Submitting to the Cross

Saturday, January 14, 2017, 6:30 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Oh, To Be Like Thee.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 2 Corinthians 12 (Select vv. NASB).

A Thorn in the Flesh (vv. 7-10)

Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

When God gifts us in ministry, he may also afflict us in some way in order to keep us humble, and also that we might learn to rely on him and not on ourselves. This affliction, i.e. this “thorn in the flesh” may come in many different forms. No one is certain what exactly was Paul’s “thorn,” although many will speculate. Clearly it was given him by God, for it was for the purpose to keep him humble. Satan does not want us to be humble, but to be proud. Satan does not want us to trust in God but in ourselves. So, this is one of those instances where Satan meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. For example, God may use other people in our lives to keep us humble and seeking his face, or he may use our circumstances or a physical ailment or whatever he chooses to humble us and to mold us into his likeness. The Bible calls this pruning, in order that we might be more fruitful (Jn. 15).

So, when God brings (causes) or permits difficulties in our lives, and we pray for relief, sometimes he may give us the same response as he gave Paul, and that is that his grace is sufficient for us, in order that Christ’s power might be perfected in our weaknesses (not in our sins). And, this is for the purpose that Christ’s power might dwell in us and be evident in our lives instead of us operating in our own flesh and willpower. “For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body” (2 Co. 4:11). Our flesh must daily be put at the cross of Christ in order that his life might shine through us. So, instead of fighting against what God is doing in our lives, because we hate pain and suffering, we need to yield to the Lord, and submit to the cross.

I Gladly Spend (vv. 14-18)

Here for this third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you; for I do not seek what is yours, but you; for children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? But be that as it may, I did not burden you myself; nevertheless, crafty fellow that I am, I took you in by deceit. Certainly I have not taken advantage of you through any of those whom I have sent to you, have I? I urged Titus to go, and I sent the brother with him. Titus did not take any advantage of you, did he? Did we not conduct ourselves in the same spirit and walk in the same steps?

When God calls us to ministry it must be self-sacrificial. We must not seek our own glory, but the good of others. It will mean giving of our time and our talents, gifts, energies, heart, emotion, and reputations, etc. in order to follow our Lord in obedience, and for the benefit of those to whom we minister his love and grace. And, in return, we may get our hearts stomped on, i.e. we may be falsely accused, despised, hated, rejected, abandoned, gossiped about, slandered, mocked and otherwise treated unfairly, unjustly and unkindly. And, yet, if we love God and we love others as we love ourselves, we will willingly suffer in order that others might come to faith in Jesus Christ, in order that they might grow to maturity in Christ, that they might be comforted and encouraged in their walks of faith, and so that they will not be led astray to false gods or to false gospels. In other words, ministry is not to be about us, but about loving God and loving others.

For Your Upbuilding (vv. 19-21)

All this time you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Actually, it is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ; and all for your upbuilding, beloved. For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances; I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the impurity, immorality and sensuality which they have practiced.

Certainly there are those who call themselves ministers of the gospel who are in it for themselves, either to gain financially, or for power and prestige, or to build for themselves earthly kingdoms, or in order to build up their own reputations and fame. As well, they may be in the ministry as false apostles, masquerading themselves as servants of righteousness, in order to deceive the masses with false gospels for the purpose of leading people astray from their pure devotion to Jesus Christ. These are Satan’s workers of iniquity to serve his purposes, because he doesn’t want anyone to follow Christ, but he wants people to follow him, instead. And, so he disguises himself as an angel of light in order to deceive many. And, many are deceived, indeed.

Yet, as true servants of the Lord, who follow him in obedience, and who love our fellow humans, we do ministry out of love for God and for the benefit of others. We expend ourselves in many different ways so that our brothers and sisters in Christ might be strengthened in their faith, that their faith in God may increase, and that they be encouraged and be filled with hope.

As ministers of Christ, we, as well, feel what God feels. We are filled with his passion and concern over those who are being led back into sin or over those who are being led astray, and so we caution them and warn them, and we urge them to be faithful to their Lord and to walk in obedience to Christ. And, it isn’t because we feel superior or that we are just being negative that we do what we do, either. Those who would fill your minds only with happy-happy feel-good messages do not love you, but they love only themselves, and they want you to like them, rather than caring about you and your soul and your spiritual walks. But, God’s grace does not ignore sin. 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. Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

Thomas O. Chisholm / W. J. Kirkpatrick

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg

Tolerance of Evil

Friday, January 13, 2017, 8:30 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “My Sheep.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 2 Corinthians 11 (Select vv. NASB).

A Godly Jealousy (vv. 1-6)

I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness; but indeed you are bearing with me. For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully. For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles. But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made this evident to you in all things.

When we trust in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, and the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us, we, in essence, become the bride of Christ and he becomes our husband. Our commitment to trust Jesus as our Savior and Lord (owner-master), i.e. to leave our lives of sin behind us and to follow Jesus Christ in obedience to his commands, is a vow of fidelity to God/Jesus. It is much like a marriage vow, where we promise to love, honor and keep (cling to) each other for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health from this day forward, forsaking all others, and to be faithful only to each other so long as we both would live. And, yet, many do not approach their relationship with Jesus Christ like this, at all, and thus they become easy prey for the enemy to deceive them into following after false christs. Yet, Jesus is a jealous husband who longs for his adulterous bride to return to him.

