid (the rest of us) on our $1 bill. Left and right politically are for show only, for they are really two sides of the same whole putting on a performance for the people of this nation so that we think we have a choice, and to get us fighting with each other, too.

Now that is very high level, and it is what I remember, and I have read thousands of documents over these years, probably many of which are no longer available, for this was back when the internet was not as locked down as it is now. So, “the storms of destruction” in our present time, I believe, have to do with the plots of the US government, which are under the headship of the “shadow government,” to deceive the American people to believe their lies and their performances, and one day it will be evident.

One day what they have been planning for us, and for the people of the whole world, is all going to come crashing down upon us, and then some people’s eyes will be opened to see that they were being deceived, and hopefully they will then turn to the Lord and follow him in his ways and not put their dependency any longer in human beings to save them. For I believe the whole political scene as we have it right now is all a distraction, and a means of dividing people, so that they can conquer us.

One day God is going to judge “Babylon,” which I believe includes the institutional market-driven “churches” incorporated under the state which are in an unholy union with the world, with big business, and with the US government. I believe the Scriptures warn us about such as this, and that they call us to come out from among those who are the ungodly and who have turned the temple of God (the body of Christ, the church) into a marketplace and have partnered with the world and the ungodly.

[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]

So, I don’t put my trust in any human being to lead me in the right path, for so many liars and deceivers and manipulators of truth are among us, and who are spreading lies and who are deceiving the masses. Many people have bought into their lies and are following “Pied Pipers” to their deaths. Many people are putting their trust in human beings to save them from what ails our nations, which they should not do, and so many of these politicians are just putting on performances to distract, divide, and deceive the people.

Whether or not you agree with me on any of what I have shared with you, the Bible warns us that this time is coming. So, as Christians, we need to be paying attention to what is going on in our countries and in the world, and we need to be praying for spiritual discernment so that we do not get caught up in the lies of the enemy and end up following after liars and deceivers who will lead us down the wrong path. And we need to be putting our trust in God alone to save us, and we must be walking in obedience to him.

Instead of us exalting human beings, we need to be exalting our Lord, and we need to be praying for the salvation of human souls. And we need to be sharing the truth of the gospel with the people of the world so that many will turn away from their sins and now follow the Lord Jesus in obedience to his commands in holy living. For, whether we like it or not, time is not on our side, and the things prophesied in the Scriptures regarding these last days are taking place, and more is yet to come.

God is going to pour out his wrath upon this world and the people of this world, and Christian persecution will be everywhere. So we need to be those whose lives are surrendered to Jesus Christ as Lord, who are testing what we hear from other people, who are not believing the lies of the enemy, but who are believing the truth of God’s word. And that truth includes the promises of God, which have conditions, as well as it includes the warnings of God with regard to these last days and our need to make him our Lord.

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 12:49-53; Luke 21:12-19; John 15:1-21; John 16:33; John 17:14; Acts 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Eph 6:10-20; 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]

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

Doers, Not Hearers Only

 

Are You One Who Hates Discipline?

 

“But to the wicked God says:

    ‘What right have you to recite my statutes

    or take my covenant on your lips?

For you hate discipline,

    and you cast my words behind you.

If you see a thief, you are pleased with him,

    and you keep company with adulterers.’” (Psalms 50:16-18 ESV) 

Who are the wicked? They are all who despise the commandments of God. And what does that look like? They do not obey the Lord’s commands but they chart their own course, instead, and they walk in the ways of the flesh and in their sinful practices. Sin is their practice and not righteousness, godliness, moral purity, honesty, faithfulness, and obedience to our Lord. And some or many of them are also those who profess faith in Jesus Christ, even some pastors. But their actions do not match their professions of faith.

And that is exactly what this passage is talking about. It is talking about those who recite the statutes of God (the Scriptures) and who take his covenant upon their lips (make professions of faith in Jesus Christ). But they hate discipline. And so they cast the words of the Lord behind them, and they ignore them when what they want to do opposes the commands of God. And so they do not live honest, godly, and morally pure lives, to the glory of God, but they take pride and glory in their own flesh.

