That is Grace!

Sunday, October 8, 2017, 8:55 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Power of The Cross.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Isaiah 43:8-13 (NASB).

Bring out the people who are blind, even though they have eyes,

And the deaf, even though they have ears.

All the nations have gathered together

So that the peoples may be assembled.

Who among them can declare this

And proclaim to us the former things?

Let them present their witnesses that they may be justified,

Or let them hear and say, “It is true.”

“You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord,

“And My servant whom I have chosen,

So that you may know and believe Me

And understand that I am He.

Before Me there was no God formed,

And there will be none after Me.

“I, even I, am the Lord,

And there is no savior besides Me.

“It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed,

And there was no strange god among you;

So you are My witnesses,” declares the Lord,

“And I am God.

“Even from eternity I am He,

And there is none who can deliver out of My hand;

I act and who can reverse it?”

Eyes and Ears

People who are blind, for the most part, have physical eyes. They just can’t see out of them, because their eyes are defective in some way. The same is true with those who are deaf. They have ears, but they just can’t hear out of them, because their ears are malfunctioning. Yet, this is not talking about the physically deaf and blind, but concerning the spiritually deaf and blind. It isn’t that they can’t see (have understanding) or that they can’t hear (perceive and learn), but it is that they choose not to (Ro. 1:18-32). Their spiritual eyes and ears are defective (malfunctioning) because of willful sin and/or stubborn rebellion against God. Yet, sadly enough, some of these deaf and blind claim to know God and/or to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior of their lives.

In other words, these deaf and blind have knowledge of God and/or of his Word and/or they have heard some form of the gospel preached with their physical ears. Some of them have even grown up in the gatherings of the church, i.e. they have attended church gatherings possibly from birth to adulthood. They, if they have confessed Christ as Savior, may even be in possession of a Bible, or of multiple Bibles, and they are quite free to read it, at will. Some of them may even have Bible college or seminary degrees, and a few of them may even be pastors and elders of local congregations. You don’t have to be ignorant of God to be blind. Some of the blind have massive Biblical (head) knowledge. They just have never applied it to their hearts.

So, this is the difference between the blind and the one seeing, or the deaf and the one hearing. The one has the knowledge, but lets it go in one ear and out the other, or else he uses that knowledge strictly for intellectual purposes. The other, the one seeing and/or hearing, has no more advantage than the blind and the deaf. He just does what the Word says, instead of walking away from the mirror, forgetting what he looks like (Jas. 1:22-25). Our God is not satisfied with us merely knowing his Word, but he requires that we obey his Word by doing what it says. His salvation for us is not just so we can be forgiven our sins and have the hope of eternity with God in heaven, but he died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He saved us not just out of the punishment of sin, but out of addiction to sin.

False gods

This is a call of God to assemble all the deaf and blind (spiritually), who have ears to hear but don’t listen, and who have eyes to see but do not receive. The call is to examine their idolatrous ways and to account for them and for their idols (the gods of men). What good are they? Are they able to save, bring healing and deliverance, or bring perfect peace, fulfillment and joy everlasting? Are they able to lead and guide in the ways of God, and in his righteousness? Or, are they useless, but more than useless, but do they, instead, bring you down, trap you, steal your joy, lead you into sin, ruin your life, and destroy your relationships with others? And, lead you to hell?

So many people, including Christians (or professing Christians) are led down a path of self-destruction or complacency, regarding spiritual matters, because they are following after their own fleshly desires, and because they are followers of humans rather than, or over and above being followers of God. So, their itching ears want to hear messages which tell them that all they have to do is just accept Jesus’ forgiveness of their sins, and now they are guaranteed heaven when they die, and their spiritual maturity is wholly in the hands of God, and they have nothing to do with it at all. Nothing is required of them – no repentance, obedience or submission to Christ Jesus.

So, what good is salvation to them then? If we are not saved out of slavery (bondage, addiction) to sin, then we aren’t really saved, because we are still dead in sins, walking according to the flesh, and not according to the Spirit. For, the Bible teaches that if we walk (in lifestyle, in practice) in sin, we don’t have the promise of heaven when we die, but a fearful expectation of judgment and of eternity in hell, no matter what prayers we prayed to receive Christ and his forgiveness of our sins (See: Lu. 9:23-26; Ro. 8:1-17; Gal. 5:19-21; 1 Jn. 1:5-9). So, don’t be fooled! Don’t listen to those liars and deceivers who are telling you that God requires nothing of you other than to accept Jesus’ forgiveness of your sins, and who say that heaven is guaranteed you, no matter what. Read God’s Word, and believe and follow the truth!! Your life and eternity depend on it!

No Other God

Our God – Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit - the creator of the universe and all living things, is the one and only true God. His written Word can be found in the Bible (Genesis to Revelation). This is where we will find truth and righteousness and God’s plan for our lives and his purposes and will for each one of us. Though there are godly men and women in this world who are teaching the truth, as best as they understand it, there are many more who are teaching outright lies, half-truths (lies) or who are twisting the truth (lies) to their own advantage, but to your demise. It may sound good, especially to itching ears, but it isn’t good, and so we must be very discerning so that we don’t get trapped and tripped up by such deceptions.