So, in what ways is the bride of Christ being deceived and led astray to follow after other lovers today? In other words, how is she presently being led astray from the simplicity and purity of her devotion to Christ? Well, for one, much of today’s church here in America, and perhaps in other countries, too, has willingly and unequally yoked herself together with the government of our nation, which is an ungodly and evil entity. Although she is the body of Christ, which is a living organism, with Christ as her head, she willingly submitted herself to come under the headship of the government by incorporating herself as a non-profit business organization. And, the problem isn’t just that our government is ungodly, but that they answer to Satan, who is their true head - who disguises himself as an angel of light in order to deceive people.

It has been about twelve years now since the Lord Jesus began opening my eyes to the truth about the US government and its Satanic ties, and its purpose in being created, which is to lead the world to worship the antichrist, i.e. the beast of Revelation, and to bring the world under a one-world totalitarian government and one-world religion (1). The USA is, in essence, the harlot, spoken of in the book of Revelation, which rides the beast. Our nation, I believe, is physical mystery Babylon. And, our government (and their allies) has led (forced) the nations of the world to follow and worship the beast. They and their allies have been doing exactly what the beast is described as doing in Revelation 13 in conquering peoples, nations, and the saints of God throughout the globe, and now here in America, too. And, the institutional church, which has partnered with this evil government, is culpable for her crimes, too.

As far as our present government is concerned, there is a group of elite who have served as a shadow government in the USA for many years, who are truly the ones ruling America, and now the world. Our physical government, which is the face of this elite “beast,” answers to this group of elite, which some people call the Illuminati, but which includes the Bilderberg group, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission, Big Banks, CEOs of corporations, religious leaders and heads of state, etc. They are the de facto government in these United States of America. Yet, now or very soon this shadow government will no longer be in the shadows, but they will be what we see front and center. They are the all-seeing eye (eye of Horus) which hovers over top the unfinished pyramid on the Great Seal of the USA.

Basically, what they have done or are doing is they are turning the USA into a Public-Private-Partnership of sorts (2). I admit that I don’t completely understand what all that means, but what I do know is that this means that the beast shadow government will no longer be ruling from the shadows, but they will soon rule more directly, and that these CEOs of corporations, i.e. the really wealthy ones, et al, will be more out in the open, perhaps via the Trump presidency, along with his chosen cabinet. This will be true, though, whether or not Trump is actually inaugurated as the next president of the USA, for this is where our nation has been headed from nearly the very beginnings of her existence as the USA.

So, what this means for the church is that, if she has partnered with this government via the 501c3 that she is, in fact, unequally yoked together with Satan and his deceitful workers (See: 2 Co. 11:13-15). So, God is calling her to come out from her lest she share in her sins and in her punishment (See: Rev. 18:1-8). Please pray about this, for this is serious business!

What You Tolerate (vv. 16-21)

Again I say, let no one think me foolish; but if you do, receive me even as foolish, so that I also may boast a little. What I am saying, I am not saying as the Lord would, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of boasting. Since many boast according to the flesh, I will boast also. For you, being so wise, tolerate the foolish gladly. For you tolerate it if anyone enslaves you, anyone devours you, anyone takes advantage of you, anyone exalts himself, anyone hits you in the face. To my shame I must say that we have been weak by comparison.

This is speaking to the institutional church today loud and clear. Again, the church is a living organism with Christ Jesus as her only head. She is the body of Christ, a spiritual entity, not a physical one. She is married to one husband, Jesus Christ. She is to not partner with any other entity or to make anyone else her head. She is definitely not to incorporate the body of Christ with an ungodly and evil entity, i.e. she is not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers, i.e. most especially with an evil government. She is not to make herself into a man-made business and to market herself as such, either, but she does and has – not the whole body of Christ has, mind you, but a very large majority in America has. And Jesus is jealous, and he is calling out to his bride to forsake these “other lovers” and to return to her “first love.”

But, it isn’t just this situation alone that is the issue. Via the partnership with the US government she has brought government worship into the church via the pledge (vow) of allegiance (fidelity) to the US flag and its government, with hand over heart, too, and via the singing of patriotic songs and the honoring of our military as our heroes, and as our “saviors” and “protectors.” The church has basically been indoctrinated with government worship to the point where the vast majority of the church here in America trusts whatever they hear coming out of the mouths of their leaders and from the mouths of their government-controlled (elite-controlled) media. And, so they are ripe for deception, manipulation and for being mind-controlled, as well.

In addition to all of this, the church has brought the world into the church rather than the church going out into the world with the gospel. In order to attract the world, thus, to the “church,” they turned to worldly means and methods for attracting the world, and via worldly marketing schemes and techniques. They have basically turned the church into a marketplace, and Jesus is coming with a whip to drive them out, I believe. “Worship” services are, more than not, just big shows to entertain the world and to make them feel good so they will want to come back. Bible studies are often just studies of books written by mere men (Holy Spirit uninspired). And, the gospel has been diluted in order to appeal to human flesh. So, they have completely removed the cross of Christ from our lives – no death to sin and no living to righteousness. And, the Holy Spirit has been given the boot!

