Stay Awake!

Saturday, November 4, 2017, 11:00 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Just Are You.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Revelation 16:13-15 (NASB).

And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. (“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.”)

Deceptive Spirits

Satan, the dragon, has given his power, authority and throne to the beast (#1 in Rev. 13). The beast is a world power, which parallels the 4^th kingdom in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, as recorded in the book of Daniel (See: Daniel 2:31-45). It has been given the beast to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation (Rev. 13:7). This is the New World Order of our day and time, which is of the Elite, wealthy and powerful of the world, and they are and have been conquering (killing, deceiving, and persecuting) the Lord’s saints, and they have been and are still in the process of overthrowing sovereign governments, via coup d’états, including within the USA, and via mass killings, deception, mainstream (the real fake) news, and via false flag operations, etc. And, the US government serves this shadow government of the Elite, which is de facto government of these United States of America.

There is a second beast (#2 of Rev. 13) which parallels this false prophet, which appears to represent a one world religion, which the current Catholic pope and our former president Obama had been pushing big time, for a long time, but not just them, for there are many preachers and politicians who are on board with unifying all religions together. This has been building for a long time, in other words, including within the confines of the institutional church. Satan has introduced subtle lie after lie into the church, probably over many decades, and the church has slowly adopted these lies as truth. And, now they are moving in for the big “kill” which is to demonize those who still hold to the teachings of Jesus and his NT apostles, with regard to the gospel of our salvation, and to convince the people that the world and all religions need to join hands across the world singing “Kumbaya.” And, all in the name of “peace,” but it is a false peace, so don’t be fooled by it!

The War Being Waged

There is a war being waged against us, the people of this world, including against believers of Jesus Christ. And, it is being fought on at least two levels. One is in the conquering of kingdoms, via actual physical wars, with physical weapons of destruction, through the use of bombs and guns, etc. and via the use of propaganda, deception and manipulations of truth. The other is a spiritual battle which is being waged specifically against the church, the body of Christ, and the weapons being used against us are primarily deception and manipulation, at least here in America, but they are also physical weapons such as bombs and guns, i.e. literal warfare.

In America, which is where I live, we have this false notion, if our eyes have not yet been opened to the truth, that we, the USA, are the “good guys” who are going around the world helping the downtrodden and rescuing them from oppressive governments and terrorism. But, nothing could be further from the truth. The US government is/are the world’s biggest terrorist movement. It is unbelievable how many people outside the US, and some within the US realize this, and yet so many people are stupefied by what they see on TV, and don’t even question if what they are seeing and hearing is actually the truth. They assume it is. I did! Until God opened my eyes.

Basically, the Taliban, Al Qaeda, ISIS and the like are all products of the US government which works for the Elite (shadow government), which is the foundation of this New World Order. The United States of America, from its early inception, was to pave the way for this rule of this beast, New World Order. Just look at our national symbols on our dollar bill, and it becomes real obvious. Not only is our government in the US not our real government, but they don’t work like they project that they do, either. For example, there is no right or left. Republican and Democrat are just two sides of the same whole. So, all the fighting and bickering you see between the two sides is all staged, and acted out by clever and talented actors. Our whole political process here is just one big “dog and pony” show. And, it is for the purpose to deceive and to distract the people while we are being taken over.

Within the church here in America there has been a really huge deception, which is war against the saints. For one, much of the body of Christ was convinced that they must partner with the US government via the 501c3 not-for-profit tax exempt status, which then places the government over these corporations, called churches, and the churches themselves are now accountable to the government for what they do. But, the Bible forbids turning God’s house of prayer into a marketplace, and it forbids partnering with the ungodly. As a result, many of these churches have become businesses and are marketing their churches just like any other business, with similar gimmicks, deceptions, lies and manipulations, and with turning the church gatherings into stage productions meant to entertain.

