Smile Again

Sunday, October 9, 2016, 8:30 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Near the Cross.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 39 (NASB).

My Sorrow (vv. 1-2)

I said, “I will guard my ways

That I may not sin with my tongue;

I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle

While the wicked are in my presence.”

I was mute and silent,

I refrained even from good,

And my sorrow grew worse.

Life has its miseries. We are not promised that everything will go smoothly for us in this life, or that we will never suffer adversity, pain, difficulties, troubles or hardships. Sometimes our sufferings can be overwhelming, as the psalmist described for us in Psalm 38, where he portrayed them as like a tsunami, or like a “storm surge,” i.e. like waves of the sea above or over his head. What he was specifically depicting was either the guilt of his sins, which he had now confessed to God, and/or God’s divine discipline and correction in his life because of his sins previously committed. He was feeling the scourge of the Lord, and he was praying for relief from his misery.

Since we are human beings, and we live in flesh bodies, when we go through these difficulties we may have a tendency to feel down and depressed, and/or we may be tempted to whine and complain about our circumstances. The psalmist chose to keep silent rather than to speak a word of grumbling over his trials and tribulations. It appears here, too, that he was concerned about what kind of testimony he would have before the unsaved if he used the occasion of his suffering to mouth words of complaint, which would also be taking issue with God’s sovereignty over his life, and it, thus, could possibly lead the unsaved to reject his Savior.

Although it was good not to complain, he didn’t say anything positive, either. This would have been a good time to give glory to God and to praise the Lord even in his storm, as a testimony to the unsaved and as a witness to the children of God, but he didn’t say a word, and so his sorrow increased. This also could have been a teachable moment for his family, friends, staff and associates, for he could have shared with them what God was teaching him about enduring trials, putting on the armor of God, and persevering. He could have also taught them about God’s divine providence over our lives.

Then I Spoke (vv. 3-6)

My heart was hot within me,

While I was musing the fire burned;

Then I spoke with my tongue:

“Lord, make me to know my end

And what is the extent of my days;

Let me know how transient I am.

“Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths,

And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight;

Surely every man at his best is a mere breath. Selah.

“Surely every man walks about as a phantom;

Surely they make an uproar for nothing;

He amasses riches and does not know who will gather them.

But, alas, he could not hold it in any longer, and so he spoke what was in his heart. I think that maybe some or all of us can identify with him. I know there have been times in my life when I have resolved not to say anything about what was burdening my heart, but then the Lord would then move me to speak. Sometimes I didn’t speak because I didn’t want to have to face more rejection or opposition, because I was worn out, and I just wanted relief. Sometimes it was because I was afraid what humans might do to me if I did speak, and so I was silent so as to spare myself even more suffering. But, then my sorrow did increase, and the Word of the Lord burned within me like a flame and I had to give it out, even though I knew it could cost me relationships or bring upon myself even more pain and suffering.

So, what was in the psalmist’s heart? It appears here that he was so overwrought with sorrow over his suffering that all he wanted to know was when his life would come to an end, and when his suffering would cease. If you have not experienced a great deal of suffering in your life, you may not identify with him, but when it piles on, and it seems like there is no light at the end of the tunnel, then you might understand his sentiments. He was basically pouring his heart out to God, not that God didn’t already know what he was feeling, but he needed to empty it out of his heart and take it to the Lord. When we stuff our feelings, and we allow them to stack up inside us, that is not good. It can lead to all kinds of things like bitterness, ulcers, anger, etc. We need sometimes to cry out to God in our pain.

I think here that the psalmist may have been feeling insignificant in God’s sight, but another thought has come into my mind as I have been praying over this passage. I think sometimes we get so bogged down with our individual trials and tribulations that we fail to see the big picture. When we are going through hardships we can get very narrow focused and lose sight of God/Jesus and his divine will and purpose for our lives. We can forget that God is completely sovereign and that he has, at least, allowed this in our lives, so it must serve his purposes in some way. Sometimes all we can see in front of us is just what we are presently going through, but we don’t see with eternity’s values in view. We forget that we are children of the King, and that we are heirs of the kingdom of God. We lose sight of his promises to us, and that is when we get discouraged and depressed.

So, I think it is possible here that the psalmist was asking God to show him the big picture, i.e. to get his focus back on track. He needed to see who God is and that his problems were only a very small part of the overall picture of what God is working to accomplish in our lives and in our world. Do you ever get that way? I know I do, where I get so focused on what I am going through that I forget why I am here and all that God has promised he will do, and so I need a reality check. I need to know that God is working in my circumstances and that he has a plan and a purpose for it all, and so I need that perspective. In other words, we need to see our lives through God’s eyes, i.e. through the eyes of eternity. We can get so concerned over so many things which have absolutely no significance for eternity at all.

Deliver Me (vv. 7-11)

“And now, Lord, for what do I wait?

My hope is in You.

“Deliver me from all my transgressions;

Make me not the reproach of the foolish.

“I have become mute, I do not open my mouth,

Because it is You who have done it.

“Remove Your plague from me;

Because of the opposition of Your hand I am perishing.

“With reproofs You chasten a man for iniquity;

You consume as a moth what is precious to him;

Surely every man is a mere breath. Selah.