So, again, Jesus Christ is calling out to his bride to return to him as her only “love” and to forsake all these “other lovers,” as well as to be discerning concerning these wolves in sheep’s clothing who masquerade themselves as servants of righteousness. Jesus said his sheep listen to his voice and they follow (obey) him. Whose voice are you following today? The voice of Jesus? Or, the voice of the government and media? Or, the voice of the world?

My Sheep / An Original Work / June 24, 2012

Based off John 10:1-18 NIV

My sheep hear me. They know me.

They listen to my voice and obey.

I call them and lead them.

They know my voice, so they follow me.

They will never follow strangers.

They will run away from them.

The voice of a stranger they know not;

They do not follow him.

So, I tell you the truth that

I am the gate, so you enter in.

Whoever does enter

Will find forgiveness and will be saved.

Nonetheless whoever enters

Not by the gate; other way,

He is the thief and a robber.

Listen not, the sheep to him.

Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,

Who laid his own life down for the sheep.

I know them. They know me.

They will live with me eternally.

The thief only comes to steal and

Kill and to destroy the church.

I have come to give you life that

You may have it to the full…

They know my voice, so they follow me.

https://vimeo.com/114938263

Disclaimer: The links to the following sites are for informational purposes only. This is not an endorsement of the sites nor of its owners nor of all the content contained within them. There is much information on the internet concerning these same matters, but much more than I can post in one single writing.

(1)       http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/False%20Religions/Illuminati/dc.htm

(2)       http://anothervoicerev184.blogspot.com/2017/01/trump-to-turn-usa-into-public-private.html

Sorrowful unto Repentance

Wednesday, January 11, 2017, 12:33 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “My Very Best Friend.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 2 Corinthians 7:2-13a (NASB).

Make Room for Us (vv. 2-4)

Make room for us in your hearts; we wronged no one, we corrupted no one, we took advantage of no one. I do not speak to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together. Great is my confidence in you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort; I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction.

When we serve God as ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and we share with others the truths of God’s Word, there will always be people who will not like us, and who will slander us and gossip about us, and even turn away from us, because they don’t like something we said, hopefully only for the reason that we told them the truth, and they didn’t want to hear it.

“Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?” (Gal. 4:16).

The sad reality of it all, though, is that those who reject the gospel message, and who slander its messengers, are not confined to just those outside the church, but they are often, more than not, those who claim to know Jesus as Lord of their lives, and who are active within the gatherings of the church, some of whom are even the church’s leaders. More and more - as so much of the church today has embraced the world and its philosophies, values, and morals - many of those who profess Christ have now developed a low tolerance for the truth, and would prefer, rather, to gather around them those who would preach feel-good messages to tickle their itching ears.

I Don’t Regret It (vv. 5-9)

For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within. But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus; and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more. For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it—for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while— I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.

When we speak the truth of God’s words to people, even if we do so with great gentleness, and sensitivity, yet in the power of the Spirit of God, there will always be those who will hate us, reject us, falsely accuse us, persecute us and say all manner of evil against us. And, if we are loving and caring people at all, this will hurt us, especially if those who turn against us were once our close friends and companions. Thus, it can be very lonely, at times, sharing with people what most of them do not want to hear. Yet, that is what Jesus did, which is why they killed him. Still, our Lord will never leave us or forsake us, and he will give us all we need to keep on sharing the truth. He will encourage our hearts, and he will fill us with his peace.

So many times, if you are one who speaks the truth in love, in the power and under the direction of the Holy Spirit, you will be accused of being hateful, bigoted, a divider of people, a disunifier, legalistic, and mean. People will even think you get enjoyment out of hurting others or that you are callous and that you don’t care how others react to your words. There are people like this, I know, so partly this is understandable that people may react this way. Yet, if we truly love God and others, and thus we speak only what God leads us to speak, and for the ultimate benefit of those who would listen, our purpose in speaking the truth in love is not to harm others, but to help them to victory in Christ over sin, which has gotten a hold on their lives once more, or to free them from believing and/or practicing what is false.

So, it isn’t that we are insensitive, or that we are callous and we don’t care about what we say or how that may impact others, but it is that we love so deeply that we are willing to have others think and speak evil against us in order to see people repent of their sins and turn (or return) to genuine faith in Jesus Christ and to walk in the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh.

Godly Sorrow (vv. 10-13a)

For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter. So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the offender nor for the sake of the one offended, but that your earnestness on our behalf might be made known to you in the sight of God. For this reason we have been comforted.

Not all sorrow over sin leads to genuine repentance, though. Confession of sin is not the same as repentance. A person can confess with great sorrow of heart his or her sins, and even with tears, and yet never change, because there has not been a change of heart. They just felt badly that they sinned, or that they got caught, but not badly enough to turn away from it and to follow Jesus in obedience, instead. So, that is considered worldly sorrow, and it leads to death (in our sins and bound for eternity in hell).

On the other hand, godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance, i.e. to a change of heart and mind about sin that results in a change of behavior, and this leads to salvation and eternal life with God. True repentance involves turning away from sin and turning to God to follow him in obedience and in surrender to his will for our lives. And, it reveals itself to be genuine by the actions that follow the confession of sin, i.e. we are to produce fruit in keeping with repentance (Matt. 3:8). What this means is that, as we walk in the Spirit, and no longer according to the flesh, we will be putting to death, by the Spirit, the misdeeds of our sinful flesh (See: Ro. 8:1-14). Daily we will die to sin and self and follow Jesus in obedience (Lu. 9:23-25), not in sinless perfection, but in consistency, persistence and in lifestyle.