Going along with this is that, in order to draw large crowds of people into their gatherings, these churches have, by necessity, had to dilute the gospel of Jesus Christ to make it more appealing to human flesh. So, teachings on repentance and obedience have gone out the window. Yes, we are under grace, but God’s grace teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we await Christ’s return. Freedom in Christ is not freedom to continue in willful addictive sin against God! The New Testament teaches us that we must walk according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh, or we will die in our sins. When we come to faith in Jesus Christ, we crucify sin with its passions and desires so that sin is no longer our master, for Jesus set us free!

Another Great Deception

We are soon coming into the Christmas season, and there will be many Christians celebrating this holiday, many of them also celebrating Santa Claus, who is a false god. Santa Claus is a creation (a lie) of humans, and he is given the same attributes of Almighty God – omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent, i.e. all knowing, ever-present and all powerful. For, he sees you when you are sleeping, he knows when you are awake, and he knows if you have been good or bad. Also, he is able to deliver presents to every home across the world in a single night, and although he is very large, he is able to climb down chimneys in order to enter into people’s homes, like a thief in the night, only to leave gifts. Prior to this, as well, children are brought to numerous humans, perhaps across the world, who are dressed up like Santa, and in order for them to sit on his lap so that he can lie to them and tell them he is going to bring them what they want for Christmas.

On the same day Santa is celebrated as the great god who flies through the night on his sleigh to bring the children of the world presents, Jesus Christ’s birth is purportedly celebrated. Only his birthday is not celebrated like ours. At our birthdays, all the attention goes to us, we don’t pull out baby pictures of ourselves and focus on those, and the gifts go to us. But, on Jesus’ birthday (not his real birthday), we picture him as a helpless baby in a manger who does what? So, Santa upstages Jesus big time in many people’s minds, but especially in the minds of vulnerable children. And, God definitely forbids not only the worship of other gods, which is what this is, but the blending of Christianity with paganism, which is also what this is, so this whole thing is a BIG FAT LIE! I recommend reading this article. See: (1).

He is Coming!

Jesus Christ is coming again to judge the world and to take us, his bride, to be with him forever. And, we don’t know when he is coming back. So, what kind of people ought we to be while we wait for his return? We ought to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to him. He is to be our ONLY Lord (owner-master), our ONLY God whom we worship and to whom we give our honor and praise. We should have no other god besides the One True God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And, the only gospel we should adhere to is the one taught by Jesus and his NT apostles, but not what is just contained in a few select verses, but the whole counsel of God.

Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. Faith in Jesus Christ means we are turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God so that we can receive forgiveness of sins. It means we die with Christ to sin and we are resurrected with Christ to newness of life, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. And, it means that we now walk, in lifestyle, according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh. We need to take these words from scripture to heart. Time is short!

Just Are You / An Original Work / August 26, 2013

Based off Revelation 15-16

Great and marvelous are Your deeds, O God.

Just and true Your ways, King of all the earth.

Who will not fear You; glorify Your name?

You are righteousness. Praise Your Name!

Just are You, O Lord, our Eternal ONE,

For You judge the earth in Your righteousness.

They have shed the blood of Your righteous ones.

You give their reward. They’re to blame!

Kings of all the earth gather, one accord;

Make haste to engage in a mighty war.

They oppose the Lord and His holy saints.

They serve wickedness, to their shame!

Jesus comes again, to some unforeseen.

Blessed are those who wait for Him at the gate.

They’ll not be ashamed. “Glad” be their refrain.

When He comes again, He’ll remain!

https://vimeo.com/115579013

Resource (not an endorsement of the site, as a whole, nor of all the material contained within):

(1)               http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org/tracts/tract4.html

Free The Captives

Saturday, November 4, 2017, 4:00 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “The Lord’s Anointed.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 2 Corinthians 3 (NASB).

On Human Hearts (vv. 1-3)

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you? You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Whenever any of us serves as ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we are bound to be met with some amount of opposition and criticism. Some of it may be deserved, and some not. We may have opponents who will even go so far as to try to discredit us, and thus we may have reputations which precede us which may or may not have any element of truth to them. Or, what is shared about us may be twisted truth presented through the lens of those who don’t like the message. And, so, we may have a “black mark” (an unfavorable impression) against us even before we get started.