When I am faced with life’s difficulties, I ask the Lord to teach me what he wants me to learn through this time of suffering. And, I do pray for relief, too, and yet I submit to his will for my life. I pray for wisdom to make the right decisions where decisions must be made, but I also ask him to examine my heart and to reveal to me if there is anything in my life not pleasing to him. I don’t stress over it, because I don’t believe God would withhold that from me, but I do open myself up to hear from him in case he is using this trial in my life to show me some things I have been blinded to. And, I pray that I will see my life’s circumstances through his eyes with eternity’s values in view, and that I would hold on to his promises, and not fear what the future holds for me, because I know he has a plan and purpose for it all.

My Cry (vv. 12-13)

“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry;

Do not be silent at my tears;

For I am a stranger with You,

A sojourner like all my fathers.

“Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may smile again

Before I depart and am no more.”

It is a good thing to cry. Sometimes we just need to get alone with God and just let it all out, you know? If we don’t, and we hold it all inside, it can turn to bitterness and unforgiveness and all kinds of other stuff. And, we need to talk about what is going on inside us, not in murmuring and grumbling, but we need to take it to the Lord in prayer, let the tears flow, and just call out to him for help. There have been times in my life when all I could say was “HELP!” I was so overwhelmed by what I was going through.

And, we need to not gossip, i.e. we need to not “vent” to a bunch of people so that they will have a pity party for us, all the while we are making others look bad. The purpose of us letting it out is not so others will feel sorry for us and think badly of others, but it is to cry it out to God or it is so we can talk with a godly trusted friend who can give us some much needed Biblical counsel. We need to talk about our troubles so that we can sift through our emotions and give them to God and learn to trust him more with our lives and with our circumstances. It is also so we can learn to respond to our difficulties in a godly manner, and not according to our flesh.

It is perfectly Biblical to pray for relief from our suffering, but remember that God/Jesus gave Paul the reply of “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected IN your weakness.” So, don’t be surprised if your trial does not immediately disappear, because God has something greater he is doing in your life and in the lives of others than what you might be able to see right now. So, we need to trust him to work his purposes in our hearts and that when we are taken through the fire that we might come out shining like gold, because we are willing to be exactly who He wants us to be. Whether the trial itself is removed or not, though, we should rejoice. When we choose to be joyful, despite our troubles, then we can smile again.

I Am Willing, Lord
By: Joni Eareckson Tada

I am willing Lord, I am willing Lord,
To be just exactly what You want me to be…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvsWDdftb30

Near the Cross / Fanny J. Crosby / William H. Doane

Jesus, keep me near the cross;

There a precious fountain,

Free to all, a healing stream,

Flows from Calvary's mountain.

Near the cross! O Lamb of God,

Bring its scenes before me;

Help me walk from day to day

With its shadow o'er me.

In the cross, in the cross,

Be my glory ever,

Till my raptured soul shall find

Rest beyond the river.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BasJqHsCIo4

Storm Surge

Saturday, October 8, 2016, 5:16 a.m. – The Lord Jesus, once again, put the song “For Our Nation” in my mind. This song has been strong in my mind for weeks now. I believe it is because the forces of evil are strong in this world now, and that our world and our individual nations need prayer more than any other time in history. I live in the USA, and I know without a doubt that we are in serious need of prayer. I believe the Lord is applying this psalm today to America, and to the wayward and worldly church here.

Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 38 (NASB).

A Psalm of David, for a memorial.

O Lord, rebuke me not in Your wrath,

And chasten me not in Your burning anger.

For Your arrows have sunk deep into me,

And Your hand has pressed down on me.

There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your indignation;

There is no health in my bones because of my sin.

For my iniquities are gone over my head;

As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.

My wounds grow foul and fester

Because of my folly.

I am bent over and greatly bowed down;

I go mourning all day long.

For my loins are filled with burning,

And there is no soundness in my flesh.

I am benumbed and badly crushed;

I groan because of the agitation of my heart…

Do not forsake me, O Lord;

O my God, do not be far from me!

Make haste to help me,

O Lord, my salvation! (vv. 1-8, 21-22)

Over my Head

When I read this passage this morning, verse 4 stood out to me. It says, “My iniquities are gone over my head; as a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.” I wanted to understand what this was saying, so I looked it up to see what the Bible commentators were saying about it. I read that it means like waves of the sea above his head; the feeling of being overwhelmed and nearly drowned. I read, as well, that this could be a reference to the guilt he felt for his sins, or it could be in reference to the punishment he received for his sins, i.e. God’s divine correction and discipline in his life. The burden of the guilt he felt for his sins or the burden of the punishment for his sin, to him, was like a tsunami or a “storm surge.”

I could not help but feel that this was somehow related to the news, so I spent some time this morning reading what the news was reporting, although I question the legitimacy of most of what they say. One of the stories headlining the news was about Hurricane Matthew, which purportedly caused much damage in Haiti and then went up the east coast of the USA, now as far as South Carolina, I believe. From what I have heard first-hand from people I know, the storm was not as bad as what they had predicted, but there were high winds and rain, and the news reported flooding. But, what stood out to me in all these stories was the continual mention of something called a “storm surge.” I read somewhere that this was a new phenomenon, but I could not find anything to substantiate that yet.