So, for those of us who regularly share the gospel of salvation and the truths of God’s Word with others, for their benefit, and for their deliverance, and for their spiritual growth and maturity in Christ, we find great joy and comfort when we learn that those to whom we speak (or write) are being benefited, in that the Word of Truth and the Holy Spirit’s power is producing change in their hearts and lives. And, in that we rejoice!

And, yet, even if we do not gain such knowledge in this life, and even if we must suffer false accusations, hostility, rejection, persecution, and the like, because we share the truth of the Word of God so that others will be saved, or so that they will walk in victory over sin, we will continue, because we know that we are obeying our Lord, and because we love God and we love people, and we want to see them come to Christ and to walk in his holiness.

Thus, we will find our comfort in the Lord in knowing that his Word will not return void, but will accomplish his purposes for which it is sent. And, we will find in him all we need in the way of friendship, companionship, love and fellowship, and we will trust him to provide for us all that we need, and all that he has for us to keep on being his servants and witnesses in spreading the gospel of our salvation so that many will be saved and will walk with Him.

My Very Best Friend  

Ron Hamilton – Patch the Pirate

Jesus is closer than a brother.

Every moment he is near.

I know he never will forsake me.

He has conquered all my fear.

Jesus is closer than a brother.

On his love I can depend.

King of kings, Lord of lords,

Conquering Son, oh, all of these,

He’s my very best friend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gDeYuckXgQ

Be Separate

Tuesday, January 10, 2017, 12:22 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “A Believer’s Prayer.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 (ESV).

Unequally Yoked (6:14-16a)

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols?

I can think of no more appropriate application of this passage of scripture than that of the body of Christ being united in a contractual (partnership) relationship (via the 501c3) with the US government (here in America). The body of Christ is just that, Christ’s body. We are his holy bride. We are to be married to no other, especially not to the ungodly. So, when the church, Christ’s body, enters into a partnership agreement with the US government, or any other government, she is, essentially, committing adultery against her Lord, who is to be her ONLY husband and head. She has, thus, made the government her head in place of Christ, and she has become a state church.

Lest we forget, though, the true church is not a legal entity under the authority of any state. It does not have to adhere to the principles that govern a corporation. It does not need the state to give it the right to exist. It is not a business of human-making, nor is it to be marketed as such. It is not a building nor an institution nor an organization nor a social club nor a public charity. It is the body of Christ, with Christ ONLY as its head. It is a living organism made up of the people of God, who are believers in Jesus Christ. And, its (her) only allegiance is to be to God and to God alone!

So, why has the vast majority of the church, especially here in America, decided to be unequally yoked together with the government? Someone in authority over them within church denominations, most likely, convinced them this was necessary in order to be tax exempt, yet they were already tax exempt. But, even if they weren’t, should the church be concerned with such matters? Do we give to God and to his service only because we can get a tax break on our giving? Where did this all go wrong? I believe it went wrong when the people of God decided to institutionalize the body of Christ, which seems to be somewhat a carryover from the OT temple.

In other words, in the OT, or before Jesus died and was resurrected and ascended to heaven and sent his Holy Spirit to indwell his followers, the temple of God was a physical building built by human hands. The Holy of Holies was within this temple structure, and this is where the Ark of the Covenant was placed in which was the presence of God. And, it was only the high priest who could enter into God’s holy presence, and only once a year, to make sacrifice for the sins of the people. Yet, when Jesus died on the cross for our sins, the veil that hung between God’s holy presence and us, the people, was torn in two. Jesus, through his death on a cross, and through his resurrection, made the way possible for us to come into God’s holy presence through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

So, what this means for us is that a church building is not the house of God. When we enter that building, or when we enter a room called a sanctuary, we are not entering into God’s holy presence. God does not dwell in buildings built by human hands. He dwells in the human hearts of those who have repented of their sins and who have turned to follow Jesus Christ with their lives. We also don’t need human priests to mediate for us, between us and God, or to somehow facilitate the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus Christ is our only high priest, and his blood sacrifice for sins was a done deed, i.e. he died once for all, so no more sacrifice is needed. We, as followers of Jesus Christ, are now his kingdom priests. And, God now dwells within us. We are the church. The church is not someplace we go, and it is definitely not a corporation or a business of human making to be marketed as such.

Yet, making the church into a corporation under the authority of the government paved the way for the church to be adulterated even more than before. Now that it (the institutional church) was incorporated, it was, thus, marketed in the same way most any other business is marketed, which is to the world (its customer base). So, the gospel had to be diluted in order to appeal to human flesh so as not to be offensive. Entertainment and the big show became the focal point of “church” meetings in order to attract the world to come to the “church,” i.e. to these businesses of human-making. And, humanistic philosophy and sensuality and ungodliness began to take over biblical teaching, holiness and righteousness. Also, the Holy Spirit was kicked to the curb in the vast majority of these corporate churches.

The Temple of God (6:16b-18)

For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,

    and I will be their God,

    and they shall be my people.