And then they come up with all sorts of excuses and rationalizations for why they still keep returning to their vomit, i.e. for why they keep repeating the same deliberate and defiant and habitual sins in the face of God and against God and against their spouses and their children, and against others who also profess faith in Jesus Christ. They claim Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and heaven as their eternal destiny, but they hate the discipline of the Lord, and they will not bow to the Lord and give up their sinful practices.

And as far as the idea of keeping company with adulterers, several things come to mind here. The first one is that so many professing Christians today are addicted to pornography and to sexual sin of various kinds. And if not pornography, per se, then to sexually charged and sexually explicit material of various kinds, such as movies, music, video games, sex texting, and the like. And the other thing that comes to mind are these self-help groups where men (mostly) are in fellowship with other men addicted to porn.

“You give your mouth free rein for evil,

    and your tongue frames deceit.

You sit and speak against your brother;

    you slander your own mother's son.

These things you have done, and I have been silent;

    you thought that I was one like yourself.

But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.” (Psalms 50:19-21 ESV)

Gossip has always been a problem, and it still is. But I find that putting other people down and talking badly about others without their knowledge so that they cannot defend their own honor seems to be rampant. And so people form their opinions of other people based upon what they are hearing others say about them, and this can do so much harm to the ones being talked about. It can do great damage to their reputations, as people judge them. Mocking other people who are different from us seems to be for sport, too. 

Do we need to call out false teachers? Yes! Do we need to exercise church discipline against those within the gatherings of the church who are sinning against others without true repentance, who are sinning deliberately and habitually? Yes! Do we need to call out rampant and deliberate and habitual sin in the lives of those professing faith in Jesus Christ? Yes! For their own rescue! But we should not be gossiping about one another behind each other’s backs, especially if we are spreading lies and are slandering others.

“Mark this, then, you who forget God,

    lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!

The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;

    to one who orders his way rightly

    I will show the salvation of God!” (Psalms 50:22-23 ESV)

So, what is God saying here? And please know that this is not Old Covenant teaching only. This is what the New Testament Scriptures teach, too. There is a solemn warning here against deliberately and habitually forgetting the Lord and his commandments, especially so that one can commit deliberate and habitual sins against God. And the warning is that if one continues on that course and does not repent of his evil ways, he will not be rewarded with heaven, but he will die in his sins and face the judgment of God.

But on the plus side of this, God lets us know that those of us who order our ways rightly and who demonstrate by our actions true thanksgiving to our Lord for what he sacrificed for us on that cross, we will receive salvation from sin. And in the New Testament Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our sinful lifestyles, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow our Lord in obedience, in practice, then we have the hope of eternal life with God.

And Jesus said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God the Father. Many will stand before the Lord on the day of judgment, calling him “Lord” and claiming all the things they did in his name, and he is going to say to them, “I never knew you. Depart from me you workers of lawlessness,” because they refused to submit to the Lord and to obey his commandments, but they went their own way, instead. (Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 2:21-23)

So, please know what the Scriptures teach. Read them in context. Compare the Old Covenant teachings with the New Covenant teachings, for much of what was taught to the people under the Old Covenant is repeated for us in the New Testament under the New Covenant. For God has not changed, and his moral laws have not changed. Obedience to God, submission to his will, and the forsaking of our sins is still demanded by God as part of genuine faith and for salvation from sin and for eternal life with God.

[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 2:3-6,15-17; 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]

Trust and Obey  

Words by John H. Sammis, 1887

Music by Daniel B. Towner, 1887

When we walk with the Lord 

in the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will, 

He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey. 

Not a shadow can rise, 

not a cloud in the skies,

But His smile quickly drives it away;

Not a doubt or a fear, 

not a sigh or a tear,

Can abide while we trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear, 

not a sorrow we share,

But our toil He doth richly repay;

Not a grief or a loss, 

not a frown or a cross,

But is blessed if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove 

the delights of His love

Until all on the altar we lay;

For the favor He shows, 

for the joy He bestows,

Are for them who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet 

We will sit at His feet.

Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.