I read on Wikipedia that a “storm surge is a coastal flood or tsunami-like phenomenon of rising water commonly associated with low pressure weather systems (such as tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones).” A tsunami is “a very high, large wave in the ocean that is usually caused by an earthquake under the sea and that can cause great destruction when it reaches land” (dictionary.com). So, one is purportedly caused by a low pressure weather system while the other is caused by an earthquake under the sea. Yet, they seem to have similar effects. I am no scientist, so I can’t tell you if that makes sense or not. But, let me continue…

Another Storm

Another storm was brewing in the news, too, and this one has to do with the two candidates who are running for the highest political office in the United States of America, i.e. who are vying for the title of president of the USA. Evidently, according to the news media, which can’t be trusted, it has been revealed that there were tape recordings from 2005 of Donald Trump saying sexually lewd and degrading comments about women, and now Donald Trump is supposedly losing much of his support from the Republican party. Now, I will state here that I believe Trump and Clinton are both actors, and they both answer to the same people, or they are among the people the governments of the world answer to, which is comprised of the wealthy, powerful and elite of this world, and that there is no right or left politically.

Other “storms” which have carried the news the past several months, in particular, have to do with all these mostly orchestrated mass killings, and cop killings, and cops killing blacks, and subsequent riots, and other “surges” that were not at that level before in America, such as the massive global push against intolerance and for bringing the whole world together as one united people of one united faith where we all join hands together and sing “Kumbaya.” I read this: “In the US, however, the song was associated with Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and other campers sitting around a campfire in perfect harmony. The picture of a warm, cozy community without conflict associated itself with the song” (Source: alphadictionary.com). Exactly!

A Different Kind

So, what does all this mean, and what does it have to do with this passage in Psalm 38? Well, I looked up the words “storm” and “surge” separately. This is what I learned: “Storm” means “a sudden occurrence of something in large amounts; a situation in which many people are angry, upset, etc.; a tumultuous outburst ” (M-W Dictionary); a “Riot, uprising, disorder, revolt, and/or revolution” (dictionary.com). And, “surge” means to “flood, overwhelm, drown or submerge.”

What I believe the Lord is showing me here is two-fold. For one, in case you have not noticed, a “storm surge” of a different kind has been going on within our nation for some time now, and the waves are getting higher and higher, and we, as a nation, are about to drown. Yet, America did not wake up one morning and all of a sudden decide to have mass shootings and cop/black killings back-to-back in rapid succession followed by riots, protests, and the like. No! This is the same M.O. used by the N.W.O. in many other nations, over the past 10 years or so, in taking them down (over). And, nearly everyone I have spoken with about this political contest for president of the USA says it is a circus, and they have never seen anything like it ever before in the history of our nation. Many people feel it is really a choice between the lesser of the two evils. So, what is going on?

I believe America is being taken down, i.e. she is being taken over by the New World Order “beast,” who will bring “order out of chaos,” but chaos which this “beast” first orchestrated, and of which our government is a part, and is leading the charge, in many cases, i.e. in a willful course to self-destruct. Our enemy is within the gates, and is taking us apart one piece at a time until there is nothing left of the America we once knew, or at least we imagined that we once had. And, this political contest and the mass shootings, and cop/black killings and riots and protests (most all orchestrated, I believe) are all part of the game plan to destroy America from within. And, soon, we will be under the authority of this New World Order, and the America we once knew and loved will be only a memory.

But, this is not just about the takeover of America, as a nation, but it is about the obliteration of our sovereign government, and it is about the destruction of the gospel, as taught by Jesus and his NT apostles. And, it is concerning the silencing of the Lord’s messengers, and the forcing of people of all nations and all religions and all walks of life to come together in perfect harmony as one unified world under a one-world dictatorship and a one-world religion. This, I believe, is the purpose of all these “storm surges,” i.e. the political unrest, mass killings, racial tensions, etc. we are experiencing in America, in order that the N.W.O. can come in and “save the day.”

A Heavy Burden

I said this “storm surge” was two-fold. The other part of this, I believe, is that we are being judged by Almighty God for our many sins, as a nation, and as the church in this nation. Our Lord is trying to get our attention, as the people of this nation, before things come crashing down all around us. He is calling out to our nation, and to the wayward church in this nation, to repent of our sins of idolatry, witchcraft, spiritual adultery, and murder, etc. He wants to save human lives from their sinful condition, and he wants to revive his wayward church, and to return her to pure devotion to him as her only Lord (owner-master). So, I believe all this craziness (the storm surges) we have been witnessing for some time now, although plotted out by our enemies in order to destroy us, is all in God’s plan and purpose for the people of this nation, and for his church here, in order to save us from our sins and from self-destructing spiritually, and in order to revive his church, and to bring them back to him in pure devotion and fellowship.

So, God is calling out to us today to hear his voice speaking to our hearts and to walk in obedience to him and to follow him wherever he leads us. Things are only going to get much worse in this world of ours as the end is nearing and the beast is rising and the Lord’s return is not that far off in the distant future. So, what will your response be to him? Will you keep on going your own stubborn way and ignore his pleas? Or, will you yield your life to him today to do his will and to do it his way? I can tell you that there is no better way to live than in the center of his will, doing what he has called you to do. Nothing else satisfies, and nothing else will bring about eternal rewards. Don’t ignore God. Bow before him today, and say “Yes” to Jesus.

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/112351857

They Took Counsel

Thursday, October 6, 2016, 12:00 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “For Our Nation.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 31 (Select vv. NASB).

Into Your Hand (vv. 1-5)

In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge;

Let me never be ashamed;

In Your righteousness deliver me.

Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly;

Be to me a rock of strength,

A stronghold to save me.

For You are my rock and my fortress;

For Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me.

You will pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,

For You are my strength.

Into Your hand I commit my spirit;

You have ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth.

We all have enemies – some of us more than others. We all have people who just don’t like us, no matter what we do. Some of them may act as our enemies because of jealousy and/or resentment towards us, as was the case with Jesus’ persecutors. And, they may do to us what Jesus’ opponents did to him, i.e. they may set a trap for us, hoping that we will fall, because they want us to fall so that we will be just like them.