Therefore go out from their midst,

    and be separate from them, says the Lord,

and touch no unclean thing;

    then I will welcome you,

and I will be a father to you,

    and you shall be sons and daughters to me,

says the Lord Almighty.”

So, God is calling out to his true church to come out from among the ungodly, i.e. that there would not be an unholy union between God’s holy people and the people of this sinful world. The church needs to be the church again, i.e. she needs to be the body of Christ, with Christ as her only head, and she needs to operate as his body and not as a business of men. The only way that the ungodly can be brought into the church, which is Christ’s body, is through faith in Jesus Christ, not via human marketing schemes. The purpose of the gatherings of the church is for the body of Christ to be encouraged, strengthened, built up in the faith, grow to maturity, be instructed in holiness and godliness, and for true Christian fellowship, true (unadulterated) worship of God, and for the breaking of bread and prayer. Then, she is to go out into the world with the gospel of salvation so that many will be saved, and the saved then ARE the church.

The church, Christ’s body, needs to be reeducated as to who the church really is, because many have it all backwards. I don’t have to go to a building called “church” to be in obedience to my Lord in not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. And, if I do join in with an institutional church, and I become a member of such an organization, I am being unequally yoked together with unbelievers, and so I would be acting in disobedience to my Lord, for the institutional church is unequally yoked together with an ungodly government and with the world. So, to be in obedience to my Lord I must not participate with the institutional church in their ungodly ways and in their spiritual adultery, but I must come out from among her, and I must be separate, and not be a partaker in what I know is not only not of God, but is against God and his Word.

Cleanse Ourselves (7:1)

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.

So, what is the church’s responsibility with regards to all this? I believe it is to separate from the institution of church, and to unincorporate the church, and to come out from the unholy union with the government, and to no longer market the church to the world as a worldly business. The body of Christ needs to meet together as the body of Christ, not as a business, and not invite the ungodly into our meetings, and thus end up conforming the meetings to the desires of human flesh. The gatherings of the church should not be places where the ungodly feel at home and comfortable. If any unsaved person should come into one of our meetings, they should fall under the conviction of the Holy Spirit because the uncompromising word of God is being taught with the full conviction of and under the enormous power of the Holy Spirit. The church’s purpose is not to “make nice” with the world, but it is to walk in humble obedience and surrender to her ONLY Lord and master, Jesus Christ.

To walk in the fear of God means we honor God by all that we do and say and are. It means we obey him, and we do what he says. So, if he says we are not to be unequally yoked together with the ungodly, and that we are to come out from among them and be separate, then that is what we need to do, not matter how hard it may be, or how unpopular, or even how impractical it may seem by human standards. We need to break with human tradition in order to do what is right. And, we need to be willing to face the scorn of others who are so steeped in tradition that they will not understand why we are not “going to church” someplace, and may thus judge us to be among the ungodly, or at least they will probably think we are backslidden. Yet, we are NOT to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. We need to meet regularly together with other believers in Jesus for the purpose of teaching, fellowship, communion, prayer and service. This is essential!

A Believer’s Prayer / An Original Work / July 31, 2012

With my whole heart, Lord, I pray

To be Yours, and Yours always.

Lead me in Your truth today.

May I love You, and obey.

Lead me in Your righteousness.

When I sin, may I confess;

Bow before You when I pray;

Live for You and You always.

Love You, Jesus, You’re my friend.

Life with You will never end.

You are with me through each day,

Giving love and peace always.

You will ne’er abandon me.

From my sin You set me free.

You died on that cruel tree,

So I’d live eternally.

Soon You’re coming back for me;

From this world to set me free;

Live with You eternally.

Oh, what joy that brings to me.

I will walk with You in white;

A pure bride, I’ve been made right

By the blood of Jesus Christ;

Pardoned by His sacrifice.

https://vimeo.com/114796263

We Groan

Sunday, January 8, 2017, 10:13 p.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “More Precious Than Silver.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 2 Corinthians 5 (NASB).

In This Tent (vv. 1-5)

For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.

In this world, we live in flesh bodies (our earthly tents) which are subject to suffering, pain, sin, sickness, sadness, trouble, hardships, decay and death. Sometimes we may feel overwhelmed by all the trouble, hardships, sin and sadness here on this earth, and we may inwardly groan and even feel burdened by it all. And, we may long for our heavenly home and for the time when all suffering, pain, sadness and sin will be no more. Today was one of those days for me. So, I prayed it all through, and I laid my burden at my Lord’s feet, and I prayed for his perfect peace to permeate my mind and my heart. Sometimes, when I feel this way, all I can pray is “Help!” But, the good news is that we have this promise of future glory where we will be with our Lord forever, and where all that is of this world will be no more. Amen!

Of Good Courage (vv. 6-10)

Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight— we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Yet, even when we groan, we can be of good courage. God makes no mistakes. He knew when he created man and woman that they would sin, and that he would put a curse on them and on the earth, and yet he created them anyway. Yet, he had a plan to save them from their sins, even from the very beginning. As well, our God is completely sovereign and in control over all he has made, so none of what we go through on this earth is without effect. It all serves his purposes in one way or another. The trials and hardships we go through are for our spiritual maturing, to teach us perseverance, and so we learn to rely on God and not on ourselves.

