It is Good for Me

Friday, November 4, 2016, 3:45 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 119:65-72 (ESV).

Knowledge and Good Judgment (vv. 65-66)

You have dealt well with your servant,

    O Lord, according to your word.

Teach me good judgment and knowledge,

    for I believe in your commandments.

No matter what we go through in this life, it is good for us to have the attitude of heart and mind that God has dealt well with us, according to his word. We are so undeserving of his riches of grace, which he has poured out on us whom he loves. It was while we were yet sinners that Christ Jesus died for us on a cross so that we could be set free from slavery to sin. He doesn’t owe us anything, but we owe him everything. We should be eternally grateful for all that he has done for us in saving us from our sins, and for giving us eternal life with God to be lived to his righteousness.

Because of what Jesus Christ did for us, in cleansing us of our sin, and for giving us new lives in Christ Jesus, our desire should be for him, to walk in his truth and in his ways. We should want him to teach us his knowledge and good judgment, that we may walk in them, not just so we can fill our heads with a bunch of Bible knowledge so we can show off how much we know, or so we can win debates (arguments). Head knowledge puffs up, but heart knowledge applies what is learned to our daily lives. And, that application of knowledge should result in good judgment, if we are putting into practice what we have learned.

I Went Astray (vv. 67-68)

Before I was afflicted I went astray,

    but now I keep your word.

You are good and do good;

    teach me your statutes.

God allows us to go through trials and tribulations, because they are for our good, to humble us, to teach us perseverance, and so we learn to rely on God and not on ourselves. God disciplines those he loves, so that we may share in his holiness. “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (See: Heb. 12:3-11).

Some of this discipline is corrective, because we have gone astray in some area(s) of our lives, and we need to be brought back in line with God and with his Word. Other discipline is preventive, to keep us from going astray, and to train us in godliness and holiness. It builds within us godly character, and draws us closer to our Lord, with a deeper desire to follow him wherever he leads.

With My Whole Heart (vv. 69-70)

The insolent smear me with lies,

    but with my whole heart I keep your precepts;

their heart is unfeeling like fat,

    but I delight in your law.

I think that, when we go through hard times, it also builds within us much determination and steadfastness of spirit so that we are able to withstand persecution and opposition, and still remain strong in our faith and commitment to Christ and to his word. It has certainly done that in my life. I would not be where I am today, doing what I am doing, if God had not broken me, and allowed me to go through much suffering. Through suffering and strong opposition, he helped me to “set my face like flint” (Is. 50:7), i.e. to be resolute and diligent in my walk of faith with my Lord in keeping his word and in not going astray.

When I was much younger, and not so seasoned in life, I didn’t bear up well under unjust suffering. I would, for a time, but then I would break down, and would want to just retreat. Over time, though, I learned that we never gain anything positive by withdrawing, and that we should use these times, instead, to grow in our faith, and to become even more single-minded in our commitments to Christ, steadfast in our walks of faith, and strong-minded in our spiritual warfare against the enemy of our souls. Satan uses our trials as opportunities to try to break us, but God uses these times to make us and to mold us into the image of Christ, if we will but yield to him.

It is Good for Me (vv. 71-72)

It is good for me that I was afflicted,

    that I might learn your statutes.

The law of your mouth is better to me

    than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

Perspective is everything, isn’t it? What I mean is that, when we go through afflictions, poverty, trials, and tribulations, which test our faith, we gain “the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance” (M-W Dictionary). For instance, we just went through a trial with bed bugs, which lasted about a month. Praise Jesus, the bugs have been gone nearly 2 weeks now! It definitely changed my perspective regarding what is important, and what is not. And, it made me even more serious about God’s calling on my life and my time spent with him, and it helped me gain perspective as to what my priorities should be. So, I thank the Lord for the bed bugs, and what I learned through that experience, but I am so thankful they are gone!

In America we live in relative affluence. Not everyone in America is wealthy, mind you, but in relation to people in third world countries, I think even our poorest are rich by comparison. My husband and I live in relative comfort with regard to the things of this world. We have a nice roof over our heads, in an apartment complex, and we have food in our stomachs, clothes on our backs, and sufficient funds to meet our needs. We are not wanting for anything of the necessities of life. And, yet, that doesn’t make us happy. Those things don’t bring us joy and peace and comfort. They are all temporal. And, the bed bugs definitely put that into perspective for me!

Things do not save us. They do not love us. They do not comfort us in sorrow or give us hope of eternal life with God. We can be rich in the things of this life and still be lost for eternity, so what does that gain us? Nothing! So, sometimes we need to be afflicted so we learn what is really important, and what is not, so we gain the right perspective. The church in America could use some affliction for that very reason. Because of our affluence, and so many people having so much stuff, including so much to entertain them, I think it has caused many people in this nation to forget God or to push him aside in favor of “stuff” which will never satisfy. So, I think it would be good for us to be afflicted so that we might learn God’s statues, and so we might desire them far above the treasures of this world.

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross / Isaac Watts / Lowell Mason

When I survey the wondrous cross

On which the Prince of glory died,

My richest gain I count but loss,

And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,

Save in the death of Christ my God!