There is no savior (rescuer) besides the one true God. No drugs, alcohol, TV shows, movies, recreation, games, sports, automobiles, houses, lands, possessions, fame, or fortune, and no human being dead or alive can save you from hell and bring you into God’s wonderful kingdom. They will never fulfill the deep longings of your soul, which God put within you for him alone, but they will leave you empty, dissatisfied, unfulfilled, always craving more and more, hoping the next time will bring you happiness, but more times than not these idols only kill and destroy, ruin entire households, lead people to suicide, and ultimately end up leading people straight to the pit of hell.

And, not only is our God our only true savior, but his salvation is also not what many like to present it to be. Jesus came to deliver us out of addiction to sin, not to forgive the sin and then to do nothing to rescue us. Although it is only through faith in Jesus Christ, and not of ourselves, that we receive such a great salvation, the salvation we receive is freedom from bondage to sin and freedom to walk in Christ’s righteousness. So, to truly believe in Jesus, it involves death to sin and living to his righteousness, only not in our own power and strength, but in the power and strength of God’s Spirit now living within us. God’s grace to us is not him just forgiving our sin while we go on in sin. That is not grace! His grace instructs us to say “NO!” to ungodliness and worldly passions (lusts) and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s return. Now, THAT IS GRACE!

Power of The Cross

Shelly Johnson

Once in darkness now in light

Once blind now you see

Once a sinner now a saint

Once bound now free.

That's the power of the cross

See the chains fall…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTb9i_fdj4E

His Steadfast Love

Saturday, October 7, 2017, 4:09 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Praise Be Told.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 63 (ESV).

His Power and Glory (vv. 1-4)

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;

    my soul thirsts for you;

my flesh faints for you,

    as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,

    beholding your power and glory.

Because your steadfast love is better than life,

    my lips will praise you.

So I will bless you as long as I live;

    in your name I will lift up my hands.

Our God, the One and Only True God, creator of the universe and all mankind – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – is the only God whom we are to worship and to whom we are to give our praise. He is the one who made us, who knows all about us, and who created us for a purpose, which is to give glory to HIM by our lives. We are to seek after him earnestly, with all our hearts, and desire him above all else, and want to know and to do his will.

As most all of us should realize, we were not born saints, but sinners. By nature, we have a propensity to sin against God and to do what displeases him. And, we have all come up short of attaining God’s divine approval. Also, we can’t save ourselves. There is nothing we can do to earn or to deserve our own salvation. We will never be good enough, in our own merit, to be rewarded with God’s heaven. So, what hope do we have?

Well, that is why God the Father sent his Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ into the world to save sinners. God the Son took on human flesh, was born as a baby to a human mother, with God as his Father, and grew up to be a man. He suffered like we suffer, and he was tempted in like manner as we are also tempted, yet without sin. He healed the sick and afflicted, raised the dead, cast out demons, comforted the sorrowful, fed the hungry, confronted sin in sinful human beings, and preached repentance for forgiveness of sins and eternal life with God. And, because of this he was hated by many.

So, his enemies plotted and carried out his death on a cross. But, it was the will of God that Jesus should suffer and die for our sins, for when he died our sins died with him and were buried with him, and when he was resurrected from the dead, he rose victorious over sin, hell, Satan and death, on our behalf. So, through faith in Him we might be forgiven our sins, have the hope of eternal life with God, be delivered out of slavery to sin, and be free to now walk in Christ’s righteousness and holiness. For, when we were under the control of sin, we were free from the control of righteousness (Ro. 6).

God, My Help (vv. 5-8)

My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,

    and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,

when I remember you upon my bed,

    and meditate on you in the watches of the night;

for you have been my help,

    and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.

My soul clings to you;

    your right hand upholds me.

Jesus Christ, God the Son, is not only our Savior, but he is our helper, healer, friend, comforter, counselor, teacher and guide. After he died and rose again, and he ascended back to heaven, he sent his Holy Spirit to indwell the lives of those who believed on him to be Lord and Savior of their lives. So, when we believe in Jesus, and we die with him to sin, and we are resurrected with him to newness of life in him, his Holy Spirit comes to live within us – God within us – to teach, counsel, help, and comfort, etc. He guides us into all truth, speaks to us through God’s written word (the Bible), and shows us the way we are to live to give honor, glory and praise to God.

So, what should this look like, in all practicality? I mean, if we truly have been crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we have been resurrected with him to newness of life, to be lived to his righteousness, and he is our helper, guide, healer, comforter, teacher and friend, what difference should that make in our lives? How should we be changed from how we were before we met Christ as Savior? How should we live differently than we did before?

Well, we should desire our Lord above all else, he should be first place in our lives, we should want to do what pleases him, and we should not be looking for a way to excuse away willful and addictive sinful practices. When we do sin, we should humble ourselves before him in repentance, and we should seek his counsel and help in fleeing sin and in hungering and thirsting after God and his holiness and righteousness. And, then we need to do what he shows us. We, too, must cut out of our lives what leads us into sin, and we should not tempt fate by continually going where we ought not to go, and then be surprised when it continues to end up the same way.

