Humble in Spirit

Friday, February 6, 2015, 11:00 p.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Broken and Contrite.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Luke 3:1-20 (ESV).

Prepare the Way

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord,

    make his paths straight.

Every valley shall be filled,

    and every mountain and hill shall be made low,

and the crooked shall become straight,

    and the rough places shall become level ways,

and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

John the Baptist, son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, was called of God, even before he was conceived, to prepare people’s hearts to receive Jesus Christ. Isaiah, a Prophet of God, prophesied concerning him many years prior to his birth, as is recorded in Isaiah 40:3-5. In Luke 1 we read the words the angel Gabriel spoke to Zechariah concerning John. He would bring many of the people of Israel back to the Lord, and he would turn the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous – “to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Zechariah said of him, after he was born, that he would give the Lord’s people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of God’s tender mercy. John proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus also taught repentance for the forgiveness of sins and so did the apostles.

Our salvation is and has always been about changed hearts and lives. A straight path is the way of righteousness. Pride will be brought down. The worship of false gods and idolatry of any kind will come crashing down, as well. The emptiness in our hearts, which we have tried to fill with the junk of this world, will be filled with the Holy Spirit and God’s presence - his grace, mercy and peace. Those who are living for sin and self and are doing what is evil in God’s eyes will have a change of heart and mind, and they will be filled up with Christ’s righteousness and will walk in holiness in the power of the Spirit within them. Our fears and anxieties and all our stressing over life and feeling as though we have to make things happen will be overtaken by the peace of God which transcends all human understanding.

It was always in God’s plan that our salvation would be about us turning from sin, being transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God, and following our Lord in obedience and in surrender to his will and purposes for our lives – all in the power and working of the Spirit of God within us, as we cooperate fully with that work (See: Ro. 6-8). This is true grace. If the grace you received does not require repentance (turning from sin) and following Christ in obedience, then it is a false grace, for true grace teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age while we wait for our Lord’s return (See: Tit. 2:11-14). For Jesus Christ died so we would no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave himself up for us (See: 2 Co. 5:15).

In Keeping With Repentance

He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”

A person who is called a “viper” is venomous (deadly or toxic), vicious (nasty and cruel), and treacherous (untrustworthy, deceitful and/or double-crossing). Evidently there were Jews in the crowd who had come to be baptized, but not for the purpose of having changed hearts and minds, but either for the purpose of an outward show or because they believed that performing this ritual would somehow bring about their escape from God’s wrath. In Matthew’s gospel it is recorded that these vipers were among some of the Pharisees and Sadducees, who were known for their religious hypocrisy. They liked to appear righteous on the outside, but inside their hearts were filled with all kinds of wickedness. In other words, their intentions were not pure and their motivations were not sincere.

There are many people today who may pray a prayer to receive Christ because they want to escape hell and have the promise of heaven when they die, but they never turn from their sin and they are convinced that God requires nothing of them in the way of repentance or obedience. They may not be vipers, though some may, but the result is still the same. No transformation of heart and mind has taken place. They are not born anew of the Spirit of God. They have merely gone through a religious exercise, but nothing has really changed other than perhaps they may now attend a religious service once or twice a week and they may clean up some of the bad things they used to do. Jesus did not save us, though, just so our old lives would be a little cleaner and look nicer on the outside. He died to radically change us from the inside out and to make us completely new creations in Christ Jesus.

When we are saved from our sins, we die to our old lives of living for sin and self, we are changed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God, and we now have new lives in Christ, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (See: Eph. 4:17-24). Our lives are no longer our own to be lived how we want, for we were bought with the price of Jesus’ blood shed on the cross for our sins. Our lives are now his to be lived for him and for his purposes and for his glory. How we live our lives from this point on should bear the marks of Jesus, i.e. it should be evident that we have turned from sin to now walk in the Spirit, no longer living to gratify our sinful desires. Instead, our lives should bear evidence that we are walking in Christ’s holiness and righteousness, though not in absolute perfection.

With the Holy Spirit

As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.

John was not the Savior of the people. His baptism could not produce lives transformed of the Holy Spirit, filled with the Spirit, and indwelt by the presence of Almighty God. His baptism could not produce lives born anew of the Spirit of God. He was just a servant of the Lord, a messenger sent to prepare the way for Christ and to prepare people’s hearts to receive Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the one who will cleanse, wash and purify our hearts with the Holy Spirit when we accept God’s invitation to his great salvation by God’s grace, through faith. This faith, as taught by John, Jesus and the apostles, involves us turning from our lives of sin and self, being changed in heart and mind, and walking in the Spirit in Christ’s righteousness and holiness. When we believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, we are filled with the Spirit of God who then serves as our counselor, guide, teacher, and comforter, and who gives us the power and strength to live godly and holy lives.

So, if you have bought into a false grace, and you have believed that simply praying a prayer gets you your escape from hell and the promise of heaven but that you are not required to repent of your sins or to obey Christ’s commandments, then I pray you will examine the scriptures carefully, for that is not what they teach. In fact, in the book of 1 John we read that if we say we have fellowship with God but we continue to walk in sin, i.e. to live for sin and self, we are liars and the truth is not in us. It also says that if we say we know or we love God, but we do not keep Christ’s commandments (his word – his teachings and his instructions to us) that we are liars, and we don’t really know God. Obedience (not in sinless perfection) to what the Word teaches us is required for salvation (See: Ro. 6:16; Heb. 5:9; 1 Jn. 2:3-5; 3:24; 5:3; 2 Jn. 1:6; 1 Pet. 1:2), as is repentance (See: Acts 3:19-20; 17:29-31; 20:21; 26:20b; II Co. 7:10; II Tim 2:25-26; II Pet 3:9).

Broken and Contrite / An Original Work / May 13, 2012

I come before You, Lord, my Savior,

With humble heart and crushed in spirit.