All the vain things that charm me most,

I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,

Sorrow and love flow mingled down!

Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,

Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,

That were a present far too small;

Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my soul, my life, my all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tkx8WAycYAc

I Find My Delight

Thursday, November 3, 2016, 8:45 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Gift of God.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 119:41-64 (ESV).

Waw (vv. 41-48)

Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord,
    your salvation according to your promise;
then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me,
    for I trust in your word.
And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
    for my hope is in your rules.
I will keep your law continually,
    forever and ever,
and I shall walk in a wide place,
    for I have sought your precepts.
I will also speak of your testimonies before kings
    and shall not be put to shame,
for I find my delight in your commandments,
    which I love.
I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love,
    and I will meditate on your statutes.

Do we, as followers of Jesus Christ, truly find our delight in His Word? We should! Or, do we find more enjoyment in the things of this world, and in worldly entertainment? Do we get more excited about a baseball team winning or losing the World Series than we do about the things of God?

What if Christians began showing the kind of passion and enthusiasm for Christ, His Word, and His gospel, as they show for their favorite sport, sports team, and sport heroes? If we all did, we could set the world on fire for Jesus! I guarantee it! I have seen how dedicated these sports fans are. Oh, that the body of Christ would be that fervent (zealous) in their relationships with Jesus Christ and in sharing the gospel of salvation with the world.

Also, are we committed to obedience to God’s Word, with ardent care and concern to follow what is written in it? Is the Word of God regularly on our lips as well as in our hearts? Is our hope truly found in the commandments of Christ, i.e. in his instructions he has given to us for godly living? And, are we devoted to studying the Word of God, to listening to what the Spirit says to our hearts, and then to following our Lord in obedience, even if people reject, hate and ostracize us because they think we have flipped our lids?

Zayin (vv. 49-56)

Remember your word to your servant,
    in which you have made me hope.
This is my comfort in my affliction,
    that your promise gives me life.
The insolent utterly deride me,
    but I do not turn away from your law.
When I think of your rules from of old,
    I take comfort, O Lord.
Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked,
    who forsake your law.
Your statutes have been my songs
    in the house of my sojourning.
I remember your name in the night, O Lord,
    and keep your law.
This blessing has fallen to me,
    that I have kept your precepts.

Are you ignored, made fun of, treated disrespectfully, mocked or otherwise mistreated for your faith in Jesus Christ, for your testimony for him, and/or for sharing with others his gospel of salvation? If so, you are not alone. Many followers of Jesus Christ, throughout the world, are being severely persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ, especially those who are verbal about their faith, and who stand firm in following the Word of Truth without compromise of truth and conviction.

If these were complete strangers who were persecuting us, though, I think we could bear it with much less emotional pain, but, as Jesus said would happen, much of this persecution and/or snubbing is coming from those within our families, from friends and neighbors, from other Christians, and even from our pastors and our governmental leaders within our nations. This mistreatment is coming largely from those who are supposed to love and protect us, but who have turned their backs on us, and who have handed us over to the New World Order Beast, in order for it to trample us down and to spit us out, as though we don’t matter, because we don’t conform to the norms of society, which they have determined as solidarity of mind and purpose with this beast and its world system, and one-world religion.

Also, are we passionately and fervently concerned that so many people who call themselves Christians are living not much different from those who make no claims to faith in Jesus Christ at all? Does it bother us at all that the church has been going down the toilet for some time now, as they have drifted away from purity of mind and heart with regard to Christ and his Word, and have gone the way of the world in order to “win the world”? Does all the wickedness that is going on in the world break our hearts? Do we weep over how many children are being handed smart phones and tablets with free and unmonitored internet access? Or, are we too busy having fun and being entertained to even notice or care?

Heth (vv. 57-64)

The Lord is my portion;
    I promise to keep your words.
I entreat your favor with all my heart;
    be gracious to me according to your promise.
When I think on my ways,
    I turn my feet to your testimonies;
I hasten and do not delay
    to keep your commandments.
Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me,
    I do not forget your law.
At midnight I rise to praise you,
    because of your righteous rules.
I am a companion of all who fear you,
    of those who keep your precepts.
The earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast love;
    teach me your statutes!

It deeply concerns me to see so many professing Christians so casual and even flippant about their relationships with Jesus Christ, and with regard to obedience to his Word. They say “I am a Christian,” but they live just like the world (of sin). The fact that they keep sinning, and that they know they are being disobedient to God’s Word doesn’t seem to faze them. Lies, deceptions, fornication, adultery, sexual immorality, cheating, stealing, hatred, fighting, gossip, etc. all seem so commonplace now among those who profess the name of Jesus. They pick and choose what they will obey and what they won’t obey. Many of them give Jesus Christ barely even an acknowledgment, but then they talk about the day they will get to go to heaven to be with him. I think, “Why would you want to be with Jesus for eternity if you don’t bother with him while you are on the earth?”