So, we can be of good courage because we know that our God will work all things for the good of those who love him, and who have been called according to his purposes. What we go through on this earth is temporal, but we look forward to eternity with our Lord in heaven. So, while we are still here, we make it our ambition to be pleasing to our Lord in all that we do. We have a sense of purpose, as well, and know that God put us on this earth for a reason, and so our desire is to serve our Lord in ministry, to love others with his love, to show compassion for the hurting, and to spread the message of salvation from sin far and wide so many will know Jesus, too.

We Persuade Them (vv. 11-15)

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences. We are not again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

What is the fear of the Lord? It is taking God and his Word seriously, believing what they tell us, and living accordingly. It is giving God/Jesus honor, respect, obedience, submission, reverence, worship, devotion, passion, fidelity, commitment, and loyalty, etc. It is also not taking his grace for granted or what he did for us on the cross lightly. It is believing that he died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, and so we might no longer live for ourselves, but for Him who died and rose again on our behalf. It is also believing that if we say we know God or that we have fellowship with God, but we continue living sinful lifestyles, that we are liars, and that we don’t truly know God, and thus we don’t have the hope of eternal life when we die, but only a fearful expectation of eternity in the fires of hell. The fear of the Lord is NOT believing we can pray a prayer and have our ticket into heaven, but still live (walk) in sin without guilt and remorse.

If in Christ (vv. 16-21)

Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

What someone appears to be outwardly is not necessarily a true picture of what one is inwardly. What I mean by this is that we should cease judging people by external appearance, personality, façade, or charisma. Oftentimes I will hear people judge someone as being a Christian merely because he or she appears friendly, religious, winsome, fun-loving, and is nice to people, though by human standards of what is kind (nice). Yet, there are a lot of “nice” people in this world who don’t know Jesus at all, who are not bound for heaven, but who are destined to spend eternity in hell. And, just because everyone seems to love them is also not a determining factor for whether or not they are genuinely saved. Jesus and his NT apostles were certainly not loved by all, but many hated them and persecuted some of them to death.

So, what is the determining factor as to whether or not someone is genuinely a Christian? It is that their old way of living for sin and self is gone, and they have become new creations in Christ Jesus. In other words, when we believe in Jesus, we are 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 (See: Ro. 6:1-23; Eph. 4:17-24; Gal. 2:20). We now walk (in lifestyle) according to the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh (See: Ro. 8:1-14).

Nonetheless, this does not mean we have reached perfection or that we never sin again (See: 1 Jn. 2:1). It just means that a spiritual transformation has taken place in our lives of the Spirit of God in turning us from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God so that we can receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified (made holy) by faith in Jesus Christ (See: Acts 26:16-18).

So, what does it mean to be reconciled to God? It means we are restored to him, that we are reunited with him, because we have been changed from being at enmity with him to being in fellowship (friendship) with him. So, how does this take place? Well, first of all we must understand that we are all born into sin because of Adam’s sin, and thus we come up short of attaining God’s divine approval (Ro. 3:23). The fellowship between man and God was broken when Adam sinned, and so it needs to be restored. So, God the Father sent his Son Jesus Christ to the earth to take on human flesh, and although he knew no sin, to become sin for us on a cross in order to put sin to death so that we could be reconciled (made right) to God.

Yet, although Jesus died for everyone, and he put all sin to death, not everyone is reconciled to God. So, we have a part in this, too, yet not in our own human flesh, but by the grace of God and in the power of the Spirit. We must repent (turn from) our sin and turn to God/Jesus to follow him in obedience. We must believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, not just intellectually or emotionally, but experientially. In other words, we must die to sin and live to Jesus and to his righteousness, not perfectly, but also not using lack of perfection as an excuse for continued sin. The Christian life is a process. Daily we die to sin and self. Daily we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, by the Spirit. And, daily we put on the armor of God with which to fight off Satan’s evil schemes against us.

It really all comes down to attitude, i.e. our attitude about God, about his Word, about sin and about righteousness. Are we still trying to hold on to our old way of living for sin and for self while claiming heaven as our eternal destiny? We will die in our sins, says Jesus. Or, have we been crucified with Christ in death to sin and been reborn of the Spirit of God to a new life in Christ to be lived to God and to his righteousness? We will have eternal life. So, are we still trying to hold on to this world, or have we let it go to follow Jesus wherever he leads us? What do we value most? Jesus Christ, or the things and pleasures this world has to offer? Our answers to these questions will determine our eternal destiny. I’d rather have Jesus. How about you?

More Precious Than Silver / Lynn DeShazo

Lord, You are more precious than silver.

Lord, You are more costly than gold.

Lord, You are more beautiful than diamonds,

And nothing I desire compares to You.

Eternal vs. Temporal

Sunday, January 8, 2017, 2:27 p.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 2 Corinthians 4 (NASB).

We Have This Ministry (vv. 1-6)

Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

The ministry we all have, as followers of Christ, is to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth, to be witnesses for Jesus Christ and his gospel of salvation, and to make disciples of Christ of people of all nations, baptizing and teaching them to obey all that Christ has commanded us.

We, as believers in Jesus Christ, were all given salvation from sin and the hope of eternal life with God, not so we could keep it to ourselves, but so we could share the hope we have been given with others who need it. Yet, so many Christians think this is not their responsibility or their gift and so they don’t share Christ and his gospel with those who are unsaved or with those who claim to be saved but who are not. Yet, they seem to have no trouble telling people when their favorite sports team wins a game, or when they get a new car, boat, house, TV, video game and the like. Why is it we can share the things of this life with no trouble, and with great enthusiasm, and yet shy away from telling people about Jesus, who is their only hope?