So, we need to call on our Lord, pray for his spiritual protection over us, and pray for wisdom and discernment so that we don’t fall into their traps. We must take refuge in the Lord at all times, but especially when our enemy is fiercely coming against us. And, we must never give way to fear, but daily we must put on the armor of God with which to fight off Satan’s evil attacks against us, because he is the one who is behind all this persecution and setting of traps, is he not?

They Schemed (vv. 11-13)

Because of all my adversaries, I have become a reproach,

Especially to my neighbors,

And an object of dread to my acquaintances;

Those who see me in the street flee from me.

I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind;

I am like a broken vessel.

For I have heard the slander of many,

Terror is on every side;

While they took counsel together against me,

They schemed to take away my life.

Who does Satan hate the most? God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Who or what does he hate second most? Jesus’ followers, i.e. his saints, and the gospel of our salvation, as was taught by Jesus and his NT apostles.

Satan rebelled against God in heaven because he wanted to be God, so he was banished, along with many of the angels in heaven who followed after him. Then, he went after God’s people, and then Jesus, who was the promised seed of Abraham, the Messiah of the people, the Son of God, and God, in order to try to take them out, or to try to trip them up and/or to convince them to follow him, instead. Satan’s followers are his servants to do his bidding in scheming to take us out or to try to persuade us to go his way. So, he will “pull out all the stops,” i.e. he will do everything he can to achieve his goal of destroying Jesus, his gospel, and his messengers.

One of Satan’s biggest weapons against us is his lies and deceptions, and his manipulations of truth. He loves gossip, because gossip destroys people’s reputations. He loves slander, as well, which is false accusations against people with willful intent to harm them. We live in a society here in America of very gullible people who are easily persuaded by lies and deceptions, and thus many Americans buy into lies without question as to whether or not what they just heard or read, or thought they saw, is actually true. People who indulge in much television, as well, are very susceptible to Satan’s lies, and they can be very easily persuaded to accept them as truth just because someone they trusted said it was so, or because an image on TV made it look like it was real. TV can be very hypnotic, and deceptive, too.

Presently there is a global campaign against the Lord’s true servants and witnesses, and against the gospel as taught by Jesus and his NT apostles. World powers are scheming against us. They are making a case against us that we are bigoted, hatemongers, and intolerant, and that we are religious extremists (in the same category as terrorists) who must be reprogrammed or destroyed, either through slander or through death, etc. Their basis for these accusations is, in reality, that we teach what Jesus and his NT apostles taught about sin, hell, damnation, forgiveness, repentance and obedience to Christ and submission to his cross. Their goal is to bring the people of the world together as one under one global government and under a one-world religion which is accepting of all religions and all walks of life.

As for Me (vv. 14-18)

But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord,

I say, “You are my God.”

My times are in Your hand;

Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.

Make Your face to shine upon Your servant;

Save me in Your lovingkindness.

Let me not be put to shame, O Lord, for I call upon You;

Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol.

Let the lying lips be mute,

Which speak arrogantly against the righteous

With pride and contempt.

So, when our adversary comes against us to attempt to undo us, we must put our hope and trust in God to deliver us from his attacks against us. God may deliver us by removing the attacks, and by vindicating us and our reputations, which will certainly happen one day, or he may deliver us through our trials by giving us his peace and assurance, his wisdom, and his power and strength to keep going and to keep doing his will despite all opposing forces against us.

When going through all of life’s challenges, we must believe in God’s sovereignty over our lives. Suffice it to say, it is imperative that we understand that our God is all powerful, and that he is completely in control of all things, and that he has power over every authority on the earth and in the spiritual realms. We need to see our lives from the perspective that our times here on this earth are in his hands, and we must trust him in all things, and follow his lead. We must not give way to fear of circumstances or enemies, because they are not more powerful than God! He reigns supreme!

Satan wants to make us afraid and to convince us that he is greater than our God, and that he is to be feared above all. He wants us to feel powerless against his evil attacks, and for us to buckle under the weight of it all. And, he has gotten many, many people there, even those who know Jesus, or who profess to trust in Jesus Christ.

I can still recall the day in the year 1982 when I felt the weight of Satan’s attacks against me via people telling me lies. So, I withdrew and I just escaped into a fantasy world. Then, one day, I was reading the story of Jonah to my children and God spoke so clearly to my heart that I was being like Jonah, in a way, in that I was running away from God. So, he told me to get back in there and to “fight this through.” And, I replied, “But God, you don’t understand!” I was convinced that these people had power over me over which God could not rescue me. Oh, how wrong I was! So, I obeyed God, and I did “fight it through,” via putting on the spiritual armor of God, and God delivered me out of the lion’s mouth and set me free.

Love the Lord (vv. 23-24)

O love the Lord, all you His godly ones!

The Lord preserves the faithful

And fully recompenses the proud doer.

Be strong and let your heart take courage,

All you who hope in the Lord.

I believe that scripture teaches that God allows or that he causes certain trials to come into our lives to test us, to mature us in our walks of faith, to make us holy, and to teach us to rely on him and not on ourselves, etc. I believe he also exercises divine discipline on his children, at times, via trials, in order to get our attention, because we have forgotten our first love and have gone off to chase after idols of human making. And, so he gently disciplines us in order to bring us back into pure fellowship with him.