I wonder how many people who call themselves followers of Christ actually live like what the psalmist describes for us here in these verses. Do we even think on (consider) our ways, if they are pleasing to God or not? And, if we do, do we turn our feet to God and to his commands, or do we keep going our own way, without regard for his instructions to us? Do we really hasten and not delay to obey his commands, or do we dilly-dally? In other words, do we waste time through aimless wandering or indecision, and then never go anywhere? When we are tempted to sin against God, do we immediately respond with obedience to God, or do we vacillate in indecision? Will we get up during a night of sleep to spend time with God, if he wakens us? Or, will we love our sleep more? I don’t know about you, but I want to be like the psalmist describes in these verses. I don’t want to waste my life away on what has no eternal value at all, and on what is utterly worthless.

We all need to walk in the fear of the Lord. We need to take these verses to heart, and we need to pray to God that these words (most of them) would be true to our lives. If God’s people would have this kind of passion for Jesus and for his Word and for his gospel, the world would not be in the situation we now find it in, I believe. But, we have gotten there largely because so much of the church has gone AWOL, i.e. they are asleep, and are too busy being entertained and having a good time to really get serious about God and about having this kind of relationship with him. So, we need a wakeup call to shake the church out of her slumber into submission to Christ and his cross, so that she can impact this world for Jesus Christ before he returns.

Gift of God / An Original Work / October 25, 2016

Based off Various Scriptures

Jesus Christ, Son of God,

Died for us on a cross;

Conquered death, sin, and hell,

So, with Him, we would dwell.

For, by His grace, we are saved.

He set us free from all sin.

Thanks be to God for His Gift.

Through faith in Him, we’re forgiven.

Holy Spirit of God,

Given to us who believe,

Gives us new life in Christ;

Made to be just like Him.

We died with Christ to our sin.

New lives in Him we begin,

Walking with Christ day by day.

We read His Word, and we pray.

Jesus, He is our Lord.

Follow Him where He leads.

Tell the world of His grace.

We’ll see Christ face to face.

Soon He is coming again.

We’ll be forever with Him.

He’ll wipe our tears all away.

Oh, what a wonderful day!

https://vimeo.com/188931779

An Upright Heart

Wednesday, November 2, 2016, 8:57 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Blessed Are You.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 119:1-24 (ESV).

Aleph (vv. 1-8)

Blessed are those whose way is blameless,

    who walk in the law of the Lord!

Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,

    who seek him with their whole heart,

who also do no wrong,

    but walk in his ways!

You have commanded your precepts

    to be kept diligently.

Oh that my ways may be steadfast

    in keeping your statutes!

Then I shall not be put to shame,

    having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.

I will praise you with an upright heart,

    when I learn your righteous rules.

I will keep your statutes;

    do not utterly forsake me!

We are joyful and at peace when we are walking in the ways of the Lord, doing what he says, and not willfully ignoring his instructions to us. There is no better place to be on this earth than in the center of God’s will for our lives, being who he has made us to be, and doing what he has called us to do. Even in the midst of the storms of this life, with its trials and tribulations, there is no greater satisfaction than in fulfilling the purpose for which we were created, and doing what we know is pleasing to our Lord. And, there is no greater unrest (anxiety) in our lives than when we consciously choose to stray from our Lord and to live a life contrary to his Word and to his will.

There is also no greater joy and peace than when we are fully committed to our Lord, in full surrender to his will, and he is truly Lord (owner-master) of our lives. If we have one foot in the world and one in God’s Word, they are always at conflict with each other, and so there is tumult and disquiet, not peace. If we are wanting our own way and claiming to want God’s way, too, it doesn’t work. Flesh and Spirit don’t mix. We can’t have it both ways, though many people surely do try to make it work that way. Yet, we are happy and at rest when we keep His Word, and we seek after him with our whole (undivided) hearts, and we walk in his ways day by day.

Beth (vv. 9-16)

How can a young man keep his way pure?

    By guarding it according to your word.

With my whole heart I seek you;

    let me not wander from your commandments!

I have stored up your word in my heart,

    that I might not sin against you.

Blessed are you, O Lord;

    teach me your statutes!

With my lips I declare

    all the rules of your mouth.

In the way of your testimonies I delight

    as much as in all riches.

I will meditate on your precepts

    and fix my eyes on your ways.

I will delight in your statutes;

    I will not forget your word.

How can a man (or woman) keep his (or her) way pure? I have often pondered this question as I walk through the mall and I see all the sexually seductive posters and mannequins in the store windows, and when I stand in a line at the grocery store, and on the magazine racks I see the sensual and tempting magazine covers, or when I am on the internet on just about any so-called “safe” site, including some Christian sites, and there are alluring pictures off to the side or at the bottom of the screen.

I, as well, ponder that question when I see so many young people, especially, given free and private internet access via smart phones and tablets (I Pads), with little to no parental control. My heart weeps, in fact, that so many parents use these devices as baby sitters for their children, not realizing or not caring that young children are very quick to pick up on how to use these devices and to go to forbidden places which will permanently damage their minds and hearts, but for the grace of God.

So, how can we keep our ways pure in a generation where the impure is so readily available in the privacy of our own homes, without accountability? We have to be guarded against the impure entering into our minds. We have to be deliberate about this, and we have to be proactive, too. We must set our faces like a flint (Is. 50:7), i.e. we have to be determined and diligent in this matter of purity or we might easily fall into carefully laid traps for us.