What He says we will do, 

Where He sends we will go;

Never fear, only trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB4KcleYiWM

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Lead Me, Lord, in Your Truth

Psalms 25:4-5 ESV

“Make me to know your ways, O Lord;

    teach me your paths.

Lead me in your truth and teach me,

    for you are the God of my salvation;

    for you I wait all the day long.”

In the talk video that follows here, I shared a little bit of my testimony of God’s calling on my life to write down what he teaches me from his word each day and to post it on the internet so that the internet could take it to the people. But the main thrust of what the Lord led me to share here is of the importance of reading the Scriptures in their context.

Back in 2004, when the Lord called me to this present ministry, he had me read through the Bible, in context. I don’t think I had ever read through the entire Bible before, so it was a very educational and spiritually enlightening experience for me. I was able to connect many “dots” that I hadn’t connected before, regarding biblical history, and that was most helpful.

And then he had me primarily reading from the Psalms through to Revelation and then back to the Psalms through to Revelation, and this went on for about 12 years, from like 2004 to 2016. And what this did for me was to teach me the Scriptures in their context. And I learned many things I didn’t know before, and I had to unlearn some things I had learned wrongly.

So, the encouragement here is to make certain that you read the Scriptures in their context, for many false doctrines come from Scriptures taught outside their context. And then test everything you read or hear or think you see coming from others who profess to teach the Scriptures to make certain that what they are sharing with you is the truth. But test them against the Scriptures in their full context. For, if we want the Lord to lead us in his truth, then we need to read the Scriptures in their appropriate context.

Lead Me, Lord, in Your Truth

Video Talk

October 14, 2022

https://youtu.be/bm_5AbMoz2Q

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In The World About Us

Psalms 46:1-11 ESV

“God is our refuge and strength,

    a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,

    though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam,

    though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah” (vv. 1-3)

If we are following Jesus Christ with our lives in humble surrender to his will for our lives in walks of obedience to his commands and in holy living, in practice, then when the world is falling apart all around us, and so many things appear to be so hopeless, we can draw on the strength of the Lord to get us through any and every situation. We can believe in his sovereignty over all things and know that he has a purpose in all that he allows to go on in our lives and in the world about us. 

“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

    the holy habitation of the Most High.

God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;

    God will help her when morning dawns.

The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;

    he utters his voice, the earth melts.

The Lord of hosts is with us;

    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah” (vv. 4-7)

What is this “city of God” today? It is not physical Jerusalem, for she is now of Hagar, the slave woman, because she is still in slavery with her children. It is the Jerusalem that is from above, the holy city of God, his church, of which all who believe in Jesus Christ with genuine faith are a part. We who believe in Jesus Christ with genuine God-persuaded faith, whether Jew or Gentile by physical birth, are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise God made with Abraham and his seed, Jesus Christ.

We who believe in Jesus Christ are now God’s holy temple, his holy people, a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession. We who were Gentiles (by physical birth) were once not a people, but now we are God’s people by faith in Jesus Christ. And now we are the children of promise along with all Jews who believe in Jesus Christ. For us Gentiles are fellow heirs with believing Jews, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

[Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19; John 8:18-19,38-47; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 9:4-8; Romans 11:17-25; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:6; Colossians 3:12-15; Titus 2:14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16; Hebrews 8:6-13; 1 Peter 2:9-10; 1 John 2:22; Jude 1:5; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9]  

We are the protected of God. We are his holy habitation, for he dwells within the hearts and lives of those who have been crucified with Christ in death to sin and 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 (Romans 6:1-23). God is in our midst. God is our help and our strength when the nations rage and kingdoms totter, which they are tottering one by one. But the Lord of hosts is with us and the God of Jacob is our fortress. Amen!

“Come, behold the works of the Lord,

    how he has brought desolations on the earth.

He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

    he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

    he burns the chariots with fire.

‘Be still, and know that I am God.

    I will be exalted among the nations,

    I will be exalted in the earth!’