I believe, as well, that through the tribulations God brings or allows on this earth, that he is calling out, not only to his wayward children, but to the people of this world who are lost in their sins, who need to believe in him for salvation. He is calling them to repent of their sins and to turn to follow him in obedience and in surrender to his will for their lives. For, when we believe in Jesus Christ, we are to be crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are resurrected with Christ in newness of life, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:24). Jesus died, not just so we could be forgiven of our sins, escape hell, and have the promise of heaven when we die. He died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24).

To love God, thus, is not some mushy gushy feeling we have for him. It is also not to “do” for God out of our own choosing as to what we will “do,” hoping he will be pleased. In other words, even the lost of this world know how to do good deeds. And, even the demons believe, and they shudder. Our salvation means death to our old lives of living according to our sinful flesh, and it means new birth to a living hope, and living to Christ’s righteousness and holiness. Jesus died that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us (2 Co. 5:15). Loving God means obeying him and keeping his word and no longer walking according to our sinful ways, but walking according to (in agreement with) the Spirit.

So, stop believing Satan’s lies, daily put on the armor of God, follow your Lord in obedience and surrender to his will, and trust him fully with your life.

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/112351857

Our Saving Defense

Monday, October 3, 2016, 3:40 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “For Our Nation.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 28 (NASB).

My Petitions (vv. 1-2)

To You, O Lord, I call;

My rock, do not be deaf to me,

For if You are silent to me,

I will become like those who go down to the pit.

Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help,

When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.

In all things in this life we should be continually in communication with our Lord, not just when things are going bad for us. He should be first on our minds when we awake in the morning, and last on our minds when we go to bed at night. Even in the night, as he may counsel us, we should be listening for his voice speaking his truths to our hearts, and we should be ready to respond positively to whatever he has to say to us or to whatever he has for us to do. We should regard him, not only as our Lord, but as our best friend, in whom we want to confide and share our deepest thoughts and feelings.

We should see God/Jesus, as well, as our Rock – our fortress and strength to help us in times of difficulty. We should believe that he loves us completely, and that he truly cares about us and what is going on in our lives, and that he will never abandon us, even if humans do. And, we should draw on his strength and comfort to help us through trying times when our faith is being tested, and when our enemies are fiercely coming against us. And, we should not fear what humans may do to us or say about us, but we must rely on our Lord to give us the words to say, and to give us the right heart attitudes about our circumstances, too.

Workers of Evil (vv. 3-5)

Do not drag me away with the wicked

And with those who work iniquity,

Who speak peace with their neighbors,

While evil is in their hearts.

Requite them according to their work and according to the evil of their practices;

Requite them according to the deeds of their hands;

Repay them their recompense.

Because they do not regard the works of the Lord

Nor the deeds of His hands,

He will tear them down and not build them up.

We want to pray and to request of God that he guard us and protect us from evil, that we would not be caught up in what the evil do, nor that we would let evil men dissuade us or distract us, through intimidation or trickery, from following our Lord and doing his will. The wicked are described for us here as deceivers, liars and manipulators who pretend one thing on the outside, while inside they are entirely different. Although they may speak to us as though they like us, they are plotting evil against us behind our backs. Although they may pretend to be our friends, and to be looking out for our best interests, they are really devising wicked schemes against us to destroy us. They can’t be trusted, for rarely a word coming from their mouths speaks truth. They are filled with deceit and have a bag full of tricks with which to try to trap us or to trip us up. So, we need to be very discerning.

I believe that the US federal government, as an entity, is like this, i.e. those who are in positions of power and rule in this nation. Included in their “bag of tricks” are all these shootings, mass murders and racial tensions, including riots and civil unrest. It is the same M.O. as what they did in other nations of the world over the past 10 years or so. First they create the chaos or the unrest so that they can go in as “saviors,” but not really. So much of what is now happening in America is following the same pattern as what happened in many other nations in the Middle East and in Africa in recent years. Most all of them have resulted in takeovers of their nations and the forming of “transitional” governments, assisted by the “international community” via forced cooperation, thus bringing “order out of chaos.”

I believe, as well, that this national election and the candidates, themselves, came out of this “bag of tricks” in order to deceive and manipulate the American people, and to distract and entertain them. They pretend to be on opposite sides of the political arena, but they both serve the same people, i.e. they serve the bankers and the wealthy and powerful elite of this world. And, no matter who wins this election, or even if there is an election, the result is still the same. There really is no difference between them.

Our present government is what is seen on the outside, but the true rulers of our nation, and of the world at large, are a shadow government hidden from sight, who are the world’s wealthy and powerful elite. They are the ones making all the decisions for what is going on in the world. And, they are forming a one-world government which will supplant the US government and our constitution, and which will bring about the rule of the beast (Rev. 13), the conquering of nations, of peoples and of the saints of God.

As has happened in other nations, I believe they are producing these (or most of these) troubled situations so that they will eventually have an excuse to declare a national state of emergency, and to institute martial law, and to suspend our rights and freedoms here in America. It is just a matter of time until this actually takes place, for scripture says it is coming, i.e. the conquering of nations and of people. So, it will be fulfilled.

So, we need to pray for our world, and for our nations, for our leaders and for the church in our nations, that blinded eyes would be opened, and that they would be turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they might receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified through faith in Jesus Christ (See: Ac. 26:16-18). We need to pray for revival of the church which is living in spiritual adultery against her Lord. And, we need to pray for the persecuted church which is walking in holiness and is under severe attack from the enemy, that she (they) will be strengthened in faith and that they will persevere and not give up or give in or give way to the enemy, but that they will stand firm on the Word of God, even if it costs them their lives on this earth.