We can’t be morally pure if we are playing with temptation, though. If we watch TV shows, movies, skits, etc. or listen to music or play video games with sexually suggestive material contained within, we are just asking to be tempted into sexual impurity. Or, if we read romance novels or other types of novels containing sexually suggestive material or containing sex scenes, and we entertain these things in our minds, we can’t expect to keep our way pure, can we? And, if we go to internet sites where we have been tempted before, and especially if they are places where we gave in to that temptation, and we are naïve enough to think it won’t happen again, and we do nothing to be proactive in our internet use, then we can’t be morally pure. We have to have a plan to be pure, and to stick to that plan.

So, first of all, we need to do an evaluation (examination) of our lives, and of the places in which we have been tempted in the past, and where we think we might face temptation in the future, and we have to not go those places, and some people need to not have private internet access at all, because that, alone, is a temptation to be sexually impure. And, we need to stop watching, listening to or reading anything which is immoral, impure and which has the potential to lead us into sin. We can memorize tons of scripture, but if we are not willing to rid our lives of what leads us into sin, or what is clearly on God’s list of sins, then the scriptures won’t do us much good, because we are doing what is contrary to God’s Word already.

So, we need to put off what is impure, immoral, alluring, tempting, and anything which may lead us down the path of sin. And, then we must seek God with our whole hearts, and hide his word, not just in our minds, but in our hearts through daily practice of obeying what it teaches us. We can pray all we want for God to help us not to stray, and to help us to not sin, and to teach us his ways, so we may walk in them, but if we don’t give God more than lip service, our prayers are in vain. If we don’t keep his Word, then there is no point in him teaching us what it says. We have to be willing to go the distance with God, to cut out of our lives what tempts or leads us to sin, and then we have to immerse ourselves in his Word and obey what it says.

Gimel (vv. 17-24)

Deal bountifully with your servant,

    that I may live and keep your word.

Open my eyes, that I may behold

    wondrous things out of your law.

I am a sojourner on the earth;

    hide not your commandments from me!

My soul is consumed with longing

    for your rules at all times.

You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones,

    who wander from your commandments.

Take away from me scorn and contempt,

    for I have kept your testimonies.

Even though princes sit plotting against me,

    your servant will meditate on your statutes.

Your testimonies are my delight;

    they are my counselors.

We must know, though, that when we take these steps, as outlined in the section above, and we do set our faces like flint, and we get really serious about God and his Word, and about ridding our lives of what displeases our Lord, that the enemy is going to attack, and friends will abandon us, and we will face much rejection and persecution. Especially now, with our world leaders coming against evangelical Christianity, and making us out to be the enemy, we should be prepared for global persecution on a large scale.

Yet, we must not back down just so we will be liked and accepted. We must no longer try to live in both the world of sin and the world of Christianity. We have to choose whom we will serve – flesh or God? We can’t serve both. We must get radical about God, and about walking in his precepts, and no longer live to please our sinful flesh. We must desire God above all else, and want nothing more than to walk in his righteousness and holiness. We have to hate sin, and what sin does to us and to those we love and/or who love us. If we don’t set our faces like flint, and we play with temptation, we will not gain the victory, and we will not be at peace, but will continually live in unrest for we know we are living out of the will of God.

So, what do you choose? I choose to walk in the ways of the Lord, and to not fulfill the desires of the flesh. I choose to continue to set my face like flint, and to remain pure in heart and mind. And, I choose to do what his Word says, even in the face of much persecution. Will you join me?

Blessed Are You / An Original Work / August 29, 2012

Based off Luke 6:20-49 NIV 1984

“Blessed are you; blessed are you

Who are poor for God’s kingdom is yours.

Blessed are you; blessed are you

Who are hungry, you’ll be satisfied.

Blessed are you; blessed are you

Who weep now, for you will laugh with joy.

Blessed are you; blessed are you

when men hate and reject you because of Christ.”

“Rejoice in that; rejoice in that day

And leap for joy; great your reward.

But I tell you; but I tell you

To love those who hate you; do them good.

Pray for those who; pray for those who

Treat you wrong and say kind things of them.

Do to others; do to others as you would

Have them do; have them do to you.”

“If you love those; if you love those

Who love you, what praise is there for you?

Because Christ is; because Christ is kind,

Be merciful, just like He is.

Forgive others; forgive others

Their offense against you; be ye kind.

Hear My words and; hear My words and

Put them into practice, then you’ll be fulfilled.”

https://vimeo.com/115046573

They Surround Me

Tuesday, November 1, 2016, 8:09 p.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Gift of God.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 118 (Select vv. NASB).

I Will Not Fear (vv. 5-9)

From my distress I called upon the Lord;

The Lord answered me and set me in a large place.

The Lord is for me; I will not fear;

What can man do to me?

The Lord is for me among those who help me;

Therefore I will look with satisfaction on those who hate me.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

Than to trust in man.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

Than to trust in princes.

I live in the United States of America. For the past twelve years, the Lord has been opening my eyes to see what is going on in our nation, in the church in our nation, and in the world. Certainly I don’t understand it all, but I have learned much that I did not previously know or understand.

