Arise and Shine

This is a call to arise (get up; stand up), be steadfast and persistent, and to let our lights (Jesus Christ; our salvation; the gospel; purity; and truth) shine forth from us, so that those outside of faith in Jesus Christ may come to him, to know his saving grace.

We may need this call because we have recently failed in our relationships with God and/or with others. Although we have repented, we may feel unworthy to be his servants and witnesses again. Also, we may require this exhortation because we are complacent about the fact that so many are dying without Christ and are going to hell, and/or because we are unconcerned for the spiritual condition of God’s people. So, God is saying “Wake up!”

Or, this gentle encouragement may be necessary because we are disheartened over seeing so many lost without Christ, and upon witnessing the church in such a serious state of spiritual adultery and idolatry with no apparent end in sight. Or, it could be because we have suffered much persecution, rejection and abandonment for our testimonies for Jesus Christ. Thus, sometimes, it is just hard to stand when you feel as though you are often standing alone against the giants of doubt and fear, oppression and strong opposition.

Yet, this is to encourage our hearts that God has all things under his control, that he will not abandon us, and that he has a plan and a purpose for our lives. For all we are going through, he will work it all out for the salvation of human lives and for the revival of his church, and we should thus rest in his promises, in his love, and in his sovereignty.

Arise and Shine / An Original Work

March 6, 2014 / Based off Isaiah 60

Arise and shine; your Lord has come.

Allow His light to flow through you,

For many walk in wickedness.

Show them the way to life anew.

Arise and shine. Your Lord loves you.

Lift up your eyes, and look about.

Some do believe, while others doubt.

Believe in all God’s promises.

The many will, In Christ, find rest.

Lift up your eyes, and you’ll be blessed.

Arise and shine; salvation comes

To all who trust in Christ, God’s Son.

Forgiven of their sins, they’ll be,

When they repent on bended knee.

Arise and shine, so all will see.

Lift up your eyes, and see your Lord.

He will revive his church, forlorn.

Though humans have forsaken you,

They will find Christ, and walk in truth.

Lift up your eyes; God honors you.

https://vimeo.com/88371130

The Wicked Draw Near

Saturday, August 5, 2017, 4:00 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “It is Well with My Soul.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 119:129-152 (NASB).

Wonderful Testimonies (vv. 129-136)

Your testimonies are wonderful;

Therefore my soul observes them.

The unfolding of Your words gives light;

It gives understanding to the simple.

I opened my mouth wide and panted,

For I longed for Your commandments.

Turn to me and be gracious to me,

After Your manner with those who love Your name.

Establish my footsteps in Your word,

And do not let any iniquity have dominion over me.

Redeem me from the oppression of man,

That I may keep Your precepts.

Make Your face shine upon Your servant,

And teach me Your statutes.

My eyes shed streams of water,

Because they do not keep Your law.

The Word of the Lord is awesome! It is my bread and butter, i.e. it is my livelihood, my means of support, but not financially or materially, but spiritually. From the Word of God, I learn about God and his will for my life. I learn his statutes, and to know what pleases him, and what he desires of me, his servant. I learn of his righteousness and holiness and how to walk in his love and in his grace. I discover his goodness to me, and his boundless mercies which overflow into my life. And, I am taught with regard to his strength, comfort, correction, instruction, and guidance which he provides for me to walk in his footsteps and to know his will and his ways.

I want to walk in the ways of the Lord and to not have any other gods in my life to which I give my devotion and praise. I don’t want to do what displeases my Lord, so I pray for his guidance to show me the way he has for me to go. I love him, and thus I want to serve him and to obey him. Since he delivered me from slavery to sin, and thus sin no longer has dominion over me, I pray that he will keep me from falling, and that I will continue to obey him in all things.

Other human beings will try to lead us astray. They will try to convince us to not be so serious about our walks of faith, and to lighten up and just have fun, as though “fun” is to be our goal in life. They may try to trip us up, too, in order to bring us down with them, because it bothers them that we walk closely with the Lord. So, they will even tempt us to sin against God. And, they will even try to “guilt trip” us into having a lesser commitment to Christ and to be more “normal” like everyone else. Yet, we must not give in to them for a moment, but we must continue to follow our Lord in his ways.

