Have the Faithful Vanished?

“Save, O Lord, for the godly one is gone;

    for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.

Everyone utters lies to his neighbor;

    with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,

    the tongue that makes great boasts,

those who say, ‘With our tongue we will prevail,

    our lips are with us; who is master over us?’” (Psalms 12:1-4 ESV)

What does this look like in today’s world, in September of 2024? Everyone is not like this, right? But sometimes it appears as though the majority are. It seems especially difficult to find godly men among us who fit the biblical qualifications of overseer, elder, and/or deacon. There seem to be few men among us who are full of integrity, honesty, honor, faithfulness, moral purity, and uprightness, who have not sold themselves out to idolatry and to sexual immorality and to diluting the gospel to make it more pleasing to the flesh.

And this isn’t just targeted against men, but they are supposed to be the ones leading us, right? They are the ones who are supposed to be modeling for us what a true biblical Christian should look like and act like. They are to be the pastors and overseers and elders and deacons, and they are supposed to be the head of their households who love their wives as Christ loved the church and who gave himself up for her. And they are to be leading their children in paths of holiness and righteousness, by example.

But from reading the statistics on marital infidelity, on porn addiction, on divorce, and on addiction to sexual immorality, it doesn’t appear that the majority, including some pastors, are following the biblical model for what a man of God should look like, and what an overseer should be like, and what a godly husband and father should look like. Statistics appear to give the opposite impression, as do the actions and the words of many who claim Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior. So many worldly professers of faith.

And, again, this is not targeted just against men, but men are mentioned first because they are the ones given the responsibility by God to be our leaders in the gatherings of the church and in our homes. So when that breaks down, the whole family unit breaks down from what it is designed by God to be. But all of us who profess faith in Jesus Christ are to be those who are walking no longer in sin but in holiness and in righteousness, and in walks of obedience to our Lord’s commands – all in the power of God!

So, this is a call to God to save us from the spiritual condition that so many who profess faith in Jesus Christ are in today, which is far from what God has planned and purposed for our lives. And it is absolutely true that so many now utter lies as just a natural course of life and conversation. Lies and liars abound just about everywhere you look these days – in the home, in the church, in the government, and in the media, etc. And faithfulness, unless it is being faithful to idolatry, also seems to have nearly vanished.

“’Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan,

    I will now arise,’ says the Lord;

    ‘I will place him in the safety for which he longs.’

The words of the Lord are pure words,

    like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,

    purified seven times.

You, O Lord, will keep them;

    you will guard us from this generation forever.

On every side the wicked prowl,

    as vileness is exalted among the children of man.” (Psalms 12:5-8 ESV)

And it isn’t just the physically poor who are being plundered. But it is the poor in spirit, those of genuine walks of faith in Jesus Christ, who take him at his word, and whose lives are committed to death to sin and to living to God and to his righteousness in walks of faithfulness and in obedience to the Lord in holy living. We are being attacked, lied to, lied about, assaulted, and persecuted for righteousness’ sake. And we are largely being marginalized or struck down because we still hold to the gospel that Jesus taught.

Now, with regard to our Lord’s protection, he does not promise us that he will protect us from being hated and mistreated and marginalized and persecuted for the sake of his name, and for the sake of his gospel, and for the sake of righteousness. He tells us plainly that if we follow him with our lives that we will be hated and persecuted as he was hated and persecuted and that some of us will even be put to death for our walks of faith in the Lord. But he will protect us through our trials from giving in to Satan.

But even there we must cooperate with him in his work of grace in our lives, and we must follow him in wherever he leads us in doing what his word commands that we must do. And that includes enduring with patience unjust sufferings and persecutions. And that includes us loving our enemies and praying for them and doing good to them and speaking to them in ways which can be beneficial for them spiritually if they will listen. For it is not our job to get even with people. It is to love and to forgive even our enemies.

Why Are You Afraid?  

An Original Work / December 5, 2013

Based off Various Scriptures

Do not be afraid. 

Your Lord is always by your side.

Serve the Lord in righteousness

Before Him all your days.

Those who hate the light

Will not come to the Lord.

They fear their deeds

Might be noticed.

So, they hate the light,

And they embrace the night.

Do not be afraid,

Although your enemy attacks.

Dare to share your testimony

Of God’s saving grace.

Do not fear their threats,

But honor Christ, your Lord.

Be prepared to give an answer

For the hope you have,

With gentleness; respect.

Why are you afraid?

For all that’s hidden will be shown.

What I tell you, speak in daylight.

Let the truth be known.

Do not be afraid

Of those who’ll take your life.

Fear the Lord with understanding.

Trust Him with your life,

And give not up to strife.

Do not be afraid.

Take courage, it is I, your Lord.

Bow before Me; now adore Me.

Oh, why do you doubt?

Listen to the Lord.

Get up and bear His name!

Run and tell the world He loves them.

Jesus came to save.

Give Him your all today. 

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