Over these years, the Lord has been showing me (teaching me) much about the US government’s involvement in international affairs. What he has been showing me, I believe, is that the USA was created for the purpose to bring about the rule of the beast of Revelation. I have often seen us, as a nation, as the harlot, Mystery Babylon, which rides the beast. Our constitution is paper and ink, but our leaders are not bound by it. They answer to a shadow government comprised of a small group of the elite, wealthy and powerful of the world. And, they are the ones truly calling the shots for what goes on in the USA and in the world. They are the “All-Seeing Eye” on our $1 bill.

Our electoral process is just pure theatre. The candidates are actors on a stage playing a part which is fully scripted by these elite. Our presidents are selected, not elected. There is no right or left politically. Both sides answer to the same people. Our votes don’t count. The elections are rigged. It doesn’t matter who sits in the White House, for the end result is still the same. The New World Order beast rules, and it is consuming our nation. Our media is also owned and operated by this same group of elitists, so they just say what they are told to say. So much of the news is also pure theatre, and for the benefit of confusing, distracting and entertaining the masses.

This New World Order Beast has slowly been consuming the nations of the world one by one, taking down their national and sovereign governments, persecuting Christians, and bringing these nations and their people by force into unity with a one-world government and one-world religion.

The Lord led me to read the news stories about these take-downs in Afghanistan, Tunisia, Egypt, Gaza Strip, West Bank, Turkey, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Yemen, Greece, Syria and Ukraine. I know there are others, too. The stories all had a very similar Modus Operandi. First, the N.W.O. Beast creates the chaos, trouble, uprising, disaster, mass murders, and racial, political or religious tensions, etc., and then they go in as “saviors” with a preconceived plan for “rescuing” these nations. Then they form transitional (New World Order) governments, and they threaten all nations, via the UN and the US government, with “dire consequences” if they do not cooperate with the “international community,” alias New World Order Beast.

Now, they are working that same Modus Operandi here in America, too. Our fake elections and fake global warming are all part of the game plan, as well. Everything is orchestrated. It is all prearranged. The outcome is already decided. No one who sits in the White House, if that even continues to exist, is going to change the plan. This beast is fully entrenched, i.e. embedded, i.e. firmly set in place within our nation and within many other nations in the world, and there is no going back to “normal.”

Yet, we are not to be afraid of what is going to happen or of what men might do to us, for the Lord is our helper, and he will give us all we need to withstand what is coming and to be victorious over our enemy Satan. We are also not to put our trust in human beings, i.e. in “princes” who are going to betray us, and who will turn their backs on us and will hand us over to the beast to be persecuted and even killed for our faith in Jesus Christ.

The persecution in America has already begun. Listen to Obama’s and the pope’s speeches. They are pushing for a one-world government and for a one-world religion where the people of the world will join hands together and sing “Kumbaya.” The picture here is of a warm, cozy community without conflict sitting around a campfire, singing together in perfect harmony, regardless of religion or lifestyle.

They want us to do away with all which divides us as the people of the world. Sovereign nations divide as does the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are divided “saved” and “unsaved.” So, they feel the gospel and its messengers must go, or be reformed, so the world can all live together in perfect harmony. We are already being tagged as hateful, bigoted, intolerant and as religious extremists, which is to be associated with terrorists.

The Lord, my Strength (vv. 10-14)

All nations surrounded me;

In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off.

They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me;

In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off.

They surrounded me like bees;

They were extinguished as a fire of thorns;

In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off.

You pushed me violently so that I was falling,

But the Lord helped me.

The Lord is my strength and song,

And He has become my salvation.

Yet, our battle is truly a spiritual battle, not a physical one, even though we have physical enemies, for sure. Our weapons we fight with are also not human weapons of war, but they are spiritual weapons which God has given us to fight off Satan’s evil attacks against us (See: Eph. 6:10-20). Also, our circumstances are not what should define us or what should determine our destiny. How we respond to our life situations is what defines us, and is what will determine the ultimate outcome for us.

Yes, the nations of the world are surrounding us, i.e. they are entrenched (embedded) in our individual nations and in our governments, and in our institutional churches, and they are not going away until Jesus sends them away from us, or until he takes us away from them. And, yes, we are coming into a time of severe persecution against Christians in the USA, as has been happening in much of the rest of the world already. And, our nations are being conquered by this N.W.O. beast, and the world is being forced into unity with this beast or to pay the consequences.

Yet, as believers in Jesus Christ, we are not to compromise. We are not to yield to this beast. We, as the people of this world, are not to take its mark on our lives just to save our own skin, for we would only be saving it for this life, not for the next. The way in which we conquer, and the way in which we are victorious over this embedded enemy, which is at large in our nations, is to put our hope and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior of our lives, to stand firm in our faith, and to keep telling people about Jesus and his gospel of salvation from sin, even if it costs us our reputations or our lives. If we try to save our lives for this world, we will lose them for eternity. But, if we willingly lay down our lives for Jesus’ sake, and for the sake of the gospel of our salvation, we have the hope of eternal life with God.

Gates of Righteousness (vv. 19-24)

Open to me the gates of righteousness;

I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord.