Small and Despised (vv. 137-144)

Righteous are You, O Lord,

And upright are Your judgments.

You have commanded Your testimonies in righteousness

And exceeding faithfulness.

My zeal has consumed me,

Because my adversaries have forgotten Your words.

Your word is very pure,

Therefore Your servant loves it.

I am small and despised,

Yet I do not forget Your precepts.

Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,

And Your law is truth.

Trouble and anguish have come upon me,

Yet Your commandments are my delight.

Your testimonies are righteous forever;

Give me understanding that I may live.

When we commit our lives to Jesus Christ (to God) to walk in his ways and to do what he says, other humans will mock us, reject us, despise us and will persecute us, too, even among those who also call themselves followers of Christ. And, that is because they have been taught and have been convinced that Christians are not to be too serious about God and that they are to immerse themselves in the culture of their societies in order to connect with the people of the world. Or, they have been taught, as well, that “love” does not tell people that Jesus Christ is the only way to God and to heaven, that it does not talk to people about their sin or about judgment, and it does not call people to repentance and obedience to Christ.

Yet, this should only serve to deepen our commitments to Christ and to increase our zeal for our Lord and for his gospel, when we see so many people being led astray from the truth to follow after lies, most especially within the gatherings of the church.

Revive Us, O Lord (vv. 145-152)

I cried with all my heart; answer me, O Lord!

I will observe Your statutes.

I cried to You; save me

And I shall keep Your testimonies.

I rise before dawn and cry for help;

I wait for Your words.

My eyes anticipate the night watches,

That I may meditate on Your word.

Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness;

Revive me, O Lord, according to Your ordinances.

Those who follow after wickedness draw near;

They are far from Your law.

You are near, O Lord,

And all Your commandments are truth.

Of old I have known from Your testimonies

That You have founded them forever.

The church of today, at least here in America, is in great need of revival. And, I believe it is coming. So many preachers and so many professing Christians are living far from God, and it is barely distinguishable between the church and the world anymore. Church congregations have been turned into big businesses and are marketed to the world just like any other business. Pastors are even being trained in who their target audience should be and who they should “get rid of” and should encourage to go someplace else where they will be a “better fit.” Many of them are being taught to lie and to deceive and to manipulate naïve minds to follow after humanistic teachings and philosophies, and many of them are, thus, paving the way for the one world religion of the antichrist beast, i.e. the wicked drawing near.

We, as followers of Christ, need to be crying out to the Lord for lost souls and for Christians gone astray and for the church which is turned upside down. We need to ask him to send revival, and to let it begin with us. We need to desire this spiritual cleansing of people’s hearts and lives above anything else we might desire on the face of this earth. And, we should all wake up to the reality of the times in which we now live, and see how the world is going down the toilet, and cry out to God to save us by his mercy and grace.

As well, we need to be willing to let go of the treasures of this world in order to lay up treasures in heaven, i.e. human souls turned from sin to God to follow him in his ways and in his truth.

It Is Well with My Soul / H. G. Spafford / P. P. Bliss

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,

It is well; it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

Let this blest assurance control,

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,

And hath shed his own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!

My sin, not in part but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

Even so, it is well with my soul.

It is well with my soul,

It is well; it is well with my soul.

In Faithfulness

Friday, August 4, 2017, 1:27 p.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “In Faithfulness He Leads Me.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 96 (NASB).

Good Tidings (vv. 1-6)

Sing to the Lord a new song;

Sing to the Lord, all the earth.

Sing to the Lord, bless His name;

Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.

Tell of His glory among the nations,

His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.

For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised;

He is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the peoples are idols,

But the Lord made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty are before Him,

Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

What are the good tidings of his salvation? They are that God the Father sent his only begotten Son Jesus Christ to the earth to take on human form and to be crucified on a cross for our sins. He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God. When he died, our sins died with him and were buried with him. When he was resurrected from the dead, he rose victorious over sin, hell, Satan and death on our behalf. Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, and that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us.

When we believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord (owner-master) and Savior of our lives, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin so that we might live with Christ in newness of life, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. “Our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.” “When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness… but now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life” (See: Eph. 4:17-24; Ro. 6:1-23; Gal. 2:20).