In other words, we can’t put on Christ in our lives if we are putting on the junk of this world every day. If we spend hours upon hours playing video or computer games, reading novels, watching TV shows, viewing movies, getting on Facebook, surfing the net, watching sports, or otherwise wasting precious time with what is mostly junk, and with what is often in direct contrast to God, to his Word, and to his divine character and will, we are shooting ourselves in the foot. And, then we act surprised when we fall into sin time and time again, and we can’t seem to get victory. So, we have to get rid of the junk in our lives and we have to seek after God with all our hearts if we want to experience his power and victory in our lives.

Enemies of Christ (vv. 9-11)

But those who seek to destroy my life

    shall go down into the depths of the earth;

they shall be given over to the power of the sword;

    they shall be a portion for jackals.

But the king shall rejoice in God;

    all who swear by him shall exult,

    for the mouths of liars will be stopped.

There are many people in this world who are enemies of the cross of Christ and who want to live life however they want, and who will not submit to God or to his purposes for their lives. Many of these are strongly opposed to the gospel of our salvation, and willfully work against Christ and his followers. They may even be among those who are persecuting the Lord’s saints – his servants and witnesses. And, some of these, sadly enough, even profess to believe in Jesus Christ and to be his followers, but they believe in a man-made Jesus and a false gospel which gives permission for its followers to continue in sin against God, yet still promises them heaven when they die.

What we must know about this is that the true gospel teaches death to sin, living to righteousness, repentance, and obedience to Christ as crucial to saving faith in Jesus Christ and to eternal life with God in heaven. We must also know that the Bible teaches that if we continue in (practice) sin, we don’t have the hope of eternal life with God, but a fearful expectation of judgment and of the fires of hell. And, this is in the New Testament. So, if you bought into the lie that says that you have the hope of heaven when you die, but that you can still play with sin and not get burned, then think again. It isn’t that we must be sinless, but that we should no longer walk in sin, and that now, by the grace of God, we should walk in his holiness.

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

An Everlasting Rock

Friday, October 6, 2017, 6:27 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Our God.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Isaiah 26 (Select vv. ESV).

A Strong City (vv. 1-2)

In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

“We have a strong city;

    he sets up salvation

    as walls and bulwarks.

Open the gates,

    that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.”

The City of God used to be a physical city with physical walls, but now it is a spiritual city with God’s salvation as our protective barrier (walls). What this means, for one, is that the physical city of Jerusalem is no longer the Holy City of God (See: Gal. 4:22-31). The church, the body of Christ, is now God’s Holy City, heavenly Jerusalem, and our salvation is our defense and shield against Satan, sin and (spiritual) death. And, when I say “church,” I don’t mean physical buildings called “church,” or denominations, or human-based organizations and businesses also called “church.” God does not dwell in buildings built by human hands, but he dwells in the hearts of those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, and we, the people, are the church. We, the people of God, are the City of God, which is a strong city, because our salvation is our shield against all enemy forces.

We, the people of God, via faith in Jesus Christ, are also a holy nation. True Israel, that is of God, is not a physical nation, but a spiritual nation. And, it is believers in Jesus Christ who make up this nation (1 Pet. 2:9). But, it is not merely those who profess the name of Jesus, or who say they believe in him, that comprise this holy nation, but it is those who keep the faith and who are righteous, not merely positionally, but in practice. For, if we walk (in practice) in sin, we do not have the hope of eternal life with God, but a fearful expectation of judgment. But, if we walk in the light, according to the Spirit, and by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, then we will live forever with Christ (See: Lu. 9:23-26; Ro. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:6).

Perfect Peace (vv. 3-4)

You keep him in perfect peace

    whose mind is stayed on you,

    because he trusts in you.

Trust in the Lord forever,

    for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.”

So many people are teaching salvation as though it is a once in a lifetime experience, then you have your ticket into heaven, and now you can live however you want, and one day you get to go be with Jesus. But, that is not what scripture teaches! Scripture teaches that we are saved (past), we are being saved (present) and that we will be saved (future) when Jesus Christ returns. It teaches us that we must walk in the Spirit and no longer live to gratify the sinful cravings of our flesh, if we want the righteous requirement of the law to be fulfilled in us. It teaches us, too, that God’s grace is not carte blanche to continue in sin, but that his grace instructs us to say “NO!” to ungodliness and worldly passions (lusts) and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s return. We have to continue in Christ and in His Word and be keeping (in practice) his Word, and not be those who make a practice of sin, if we want to have eternal life with God.

The Christian life is to be lived to God, not to ourselves. Jesus is to be Lord (owner-master) of our lives, but not in name only. We are to be surrendered to our Lord, to walk in his ways, and in his truth, and to not have divided hearts of loyalty to “other gods” of this world, which could be our jobs, houses, entertainment, TV, sports, possessions, money, politicians, political platforms, famous people, traditions, culture and prestige, etc. We have to have minds which are stayed on (settled, remained, continued in) Jesus Christ. We can’t do this, though, if our minds are being bombarded with sensuality, seductiveness, immorality, lies, cheating, stealing and killing as a form of entertainment, especially on a daily or consistent basis. We need to be filling our minds, hearts and lives with what is godly, holy, righteous, moral, pure and good, and then we will know this perfect peace.

The Righteous Path (vv. 7-9a)

The path of the righteous is level;

    you make level the way of the righteous.