I bow before You, I implore You,

Heal my broken heart, I pray.

Love You, Jesus, Lord, my master,

You are the King of my heart.

Lord, purify my heart within me;

Sanctify me, whole within.

I come before You, Lord, my Savior,

With humble heart and crushed in spirit.

I bow before You, I implore You,

Heal my broken heart, I pray.

Oh, Lord, I long to obey fully

The words You’ve spoken through Your Spirit.

I pray You give me grace and mercy,

Strength and wisdom to obey.

Father God, my heart’s desire,

Won’t You set my heart on fire?

Lord, cleanse my heart of all that hinders

My walk with You, now I pray.

Oh, Lord, I long to obey fully

The words You’ve spoken through Your Spirit.

I pray You give me grace and mercy,

Strength and wisdom to obey.

Oh, Jesus, Savior, full of mercy,

My heart cries out for understanding.

I want to follow You in all ways,

Never straying from Your truth.

Holy Spirit, come in power,

Fill me with Your love today.

Lord, mold and make me;

Your hands formed me;

Live Your life through me, I pray.

Oh, Jesus, Savior, full of mercy,

My heart cries out for understanding.

I want to follow You in all ways,

Never straying from Your truth.

http://originalworks.info/broken-and-contrite/

https://vimeo.com/118841304

That We Might Serve Him

Friday, February 6, 2015, 4:00 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Full Release.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Luke 1:39-80 (selected ESV).

As You Have Said

From Luke 1:1-38

Zechariah and Elizabeth were advanced in years and had no children. The angel Gabriel visited Zechariah, a priest in the temple, when he was burning incense. He told him that he and Elizabeth were going to have a son, and that his name was to be called John. He told him that John would be great in the sight of the Lord, and that he would be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from birth. John was to be a servant of the Lord who would turn the hearts of people back to God, and who would prepare the way for the Lord Jesus. Nonetheless, Zechariah did not believe the angel, so he was struck mute until after the child was born.

When Elizabeth was six months pregnant, Gabriel made a visit to a virgin girl named Mary. Mary was highly favored of God to be the mother of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Mary believed what the angel told her. She responded by saying, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” Awesome! Revival would break out in the church if the followers of Jesus Christ all began to respond as Mary did. Mary’s response, though, is the essence of what our heart response should be to our Lord when we accept his gift of salvation into our lives. Mary was humble, submissive and willing to die for her Lord. She put her whole life on the altar as a living sacrifice, knowing full well what it might cost her.

The Horn of Salvation

From Luke 1:57-75

The day came when John was born to Zechariah and Elizabeth. When he was 8 days old he was circumcised. This was the day he was to be given his name. Elizabeth said his name was to be “John,” nonetheless their neighbors and relatives questioned her choice of name and thought he should be named after his father. She was firm, though, that his name was “John.” So, the relatives motioned to Zechariah to inquire of him. He asked for a writing tablet, and he wrote down the name “John.” At once his voice returned to him, “and he began to speak, praising God.”

After John was born and Zechariah was able to speak once more, the neighbors were all filled with wonder as to what had just taken place. Word spread quickly about what had just happened. Everyone who heard the story knew that John must be a special child, and they wondered who he was to become, for they knew the Lord’s hand was upon him. Even Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to prophesy. Yet, the first words to come out of his mouth were not about his newborn son, but about the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,

    for he has visited and redeemed his people

and has raised up a horn of salvation for us

    in the house of his servant David,

as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,

that we should be saved from our enemies

    and from the hand of all who hate us;

to show the mercy promised to our fathers

    and to remember his holy covenant,

the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us

    that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,

might serve him without fear,

    in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. ~ Lu. 1:67-75

Jesus Christ, God’s Son, yet to be born of the virgin Mary, at that time, was prophesied concerning by Zechariah. Jesus is the horn of our salvation whom the Father raised up for us in the house of his servant David. Yet, not only did Zechariah prophesy that Jesus Christ is our Redeemer and our Savior, but he prophesied pretty much the full gospel message. Zechariah told, not only of our redemption, i.e. of our deliverance and salvation from sin (our enemy), and of God’s great mercy to us, as was promised to Abraham, but that in rescuing us from our enemies, God would also “enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days” (See vv. 74-75 NIV84).

You see, Jesus Christ did not die on the cross and take upon himself the sins of the entire world just so that we could escape hell and have the promise of heaven when we die. He died so we would no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave himself up for us (See: 2 Co. 5:15). He died so that we would die with him to the sin which once enslaved us and so that we would walk with him daily in the power of the Spirit within us in his holiness and righteousness (See: Lu. 9:23-25; Ac. 26:16-18; Ro. 6-8; Eph. 4:17-24).

His grace to us is not a free license to continue in willful sin without guilt and without remorse. His grace teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age while we wait for his return. Jesus Christ died to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people who are his very own, eager to do what is good (See: Tit. 2:11-14). Our salvation is not just about us being forgiven of our sins, but it is about living for our Lord God while we still live on the face of this earth. He saves us, not just so we can escape hell, but he saves us so we can walk in his purity and holiness, and so we might serve him all of our days.

The Prophet of the Most High

From Luke 1:76-79

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;

    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

to give knowledge of salvation to his people

    in the forgiveness of their sins,

because of the tender mercy of our God,

    whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high

to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,

    to guide our feet into the way of peace.” ~ Luke 1:76-79

John the Baptist was chosen by God to prepare the way for Jesus Christ. He was a witness and a messenger who called people to repentance in preparation for their Lord. He told people about salvation and forgiveness of sins, and of God’s great mercy to us in sending his Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins so that we could be set free of the punishment and the control of sin over our lives, and so we could be free to live holy lives pleasing to God, by his power and in his strength. He was also to tell of The Light which shines in the darkness so that people could be turned from the darkness of sin to the light of the truth of God’s word and of his salvation. As well, he was to tell about this Savior who would guide our feet into the way of his peace.