This is the gate of the Lord;

The righteous will enter through it.

I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me,

And You have become my salvation.

The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief corner stone.

This is the Lord’s doing;

It is marvelous in our eyes.

This is the day which the Lord has made;

Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was with God in the beginning, and he is God. He is also our creator. He came to earth, took on human form, suffered as we suffer, and was tempted in like manner as we are also tempted, yet without sin. Although he was sinless, yet he became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God (See: 2 Co. 5:21). He died on a cross for us so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24). He died that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us (2 Co. 5:15). Jesus Christ “gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds” (Tit. 2:14).

The way we come to know him is we “lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth” (Eph. 4:22-24). We can’t do this in our own human flesh, though. This is the working of the Spirit of God in our lives in giving us new lives in Christ Jesus, by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus. Yet, we must cooperate with God’s work of grace in our lives. We are not puppets on a string. When we truly trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are resurrected with Christ to newness of life.

Our faith in Jesus Christ is our only hope and salvation in these troubled times which we now face in this world. So, if you have not yet put your hope in him, I pray you will do so today. If you have trusted in him, but you have strayed from your pure devotion to him, I pray that you will repent of your sins, and be restored to him today. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring.

Gift of God / An Original Work / October 25, 2016

Based off Various Scriptures

Jesus Christ, Son of God,

Died for us on a cross;

Conquered death, sin, and hell,

So, with Him, we would dwell.

For, by His grace, we are saved.

He set us free from all sin.

Thanks be to God for His Gift.

Through faith in Him, we’re forgiven.

Holy Spirit of God,

Given to us who believe,

Gives us new life in Christ;

Made to be just like Him.

We died with Christ to our sin.

New lives in Him we begin,

Walking with Christ day by day.

We read His Word, and we pray.

Jesus, He is our Lord.

Follow Him where He leads.

Tell the world of His grace.

We’ll see Christ face to face.

Soon He is coming again.

We’ll be forever with Him.

He’ll wipe our tears all away.

Oh, what a wonderful day!

https://vimeo.com/188931779

Our Vows

Tuesday, November 1, 2016, 9:00 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Gift of God.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 116 (ESV).

Pleas for Mercy (vv. 1-4)

I love the Lord, because he has heard

    my voice and my pleas for mercy.

Because he inclined his ear to me,

    therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

The snares of death encompassed me;

    the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;

    I suffered distress and anguish.

Then I called on the name of the Lord:

    “O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”

Jesus Christ, God the Son, had been tempted of Satan in the wilderness, and he had gone to live in Capernaum, in fulfillment of what Isaiah had prophesied about him. Then, the Word says, “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matt. 4:17). Jesus also said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (Jn. 6:44). And, he said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn. 14:6).

So, not one of us can come to faith in Jesus Christ, and receive his mercy and forgiveness, unless the Father first draws us to him. God will put within us the desire for him, and for his salvation. And, he will reveal to us that Jesus is the only way to the Father – that there is only one way to God, not many. And, it is through faith in Jesus Christ, via repentance, i.e. via turning from our sin to God, to follow him, that we are saved by God’s grace. So, we should praise and thank God, not only for hearing our cries for mercy, but that God the Father first drew us to Jesus Christ, that he put within us that desire for him, and that he even gave us the faith to believe in him, too.

He Saved Us (vv. 5-9)

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;

    our God is merciful.

The Lord preserves the simple;

    when I was brought low, he saved me.

Return, O my soul, to your rest;

    for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

For you have delivered my soul from death,

    my eyes from tears,

    my feet from stumbling;

I will walk before the Lord

    in the land of the living.

When we are born into this world, we are born with sin natures, due to the sin of the first man Adam. We are born in Adam’s likeness (See: Ro. 5:12-19; 1 Co. 15:21-49). Adam’s sin against God separated humankind from God, so the Father sent Jesus Christ, the Son, to the earth to die on a cross for our sins, to purchase us back (to redeem us) for God. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, by faith in him, we can be delivered from the curse of sin, and from bondage to sin, and we can be set free to walk in Christ’s righteousness and holiness, and to have the hope of eternal life with God.

The way in which we come to faith in Jesus Christ is that, in the working and power of the Spirit of God in regeneration, via the gift of faith from God, we put to death our old lives of living for sin and self, we are made new in the attitude of our minds, and we put on the new self, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (See: Eph. 4:17-24). “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin” (Ro. 6:6-7). So, we are to count ourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus (Ro. 6:11).

The Lord’s Servants (vv. 12-19)

What shall I render to the Lord

    for all his benefits to me?

I will lift up the cup of salvation

    and call on the name of the Lord,

I will pay my vows to the Lord

    in the presence of all his people.

Precious in the sight of the Lord

    is the death of his saints.

O Lord, I am your servant;

    I am your servant, the son of your maidservant.

    You have loosed my bonds.

I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving

    and call on the name of the Lord.

I will pay my vows to the Lord

    in the presence of all his people,

in the courts of the house of the Lord,

    in your midst, O Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord!

So, are we under any kind of obligation to God now that he has set us free from slavery to sin, and has granted us, who believe in him, eternal life?