The Lord of hosts is with us;

    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah” (vv. 8-11)

We are not promised “smooth sailing” in this life we have been given by God. In fact, Jesus and his NT apostles let us know quite clearly that we can expect opposition and rejection and persecution as part of our walks of faith and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. We can expect trials and tribulations and difficulties and sufferings which come into our lives to try our faith to test it to see if it is genuine. For through suffering we learn obedience and perseverance and steadfastness of faith and purpose.

But God does allow wars and desolations and difficulties or they could not exist. It doesn’t mean he is for wars or evil of any kind, but he allows evil to exist and for evil people to do evil. For to remove all evil he would have to remove all of us who are born with sin natures. But these things will take place, yet God will use these situations as his judgments on his adulterous and idolatrous church in order to bring them to repentance and to renewed faith in Jesus Christ before our Lord returns (see Revelation 2-3).

So, when these things take place, which they will, we are not to be unsettled by them. But we are to be determined in heart, mind, and spirit to remain faithful to the Lord and to fight off the attacks of our enemy with the armor of God – with faith, righteousness, truth, the word of God, the gospel of Christ, our salvation, and prayer. And we are to be still and to know that God is God, fully sovereign over all. He will be exalted among the nations and in the earth. He can bring desolations and he can make wars cease, too.

[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]

The important thing for us is that, in all things and in all situations, we are to keep our hope, our trust, and our faith in the Lord. We are to believe that he is in control, and that his purposes will be accomplished in whatever happens in our lives and on this earth. For his ultimate goal is our salvation from sin and our spiritual union with him in walks of obedience to his commands (New Covenant) and in holy living. Then when Jesus returns, we will get to be with him for eternity, and we won’t end up in hell.

[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] 

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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The Words Not Sticking

Time is ticking, words are pricking,

With most folks the words not sticking –

Taking shelter in their covers,

Going after other lovers.

Dancing dances, taking chances,

Looking for more new romances,

Happenstances, stealing glances,

In his pride the ruler prances.

His dominion, he’s the leader,

Fleshly lusts, they are his feeder.

Perfect setups are his steps up

To whatever gets him stirred up.

Live by feelings and bad dealings,

Lying, cheating, looks they’re stealing,

Truth has now been torn asunder,

Lies are now what their mouths thunder.

Sad so many lies a plenty

Taking over lives in envy.

So, so many will not listen

To the Bible, godly wisdom.

An Original Work / August 3, 2022

“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed” (John 3:19-20 ESV).

A Stronghold in Times of Trouble

Psalms 37:12-15,39-40 ESV

“The wicked plots against the righteous

    and gnashes his teeth at him,

but the Lord laughs at the wicked,

    for he sees that his day is coming.

“The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows

    to bring down the poor and needy,

    to slay those whose way is upright;

their sword shall enter their own heart,

    and their bows shall be broken.”

“The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;

    he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.

The Lord helps them and delivers them;

    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,

    because they take refuge in him.”

Who are the wicked? They are all who behave wickedly. They are all who deliberately and habitually do what is evil. They are liars, adulterers, slanderers, the unfaithful, the sexually immoral, cheaters, haters, abusers, tricksters, and/or deceivers. And sadly so, many of them are also professers of faith in Jesus Christ who are convinced that their sins no longer matter to God and that they can keep on in their sins and still go to heaven when they die. And some are mockers and persecutors of those of genuine faith.

For many who make professions of faith in Jesus Christ, but who deliberately and habitually sin against God and against other humans, are those who contend with and who oppose the truth of the gospel of Christ. And they are those who create their own gods out of their own minds to suit their own lifestyles of choice. And so they deny Christ by their actions, and they alter the message of the gospel to make it more appealing and acceptable to the ungodly and to human flesh. For they despise the truth.

So, they are against the righteous, i.e. those who are living righteously in the power of God, by the grace of God. And that is because the righteous are a reminder to them of their own sinfulness, and so they resent them. And some are bitter against them because they walk in the ways of God and not in the ways of the flesh. And so they want to bring them down. They want to trip them up. They are like Jesus’ opponents who were always trying to find a way to accuse Jesus of wrongdoing because they hated him.