Since we been turned from darkness (sin) to light (righteousness), and from the power of Satan to God, we have received forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ. Sin and Satan are no longer to be our masters so that we obey them, but now Jesus Christ is to be our only Lord. We are to now walk in the fear of the Lord, not in the sense of being afraid of God, but in the sense of showing him absolute honor, respect, value, esteem, submission and obedience to his commands.

A Love Offering (vv. 7-11)

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,

Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name;

Bring an offering and come into His courts.

Worship the Lord in holy attire;

Tremble before Him, all the earth.

Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns;

Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved;

He will judge the peoples with equity.”

When Jesus Christ died on that cross for our sins, he “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). Therefore, we are urged “by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Ro. 12:1-2).

In other words, Jesus didn’t die on that cross just so we could escape hell or just so we could go to heaven when we die, but he died to change us. He died to transform us away from living for sin and self to walking in his righteousness and holiness. By righteousness we mean what is deemed right in the eyes of God, i.e. what meets with his divine approval. So, if we are walking in his righteousness, we are living lives of integrity, holiness, honesty, and uprightness, and lives which are moral and decent. Also, to be holy means to be set apart (unlike, different) from the world of sin because we are being made into the image of Christ.

So, what should this all look like? Well, it means that Jesus is the Lord of our lives, i.e. that he is our owner-master and we belong to him, and that we are no longer our own, for we were bought back for God with the price of his blood shed for us on a cross. It means we desire him above all else, and he is the one who gets our full allegiance. We now walk (in lifestyle), not according to our sinful flesh, but according to the Spirit of God. We are no longer conformed (adapted) to the ways of this sinful world, but we walk in the ways of the Lord to please him in all that we do and are and say.

In Righteousness (vv. 11-13)

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;

Let the sea roar, and all it contains;

Let the field exult, and all that is in it.

Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy

Before the Lord, for He is coming,

For He is coming to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness

And the peoples in His faithfulness.

These words bring to recall the words of Isaiah 55. There the people were encouraged to thirst and hunger after God instead of to spend their money on what would never satisfy the hunger of their souls. They were urged to eat (partake of) what is good (righteous, holy), and for the wicked to forsake his way, and the unrighteous his evil thoughts. And, they were counseled to return to the Lord, and he would have compassion on them, and he would pardon (forgive) their sins. God said that his will would be accomplished, and that his word would not return empty. And, then he said that they would go out with joy and that the mountains would break forth into shouts of joy.

This was a promise of people turning to or returning to the Lord. All throughout the Bible, most every time God judged his people, it was to bring about revival in their hearts so that they would return to the Lord with pure devotion. And, I believe scripture teaches that, in these last days, before Christ’s return, he will judge the people of the earth in justice, righteousness and in faithfulness, but not just to punish, but to bring people to himself or back to himself. He is calling out to his rebellious and wayward children, and he is calling them to repentance and renewed faith in him, and he will use divine discipline (chastisement) in order to revive their hearts.

Yet, a day is coming, too, when Jesus Christ will come back to take us, his followers, to be with him, and then the doors to heaven will be closed, and there will be no more opportunity to be saved from your sins or to have the promise of heaven as your eternal home. And, so that is why we are being encouraged here to proclaim his salvation and his glory among the nations, so that many will be saved. It is also why he is urging people here to worship the Lord in true holiness and to offer their lives to him as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. For, not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” will be received into his heaven, but only those who do his will (Matt. 7:21).

In Faithfulness He Leads Me

An Original Work / March 20, 2013 / Based off Various Scriptures

(Ps. 26:3; 86:11; 91:4-5; 111:7-8; 119:73-76; Is. 25:1,4&9; 42:6-7; Hos. 2:16-20)

Teach me Your ways, Lord, and I’ll walk in them.

Give me a pure heart. I’ll fear Your name.

Your love is always, ever before me.

Continually I’ll walk in Your truth.

You will cover me with feathers.

Under Your wings I’ll find refuge.

My Lord’s faithfulness will be my

Comfort and my shield.

The works of His hands are faithful and just.

Trustworthy are all of His precepts.

Your hands have made me, and they have formed me.

Give understanding of Your commands.

I have put my hope, O Lord, in Your word.

Your teachings, O Lord, are righteousness.

Lord, in faithfulness You have

Afflicted me so I may learn of

Your unfailing love and comfort

And Your truthfulness.