Romans 8:12-14 says this: “So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”

We ARE under obligation to live according to the Spirit, and to be putting to death, by the Spirit, the deeds of our flesh, and to be led by the Spirit of God in how we now conduct our lives. And, we are also under obligation to NOT live according to our flesh, for if we do, we will die in our sins, even though we profess to know Jesus Christ as Savior of our lives. For, Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us. He died that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the sinful nature, but who conduct our lives according to the Spirit (See: Ro. 8:1-14; 1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15).

Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, and take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and self) and follow (obey) him. He said if we hold on to our old lives (of living for sin and self), we will lose them. But, if we lose our lives (die with Christ to sin), we will gain eternal life. He also said that his sheep (his followers) listen to him, he knows them, and they follow (obey) him, and they are the ones who can’t be snatched out of his hands (See: Lu. 9:23-25; Jn. 10:27-30).

Jesus also said, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (Jn. 8:31-32). And, he said, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me” (Jn. 14:23-24).

You see, Jesus didn’t die just so we could escape hell and go to heaven when we die. When we are saved, we are not given carte blanche (complete freedom to act as one wishes or thinks best) to do what we want without penalty or consequence. His grace to us is not free license to continue in sin without guilt and without remorse. His grace, in fact, 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, for Jesus “gave himself 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). If we say we have fellowship with God, yet we walk (in lifestyle) in darkness (sin), we are liars, and the truth is not in us (1 Jn. 1:6).

So, our vows to God, when we trust him as Lord and Savior of our lives, are to leave our lives of sin behind us, and to walk in his righteousness in the power and working of the Spirit of God now living within us. When we believe in Jesus Christ, we enter into a spiritual marriage relationship with him, where we profess him to now be our only Lord (owner-master) and husband, and that we are his bride. We promise to love, honor, respect, reverence and obey him, to be faithful to him, and to not have any other gods before him. We may not voice all these words, but that is what it means to believe in him, and for him to now be Lord of our lives.

If we are truly thankful that Jesus has set us free, then we should want to fulfill our vows to him, and we shouldn’t want to have other gods before him. We should desire to walk in his ways, and in his truth, and to follow him wherever he leads us. We shouldn’t be looking for a loophole to where we feel we can continue in sin without consequence. That would be like getting married, and then immediately be looking for ways to cheat on our spouse, to see what we can get away with. That is not much of a marriage, is it? Jesus is a jealous God, and he wants us to be faithful to him. And, we should do so, not because we fear hell, but because we love him, and because we are so thankful that he died for us to set us free. Amen!

Gift of God / An Original Work / October 25, 2016

Based off Various Scriptures

Jesus Christ, Son of God,

Died for us on a cross;

Conquered death, sin, and hell,

So, with Him, we would dwell.

For, by His grace, we are saved.

He set us free from all sin.

Thanks be to God for His Gift.

Through faith in Him, we’re forgiven.

Holy Spirit of God,

Given to us who believe,

Gives us new life in Christ;

Made to be just like Him.

We died with Christ to our sin.

New lives in Him we begin,

Walking with Christ day by day.

We read His Word, and we pray.

Jesus, He is our Lord.

Follow Him where He leads.

Tell the world of His grace.

We’ll see Christ face to face.

Soon He is coming again.

We’ll be forever with Him.

He’ll wipe our tears all away.

Oh, what a wonderful day!

https://vimeo.com/188931779

The Fear of God

Monday, October 31, 2016, 11:26 p.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Gift of God.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 103 (Select vv. ESV).

He is Our Redeemer (vv. 1-5)

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

    and all that is within me,

    bless his holy name!

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

    and forget not all his benefits,

who forgives all your iniquity,

    who heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit,

    who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

who satisfies you with good

    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

It is awesome what God has done for us. Amen? We were all born into sin. God could have just left us there. He was under no obligation to save us from our sins. Jesus didn’t have to come to the earth, and humble himself, and take on human form. He could have stayed in heaven. He is God! And, he could have said “No” to the cross, except for the fact that it was God the Father’s will for him to leave heaven, to come to earth, to humble himself and then to die for our sins, and he was always submissive to the Father.

God doesn’t owe us salvation from sin. We don’t deserve his grace. We can do nothing to earn his forgiveness, either. He doesn’t have to put up with us. He could have wiped all humans from the earth a long time ago, if he had wanted to. He could have come in judgment many years ago, and poured out his wrath on the earth and on humankind. God is under no obligation to wait around for us to believe in him, and/or to follow him in obedience. And, he won’t wait forever, either. One day he is coming to judge. And, then the door will be closed to his salvation, and there will be no more chances. Yet, he is completely faithful to all his promises, and he will be true to his word.

The psalmist understood all this. He didn’t have an entitlement mindset that so many people have today. So many people today act as if God should be grateful that we chose to believe in him, as though we were doing God a favor. They act as if, too, that God is obligated to provide us with all his benefits now that we professed him as Savior of our lives, even if we fail to acknowledge him or to follow him from that point forward. So many of these people, as well, feel no sense of commitment to Jesus, and no desire to do his will. They see their salvation merely as a “get out of jail free card,” that gives them their free ticket to heaven, while they continue in sin (lifestyle).