We, as Christ’s followers, and as His Body, have also been commissioned to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and to prepare the way for him, only now for his return. We are to go into all the world and to make disciples of Christ of people of all nations, baptizing them, and teaching them to obey Christ’s commandments (his teachings and instructions). We are to be Christ’s witnesses throughout the world, bringing the message of Good News to all people. Yet, it is not “good news” if we don’t tell the full gospel message as Zechariah prophesied, and as John taught; as Jesus preached, and as the apostles taught us. We need to tell people that, not only did Jesus Christ die for our sins so we can escape hell and have the hope of heaven, but he died to save us from the control of sin over our lives and so we would be free to walk daily in his righteousness.

We need to tell people that to come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives that we must die with Christ to our old lives of living for sin and self, that we must be born anew of the Spirit of God, and that we must now walk in the Spirit, no longer living to gratify the sinful desires of our flesh. We are not saved merely so our sins are forgiven, but we are delivered from sin so that we might serve our Lord in his righteousness and holiness the rest of our days. He saved us so that he might now have full reign in our lives, that our desire would now be for him, and that we would want to have him guide our feet each day and for us to follow him wherever he leads us. We all need to have the same attitude as Mary. We are the Lord’s servants. May he do with us and in us all that he has planned and purposed for our lives, and may we humbly submit our lives to him for his service.

Full Release / An Original Work / April 15, 2012

Walking daily with my Savior

brings me joy.

Loving Father; precious Jesus;

He’s my Savior and my Lord.

Gently leads me; follow Him.

I’ve invited Him within.

Now abiding in His presence,

oh, what peace.

From my self-life

He has brought me,

By His mercy, full release.

Hope and comfort,

peace and safety Jesus brings

When I daily bow before Him;

Obey freely; do His will.

Follow Him where’er He leads.

Listen to Him; His words heed.

Now obeying his words fully,

oh, what love

That He gives me

through salvation,

By His Spirit, from above.

Loving Father; precious Jesus,

He’s my friend.

With my Savior, by His Spirit,

I will endure to the end.

Share the gospel, tell what’s true.

Witness daily; His will do.

Tell the world of how their Savior

bled and died.

On a cruel cross He suffered

So that we might be alive.

http://originalworks.info/full-release/

https://vimeo.com/115169203

Two Responses

Thursday, February 5, 2015, 5:55 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “He Keeps Me Singing.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Luke 1 (selected ESV).

Disbelief

A priest named Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth, who were both upright in the sight of God, had no children and they were up there in years. One day Zechariah was chosen to go into the temple to burn incense. While he was in there he was visited by the angel Gabriel. When Zechariah saw the angel, he was immediately afraid.

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”

And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” ~ vv. 13-20

I would imagine that if any one of us was to be visited by an angel that our first response might be to be afraid. I know I startle easily by sudden noises or by someone appearing suddenly next to me when I did not hear that person approaching. The initial emotion of fear is a natural response to being taken by surprise, I believe. But then come the words of God/Jesus to us to comfort us and to calm our fears, and then we have a decision to make. We can either continue to be afraid, or we can choose to put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Sometimes the emotion of fear may linger, but we must go forward in faith, believing God, even if our emotions have not yet caught up. Before we know it, the feeling of fear will dissipate. I have been there many times, so I speak from experience.

The angel had wonderful news for Zechariah, and yet Zechariah doubted God’s messenger. It is one thing to ask for clarification and for further understanding, or to test what we hear to make sure it is from God, and it is another thing altogether when we just flat out disbelieve God’s words to us. Sometimes we doubt because we don’t like the message, i.e. we don’t like what God is saying to us, and so we choose to disbelieve so we don’t have to do what his word says. Other times it may be that we are thinking too much with human reasoning and logic and so we lack the faith to believe God for things beyond what our finite minds can comprehend. I think Zechariah was clear that the message came from God. He didn’t question whether or not the angel was from God. Instead, what he questioned was the content of the message. So, he doubted God. He wanted proof this was true.

So, how often do we read something in scripture and the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts and yet we choose to disbelieve and so we ignore the message? We need to be people of faith who believe God even for what seems impossible by human logic and reasoning.

Belief

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

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

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

On a surface read, Mary’s response to the appearance of an angel before her, who came to her with a message from God, may seem to be much like the response of Zechariah, and yet they are quite different. Mary did not doubt the angel’s message to her. She believed, which is clear by her response. She just wanted to know how this was to be accomplished. She wanted to know what to expect. It may be a lot like if we were convinced the Lord Jesus was leading us to go to a specific place. Although we believe God is sending us there, we might need to know how this is to be accomplished and if there is anything we need to do in the way of preparation or in the way of stepping out in faith by beginning to take steps necessary for that to be achieved. And, God’s response back to us may be just “wait.”

In both cases God had proclaimed something he was going to do, whether they believed or they disbelieved. There is a scripture that says that God will remain faithful even if we are faithless (2 Tim. 2:13). He will do what he says, even if we choose to disbelieve him. We cannot alter the plans and purposes of God by our disbelief. He will accomplish what he set out to bring about despite us. If we choose to respond in disbelief, though, he may take us through some hardship in order to humble us, purify us and to get us to put our trust in him. Yet, even if we follow him in obedience, there are no guarantees of smooth sailing. I can pretty much assure you that Mary did not have it easy. She had to have known what her faith in God might cost her. I am sure it cost her her reputation. After all, people would have assumed she had sexual relations outside of marriage. Her husband-to-be was inclined to divorce her quietly, but God convinced Joseph that this pregnancy was of God.