In the path of your judgments,

    O Lord, we wait for you;

your name and remembrance

    are the desire of our soul.

My soul yearns for you in the night;

    my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.

The path (way) of the righteous (godly) is level (straight, upright, unmixed), not crooked (dishonest, corrupt, perverse). So, why do so many Christians (or professing Christians) live like this is not true? Why do so many live as though Jesus did not cleanse them and deliver them from sin? I believe partly it is because they are deceived into believing that faith in Jesus Christ does not have to impact their daily lives. They have been told that a mere prayer or a mere acknowledgment of what Christ did for them in dying for their sins is enough to secure them heaven for eternity, and that nothing they do from this point forward can change that. Partly, too, this has been modeled to them by their parents, their church leaders, and their peers. And, growing up on TV, as we did in the 1950s and 1960s, had an enormous influence on what we considered as acceptable behavior vs. unacceptable.

So, how many of us truly desire after God with all our hearts? How many of wake in the morning hearing him speak his words to our hearts, and think about him in the stillness of the night, and even in the middle of the night? And, how many of us inquire of him throughout the day, seeking his wisdom and counsel for what we are to do and what we are to say and how we are to live? And, if we do, how many of us then follow our Lord in obedience and surrender to his will for our lives consistently, but not necessarily perfectly? Were we taught this by our leaders? Was it modeled to us? Or did we have to learn this on our own with our Lord only as our teacher? Or, is worldliness what has been our model, instead, yet mixed with religious practice?

We Learn Righteousness (vv. 9b-11a)

For when your judgments are in the earth,

    the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

If favor is shown to the wicked,

    he does not learn righteousness;

in the land of uprightness he deals corruptly

    and does not see the majesty of the Lord.

O Lord, your hand is lifted up,

    but they do not see it.

Let them see your zeal for your people, and be ashamed.

If we did not learn righteousness from our leaders, and if we did not learn it on our own (without godly human leadership) by seeking God with all our hearts, then we may have to learn it the hard way. We may have to face some divine correction, rebuke and discipline in order to learn what we need to learn concerning God’s righteous requirements for the lives of those who choose to follow him. Yet, even if we were taught what was right, and even if righteousness was modeled to us, but we, instead of following it, went our own way, and we did what we wanted, instead of what God wants for us, and if we have not repented of our sin, then we, too, may have to face some divine chastisement in order that we might humble ourselves before God in true repentance and faith (or renewed faith) in Jesus Christ. For, our God is holy and righteous, and he has called us to be holy and righteous, too.

Our God / Chris Tomlin / Jesse Reeves

Jonas Myrin / Matt Redman

Our God is greater; our God is stronger

God You are higher than any other

Our God is Healer, awesome in power

Our God, Our God

And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?

And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01Yj7H-eSjM

Buy and Eat

Thursday, October 5, 2017, 6:00 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Our God.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Isaiah 55 (Select vv. ESV).

Listen Diligently (vv. 1-3a)

“Come, everyone who thirsts,

    come to the waters;

and he who has no money,

    come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

    without money and without price.

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,

    and your labor for that which does not satisfy?

Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,

    and delight yourselves in rich food.

Incline your ear, and come to me;

    hear, that your soul may live.

I use to eat just about anything. I have never been a big eater, though, at least not by American standards. But, I ate burgers, fries, chocolate candy, and cookies, and I drank sodas, milk shakes and sweet tea, etc. Unless something made me sick, or unless I just didn’t care for the taste of it, I was ok with eating it. Yet, I did eat vegetables, and I ate fruit occasionally, and I mostly avoided fried foods and preferred grilled, but I was not a gung-ho health conscience person. It wasn’t the way I was raised. I ate food in moderation, and I did try somewhat to eat healthy, but I ate a lot of stuff that was bad for me, too, but I just didn’t realize how bad it was for me.

Occasionally I would have a problem with acid reflux, and then I would change my eating habits for a while, until I got better, and then I would go back to eating normally, well normal for me, that is. And, then one day I finally came to the realization that I had to drastically change my physical health lifestyle and my eating habits. I believe the Lord brought me to that realization through pain. Pain is a great motivator. It gets us to do things we probably would not do otherwise, like exercise as much as we should. So, now I eat mostly fruits and vegetables, some meat, fish, bread, and cereal. But, I don’t count every calorie, and I don’t read every label, yet I am eating what I know is good for me, and I am mostly avoiding what is bad for me. And, I am getting in lots of exercise, too. And, overall I feel much healthier.

Well, this passage of scripture is not talking about physical thirst and hunger, but it is talking about spiritual thirst and hunger, but there are many parallels between the two, which is why I just shared what I did. We are born into this world with sin natures, with an insatiable hunger for what can never satisfy the deep longings of our souls, and so we try to fill that hunger with all kinds of stuff from this world, thinking if we just have this or that, that we will be happier, or if we can just accomplish this or that, that we will be fulfilled. And, we go a lot by our emotions, and by what makes us feel good. But, the happiness and the fulfillment are fleeting, and often, what we choose to fill that hunger with only makes matters worse, and only digs the cavity that is already in our hearts even deeper, and so we come up empty.