With that kind of mindset, the fear of the Lord is lost. They have no problem at all just keeping on doing what they were doing before they were “saved.” Since they are taught that God requires nothing of them – no repentance, no obedience, and no surrender to Christ and his cross – they feel no sense of obligation to God to follow him or to even be humbled at the knowledge that God Almighty loved us so much that he sent his Son to die for us on a cross.

They see God as owing them everything, and them as owing him nothing. And, so they can’t possibly comprehend what God/Jesus really did for us. They also don’t have the humility of heart and mind to be so thankful that God loved us enough to give his life up for us, so we can be free from the pit of hell, and free from slavery to sin. Instead, they take God’s grace for granted, and keep on sinning, while claiming all his benefits for themselves.

Those Who Fear Him (vv. 8-14)

The Lord is merciful and gracious,

    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

He will not always chide,

    nor will he keep his anger forever.

He does not deal with us according to our sins,

    nor repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

    so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

    so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

As a father shows compassion to his children,

    so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

For he knows our frame;

    he remembers that we are dust.

But, thanks be to God, he is merciful to us, and gracious, and he is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. I am so thankful for his mercy to me, for his patience towards me, and for his steadfast love. I do not deserve all that he has done for me. I am humbled greatly that he would choose me, and that he would use me for his purposes and for his glory. It amazes me often. But, this was his plan, to use human beings to bring forth his word, and to share the light of his gospel. And, it was his plan to save us, to purify us, to make us holy, and to transform us into the likeness of Christ.

So, according to this passage of scripture, God’s steadfast love, his pardon for sins, and his compassion are designated for those who fear him. So, that sounds like something is required on our part. Yet, is this what the New Testament teaches? And, what does it mean to fear God; to fear the Lord?

“None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God…”  “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Ro. 3:10-11, 18). “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience” (2 Co. 5:9-11). “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God” (2 Co. 7:1). “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:28-29).

According to these passages of scripture in the New Testament, to fear God means to seek him, to walk in his righteousness, to follow him in obedience, to make it our goal to do what pleases him, and to reverence, honor and respect him. It means, as well, to cleanse our lives from what defiles us, and to bring holiness to completion in the fear (reverence, respect) of God. To be holy means to be separate (unlike, different) from this sinful world because we are becoming like Jesus. And, what defiles (ruins) us is sin, so this is talking about leaving our lives of sin behind us and turning to walk in obedience and in surrender to God and to his will for our lives. We are also to offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe. Our acceptable worship to God is that we give our lives to him as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to him, and that we are no longer conformed to the ways of this sinful world, but that we are transformed in the renewing of our minds.

Who Keep His Covenant (vv. 15-18)

As for man, his days are like grass;

    he flourishes like a flower of the field;

for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,

    and its place knows it no more.

But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,

    and his righteousness to children's children,

to those who keep his covenant

    and remember to do his commandments.

Here it says that his steadfast love is eternally on those who fear him, and his righteousness is forever to those who keep his covenant and do his commandments. Does the New Testament teach this, as well?

Jesus said that if we want to come after him, we must deny self, and take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and self) and follow (obey) him. He said if we hold on to our old lives (of living for sin and self), we will lose them, but if we lose our lives (die with Christ to sin), we will gain eternal life (Lu. 9:23-25). Paul said that the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us who walk (in lifestyle) not according to the flesh, but who walk (conduct our lives) according to the Spirit. For, if we walk according to the flesh, we will die (without Christ), but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live (with Christ for eternity) (See: Ro. 8:1-14).

John said that if we say we have fellowship with God, but we walk (in lifestyle) in darkness (sin), we are liars, and the truth is not in us (1 Jn. 1:6). He also said this about obeying God’s/Christ’s commandments:

“By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 Jn. 2:3-6). “Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us” (1 Jn. 3:24). “And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love” (2 Jn. 1:6).

So, if we want to have the assurance of eternal life with God, and the hope of heaven when we die, we must walk in the Spirit, and no longer according to the flesh. We must walk in the fear of the Lord, and not to please ourselves by continuing to live sinful lifestyles. And, we must walk in obedience to Christ and his Word, not thinking that nothing is required of us. We must understand that Jesus did not die just so we could escape hell and have heaven when we die. He died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us. His grace is not a free license to continue in sin. His grace 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.

Gift of God / An Original Work / October 25, 2016

Based off Various Scriptures

Jesus Christ, Son of God,

Died for us on a cross;

Conquered death, sin, and hell,

So, with Him, we would dwell.

For, by His grace, we are saved.

He set us free from all sin.

Thanks be to God for His Gift.

Through faith in Him, we’re forgiven.

Holy Spirit of God,

Given to us who believe,

Gives us new life in Christ;

Made to be just like Him.

We died with Christ to our sin.

New lives in Him we begin,

Walking with Christ day by day.

We read His Word, and we pray.

Jesus, He is our Lord.

Follow Him where He leads.

Tell the world of His grace.

We’ll see Christ face to face.

Soon He is coming again.

We’ll be forever with Him.

He’ll wipe our tears all away.

Oh, what a wonderful day!

https://vimeo.com/188931779