You are my husband; You have betrothed me

In love, compassion and faithfulness.

O Lord, You are my God, I’ll exalt You.

In faithfulness You’ve done wondrous things.

You’ve been a refuge for those who’re needy;

A shelter in storms; shade from the heat.

This is the Lord, we trusted in Him,

Let us be glad and rejoice

In His salvation which He

Provided through the Lamb.

Open the blind eyes; free all the captives.

Tell them of Jesus: “Be born again!”

https://vimeo.com/115747912

Troubled Thoughts

Thursday, August 3, 2017, 3:55 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Courageous.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 39 (NASB).

Then I Spoke (vv. 1-6)

I said, “I will guard my ways
That I may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle
While the wicked are in my presence.”
I was mute and silent,
I refrained even from good,
And my sorrow grew worse.
My heart was hot within me,
While I was musing the fire burned;
Then I spoke with my tongue:
“Lord, make me to know my end
And what is the extent of my days;
Let me know how transient I am.
“Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths,
And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight;
Surely every man at his best is a mere breath. Selah.
“Surely every man walks about as a phantom;
Surely they make an uproar for nothing;
He amasses riches and does not know who will gather them.

When we are going through times of difficulty, persecution, sorrow or pain, we may experience anxious thoughts which may trouble our minds. If we express our thoughts aloud, especially in front of the unsaved, it may give rise to them doubting or questioning God even more, or to them using our words against us in order to accuse us and to persecute us to an even greater degree. But, if we stuff our emotions and we don’t express how we feel, not even to God, it may cause us to suffer even more mental distress.

The Bible teaches us that we should call on the Lord in the day of trouble, and he will rescue us (Ps. 50:15; Ps. 91:15). He will relieve us in our distress (Ps. 4:1). We should cry to him for help (Ps. 18:6; Ps. 28:1-2). And, we should call on him to lead us on a level path despite persecution and difficult circumstances (Ps. 27:7-12). Also, we should humble ourselves before God. And, we should cast all our care upon him, because he cares for us. And, we should remember that our adversary, the devil, is roaming around seeking someone to devour, so we should resist the devil by remaining firm in our faith, and God will strengthen us (1 Pet. 5:6-11).

Deliver Me (vv. 7-11)

“And now, Lord, for what do I wait?
My hope is in You.
“Deliver me from all my transgressions;
Make me not the reproach of the foolish.
“I have become mute, I do not open my mouth,
Because it is You who have done it.
“Remove Your plague from me;
Because of the opposition of Your hand I am perishing.
“With reproofs You chasten a man for iniquity;
You consume as a moth what is precious to him;
Surely every man is a mere breath. Selah.

When God takes us through the storms of life, although we may have many questions in our minds as to why this is happening to us, or concerning what God’s ultimate purpose is in it all, we should rest in him, and trust him that he knows what is best for us. He uses these times in our lives to prune us, to purify us, to mature us in Christ, to teach us to rely on him and not on ourselves, and to mold us into his likeness. His goal is to transform us through our circumstances, not always to deliver us physically from the difficulties. In other words, sometimes these things happen to us so that we might be delivered from ourselves, i.e. from our own selfishness, pride, idolatry, and dependence in self over trust in God.

My Tears (vv. 12-13)

“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry;
Do not be silent at my tears;
For I am a stranger with You,
A sojourner like all my fathers.
“Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may smile again
Before I depart and am no more.”

It is good for us to cry out to God what is going on in our hearts, not because he does not know how we feel, but because we need to express these things to him so that from him we can receive counsel, refreshment, encouragement and guidance, and so we can release those emotions and not let them build up inside us unto resentment or bitterness of spirit. Yet, we should do so respectfully, trusting in him to help us.

The closer we get in our relationship with our Lord, and the more we sit at his feet, and we listen to him speak his words to our hearts, and we follow him wherever he leads us, the more the world will hate us, and the greater sense we will have that this world is not our home, but we are strangers here. But, that is how it should be. We should not be immersed in the cultures of our society. We should not love the world or the things of the world with the kind of passion, yearning and devotion which we should have for our Lord alone. God has called us to be a holy people, unlike and different from the world because we are becoming like Christ. He has called us to come out from the world and to be separate, and so the world will not love us or understand us, but will hate and persecute us.