As well, when we step out in faith, believing God, and we choose to follow him in obedience to his will for our lives, we may also be falsely accused and misunderstood, and there may be those who want to have nothing to do with us, yet we must accept that as the cost of following Jesus. We have to give our reputations over to God when he calls us, and we must be willing to go wherever he sends us and to say whatever he has for us to say and to do what he has called us to do, even if it means we will be hated and rejected in return. Oh, that we all might have such simple faith as Mary and respond to God/Jesus by saying, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

He Keeps Me Singing / Luther B. Bridgers

There's within my heart a melody

Jesus whispers sweet and low:

Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still,

In all of life's ebb and flow.

All my life was wrecked by sin and strife,

Discord filled my heart with pain;

Jesus swept across the broken strings,

Stirred the slumbering chords again.

Though sometimes he leads through waters deep,

Trials fall across the way,

Though sometimes the path seems rough and steep,

See his footprints all the way.

Feasting on the riches of his grace,

Resting neath his sheltering wing,

Always looking on his smiling face,

That is why I shout and sing.

Soon he's coming back to welcome me

Far beyond the starry sky;

I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown;

I shall reign with him on high.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,

Sweetest name I know,

Fills my every longing,

Keeps me singing as I go. 

Knowledge Puffs Up

Wednesday, February 4, 2015, 5:30 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “One Thing I Know.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Proverbs 30 (selected NASB).

Humility of Spirit

2 Surely I am more stupid than any man,

And I do not have the understanding of a man.

3 Neither have I learned wisdom,

Nor do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.

5 Every word of God is tested;

He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

6 Do not add to His words

Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.

We are not to be wise in our own eyes, but we should all have humility of spirit in realizing that any true knowledge or wisdom or understanding we possess is from God and from him alone. When God gives us wisdom and understanding we should be quick to not take the credit for it for ourselves, but we should give him all the praise, honor and all the glory. In our flesh, all knowledge is useless. Knowledge puffs up. We can easily get conceited, in the flesh, concerning all that we know, thinking that people should be impressed that we have such knowledge. Yet, one who has humility of spirit realizes that all that kind of knowledge means nothing if it is not from God and if it not coupled with divine wisdom and understanding. What we know is not what matters. What we do with what we know is what counts. It is not enough to just know the word of God, but we must do what it says.

As well, we should not add human wisdom and knowledge to the word of God nor should we take away from his words as though he did not say what he said just because it doesn’t fit with our theology. This is a BIG problem in evangelical Christianity today here in America. So many are turning to books written by mere humans to tell them what God’s word says, and so many of these books have twisted, manipulated and altered God’s words in order to give the message the writer wants to convey. Yet, the word of God is being used to support their humanistic theology, and many people are buying into what these authors are teaching without bothering to check it out to make sure it is truly what God’s word says.

Scripture is thus taken out of context, rather than the word being taught verse by verse and chapter by chapter, in context, to learn what God’s word really says. So many sermons are topical and thus scripture is taken out of context to support the sermon points, which can be good, but it can be bad if what is being taught is not truth, but is based in lies and deception. So, we must pray for wisdom and discernment, and we must test everything we read, hear and see to make sure it adds up to what scripture teaches and to see if what is being taught lines up with God’s divine character and will, as taught in scripture.

Undivided Hearts

7 Two things I asked of You,

Do not refuse me before I die:

8 Keep deception and lies far from me,

Give me neither poverty nor riches;

Feed me with the food that is my portion,

9 That I not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?”

Or that I not be in want and steal,

And profane the name of my God.

This person has a noble request. He wants to be kept from deception and lies, either that he would not participate in them himself, or that he would not get caught up in believing them. To facilitate this request, he asked that God would not allow him to be too wealthy or too poor so that he would not deny his Lord or profane his name. What he wanted was only what he needed to survive and nothing more. He obviously knew his own heart, and knew his own areas of weakness. So, what he was truly asking was that God would keep his heart pure and that he would remain undivided in his loyalty and commitment to his Lord.

We would all do well to pray something similar to this out of a desire to never go astray and to not be tempted by the things of this world to deny our Lord or to profane his name. It all really comes down to this, though. Are we willing to give God our all, to submit to his Lordship over our lives, and to allow him to provide for all that we need? And, will we seek after God with all our hearts instead of seeking after the pleasures of this life? Have we given Jesus our all, or are we still holding on to the things of this world? And, are we willing to let it all go in order to follow Jesus Christ with our lives, fully devoted to him and to his kingdom work?

Hypocritical Liars

12 There is a kind who is pure in his own eyes,

Yet is not washed from his filthiness.

13 There is a kind—oh how lofty are his eyes!

And his eyelids are raised in arrogance.

14 There is a kind of man whose teeth are like swords

And his jaw teeth like knives,

To devour the afflicted from the earth

And the needy from among men.

20 This is the way of an adulterous woman:

She eats and wipes her mouth,

And says, “I have done no wrong.”

32 If you have been foolish in exalting yourself

Or if you have plotted evil, put your hand on your mouth.

33 For the churning of milk produces butter,

And pressing the nose brings forth blood;

So the churning of anger produces strife.

There are people in this life who do not have humility of spirit, though, and who are not noble in their requests of God, and who do not take refuge in him. They are wise in their own eyes. They think they are righteous when they are not. They make up lies about themselves in order to impress others with their spirituality or with their knowledge or in order to deceive others as wolves in sheep’s clothing. They are much like the Pharisees and the teachers of the law of Jesus’ day. And, we are warned to watch out for such as these so that we are not led astray, and so we don’t fall prey to their lies and deceptions.

Their speech can be as smooth as butter and very convincing, but we must test their words and their actions to see if they line up with truth. Their goal is to devour the righteous and to lead us astray, and to try to convince us that their lies are actually truth. They believe their own lies and convince themselves that they have done no wrong, even though they know they have. These are the ones who are teaching a false grace gospel that does not teach repentance and obedience to Christ, but that gives the impression that we can continue in willful sin and still have the hope of heaven, and on top of that they teach we have God’s approval of our lives of sin just because we “believed.”