So, God the Father sent his Son Jesus Christ (God the Son) 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. He died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. So, he invites us to believe in Jesus Christ, to die with him to sin, and to live with him to righteousness, but not in our own power and strength, but in the strength of the Lord who called us and who will give us all we need to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to him. So, when we fill our minds, hearts and lives with what is of God and with what is pleasing to him - what is pure, righteous and holy - and we forsake the bad stuff, i.e. what will only do damage to us spiritually, then we will be healthy spiritually, too.

Seek the Lord (vv. 6-9)

“Seek the Lord while he may be found;

    call upon him while he is near;

let the wicked forsake his way,

    and the unrighteous man his thoughts;

let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,

    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

    so are my ways higher than your ways

    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Are you familiar with the word “repent”? Well, it literally means to have a change of mind, but in the context of scripture, it is most always used in the context of changing our minds about sin and about God by forsaking our lifestyles of living for sin and self and choosing, instead, to now live for Jesus Christ and to walk in obedience to him in his holiness, and in the power of the Spirit of God now living within us. Jesus said we must repent, as did his apostles, if we want to have forgiveness of sins and eternal life with God.

Jesus said, in fact, that if we want to come after him, we must deny self, and take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and self) and follow (obey) him. He said that if we hold on to our old lives (of living for sin and self) that we will lose them for eternity, but if we lose our lives (die with Christ to sin and self), for his sake, that we will gain eternal life with him. And, the Apostle Paul reiterated this message when he said that if we walk (in lifestyle) according to the flesh (sin), we will die in our sins, but if we walk according to the Spirit, and if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, that we will live with Christ for eternity (Lu. 9:23-26; Ro. 8:1-17).

Know His Word (vv. 10-11)

 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven

    and do not return there but water the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,

    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

    it shall not return to me empty,

but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,

    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

God’s Word is found in the Bible (Genesis to Revelation), yet, as believers in Jesus Christ, we also have the Living Word abiding within us, and God’s Spirit teaching us all that Jesus ever taught his disciples, and instructing us in all things of God. So, this is where we learn what it means to have faith in Jesus Christ, and what God expects of his followers, and also how to live this newfound Christian life. We learn to know God and his character and his will for all of our lives when we read His Word and when we listen to His Spirit speaking God’s eternal truths to our hearts and minds, and then as we obey and we do what his Word teaches us.

As Christ’s followers, we are to spread the Word of God and his gospel of salvation to the people of this world, so that many more can come to faith in Jesus Christ, too. Plus, we are to instruct one another and encourage one another in the faith so that we are not led astray, and so we don’t fall into sin, but so we grow in maturity and holiness in our walks of faith in Christ. But, sometimes we may not see results for the seed that we sow into people’s lives, so this serves as an encouragement to us that God’s Word will not return empty, but it will accomplish what he purposed, and it will succeed in the thing for which he sent it. We just have to be patient. People’s hearts will be changed, we just have to give it time, and keep believing in the power of God to transform human minds and hearts.

Peace and Joy (vv. 12-13)

“For you shall go out in joy

    and be led forth in peace;

the mountains and the hills before you

    shall break forth into singing,

    and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;

    instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;

and it shall make a name for the Lord,

    an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”

This is a wonderful stanza to end on. Although there are many right now who have not yet trusted in Jesus Christ as Lord, and as Savior of their lives, many still will, and when they do, they will go forth in peace and joy because Jesus set them free, not just from the punishment of sin, but from slavery (addiction) to sin! Amen! In fact, it so glorious when sinners turn from their wicked ways, and when they turn to walk with Jesus, in surrender to his will for their lives, that creation rejoices with them. And, we should rejoice, too! For, it is an awesome thing to be delivered out of slavery to sin and to be brought into God’s wonderful kingdom, and to now walk with Him in freedom from sin, and in freedom to now live in his holiness and righteousness.

Our God / Chris Tomlin / Jesse Reeves

Jonas Myrin / Matt Redman

Our God is greater; our God is stronger

God You are higher than any other

Our God is Healer, awesome in power

Our God, Our God

And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us?

And if our God is with us, then what can stand against?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01Yj7H-eSjM

About Tomorrow

Wednesday, October 4, 2017, 7:44 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Oh, To Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Proverbs 27 (Select vv. NASB).

Do Not Boast

1 Do not boast about tomorrow,

For you do not know what a day may bring forth.

5 Better is open rebuke

Than love that is concealed.

6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend,

But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.

Not one of us knows if he or she has tomorrow. It is not guaranteed us. Anyone of us could die at any moment, at the spur of a moment, via an auto accident, a natural disaster, a mass shooting, or a plane crash, etc. In fact, the way things are going these days, it is pretty much guaranteed we are going to be seeing more and more uprisings, factions, and mass killings, etc.

The reason? We live in the last days. We are seeing the fulfillment of prophecy of scripture regarding these days on a daily basis. The “beast” is rising, and he (it) is taking over the world, one nation and one people group at a time. And, a good number of these uprisings and mass killings are either fully faked, or partially faked (staged), but fully orchestrated by this “beast” New World Order, and the blame put on someone else. The purpose is obvious for anyone who has been paying attention. It is to bring in the rule of this “beast” New World Order and one world religion. So, they have to first create the chaos in order to bring in this new order out of the chaos.