And if they can’t trip them up, then they want to get rid of them, and so many of them do plot evil against those who are righteous in the sight of God (because righteousness is their practice, and not evil). And so they will find ways to injure and to hurt them. They want to hurt them because they resent them. And sadly some of these wicked are pastors and elders in church congregations (or in what are called “churches”) but who are wolves in sheep’s clothing out to deceive the sheep.

And that is another reason that they hate the righteous is because the righteous speak the truth, and the righteous confront the lies, and the righteous expose liars and deception. And so they want to silence them because they do not want their deceptions to be exposed and because they want to continue on deceiving and leading people astray. And so they will look for ways to “take them out” and to shut them up so that other people will not listen to them so that the liars can continue in their lies.

It really is not much different from how Jesus was treated by his persecutors who ended up plotting and carrying out his death on a cross after years of trying to trip him up with his words in order to accuse him of wrongdoing. They falsely arrested him, and falsely charged him with wrongdoing. And they beat him and mocked him and spit on him and put a crown of thorns on his head before they led him to a cross to hang there to die. And then I am sure many celebrated his death, believing they had put an end to him.

But God is going to judge us all one day by our deeds (works). And those who have sown to the flesh will reap destruction (death), while those who have sown to the Spirit will reap eternal life. Those who chose their sins over God will be cast away and they will not inherit eternal life with God while those who walked in holiness and in righteousness, in obedience to the Lord, by God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ, in the power of God, will be welcomed into God’s eternal kingdom.

[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 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 4:17-24; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; 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; 1 Pet 1:17-21; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

So, if you are being mistreated for righteousness’ sake, even by others who profess faith in Jesus Christ, some of whom might even be pastors, be encouraged. If by faith in Jesus Christ you are walking in obedience to the Lord in holy living, and you are not walking in sin, the Lord is your stronghold. He is your support. He will carry you through every difficult situation and he will give you the grace to withstand all opposition if you take refuge in him and if you follow his lead and don’t give way to fear.

[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]

I Just Keep Trusting My Lord

By John W. Peterson

I just keep trusting my Lord as I walk a long

I just keep trusting my Lord and He gives a song

Though the storm clouds darken the sky o'er the heav'nly trail

I just keep trusting my Lord, He will never fail

He's a faithful friend, such a faithful friend

I can count on Him to the very end

Though the storm clouds darken the sky o'er the heav'nly trail

I just keep trusting my Lord, He will never fail

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8R9Kb8krko

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Trust and Obey

Words by John H. Sammis, 1887

Music by Daniel B. Towner, 1887

When we walk with the Lord 

in the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will, 

He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey. 

Not a shadow can rise, 

not a cloud in the skies,

But His smile quickly drives it away;

Not a doubt or a fear, 

not a sigh or a tear,

Can abide while we trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear, 

not a sorrow we share,

But our toil He doth richly repay;

Not a grief or a loss, 

not a frown or a cross,

But is blessed if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove 

the delights of His love

Until all on the altar we lay;

For the favor He shows, 

for the joy He bestows,

Are for them who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet 

We will sit at His feet.

Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.

What He says we will do, 

Where He sends we will go;

Never fear, only trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KB4KcleYiWM

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Don't Fear What Evildoers Will Do

Psalms 37:1-2 ESV

“Fret not yourself because of evildoers;

    be not envious of wrongdoers!

For they will soon fade like the grass

    and wither like the green herb.”

Who are the evildoers? They are those who make it their practice to do evil. They are liars, adulterers, murderers, slanderers, idolaters, mischief makers, haters, tricksters, charlatans, the unfaithful, and the sexually immoral, etc. They are those who plot evil against others and who carry out their evil plans. So they are those who deliberately and habitually sin against God, who made them, and against their fellow humans, without conscience.

We don’t always know their evil plots, but sometimes we do, for sometimes we are recipients of those evil plots. And in most cases we have no influence and no control over what these evil people do and plot against us, especially if they are people in high up positions in governments and in the corporate world and even in church denominations. Yes, evildoers exist within the gatherings of what are called churches, too. And some of them are pastors.