One day, God will judge all these workers of evil, and they will meet their doom, unless they repent of their sins and trust Jesus Christ with their lives, which I hope and pray many will.

I Am Helped (vv. 6-9)

Blessed be the Lord,

Because He has heard the voice of my supplication.

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped;

Therefore my heart exults,

And with my song I shall thank Him.

The Lord is their strength,

And He is a saving defense to His anointed.

Save Your people and bless Your inheritance;

Be their shepherd also, and carry them forever.

No matter what we go through on this earth, or how many betray, hate or persecute us, and no matter if we lose our freedoms and our rights which we have been able to enjoy for some time now, or they take away our bank accounts or our homes or possessions, we still have the Lord, so we are blessed! We should learn to be thankful in all things, even in hardship and persecutions and even if those we trusted or who said they were our friends turn against us and abandon us, for we still have our salvation. We still have the Lord as our Rock and our Redeemer, and he can be trusted fully to do what he says he will do. So, we should rejoice!

And, we should never back down from or compromise what we know to be the truth just to “save” ourselves, because our Lord is our helper, and he will see us through each and every situation which comes into our lives, if we will but trust him.

Our Lord never promised us smooth sailing in this life, or that we will never have to go through difficult times. In fact, he said we will be hated, persecuted, falsely accused, rejected, abandoned, mistreated and even killed for the sake of his name, and for the sake of his gospel of salvation. So, we should not be surprised when these things do come upon us. But, we should trust our lives into our Lord’s capable hands, and believe him to lead us, to guide us, and to walk with us through our valleys. He will give us all we need to survive and to thrive until he takes us home to be with him forever. So, we must believe in his sovereignty and that he has all things worked out for good for us who love him and who have been called according to his purpose. And, we must rest in his love, and know that all this that he allows us to go through is for the salvation of human lives, and that we will receive a spiritual harvest of righteousness if we do not give up.

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/112351857

Whom Shall I Fear?

Saturday, October 1, 2016, 4:22 p.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “He Touched My Mouth.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 27 (Select vv. ESV).

The Lord my Stronghold (vv. 1-3)

The Lord is my light and my salvation;

    whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

    of whom shall I be afraid?

When evildoers assail me

    to eat up my flesh,

my adversaries and foes,

    it is they who stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me,

    my heart shall not fear;

though war arise against me,

    yet I will be confident.

The Lord reminded me here that the church at large in the USA opened the door to the enemy to come inside the gatherings (meetings) of the church. They did so via incorporating under the Federal Government of the USA, thus making the government the head of the church and, thus, turning the church, structurally, into a state church, in many cases. So, there is a distinction now to be made between this institutional church, with the government as its head, and the true church, with Christ as its head. Yet, much of the true church in America today has submitted itself to this institutional church structure for its gatherings, and for how it is run.

So, while the vast majority of the church still claims that Jesus Christ is her true head, Christ has been superseded by the US government as the head of the church, under this contractual relationship between the government and the church. And, the Word of God and the Holy Spirit have been kicked out of the majority of these churches in favor of the teachings and marketing schemes of humans. For, when the government came into the church, so did government worship via the pledge of allegiance (vow of fidelity) to the government, via the singing of patriotic songs, and via the honoring and worship of our military forces as our “saviors” who are the ones keeping us safe. And, with them also came worldly entertainment and human marketing schemes for how to build and to grow their churches, i.e. their businesses.

Via government worship in the church, the church learned to trust their government and the media, which is government controlled, and to do so, in many cases, unquestionably. This has opened the door to many deceiving spirits having a strong influence within the church at large. So many, many American Christians, via idolizing television, and via church-sponsored government worship, believe what their leaders and the media tell them, and they don’t question whether or not what they are seeing and hearing is actually true. Yet, we have to know that anything can be faked these days, and that there are many liars and deceivers within the political arena, and within the church. We also have to know that what was prophesied in scripture regarding these last days is not only possible, but that it is happening in our day and time, and that it will continue to happen.

For instance, just because the media says there are serious tensions between Russia and the USA, it does not make it true. Russia, China, the USA, France, and the UK are the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council, and Germany is added to them in the P5+1, which serves as a sort of police force of the UN Security Council in their dealings with other countries in the world, such as with Iran. The Lord has shown me many times via his Holy Spirit that Russia and the USA are on good terms with each other, and that all this “fighting” between them is just staged, i.e. it is play-acting for the purpose to deceive the people so that they can carry out their prearranged agenda, which is the agenda of the New World Order “Beast,” of which they are both active participants. What this is really about, I believe, is the persecution of Christians, and the rise of the beast.

The same is true in the political arena here in the USA. Have you ever asked God if what you are seeing and reading in the news is true, about anything, but in particular with regard to our political system? The Lord has often shown me consistently that there is no right and left, but that they all work for the same people, i.e. they work for the New World Order “beast.” The government in the USA that we see in the news is only the front for the true government of the USA, which is a shadow government working behind the scenes, comprised of the wealthy and powerful elite of this world. They are the ones truly calling all the shots. The Clintons and Donald Trump, et al, are the New World Order. They are among the powerful and wealthy elite of this world, who are the ones truly running this world of ours.

What we see of them on TV is just for show, i.e. it is all staged, acted out – a performance. The fighting between the two candidates is all faked for our entertainment and distraction while America and the world are being taken down and taken over by this New World Order. No matter who wins, or even if there is an election, the end result is still the same. The Beast rules!