Still, there are those who will go part way in sharing the gospel, but will hold back critical elements of the gospel message so as not to offend people. Yet, it isn’t because they care about those people, for if they did, they would tell them the truth. People don’t share Christ with others, or only tell part of the story, when given the opportunity, usually for selfish purposes, i.e. they want people to like them and not reject them. I get that. Our human response is to want to be liked and to not be beat up on. So, it takes courage to overcome our flesh and to follow the Spirit in obedience, and out of love for others, to share with them what we know will most likely get us hated and rejected, and possibly falsely accused and persecuted, too.

Yet, by our lifestyles and by our words we should be proclaiming Jesus Christ and his gospel of salvation on a daily basis, and we should not be turning to adulterating the word of God in order to be liked by other humans. We should never compromise the Word of Truth, either, in order to make it more acceptable to human flesh, for if we do this, we are lying to people, and we are giving them a false hope. Their blood, thus, will be on our hands, because we chose to spare ourselves for this life rather than spare their lives for eternity. That is a sober thought, and yet so convicting and true.

The gospel should not be hidden from the people who in our lives, because of us, and due to our unwillingness to tell them the truth, but only because Satan has blinded their eyes to the truth, and they chose to believe the lie. And, yet, we should pray that their eyes would be open to the truth, and that they would be turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so they can receive forgiveness of sins and be counted among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ (See: Acts 26:16-18).

Delivered to Death (vv. 7-15)

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you.

But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak, knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.

Amen! Although we have life in the Spirit because of what Jesus did for us in dying for our sins and in being resurrected back to life, we still live in flesh bodies, i.e. we are clay (earthen) vessels. This means that we still have a propensity to respond to our circumstances with our flesh rather than in the Spirit. That is why we are given the spiritual armor of God with which to fight off Satan’s evil attacks against us. And, that is one of the reasons we are given the Spirit of God to live within us, that he might strengthen and empower us to walk in the Spirit and no longer yield to the flesh. And, that is why Jesus and Paul both said that we must die daily to sin and self, by the Spirit, and daily take up our cross and follow Jesus in obedience.

Yet, there is a reason God chose humans to be his servants and ministers, and that is so the spiritual power given us for ministry will be shown to be of God and not of ourselves. And, I can attest to that! I can’t tell you how many times I sit down to write and have no idea even where to begin. So, I ask the Spirit of God to give me the words to say, and then they come. There are so many times, too, when what the Spirit gives me to say are not pleasing words to the flesh, but are words which will possibly get me even more rejected, and so I must rest in the strength of the Lord to speak, believing he will give me the courage to say what he has given me to say, knowing full well that the words may not be well received by many. Yet, I was not put here on this earth to draw people to myself or to have people like me, but it was to lead people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Don’t Lose Heart (vv. 16-18)

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

There are times, I admit, when I begin to lose heart. It is never easy, but sometimes it gets really hard. I feel sad, and in these times the joy of the Lord begins to leak out of me because I get focused on what is seen rather than on what is eternal. And, then God puts things back into perspective for me, and he once again fills me with his power, his strength, his courage and his joy so that I can keep going despite all opposition against me.

I am reminded here that following Jesus Christ with my life means dying to self, and being willing to accept whatever God has for me in this life, in order that I might continue sharing with others the truth of his Word, and of his gospel of salvation, so that they may be saved from their sins and have the hope of eternal life with God in heaven. And, that may mean being despised, forsaken, betrayed, falsely accused, and lied to. Yet, all of this is to drive me to my Lord’s breast, that I might find my joy and peace in him alone, and that he may impassion me even more so in being his servant and witness.

Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken

Henry F. Lyte / Mozart/ Arr. Hubert P. Main

Jesus, I my cross have taken, all to leave and follow Thee;

Destitute, despised, forsaken, Thou, from hence, my all shalt be.

Perish every fond ambition, all I've sought, and hoped, and known;

Yet how rich is my condition, God and Christ are still my own!

Let the world despise and leave me, they have left my Savior, too;

Human hearts and looks deceive me; Thou art not, like man, untrue;

And, while Thou shalt smile upon me, God of wisdom, love, and might,

Foes may hate, and friends disown me; show Thy face, and all is bright.

Man may trouble and distress me – ‘Twill but drive me to Thy breast.

Life with trials hard may press me; Heaven will bring me sweeter rest.

Oh, ‘tis not in grief to harm me, while Thy love is left to me;

Oh, ‘twere not in joy to charm me, were that joy unmixed with Thee.

Go then, earthly fame and treasure! Come, disaster, scorn, and pain!

In Thy service pain is pleasure; with Thy favor loss is gain.

I have called Thee, Abba, Father, I have stayed my heart on Thee;

Storms may howl and clouds may gather; all must work for good to me.

Haste then on from grace to glory, armed by faith and winged by prayer;

God's eternal days before thee, God's own hand shall guide thee there.

Soon shall close thy earthly mission, swift shall pass thy pilgrim days,

Hope shall change to glad fruition, faith to sight, and prayer to praise.