So, we need to understand this so that we do not become unsettled and troubled of heart when what God said is going to happen comes our way. For, coming to faith in Jesus Christ means death to sin and self, and it means that daily we take up our cross and follow Jesus (Ro. 6:1-23; Lu. 9:23-25; Eph. 4:17-24). It means we share in the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings that we may also share in his glory, too (1 Pet. 4:13; Ro. 8:17).

So, we need to rest in him, trust him with our circumstances, cry out to him in our pain, and listen to his counsel, and then do what he says. He will lead us in the way we should go. And, he will strengthen and help us all the way, no matter what comes our way, and then one day he will take us home.

Courageous! / An Original Work / December 24, 2013

Based off Various Scriptures

The Word of God throughout taught.

Some people heard, but did doubt.

Still others had faith in Christ.

By grace He purified them.

They turned from sin

And they obeyed Christ.

He opened up their blinded eyesight;

Turned them from darkness

To the true Light;

Forgave their sin by His might.

He strengthened them in their faith.

He said, “Remain my faithful.”

He called them to obedience.

By faith, they were so grateful.

By faith, they were to follow Jesus;

To daily sit and listen to Him;

To have such faith

That mountains could move;

To love those whom He gave them.

Be on your guard; courageous.

Stand firm in faith. Be thankful.

Take up the shield of your faith;

Protect against all evil.

Do not move from

The hope that you have.

Your faith in Jesus let it endure.

Hold to the truth;

Your conscience be clear.

Endure with perseverance.

https://vimeo.com/112338495

All Through the Night

Jesus said that we are blessed (honored; commended) when we willingly endure persecution, false accusations, rejection and mistreatment for the sake of his name, and for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So, we should rejoice and be glad that we share in the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings. We will richly be rewarded in heaven.

He told us that if we follow him as his disciples, we will be treated as he was treated, and we will be hated as he was hated, so we should expect that to happen if we want to live godly lives in Christ Jesus.

And, we should not be afraid of what humans may do to us. Jesus Christ will give us all we need to endure, to persevere, and to continue in our faith and in our testimonies for Christ. He will see us through even the darkest of times, and he will bring us safely home to heaven. We just have to trust him, and not give way to fear. We, as well, must forgive our persecutors because Jesus Christ forgave us all our sin; and we should pray for them.

All Through the Night / An Original Work / December 7, 2013

Based off Various Scriptures

Blessed are you when you’re persecuted

Because of your faith in Jesus Christ.

Blessed are you when people insult you,

And falsely say what leads folks to doubt.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is

Great in the heavens. You’re not alone.

When you are persecuted in one place,

Flee to another. God will be there.

You will be hated by all the nations

Because you testify of God’s grace.

Many will seize you and persecute you,

And put to death the foll’wers of Christ.

Yet, do not fear what humans may do to you,

For I’m with you all through the night.

I tell you, love your enemies with my love,

And forgive as I forgave you.

Pray for those who do evil against you.

Rest in my love and grace from above.

https://vimeo.com/112899981

Take up The Shield

Wednesday, August 2, 2017, 7:21 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Courageous.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 62 (select vv. NASB).

Jeremiah 17:9 says this:

“The heart is more deceitful than all else
And is desperately sick;
Who can understand it?”

When we come into this world, we are born with sin natures. We are fleshly. We are under the control (power) of Satan, slaves to sin. Our human hearts are easily deceived and are given over to deceiving, as well. We come up short of attaining God’s divine approval, because we can’t save ourselves. We can never be good enough. In and of ourselves, our hearts are incurable. So, that is why Jesus Christ died on a cross for our sins so that we might be turned from darkness (sin, wickedness) to light (truth, righteousness), and from the power of Satan to God, that we might receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who, by faith in Jesus Christ, are sanctified.

When we believe in Jesus Christ to be 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, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. But, this does not mean we are no longer capable of sin. We are. Yet, if we are in Christ, by faith in him, sin should no longer have dominion over our lives, because Satan has no power over us. Jesus Christ set us free! So, we should walk in freedom! Yet, if we continue in willful sin, i.e. if we make it our practice to sin against God, the Bible says we will die in our sins, not have the hope of eternal life with God in heaven. So, it is possible to think you are saved and going to heaven but still be dead in your sins.