So, the Lord needs to be our light and our salvation, not men (or women) in positions of power, and not their military forces. They cannot save us, because they are the ones out to destroy us from within. Neither candidate is telling us the whole truth. Their speeches are filled with lies, manipulations, and deceptions, i.e. with the twisting of truth. Neither one of them is our friend. They are not working for us. They are working for this shadow government and for the rise of the New World Order Beast, i.e. this one-world government and one-world religion.

If the Lord is the stronghold of our lives, though, we have no reason to fear what these people have planned against us. And, believe me when I tell you that they are at war with us – with sovereign nations and with true followers of Christ, i.e. with his true servants and witnesses. These elite world leaders, including within the US government, want the whole world to come together in unity as one with them. But, we must resist them, and we must draw near to God in full assurance of faith, and pray for much spiritual discernment to know the truth from the lies, for there are many lies being passed off as truth, and there are many who are being deceived, even within the church.

What we Seek After (vv. 4-6)

One thing have I asked of the Lord,

    that will I seek after:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

    all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord

    and to inquire in his temple.

For he will hide me in his shelter

    in the day of trouble;

he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;

    he will lift me high upon a rock.

And now my head shall be lifted up

    above my enemies all around me,

and I will offer in his tent

    sacrifices with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

So, instead of putting our hope in humans to save us from our troubles, many of whom are first causing the trouble, so that they can bring order out of chaos, we need to seek after God as our only hope and salvation. We need to turn off the TV and stop watching the circus, called politics, and we need to get into the Word of God and in prayer, and seek God’s face for the truth and for what our response should be to all this mess that is going on within our nation (or nations). And, we need to trust in God for our safety and security and not in humans who are bound to betray and desert us. Yet, we must know here that God does not promise that we will not have to go through suffering and persecution. He said we are destined for it, and that it is for our good – for our spiritual maturity and process of being made holy. Yet, he will carry us through these difficult times, and he will give us a spiritual harvest of righteousness if we put our hope in him and not in humans. We are conquerors over our enemies through him who loves us.

False Witnesses (vv. 11-14)

Teach me your way, O Lord,

    and lead me on a level path

    because of my enemies.

Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;

    for false witnesses have risen against me,

    and they breathe out violence.

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord

    in the land of the living!

Wait for the Lord;

    be strong, and let your heart take courage;

    wait for the Lord!

Because the church opened the door wide to invite the US government into the church as head, and into a contractual business relationship with the church, and thus invited the church into government worship, it has also opened the door wide to the persecution of Christ’s true followers, and to the takeover by the New World Order. False witnesses, not just without the church, but also from within, are rising up against Christ’s true followers, and against the gospel of salvation as taught by Jesus and by his NT apostles. And, they are accusing Christ’s true followers of being religious extremists who must be silenced or reprogrammed, or else they are tagging serious followers of Christ as intolerant, bigots, and hatemongers. And, in many cases, they are rejecting and ostracizing them because of their ‘strong convictions’ and because they don’t compromise the gospel.

As well, the US government and their military have been going throughout the world taking down sovereign nations and persecuting and killing Christians with the full support of the church back home, because the church has been trained to believe their government and media unquestionably, and would not dream of the idea that our government and military are committing the atrocities they have been engaged in for many years worldwide. But, our nation rides the beast, i.e. they are part of the beast and, in fact, have been leading the way in all these lies, deceptions and mistreatment of the people of the world, including of followers of Christ. And, then they lie to us about these other nations so that we will think what they are doing over there is for our safety, but that is a lie. And, they lie about those who are truly following Christ, even within the church, in order to try to discredit us and the gospel.

So, again, we need to turn off the TV and stop watching all this garbage being passed off as truth, and instead we need to open our Bibles and pray, and seek God’s face, and ask the Lord to show us the truth of what is going on within our nations, within our churches, and within our homes. America needs to wake up! And, we need to ask our Lord Jesus to lead us into his truth and in his ways, and stop following the ways of this sinful world. And, we need to trust God with our enemies, and not give way to fear, for the Lord has this all worked out for our good and for the salvation of human lives. We just have to rest in him and not in humans who will fail us. And, then we need to trust in God’s timing and not give way to fear because things are not changing like we would hope for the better. And, in the meanwhile, we need to be about the Lord’s business, walking in his ways.

He Touched My Mouth / An Original Work / June 13, 2012

Based off Isaiah 6:1-8; Jeremiah 1:4-9

Oh, I saw the Lord seated on His throne,

High and lifted up; Holy is the Lord!

The earth is full of His glory.

“Woe to me,” I cried,

“I’m of unclean lips.”

My Lord touched my mouth

With His cleansing pow’r;

Removed all my guilt, paid for by His blood.

He asked, “Whom shall I send;

Who will go for us?”

I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Before I was born, God set me apart;

He appointed me to His servant be.

I said, “I don’t know how to speak.

I am but a child.” Then, the Lord replied:

“Do not say to me, ‘I am but a child.’

You must go to all, and do what I say.

Do not fear them, for I’m with you.”

My Lord touched my mouth;

Gave me words to say.

https://vimeo.com/114929183

Heart Trouble

Saturday, October 1, 2016, 5:36 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 25 (Select vv. ESV).

He Leads the Humble (vv. 8-10)

Good and upright is the Lord;

    therefore he instructs sinners in the way.

He leads the humble in what is right,

    and teaches the humble his way.