So, we just commit our lives into the hands of God, and we trust in his sovereignty over our lives, and we believe that nothing will touch us unless God allows it for a purpose, and he will carry us through it. And we are definitely not to worry because worry is lack of faith, and worry never changes anything for the good, but it just destroys us from within. If God allows it to happen in our lives he will provide what we need to survive it.

Psalms 37:3-7 ESV

“Trust in the Lord, and do good;

    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the Lord,

    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

“Commit your way to the Lord;

    trust in him, and he will act.

He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,

    and your justice as the noonday.

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;

    fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,

    over the man who carries out evil devices!”

So, when Satan attacks our minds with all kinds of fearful thoughts, which he sometimes will, we must cast off those fearful thoughts and instead we must put our trust fully in the Lord Jesus. We have no control over what Satan does other than we can resist him, and we can take up the armor of God and fight against him and his evil plots against us. We can tell him “No!” and we can refuse to let him have his way with us.

And then we need to tell the Lord “Yes,” but not just with our lips but with our actions. Instead of giving way to Satan’s evil plots against us, we can put on faith and love, and we can walk in obedience to our Lord, and we can be faithful and live holy and godly lives in the power of God, by his Spirit. For Jesus already won this battle for us. We just have to live like we believe that. For we need to walk by faith and not by sight.

And we need to trust the Lord with our circumstances believing that he has our best in mind. And we have to remember here that he never promised us that life would be easy. In fact he promised us that we would be hated and persecuted as he was, and that we will have trials and tribulations to test our faith, but that these trials and persecutions are for our good to make us into the holy people God wants us to be.

Psalms 37:8-9 ESV

“Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!

    Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.

For the evildoers shall be cut off,

    but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.”

I hate lies! Do you hate lies? I get angry about lies, but so does God. He hates lies, too. So is all anger wrong? No! We read in Ephesians 4 that we are to be angry and sin not, and that we are not to let the sun go down on our anger, and we are to give no opportunity to the devil. Jesus got angry at the money changers in the temple. But that was righteous indignation. We should get angry over the things that anger God.

But we are not to sin in our anger. Anger should be used as a motivator to move us to do what is good. Or it should be used as a motivator to look into our own hearts to examine them to find out why we are angry, for some anger is sinful. Some people are angry people because their hearts are filled with bitterness, unforgiveness, pride, envy, hatred, lust, and greed. They don’t get their way and so they get angry and they lash out in hate.

In James 1 we read that we are to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. But this is not speaking of all anger, for God gets angry, and Jesus got angry, and we are not to sin in our anger, so not all anger is sin. It is the anger of man which comes from human flesh, and not from hearts grieved over all the wickedness in the world, which does not produce righteousness.

And the context helps us understand this, too, for in James 1 it continues by saying that we are to put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save our souls. So clearly the anger here is not righteous anger over the things God gets angry over but it is anger produced in the human flesh of those who are living in filthiness and in rampant wickedness, and that is wrong.

So, if you are angry over all the sin going on inside the gatherings of the church, which is being given full reign at times, it appears, that is a healthy anger, but don’t let it lead to sin. Give it over to the Lord and let him direct it in a good way. For, we are to grieve over all the rampant sin going on within the church today. But if you are angry because you didn’t get your own way, then that is the kind of anger you need to cast off.

And, again, we are not to fret and fear and worry over what evildoers are doing or plotting. But we are to commit our lives and our future into the hands of God and trust him to work it all out for our good. But again, that doesn’t mean that evil won’t be done to us. It will. But we have to keep trusting the Lord that he has a plan and a purpose for it all and then we need to rest in him and commit our ways to him.

[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]

‘Til The Storm Passes By

By Thomas Mosie Lister

In the dark of the midnight have I oft hid my face

While the storm howls above me, and there's no hiding place

'Mid the crash of the thunder, Precious Lord, hear my cry

Keep me safe till the storm passes by

Many times Satan whispered

There is no use to try

For there's no end of sorrow, there's no hope by and by

But I know Thou art with me, and tomorrow I'll rise

Where the storms never darken the skies

Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more

Till the clouds roll forever from the sky

Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand

Keep me safe till the storm passes by

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

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