Blessing and Cursing (vv. 3-4)

How long will you assail a man,

That you may murder him, all of you,

Like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence?

They have counseled only to thrust him down

from his high position;

They delight in falsehood;

They bless with their mouth,

But inwardly they curse. Selah.

So, for those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior of their lives, but who have drifted away from their pure devotion to Christ, and have fallen back into sin, or for those who profess to know Christ, but who are living sinful lifestyles, or for those who have never claimed to believe in Jesus Christ at all, these questions are posed.

How long will you continue in sinful rebellion against God? How long will you continue to hate one another, and attack one another? How long will you accuse falsely and persecute those who are following Jesus Christ with their lives, or will you try to trip them up in order to bring them down with you? When will you stop being deceived and deceiving others with your lies? When will you cease speaking kindly to people only to their faces, but then stab them in the back when they are not in front of your face?

For God Only (vv. 5-8)

My soul, wait in silence for God only,
For my hope is from Him.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.

On God my salvation and my glory rest;

The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.

Trust in Him at all times, O people;

Pour out your heart before Him;

God is a refuge for us. Selah.

Our only hope for overcoming sin is faith in Jesus Christ, but that faith must be accompanied by repentance and obedience to Christ and his commands. To merely acknowledge what Jesus did for us in dying for our sins, but to never turn away from the sin, nor to turn to God to walk in his ways, will not result in eternal life with God, but only a fearful expectation of judgment.

Jesus/God needs to be our only hope. He needs to be the one we give our full allegiance to with all our hearts. Humans are going to disappoint us, reject us, persecute us, falsely accuse us, betray us and maybe even kill us, just because they don’t like us, because we are not like them. Humans will lie to us, too, so we need to be very discerning so that we don’t become deceived, too. We need to pray and ask the Lord for wisdom to recognize the lies so we can reject them, and to know the truth, so we can follow it.

When we are persecuted, because we trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior of our lives, and because we follow him in obedience to his will, we need to rely on the strength of the Lord so that we are not shaken from our faith and give way to fear. People will attack us. They will hate us. They will try to bring us down, and they will lie to us and will try to deceive us. And, they will speak kindly to us to our faces all the while they are stabbing us in the back when we aren’t looking. Although they act like they are our friends, they may betray us. So, this is why our hope needs to be in the Lord, and we need to find our strength in him so we don’t cave in and lose heart.

So, we need to pour out our hearts to him. It isn’t as though he doesn’t know what we are going through, though, but he wants us to cry out to him in our distress, in our pain, in our sorrow and in our weakness, and he desires that we let him heal us, comfort us, encourage us and counsel us in the way we should go.

We need to keep trusting him, even if all hell breaks loose all around us. For, he is completely sovereign (in control) over all that he has made. And, he has a plan and a purpose for everything he allows into our lives. And, he will work all things together for good for those who love him, and who have been called according to his purpose. So, take refuge in him, be of courage, be strong in the Lord, and persevere in your faith.

Courageous! / An Original Work / December 24, 2013

Based off Various Scriptures

The Word of God throughout taught.

Some people heard, but did doubt.

Still others had faith in Christ.

By grace He purified them.

They turned from sin

And they obeyed Christ.

He opened up their blinded eyesight;

Turned them from darkness

To the true Light;

Forgave their sin by His might.

He strengthened them in their faith.

He said, “Remain my faithful.”

He called them to obedience.

By faith, they were so grateful.

By faith, they were to follow Jesus;

To daily sit and listen to Him;

To have such faith

That mountains could move;

To love those whom He gave them.

Be on your guard; courageous.

Stand firm in faith. Be thankful.

Take up the shield of your faith;

Protect against all evil.

Do not move from

The hope that you have.

Your faith in Jesus let it endure.

Hold to the truth;

Your conscience be clear.

Endure with perseverance.

https://vimeo.com/112338495

His Righteousness

Tuesday, August 1, 2017, 3:17 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Praise Be Told!” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read various scriptures (in the NASB) on the subject of God’s righteousness.

Righteousness - divine approval; God's judicial approval; “refers to what is deemed right by the Lord (after His examination), i.e. what is approved in His eyes” (1). It is also morality, justice, decency, uprightness and honesty.