Exceedingly Wise

24 “Four things on earth are small,

    yet they are extremely wise:

25 Ants are creatures of little strength,

    yet they store up their food in the summer;

26 hyraxes are creatures of little power,

    yet they make their home in the crags;

27 locusts have no king,

    yet they advance together in ranks;

28 a lizard can be caught with the hand,

    yet it is found in kings’ palaces. (NIV)

God has given the creatures of this earth, which he created, divine instinct to do what is far beyond what would appear to be their natural ability to do. If you have ever studied the habits of birds, insects, sea life or animals you might find what they do instinctively absolutely amazing. I do! It is fascinating what these creatures can do which, to me, reveals that God is the one who brought them into being and who gave them such drive.

Yet, God gave man/woman a mind, heart and soul, so we can think, reason and make decisions for good or for bad. He gave us a free will to choose him or to reject him; to follow him, or to go after our own flesh. And, yet, he put within each and every one of us the knowledge of him and of his divine character and will. He said that we are all without excuse, because what can be known about God is clearly seen through what he created. He said that it is not that we don’t know God, but that many people choose to suppress what they know about God and to follow after their own flesh instead (See: Ro. 1).

Our human reasoning, wisdom and knowledge, by comparison to the divine instinct of these creatures, is thus far inferior because they do what they were created to do by providential design, and yet we so often go directly against what God designed us to do which is to love, worship, honor and obey him. So, we would do well to learn from the example of these creatures, and to follow our Lord Jesus in obedience in being who God designed us to be – “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (See: Eph. 4:17-24).

We should no longer be living by the flesh and following after the wisdom of man, but we should seek God with all our hearts, and desire to know him and his will for our lives, and to do and to be who he created us to be and to do. We should no longer be wise in our own eyes, thinking we know better than God, perhaps, but we should have humility of spirit, and we should desire to have undivided hearts. As well, we should be testing the spirits to see whether they are of God or of human flesh.

What we should know and what we should share with others is that Jesus Christ set us free from our slavery to sin, and that he wants to set everyone free if they will but let go of this sinful world, and if they will surrender their all to him, eagerly desirous to do his will. Will you let go and let God have his way today in your life?

One Thing I Know / Selah

And if there's one thing I know
You were never left alone,
'cause you can always call on Jesus' name.
And if there's one thing I pray
Is Jesus helps you find a way
To make a change and listen to your heart.
God will take away your pain,
If you'll choose to let it go,
If there's one thing I know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5SGAzxO-ZQ

How Will We Respond?

Tuesday, February 3, 2015, 4:44 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Willing.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Proverbs 29 (selected NASB).

No Vision

18 Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained,

But happy is he who keeps the law.

In 1999 my husband and I felt led to begin a ministry to college students out of our home. Our first Bible study was on Super Bowl Sunday of that year. We wanted to connect the ministry with a local church, but our church was not interested in using us with college students at that time. We had 2 children of our own who were in college at the time, one married son in trade school, and one in high school. So, we began to look for a church where we could connect the ministry God had given to us. We began with about 9 students that night, and it quickly grew to 25 or so each Sunday evening. The ministry continued for 7.5 years, mostly out of our home. We closed the doors to this ministry in May of 2006.

In our search for a church family, where we could connect this ministry to college students, we attended several churches. For the first time in our lives we were hearing a lot about “visions” and “mission statements.” Each church made it sound like what they were doing was unique to them, but we soon discovered that they were all following the same man, and the same books, and the same philosophy on how to grow their churches, no matter the church denomination, and this had spread all across evangelical Christianity here in America. So, although they all had “visions” they were of human origin, not of God, and so they truly lacked vision, because their ideas were not centered in God but in man.

In most all of these cases their human-based visions called for diluting the gospel of Jesus Christ to make it more palatable, pleasing and appealing to human flesh. Their goal was to attract the world to their church meetings using worldly means and methods. Included in their visions was the desire to make the world feel at home in their meetings, so they worked hard at not being judgmental but to be accepting of all people. Sin, repentance, and obedience were words to be avoided like the plague. They gave people the impression that faith in Jesus Christ was a mere confession of Christ, and that they had heaven guaranteed, and that from that point on God was pleased with them no matter what they did. And, so the people were unrestrained, because they were convinced that being under grace meant they did not have to repent of sin and that God required nothing of them.

Those Who Lack Faith

3 A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad,

But he who keeps company with harlots wastes his wealth.

5 A man who flatters his neighbor

Is spreading a net for his steps.

22 An angry man stirs up strife,

And a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.

23 A man’s pride will bring him low,

But a humble spirit will obtain honor.

24 He who is a partner with a thief hates his own life;

He hears the oath but tells nothing.

It is possible for those who have truly been born of the Spirit of God to at some point in their lives be lacking in faith, possibly due to suffering, hardship, discouragement or to believing Satan’s lies, or potentially due to the call of the world to them to join in with them in their depravity. And, so they return to some areas of sin where Christ’s blood had previously freed them. It is also possible that many have bought into Satan’s lies and have accepted the false grace (diluted) gospel message, and so they believe they are free to continue in willful sin without guilt and without remorse, claiming their freedom in Christ and his grace. And yet there are also many people who have never even made a profession of Christ as Savior who are dead in their sins, and thus live sinful lifestyles.

Many of these people are involved in sexual sin of some type, whether actually committing adultery with another, or lusting, or viewing pornography, or reading or watching sexually-oriented novels or movies or TV shows, etc. Many are also involved in telling lies, which may come in the form of flattering people, i.e. lying to people to make them feel good. Others may be prone to outbursts of anger, which stems from what is down deep in their hearts, which may be unforgiveness, bitterness, hatred or envy. Still others struggle with pride, and thus will never humble themselves and honestly repent of their sins, and thus they lash out at those who lovingly confront them. Some people, as well, are thieves, but maybe not in the sense of robbing a bank, but in cheating on their taxes or on their time sheets or on their spouses by flirting with others or having relationships with others in ways that should be reserved for their marriages only. Probably all these people know they are doing wrong, and yet they continue.