All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,

    for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

So good is our God that he sent his One and Only Begotten Son to the earth to die on a cross for our sins. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Co. 5:21). So, when Jesus died, our sins died with him, and were buried with him. When he was resurrected from the dead, he rose victorious over sin, hell and death. Through faith in him we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are resurrected with Christ to newness of life, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (See: Eph. 4:24; Ro. 6:1-23). His grace, which brings salvation, teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s return. This is how he instructs sinners in The Way.

When we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ to be Lord (owner-master) and Savior of our lives, we repent of (turn from) our sins and we turn to walk in Christ’s righteousness and holiness. We put off our old sinful self, we are born anew of the Spirit of God, and we put on Christ. He now lives within us in the person of the Holy Spirit. We have, thus, humbled ourselves before God in confession of sin, and in repentance, and in submission to his will and to his ways. And, so he instructs us in how we should live. We should count ourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. We should no longer let sin have rule over our lives, but we should offer ourselves to God as instruments of his righteousness. Sin should no longer be our master, but we should now be servants (slaves) of righteousness (See: Ro. 6:1-23).

Fear the Lord (vv. 11-15)

For your name's sake, O Lord,

    pardon my guilt, for it is great.

Who is the man who fears the Lord?

    Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.

His soul shall abide in well-being,

    and his offspring shall inherit the land.

The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him,

    and he makes known to them his covenant.

My eyes are ever toward the Lord,

    for he will pluck my feet out of the net.

What does it mean to walk in the fear of the Lord? To fear God, in this context, is not to be afraid of him, but to have a respectful reverence for him. For example, I am not afraid of fire, but I do have a respectful watchfulness with regard to its use. I don’t play with fire, in other words, but I am careful to use it properly, and for good purposes. When used properly, fire can be our friend. It can warm us in cold weather, cook our food, and it can put an end to our trash. But, used improperly, it can kill and destroy. And, the same is true in how we treat God. If we just play church, and we show disrespect to our Lord, and we dishonor our God, the result is death and destruction. But, if we show proper respect, reverence and honor for God, the result is that he is our friend for life, and our souls will be well.

Lonely and Afflicted (vv. 16-18)

Turn to me and be gracious to me,

    for I am lonely and afflicted.

The troubles of my heart are enlarged;

    bring me out of my distresses.

Consider my affliction and my trouble,

    and forgive all my sins.

There are many reasons why we may experience loneliness or feel lonely. I know it is possible to be in a room full of people and to still feel all alone, except for God. In today’s world, this is brought on much by so many people staring at smart phones, tablets, computers, video games and TV, even when they are with other people, and even when they could be having conversations with others. So, you can be in a room full of people, and if they are all playing with their smart phones, tablets and/or video games, you may feel alone, even though there are people physically present with you, because they are not mentally or emotionally with you.

As well, as followers of Christ, we can sometimes feel alone if the people we are around (Christians included) are living worldly lives, and if we are living separated lives from the world because we are being conformed into the likeness of Christ. We may understand them, because we have been where they are, perhaps, but they may not understand us, and they may wonder why we don’t do the things that they do. The more separate from the world we become, the more alone we may feel, at times, unless we are around many others who have also seen the need to depart from following after the ways of this sinful world, who are also walking in the fear of the Lord. Especially if we are preaching the full gospel message, as taught by Jesus and his NT apostles, we may be ostracized by others, as Jesus was, and that may also contribute to our feelings of loneliness.

Along with this loneliness may be affliction, as well, and that may come from persecution, rejection, misunderstandings, and false accusations coming from those who do not like us for whatever reason. Those who are serious about God and his Word, particularly here in America in 2016, have a bad reputation right now. We are being tagged as intolerant, bigoted, hateful, and as religious extremists who must be silenced or reprogrammed. And so we may be pushed aside and people may not want to befriend us, even within the church, and thus we may feel lonely. Some of our opposition may be convinced that there is rightness in numbers and thus may strongly come against us because we don’t “go with the flow.”

Many Foes (vv. 19-21)

Consider how many are my foes,

    and with what violent hatred they hate me.

Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!

    Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.

May integrity and uprightness preserve me,

    for I wait for you.

So, we may pray, asking God to consider our loneliness, our afflictions and how many hate us and are working against us. And, we may ask him to guard our hearts, and to come near to us that we may sense his presence with us, because sometimes our emotions can get in the way of us feeling that he is near, even though he always is, for he will never leave us or forsake us. We may also ask to be delivered from our affliction, yet we know that these afflictions are necessary in our lives to mature us, to teach us perseverance, to produce in us godly character, and that we might learn to rely on God and not on ourselves. So, God may not always deliver us from difficulties and trials, but he will see us through them, and he will strengthen us in them.

The important thing here is that we do call on God in our troubles, and that we don’t let them get the best of us, but we learn to persevere and to grow in our faith despite all that is coming against us. We must trust in our Lord’s complete sovereignty over our lives and believe he will work everything out for our good, and for the salvation of human lives. We must hold on to his promises, and not give up just because life gets harder, and the persecution becomes even more severe. The road ahead may get rough, but he will direct us in the way we should go, and he will equip and train us and provide for us all we need to endure. So, trust him with your life. And, believe that he cares. For he is the best friend anyone could ever have!

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Joseph M. Scriven / Charles C. Converse

What a friend we have in Jesus,

all our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit,

O what needless pain we bear,

all because we do not carry

everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged;

take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful

who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness;

take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden,

cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge;

take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?

Take it to the Lord in prayer!

In his arms he'll take and shield thee;

thou wilt find a solace there.