By God’s Doing (1 Co. 1:30-31; 2 Co. 5:21)

But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

When we are born into this world, we are born with sin natures. We all come up short of attaining God’s divine approval (See: Ro. 3:23). We are destined for hell without hope of heaven or God. And, we can do nothing to earn or to deserve our own salvation. We can never be good enough. No amount of good works will ever earn us our own salvation from sin or eternal life with God in heaven. Our own righteousness is like filthy rags in God’s sight. Only by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, can any of us be made righteous in God’s sight, and only in the power of God’s Spirit now living within us can we live righteously, too.

So, God sent his only begotten Son Jesus Christ to the earth to die on a cross for our sins. He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus Christ took the punishment of our sin on himself so that, through faith in him, we might be delivered both from the penalty of sin (death) and from slavery to sin. Not only that, but he died for us so that we might live new lives in him to his righteousness. For, his purpose in dying for us was not just to free us from hell and to promise us heaven when we die, but he died in order that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us (2 Co. 5:15).

Death to Sin; Alive to God (1 Pet. 2:24; Ephesians 4:17-24)

And He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you 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.

When Jesus Christ gave his life up for us on a cross, it wasn’t just so we could become the righteousness of God positionally. What I mean by that is that it wasn’t just to forgive us our sins and to remove the punishment of sin from us. It was that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. If we keep on sinning (making a practice of sin) after we have received the knowledge of the truth, it is not heaven we have as our destination, but the fires of hell, even if we make a confession of Christ as Savior of our lives (See: Ro. 8:1-14; Lu. 9:23-25; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:3-6; 1 Jn. 1:5-9).

When we believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, the Holy Spirit of God transforms our hearts away from living for sin and self to walking in Christ’s righteousness and holiness. We should no longer live to gratify the evil desires of our flesh, but we should now live to please God in everything we do and say. Our new lives in Christ Jesus should not look just like our old lives, only just slightly cleaned up for all appearances. For us to be born again (or born from above) of the Spirit of God, we must have first of all put our old lives (our former manner of life) to death by the Spirit of God. And, the new self that we should put on is the one created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness, not the slightly cleaned up old self.

Flee and Pursue (1 Tim. 6:11-12; 2 Tim. 2:22)

But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

Not only are we made righteous in God’s sight, by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, but we must live righteously if we want to have the hope of eternal life with God in heaven. We must flee from false doctrines which give free license to continue in sin, and which do not conform to godliness. And, we must flee all sinful acts, attitudes and practices such as immorality, adultery, envy, impurity, lust, idolatry, outbursts of anger, drunkenness, and the like. And, instead, we need to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, peace and gentleness. And, we must walk (in lifestyle) in integrity, honesty, purity, decency, uprightness and morality.

Daily we die to sin and self, and we put off (put to death) the deeds of the flesh, by the Spirit of God (Lu. 9:23-25; Ro. 8:1-14). We put on the armor of God with which to fight off all of Satan’s evil attacks and schemes against us (Eph. 6:10-20). And, we throw off every weight which hinders our walks of faith, and every sin which entangles, so that we can run the race God has marked out for us with perseverance (See: Heb. 12:1-2). And, then we walk (conduct our lives) according to the Spirit, and no longer according to our sinful flesh. For, 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, and all because of God’s grace to us in saving us.

Praise Be Told! / An Original Work 

Based off Various Scriptures / December 28, 2013

He was pierced for our transgressions.

He was crushed for all our sin.

Our chastisement was upon Him.

By His stripes, we now are healed.

He has witnessed all our trials,

And the sins we choose to wear.

Yet, while we were dead in our sin,

Jesus died, our sins to bear.

He himself bore all of our sins

In His body on a cross,

So that we might die to our sin,

And live for His righteousness.

By faith in the pow’r of Jesus

And His blood shed for our sins,

We can be forgiven our sin,

And have life with God in heav’n.

He will lead us and He’ll guide us

In the way that we should go.

He will comfort and protect us,

Because Jesus, we do know.

Though He disciplines for our good,

He will heal us – Praise be told!

Do not fear, your Lord is with you.

Just have faith in Christ your Lord.

https://vimeo.com/112335646

(1)       http://biblehub.com/greek/1343.htm