Satan is, of course, behind all of this, and he is our enemy, as well as are those who carry out his bidding. But, his servants often disguise themselves as servants of righteousness and they will act like they are our friends, and that they care about us, and that they are thinking about what is best for us, but don’t trust them. Deceitful are their “kisses,” for their goal is to steal, kill and to destroy, not to save. We cannot trust many people, even those who claim to be ministers of the gospel, or our politicians, or our news media, for many of them are liars and deceivers. So, just because it sounds good does not mean it is good. Better to have someone love you enough to tell you the truth, than to buy into the lies of an enemy who wants to steal your soul.

Do Not Wander

8 Like a bird that wanders from her nest,

So is a man who wanders from his home.

12 A prudent man sees evil and hides himself,

The naive proceed and pay the penalty.

17 Iron sharpens iron,

So one man sharpens another.

In light of the fact that tomorrow is not guaranteed anyone of us, especially, we should take note of how we are living our lives, to see if they are in line with the Word of God and with his holy and righteous character, or whether we are living for sin and self and self-pleasure. Are we walking in holiness, obeying the Word of God, or have we wandered off from our pure devotion to Christ, and are we living in sin (addiction) and in spiritual adultery? Is Jesus Christ truly our Lord (owner-master), or do we mouth loyalty to him while we go on about our own business living life how we want?

If we are to be wise, and to be living what we say we believe, then we need to be prudent (sensible and discerning) about what we think, say, look at, listen to, participate in, and take into our minds, eyes and hearts on a daily basis. And, I am not speaking here merely about obvious evil, sin, rebellion, wickedness, and immorality, but about the subtle lies of Satan that come at us via TV, movies, music, the internet, games, magazines, advertisements, and social media, especially the memes, etc. Too many people take at face value everything they see and hear on the news, for instance, without ever questioning whether it makes sense, or even if it is true. We need discerning minds which see the evil in deception, too, or we will be caught in their trap.

So, we must be people first of all committed to Jesus Christ and to walking in his ways, not holding back anything from the Lord, and not holding on to addictive and/or secret sins, though not secret from God. We must listen to our Lord when he speaks words of correction to our hearts and not go on our own stubborn way, thinking we know what is best. Also, we need to humble ourselves and be willing to receive loving and caring rebuke or correction from those who have close walks with the Lord, who are following his Word, and who see that we are in danger or that we are being deceived. We should not write them off as religious fanatics or as “conspiracy theorists,” just because maybe they see something we are not willing to see. Perhaps, we need to have our eyes opened to see that we have been following after lies.

The Heart Reflects

19 As in water face reflects face,

So the heart of man reflects man.

20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,

Nor are the eyes of man ever satisfied.

22 Though you pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain,

Yet his foolishness will not depart from him.

The Bible says that out of the heart the mouth speaks, and if it speaks out of the heart of mankind (of the flesh), it is likely to speak what is evil. Our words often reflect what is in our hearts, as well as our hearts reflect what is filled up in our minds. If what we are taking into our minds and hearts every day is what is sinful, immoral, wicked, and hateful, such as backbiting, gossip, mockery, and adultery, that will be what is in our hearts, and that is what is going to come out of our mouths. But, if what we are taking in and following with our lives is what is righteous and holy, this should be reflected in how we live, think, act and speak. Yet, it is not all black or all white, for we are continually growing, learning, and changing, hopefully for the good.

Yet, there will be those who will ever be learning, but who will never come to the knowledge of the truth, because they are stiff-necked, self-sufficient, prideful, stubborn and unwilling to yield to God’s control over their lives. So, they live their lives like someone driving a vehicle around and around in a cul-de-sac, but never going anywhere, but just repeating the same mistakes over and over again, and never maturing or changing. Or, if they do change, it is superficial, at best, which is why they keep returning to their vomit. And, there isn’t anything you can do or say that will change them, because they don’t want to hear it, and so they continue on a sinful course.

Not Forever

23 Know well the condition of your flocks,

And pay attention to your herds;

24 For riches are not forever,

Nor does a crown endure to all generations.

About tomorrow, not only are we not guaranteed life, but we are not guaranteed a particular quality of life. What we have today could all be gone tomorrow, in an instant, at the touch of a key pad on a computer, for instance, and all could be wiped out - all we have ever saved for. Yet, we are not promised wealth and success in this life, but we are promised grace, peace, joy, contentment, security, protection, comfort, encouragement, strength and power in our lives, with Christ, which are everlasting lives. Our houses, lands, bank accounts, stocks, bonds, 401Ks, Social Security, and pensions, etc. could all be gone tomorrow, and then what?

Our trust cannot be in the things of this world, which are passing away, but our trust must be solely in God, in His Word, and in our salvation from bondage to sin that we might forever live with Christ to his 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

Tested by Fire

Tuesday, October 3, 2017, 8:30 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Lord, I Need You.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 1 Peter 1 (Select vv. NASB).