The Righteous Persecuted

9 When a wise man has a controversy with a foolish man,

The foolish man either rages or laughs, and there is no rest.

10 Men of bloodshed hate the blameless,

But the upright are concerned for his life.

25 The fear of man brings a snare,

But he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.

27 An unjust man is abominable to the righteous,

And he who is upright in the way is abominable to the wicked.

If you are walking in fellowship with your Lord Jesus, and you are committed to his word and to following him in obedience and in surrender to his will for your life, and thus you are speaking the Word of God boldly, and are sharing the full gospel message, you will be hated by someone and you will be persecuted. Jesus said so. People who know they are doing wrong will not be comfortable around you. People who like to flatter and to make everyone like them will not approve of you because you speak the truth in love. They will accuse you of all sorts of things which may not be true about you at all. Many will hate you and will reject, ostracize and mock you. If you lovingly confront them with what they are doing wrong or with their need to put their trust in Christ, they may lash out at you in anger, or may choose to gossip and slander you behind your back. Yet, we must not respond in fear, but we must commit ourselves to our Lord Jesus, and trust him to work all things for good.

Responses to Correction

1 A man who hardens his neck after much reproof

Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.

15 The rod and reproof give wisdom,

But a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother.

17 Correct your son, and he will give you comfort;

He will also delight your soul.

19 A slave will not be instructed by words alone;

For though he understands, there will be no response.

There will be various ways in which people will respond to correction, i.e. to the Word of Truth when it points its finger at their sin and cuts deep into their hearts. Some will harden their hearts beyond recovery. Just thinking about that breaks my heart, because I know many people have had so many opportunities to believe in Jesus and to put their trust in him, but they have continually hardened their hearts and remained stiff-necked, because they wanted to hold on to their sin, and they did not want to relinquish control, and thus they will never repent and will spend eternity in hell. I weep over the thought of that.

Another situation which brings me to tears is this false grace gospel which tells its adherents that they don’t have to turn from their sin and that God requires nothing of them, so they are given carte blanche to continue in willful sin and rebellion against God, absent of true repentance, and lacking in surrender to the cross of Christ with their lives. They are like spoiled children who get their own way because they lack restraint, because they believe Satan’s lies which tell them that Jesus is pleased with them no matter what they do, and that his grace covers it all. They even encourage them to claim who they are in Christ, some of which is in error, while in the midst of sin, making themselves believe that God is smiling upon them in their sin so that they won’t feel guilty for sinning against their holy God.

Jesus Christ did not die that horrible death on the cross, taking upon himself the sins of the entire world in order to free us to continue in sin without remorse and without guilt. What kind of grace is that if it leaves us still bound in sin? No, he died so we would no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave himself up for us. He died so we could die with him to sin, and so we could walk in freedom in his holiness and righteousness, all in the power and working of the Spirit of God within us. And, he died so we would no longer walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. In fact, his grace “teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age while we wait for” his soon return. He died “to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” [See: Ro. 6-8; 2 Co. 5:15; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 2:8-10; 4:17-24; Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Pet. 2:24-25; 1 Jn.]

So, the question today is how will you respond to God’s call upon your life? How will you respond to his correction when he points his finger at specific areas of sin in your life? Will you become stiff-necked and harden your hearts and continue on in sin, thinking God is pleased with you no matter what? Or, will you respond with humility, sincere repentance, and with submission to the cross of Christ in your life? Jesus said that if we would come after him we must deny ourselves, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and self) and follow him (in obedience and in surrender to his will for our lives). He said that if we hold on to our lives (of living for sin and self) we will lose them (for eternity), but if we die with Christ to sin and self, we will gain eternal life (See: Lu. 9:23-25; cf. Ac. 26:16-18). So, what will it be? Will you choose life? Or, will you choose death? Time is running out!!

Willing / An Original Work / August 17, 2011

I am willing to obey You;

Have Your Spirit live within me;

Know Your power; be Your witness

To a world who needs You greatly.

Love within me spread to all men,

So that they might come to know Him;

Know His power; His forgiveness;

Be transformed into His likeness.

Holy Spirit, come in power,

Change our hearts within this hour.

May we be like Jesus always;

Be a light that shines in darkness.

http://originalworks.info/willing/

https://vimeo.com/118532725

Our Walks of Faith

Monday, February 2, 2015, 6:30 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Follow Him.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Proverbs 28 (selected ESV).

Keeping God’s Word

1 The wicked flee when no one pursues,

    but the righteous are bold as a lion.

4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,

    but those who keep the law strive against them.

5 Evil men do not understand justice,

    but those who seek the Lord understand it completely.

6 Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity

    than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.

7 The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding,

    but a companion of gluttons shames his father.

9 If one turns away his ear from hearing the law,

    even his prayer is an abomination.

So, what is our responsibility as believers in Jesus Christ today with regard to the law? For one, we learn in scripture that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the law. And, there are many New Testament scriptures that say we must obey Christ and His Word as part of believing faith (See: Ro. 6:16; Heb. 5:9; 1 Jn. 2:3-5; 3:24; 5:3; 2 Jn. 1:6; 1 Pet. 1:2). So the “law,” for those of us who have been saved by grace, through faith, is Christ Jesus and his Word (his teachings and his instructions). As well, Jesus summed up the law for us in two commandments: 1) Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and 2) Love your neighbor as yourself. Love is the fulfillment of the law, yet not “love” as humans define love, but as the Word of God defines (agape) love.