There is Freedom

Sunday, January 8, 2017, 5:22 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Softly and Tenderly.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 (NASB).

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.

Victors over Sin

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are led of the Spirit of God in victory over our enemy Satan, and over sin, because of what Jesus Christ did for us in dying on a cross for our sins, and in being resurrected from the dead, victorious over hell, Satan, sin and death. We are victors because he was victorious, and so we share in his victory when we believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives. When Jesus died, he who knew no sin became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God (2 Co. 5:21). When he died our sins died with him, and were buried with him. When we believe in Jesus, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are made alive in Christ to live to his righteousness. Thus, we are victors in Christ over sin and Satan that we might live in Christ in freedom from sin.

When we live (walk) in such victory over sin, and over Satan, it should be obvious to others that there has been a change in our lives, and that we are no longer like we were before we met Jesus at the cross. This doesn’t mean we will reach instant perfection or that we will never sin again. It should, however, mean that a transformation of heart and mind has taken place in our lives of the Spirit of God and that we have been turned from darkness (sin) to light (righteousness), and from the power Satan had over our lives to follow Jesus Christ with our lives in surrender to his will. And, this transformation should be so distinct and pervasive in our lives that others should be able to sense it like they can smell a sweet fragrance.

Yet, for those who reject Christ, and who continue in sinful lifestyles, we are a reminder of their sinful condition and of their ultimate destination, which is eternity in the fires of hell, and so they will most likely hate us. Yet, for those who would choose to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior of their lives, we should be an aroma of life to them, because they have become fellow victors with us in Christ. Now they now share in our joy in God’s life-changing power to transform a life out of the grip of sin into freedom, in Christ, from slavery to sin. The sad reality here, though, is that it seems there are many who claim to be in Christ who find offense to our walks in the Spirit because they are still being captivated by the flesh, and thus they are more comfortable being around the people of the world than they are being around those who are victors in Christ over sin.

Verbal Testimony

Yet, Paul is not speaking here merely of giving testimony of Christ through our lives and how we live them for Christ and no longer for the flesh. He is speaking of giving verbal testimony to the saving power of Christ over sin through the preaching (teaching, witness) of the gospel of our salvation. And, he realized that he, being but a clay vessel, was not equal to such a profound task as this. Only in Christ, and in his power and strength within him, could he continue to preach Christ crucified and us dead to sin in him. For, there was much opposition against him on a continual basis, even coming from those who professed to know Christ, and from those who professed to be ministers of the gospel, as well. We, too, may or do face such opposition, and we, too, must find our all-sufficiency in Christ alone.

Some of Paul’s opposition were those who did not preach Christ crucified for the glory of God but for the glory of man, i.e. for their own personal gain. They were peddlers (merchants) selling a product in order to gain followers for themselves, so truly they were enemies of the cross of Christ. And, thus it is today. We have many peddlers of the gospel within our church congregations who are in it for themselves to build kingdoms of men, not of God. And, so the gospel they peddle is diluted or is a half-truth gospel which appeals to the flesh of man in order to gain many converts for their “churches,” i.e. for their human-based businesses (corporations).

Because this is so, many who profess to know Jesus don’t know him at all, for what they have bought into is a gospel of human-making that leaves them still dead in their sins without hope of eternity with God in glory. There has been no death to sin, and no living to righteousness, because they are being taught that they don’t have to repent of their sins, and that they don’t have to obey Christ. They are being told that such teaching (preaching) is legalistic, and thus they must reject it. Yet, all this is a clever lie of Satan and is a cover-up for continued sin while claiming the hope of heaven.

If you don’t have to repent of sin, and you don’t have to obey Christ, then you can continue in sin while still claiming freedom in Christ, but the two are diametrically opposed to each other. John said that if we say we have fellowship with Christ, but we walk in darkness, we are liars, and we don’t live by the truth (1 Jn. 1:6). Paul said if we walk according to our flesh, we will die (in our sins), 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).

Those who are preaching (teaching, giving witness to) the gospel, as of God before God in Christ, with sincerity (honesty) of heart, are not going to be ones who dilute the gospel to make it more acceptable to human flesh. But, they are going to preach Christ crucified for sin and us dead to sin in him and reborn of the Spirit to new lives in Christ to be lived to his righteousness. For, Jesus didn’t die just so we could escape hell and go to heaven when we die. He died that we might die with him to sin and so we might live with him in victory over sin, walking daily in his holiness. His grace is not a free license to continue in willful sin against God. 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 (See: Tit. 2:11-14).

Jesus is Calling

So, God/Jesus is calling out to you today to turn from your lifestyle of sin and living for self, and to be crucified (dead) with Christ to sin and alive with Christ to his righteousness and holiness. This is not something you do in your own flesh, though. This is the working of the Spirit of God in your life as you submit to the cross of Christ and cooperate with the Spirit’s work of grace in your life in submission to the Lord’s will for your life. Will you today say “Yes” to Jesus, and make him truly Lord (owner-master) of your life?

Softly and Tenderly / Will Thompson

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.

Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,
Pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies,
Mercies for you and for me?

Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,
Passing from you and from me;
Shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,
Coming for you and for me.

Oh, for the wonderful love He has promised,
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,
Pardon for you and for me.

Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!