His Great Mercy (vv. 3-5)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

When we are all born into this world, we are born with sin natures, separate from God, having come up short of attaining his divine approval (Ro. 3:23; Ro. 5:12-19; 1 Co. 15:21-22, 42-49). So, God the Father sent God the Son, Jesus Christ, into the world, to take on human flesh, and to die on a cross for our sins. Thus, He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness (2 Co. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:24). And, when the Father resurrected his Son from the dead, Jesus rose victorious over sin, hell and death in order that we might live with him and to his holiness and goodness.

So, when we believe in Jesus Christ with God-given faith, we die with Christ to sin, and we are resurrected with Christ to new life (born again) in Him, in which we were created to be like God (Christ-like) in true righteousness and holiness. Righteousness is what is deemed right in God’s eyes. It is what is pure, holy, godly, upright, moral, honest and honorable. It is the opposite of sin, which includes such things as hatred, idolatry, spiritual or physical adultery, lying, cheating, stealing, murder, lust, and immorality, etc. And, holiness is being separate (unlike, different) from the world of sin, because we are being transformed in Christ’s likeness, of the Spirit of God.

But, our salvation has only begun when we believe in Jesus Christ, for it is a lifetime process of being saved (sanctified) and then, when Jesus Christ returns for his bride, our salvation will be complete. While we live in these flesh bodies, we will still be tempted to sin, but Jesus made the way of escape for us out from underneath the temptation so that we don’t have to give in to sin. For, we are no longer under its control once we give our lives to Jesus, because Jesus set us free. Amen! And, one day Jesus will return, and he will take us to be with him forever, and then we will no longer be tempted to sin or be sick or have pain or sorrow, for he will wipe away all the tears from our eyes.

Various Trials (vv. 6-9)

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

We all go through trials, at times. Some of them are small and some are very big. Some are extended, while others are short lived. I have been going through a series of them, of late. They are not huge, but are trying just the same. It began with a recent development of a skin allergic reaction to cold. Then, when we had our new patient visits with our new doctor after moving here over a month ago, and I told him about it, he just wanted me to take an antihistamine for it, even though I told him I have been pharmaceutical drug dependent free for about 10 years now. So, he mocked me. But, I stood my ground against his insistence that drugs were my “savior.”

And, then he said I looked anemic, so he took blood, and the blood test showed I had low vitamin B-12, but I don’t take vitamins, either, because of bad reactions to them. But then I thought maybe if I could find something all natural that it would work. And I did, so I thought, but when I sprayed the first spray in my mouth my tongue swelled and my throat began to close up, which is a serious reaction (side effect), plus I got a headache and nerve pains, which is often my body’s reaction to drugs. The Lord, after I had taken this, warned me, I believe, of the dangers of this, so I stopped.

During all of this I was also constipated, and no foods or drinks I was taking in to help with that were working, so I was miserable. On top of this I had some kind of skin rash or something on my thigh, so I started putting Vaseline on that, and it is much improved. But, then we went away for the weekend, and we stayed in a hotel, and there were bad issues with the first 2 rooms they gave us, but the third one finally worked for us. Then, I got 3 bug bites in a cluster on my chest, over my heart, which were reminiscent of when we got bed bugs nearly a year ago to date (we had those for about a month then). Now, 3 days later, the recent bites (source unknown) are still there, but they are disappearing. And, then yesterday, when I was getting out of my car to get the mail, my foot caught in my purse and I took a fall down on the pavement. But, by the grace of God I was not seriously injured.

By the grace of God, as well, I have been able to bear up under these trials and not let them undo me. I have been daily committing myself and these situations to the Lord, praying for help and healing, and for much needed wisdom, and the Lord has been seeing me through them all, and other trials, too. He has been giving me grace to make it, to keep trusting him, and to keep smiling and singing despite the pain and misery associated with any of them. I believe God is absolutely sovereign over my life, and that he has allowed these trials to come into my life as a way both to test me, and also to mature and to strengthen me in my faith and in my resolve to make him my only Lord and Savior. When we go through such trials, they teach us to rely on God and not on ourselves. We learn that our dependency must be in Christ alone, and not in humans or in drugs, or in anything else but God.

Prepare Your Minds (vv. 13-16)

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

So, because of all that Jesus Christ has done for us, in dying for our sins, in freeing us from slavery (addiction) to sin, and in giving us new lives in him, and because he is our helper, strength, counselor and guide, we should commit our all to him. We must lay aside all which hinders our walks of faith and that which leads us into sin, so that we can run the spiritual race he has marked out for each of us to run. And, then we must put on our spiritual armor daily with which to fight off Satan’s evil attacks and schemes against us (Eph. 6:10-20).

What this means for us, in all practicality, is that we have to stop entertaining ourselves with the sins and trappings of this world, and we have to bathe our minds and hearts with the things of God – His Word, His Spirit, His Truth, and with His righteousness, goodness and holiness. And, then we have to obey what His Word teaches us, not merely being hearers of the Word only, but doers (See: Jas. 1). And, we should not live for the pleasures of this sinful world, but for the glory and praise of God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Again, we are to be separate (unlike, different) from the world (holy) because we are being made to be like Jesus.

We need to take this to heart and not take God’s grace to us for granted, for if we continue in sin (in practice, in lifestyle) we don’t have that hope of heaven, but a fearful expectation of judgment. So, don’t be led astray.