So many people today are teaching “gospel lite.” They are telling people that they can be saved from their sins, escape hell and have the hope of heaven merely just by asking for forgiveness, yet absent of repentance, or by praying a prayer to receive Christ, with no submission to the cross of Christ. Yet, if we study the New Testament teachings with regard to our salvation, and in context, we will soon learn the truth about our salvation. True faith in Jesus Christ involves repentance (turning from sin), being transformed of the Spirit of God, and being given new lives in Christ which are to be lived in the power and working of the Spirit within us as God conforms us to the image of Christ (See: Ac. 26:16-18; Ro. 6-8; 2 Co. 5:15; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 2:8-10; 4:17-24; Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Pet. 2:24-25; & 1 Jn. 1-5).

Lies and Deceptions

10 Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way

    will fall into his own pit,

    but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance.

11 A rich man is wise in his own eyes,

    but a poor man who has understanding will find him out.

12 When the righteous triumph, there is great glory,

    but when the wicked rise, people hide themselves.

13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,

    but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

24 Whoever robs his father or his mother

    and says, “That is no transgression,”

    is a companion to a man who destroys.

When we give people the impression that they can just pray a prayer to receive Christ and now they are guaranteed heaven, no matter what, not only may we be giving them a false hope of eternity, but we may also be giving them carte blanche to continue in sin, thinking that God’s grace covers it all. Yet what kind of grace is that if it does not free us from our bondage to sin and so we continue to live hopeless, directionless and self-centered lives with little to no regard for God and his word?

Jesus did not die just so we could escape hell and go to heaven when we die. He died so we would no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave himself up for us. His grace “teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age while we wait for” his return. Jesus Christ “gave himself up for us to redeem us from ALL wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (See: Tit. 2:11-14).

Walking in Integrity

14 Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always,

    but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

18 Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered,

    but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall.

23 Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor

    than he who flatters with his tongue.

25 A greedy man stirs up strife,

    but the one who trusts in the Lord will be enriched.

26 Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool,

    but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.

So, if we are truly born again of the Spirit of God, transformed in heart and mind, and delivered from slavery to sin, then we should be ones who no longer walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit (See: Ro. 8). We should no longer have to look over our shoulders, wondering if we will be found out, but we should walk in freedom and be bold in our testimonies for Jesus Christ. We should understand that faith in Jesus Christ is not just about making everyone feel good, with reference to the subject of being non-judgmental, i.e. with regard to just being “nice” to everyone, but it is about doing what is right in God’s eyes, and doing what is truly loving towards others, which may also involve speaking the truth in love to them, at times, i.e. it may involve confronting sin, too.

Although none of us will live the Christian life with absolute perfection, as believers in Christ our lives should be surrendered to Christ, submitted to the cross, and committed to walking daily in fellowship and obedience to our Lord and to his word. If we sin against God, we repent of our sins, accept God’s forgiveness, and we continue on in living to please our Lord in all that we do and say – only in the power and working of the Spirit within us.

Follow Him / An Original Work / February 21, 2013

Based off Luke 9:22-25

Jesus, Son of God,

Died for us on a cross.

Anyone who would come to Him

Must deny himself and follow.

He must take up his cross daily;

Die to sin and self each day.

Father, God above,

Loved us so: gave His Son.

If you want to save your old life;

Keep on sinning, follow your ways,

You will lose your life forever;

Hope of heaven gone away.

Spirit of our God

Gives us life in God’s Son.

Nonetheless, if you die to self;

Forsake your sin; follow Jesus,

You will live with God in heaven,

And forever praise His name!

http://originalworks.info/follow-him1/

https://vimeo.com/117316842

You Do Not Know

Sunday, February 1, 2015, 9:04 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Not Be Silent.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Proverbs 27 (selected ESV).

Do Not Boast

1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.

This verse takes on fresh meaning for me today. My youngest sister died this past Tuesday. My husband and I just spent the past four days with her four girls and with their families. Her memorial service was yesterday. Many friends and family members shared their memories of Carol then. The time with her girls was bittersweet. We cried much together, but we also spent time reminiscing and laughing together. It was so good spending that time with them. When Carol’s girls were much younger they lived with us for a short period of time, so her girls became like daughters to us. Thus, we share a special bond with them.

Never Satisfied

8  Like a bird that strays from its nest is a man who strays from his home.

12  The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.

19  As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.

20  Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and never satisfied are the eyes of man.

21  The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise.

22  Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, yet his folly will not depart from him.

So many people, even among those who profess the name of Jesus, live their lives like tomorrow is a sure thing. They give little thought to God/Jesus, or to what he desires for their lives. They plan out their own activities and make their own decisions as to what they will do each day without even thought to consult their Lord and to inquire of him as to what he wants them to do. Many, as well, give no thought to eternity. Some make the false assumption that they will spend eternity in heaven, either because they made a profession of Christ as Savior, or because they do good deeds. And, yet Jesus said that if we will come after him, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and self) and follow him (in obedience and in surrender to his will for our lives) – See: Lu. 9:23-25.

It is true that the scriptures teach us that we are saved by grace, through faith, and this is a gift from God, not of works lest anyone should boast (See: Eph. 2:8-9). Yet they also teach us that coming to faith in Jesus Christ means dying with Christ to our old lives of living for sin and self, being born anew of the Spirit of God, and being given new lives in Christ, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (See: Eph. 4:17-24; cf. Ro. 6-8).

Jesus Christ did not die on the cross merely to rescue us from hell and to give us the hope of heaven. He died so we would no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave himself up for us (See: 2 Co. 5:15). His grace is not a free license to continue living in sin without guilt or remorse. His grace teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age while we wait for his return. He died “to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” (See: Tit. 2:11-14; cf. Eph. 2:10).