Lord, I Need You

Songwriters: Christy Nockels / Daniel Carson /

Jesse Reeves / Kristian Stanfill / Matt Maher

Lord, I come, I confess

Bowing here I find my rest

Without You I fall apart

You're the One that guides my heart

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You

Every hour I need You

My one defense, my righteousness…

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

Light to the Eyes

Monday, October 2, 2017, 9:22 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Lord, I Need You.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Proverbs 29 (Select vv. NASB).

Stiff-Necked and Ensnared

1 A man who hardens his neck after much reproof

Will suddenly be broken beyond remedy.

3 A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad,

But he who keeps company with harlots wastes his wealth.

5 A man who flatters his neighbor

Is spreading a net for his steps.

6 By transgression an evil man is ensnared,

But the righteous sings and rejoices.

Both men and women are born into sin, with sin natures and a natural bent toward doing what is wrong (what is evil in God’s sight). Some of these men and women own up to their own sin, call on God for mercy, and accept our Lord’s plan of salvation for their lives. They rejoice in their salvation. Others don’t. Some of them, in fact, hear the gospel preached, and they know the way of salvation, but they are stiff-necked (obstinate, proud, and stubborn) and they refuse to humble themselves before God in repentance and in submission. So, they continue to go on in their sin despite the rebukes and the warnings against unbelief and/or disobedience and where it will lead them. And, some of these people even make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, and believe heaven is their home. And, that is a sad reality, indeed!

Scorners and Haters

8 Scorners set a city aflame,

But wise men turn away anger.

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

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

10 Men of bloodshed hate the blameless,

But the upright are concerned for his life.

11 A fool always loses his temper,

But a wise man holds it back.

When we believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, and we are transformed in heart and mind, of the Spirit of God, away from sin and to walks of obedience to our Lord, we will face rejection from others who won’t understand us or who will be offended by us. There will be those who will scorn (deride, mock) us for our commitments to Christ, who will think we are a bunch of “holy rollers.” And, many of these may take their hatred and disdain of Christians to the level of physical violence and persecution, even to the death of the saints of God who are holding on to the Word of Truth and to their faith in Jesus Christ as the only way to God and to heaven.

Yet, we must not let these scorners and haters get the best of us. We must keep pressing on, trusting the Lord, doing what he commands, and following him wherever he leads us, even in the face of much persecution and rejection. And, we must love our enemies and those who do evil against us, and be concerned for their lives and for their eternal destiny. And, thus we ought to pray for their salvation, and do good to them, and not return evil with evil. Even though they laugh or rage at us when we speak the truth in love to them, we must not lose our cool, but we must be those who are self-controlled and at peace, because of God’s Spirit living within us.

Reproof and Wisdom

13 The poor man and the oppressor have this in common:

The Lord gives light to the eyes of both.

15 The rod and reproof give wisdom,

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

16 When the wicked increase, transgression increases;

But the righteous will see their fall.

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

He will also delight your soul.

God is not a respecter of persons (See: Acts 10:34-35; Ro. 2:9-11; 2 Pet. 3:9; 1 Tim. 2:3-4). He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. It doesn’t matter if we are rich or poor or influential or unimportant in the eyes of humans, or if we treat others kindly or if we are big bullies and tyrants. Jesus didn’t die on a cross for our sins because of our righteousness, but because of his. He died on a cross for sinners, and the gospel of our salvation is available for all to listen and to obey. Not one of us can ever be good enough to earn or to deserve our own salvation. We must all come humbly before the throne of grace, repenting of our sin, and turn to faith in Jesus Christ to walk in his righteousness.

Pride and Anger

20 Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?

There is more hope for a fool than for him.

22 An angry man stirs up strife,

And a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.

23 A man’s pride will bring him low,

But a humble spirit will obtain honor.

25 The fear of man brings a snare,

But he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.

We all need to be so careful to not be quick to speak, but to weigh our words carefully. We must not be quick-tempered, either, and we should not allow others to egg us on to anger and to emotional outbursts. But, we must pray, trust the Lord, be patient, and ask the Lord to give us the right words to say or to give us the wisdom to know when to remain silent. And, this will involve humbling ourselves, not letting pride get the best of us. As well, we must know that the devil is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, and one of his tactics is to try to get us to lose our cool, so we have to be Holy Spirit controlled, which is also self-controlled, and then let the Spirit lead us.

It is a must that we also not give in to the fear of humans and what they might do to us, or what they might think about us or say about us to others. We have absolutely no control over what others do or say or think anyway, and fretting over it never solves anything. If we allow fear to take hold in our lives, it will only cause us trouble, for we have taken our eyes off Jesus and we are allowing the waves crashing around us to make us afraid. And, when we are afraid we may say and do things we ought not to do or say. So, we should pray, trust the Lord, believe in his sovereignty, and commit our way to the Lord, and let him work it all out for our good and for his glory.

Lord, I Need You

Songwriters: Christy Nockels / Daniel Carson /

Jesse Reeves / Kristian Stanfill / Matt Maher

Lord, I come, I confess

Bowing here I find my rest

Without You I fall apart

You're the One that guides my heart

Lord, I need You, oh, I need You

Every hour I need You

My one defense, my righteousness…

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