If we say that we love God and that we are in fellowship with him, but we continue in sinful lifestyles, His Word teaches us that we are liars. If we say we know God but we do not do what he commands (our Lord’s teachings and instructions), we don’t really know him (Read the book of 1 John). God, “by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,” “condemned sin in the flesh in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Ro. 8:3-4). So, if you are still living for sin, self and self-pleasure, and you are not walking in the fear of the Lord, in his ways, and according to his word, then I pray that today you would surrender your all to him, because none of us knows if we have tomorrow.

A Friend’s Sweetness

5  Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

6  Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

9  Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.

17  Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

I believe we often confuse words that are intended just to make us feel good, whether true or not, with kindness. It may be that they are truly kind, but they may not be. We also get this idea (notion) that being non-judgmental is also kindness, though it may not be. And, thus we think that if anyone tells us the truth about our sin that they are being mean, hateful and condemning. Yet, we must recall Jesus’ own words to his brothers where he told them that the world did not hate them, but the world hated him because he told the world that their deeds were evil (See: Jn. 7:7). Jesus never told people just what they wanted to hear. He never flattered others just so they would like him. He wasn’t everyone’s buddy. Although he loved everyone, he did not accept (receive) everyone, and he certainly did not shy away from making judgments of people with regard to their sinful conditions.

We are not kind, loving, sweet or caring of others if we just tell them what makes them feel good inside and we never make judgments with regard to their sin. What we are is selfish, because we are thinking about wanting them to like us. People may think we are so nice and loving, and yet we may be “loving” people straight to hell. And, this is especially true if we help to facilitate their sin, thinking we are being “nice.” That is not nice! It is not kind, and it is not loving! Yet, we are loving when we tell people the truth about sin, about their standing with God outside of faith in Christ, and when we tell them that they can be set free from slavery to sin by submitting themselves to the cross of Christ, and by dying with Christ to what once enslaved them - that is if we do so out of love, compassion, and from hearts that truly care that people are enslaved in sin, and if we long to see them set free.

So, if some folks are just telling you nice and sweet things all the time, even though they may be lies, and if they do nothing to help you to be free from bondage to sin, although you may regard them as “nice,” they are not truly being kind if they claim to be your friend but they never tell you the truth. Jesus did not go around just accepting everyone and never judging anyone. He spoke plenty of strong words to the religious leaders of his day because of their hypocrisy and their evil hearts. He told people they must repent of their sins if they want to see the kingdom of heaven, and that we must obey his commandments (teachings) if we want to be in relationship with him and have eternal life (See: Lu. 13:3; 24:47; Jn. 14:15-24; 15:10). Many of his disciples deserted him, never to return, because his teachings were too hard. He was not hated because he was Mr. Nice Guy. Jesus was hated because he spoke the truth, and they didn’t want to hear the truth. So many people just want to hear what makes them feel good, but we also need to hear the truth.

Give Attention

23  Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds,

24  for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations?

I believe this is a warning to those who are in positions of spiritual leadership over others, who have the responsibility of pastoral care over a flock, yet I also believe it applies to all of us, because Christ Jesus commanded us to go and to make disciples of people of all nations. We all have a responsibility, I believe, to know the people with whom we have been given a charge to nurture in the Lord, or to know our friends and family members, i.e. to know their spiritual condition, so that we can minister specifically to where they are. Yet, this also requires that we not just hang out with them and “make nice” with them, but that we listen to their hearts, and we observe their behaviors and, if we see them involved in sin, that we counsel them to leave their sins behind them and to follow Jesus in obedience.

I also believe that, going along with this, that those in positions of spiritual leadership over the flock have a responsibility to share the full gospel message, and not just part of it. It is true that Jesus died for our sins, and it is true that he longs to forgive us our sins, and that he will if we will believe in him. Yet, believing in him is not merely just asking him to forgive us our sins, but it involves repentance and obedience, too. We must surrender to Christ, die with him to sin, submit to the crucified life, cooperate fully with his work of grace in our hearts, and we must walk in the Spirit, no longer living to gratify our sinful desires, but living holy lives pleasing to God, all in the power and working of the Spirit within us (See: Ro. 12:1-2). This does not mean we will be perfect or that we will never sin again. But what it means is that our hearts are committed to Christ, and that we make a practice of following him with our lives instead of still living to please ourselves.

The warning here, I believe, is that many in our flocks do not truly know Christ. They make professions of Christ, but they have never died with him to sin, but have continued to walk in the flesh. None of us knows if he has tomorrow. So, we need to tell them the truth – the truth that Jesus and his apostles taught with regard to our faith in Christ, our death to sin and concerning living and walking in Christ’s holiness. If we do not tell them the whole truth, we may be guilty of giving people a false hope of heaven while still leaving them in their sins. As well, we may be helping believers to continue in their lives of sin if we do not tell them the truth, and so they live unfruitful, unfulfilled and spiritually adulterous and idolatrous lives while still on this earth, thinking that God’s grace covers it all. The most loving, kind, and unselfish thing we can do is to tell them the truth so that they can be free!

Not Be Silent / An Original Work / December 3, 2012

Based off Psalm 30

O Lord my God, I’ll exalt You.

I called for help, and You healed me.

O Lord my God, You brought me from

the grave. You spared me from hell.

Sing to the Lord, you saints of His;

Praise His holy name today.

Weeping may remain for a night;

Joy at break of day. Our debt He did pay!

O Lord my God, I said, “I will

Ne’er be shaken.” Secure, I felt.

O Lord my God, You forgave me.

Confident I stand in You.

When I could not see Your face

I was dismayed. I called to You.

O Lord, You are my help. You were

merciful to me; By Your grace set free!

O Lord my God, I’m so thankful for

Salvation through my Jesus.

You turned wailing into dancing;

Clothed me with Your joy today,

That my heart may sing To You

and not be silent. Praise Your name.

O Lord my God, I will give You

thanks forevermore. My Lord, I adore!

http://originalworks.info/not-be-silent-2/

https://vimeo.com/117908145