So, what should our response be to such criticism or opposition? We certainly can refute our opponents, dispute any lies, and proclaim what is true. Paul did this on numerous occasions, as did Jesus. And/or we can just trust our lives and our reputations into God’s hands, trusting him to work out all things for good for us who love him, and who have been called according to his purpose. We can also show love and do good to those who persecute us, and who wrongfully oppose us, in addition to forgiving them. And, we can keep pressing on in doing what God has called us to do, despite all opposition, knowing that the true test of God’s working through our lives is witnessed through lives which have been impacted for Christ because we were faithful to the task in sharing with them the truths of God’s word.

Yet, we must always be willing to have what we teach tested against the Word of God, for not one of us has arrived, nor do we know everything. I learn much from others when I am challenged in my faith, and/or when others share with me their understanding of a particular passage of scripture. I am continually learning and growing in my understanding of what God’s word teaches, and I am frequently encouraged when I listen to or read how others are growing in their faith, and when they share with me what God is teaching them. So, we should not ever fear being tested.

Of the Spirit (vv. 4-11)

Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory. For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it. For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.

Amen! Our confidence, though, should not be in ourselves or in our own accomplishments, but in Christ Jesus, our Lord, and in what he is able to do and has done through us – all for the glory of God. Our Lord is the one who has called us to his service, so he is the one to equip and train us for the ministry, as well as to empower and strengthen us in whatever he has us doing. Filled and empowered with the Holy Spirit, we are able to do far above and beyond anything we could ever accomplish in our own flesh, for only the Spirit of God can move human hearts to turn away from sin and to God, to follow Christ and his ways.

Now, have you ever read the books of the Old Testament and thanked God that you were born in the time of the New Covenant, and not during the time of the Old Covenant? I have. Why? Because, under the Old Covenant they had so many rules, regulations, rituals and ceremonies they had to follow, and to the letter of the law, too. Judgment was often immediate, too, with no grace – no second chances. So much was just black and white, and often seemed to be so harsh and cruel, at times. Today we call this legalism when a group of Christians add to God’s grace what God did not intend, and they put harsh and strict man-made regulations as burdens on the people.

But, that is not the way of the Spirit. The Spirit gives freedom, not bondage, but not freedom to continue in sin, for the one who keeps on sinning is still in bondage (slavery) and is not truly free. This is important that we get this, because many people today are falsely calling some aspects of the gospel of Jesus Christ “legalism,” because they want to keep on sinning. Yet, Jesus did not free us from his moral laws, but he did define them as the law of love. If we truly love one another, we won’t do what is harmful to each other. So, we won’t lie, cheat, steal, commit adultery, fornication, gossip, and the like. The same is true of our relationship with God. If we truly love God, we will do what he says. If we don’t, we don’t know or love him, scripture says.

There is Liberty (vv. 12-18)

Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

There are people today, even within the gatherings of the church, who feel that they can earn their own salvation through good works of their flesh or that they, in addition to God’s grace, must follow a set of man-made rules and rituals in order to be accepted by God. Sometimes this is because they want to still have control over their own lives, and thus this puts them in the driver’s seat, thinking they will be approved by God because of their sacrifices or rituals or good deeds, despite continued moral failures and an unwillingness to yield control of their lives over to the Lord. God/Jesus Christ said about this kind of attitude and behavior: “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:8-9 ESV).

So, to combat this type of belief, there are also those within the gatherings of the church who have gone to the opposite extreme, but truly both ends of the spectrum are still man-made religion and lack true love and submission to the Lord Jesus Christ. Instead of adding to God’s grace, as the legalists do, they take away from God’s grace what they don’t like, and say they are removing “legalism” when, in fact, what they are removing is the essence of the gospel of our salvation, the reason for which Jesus gave his life up for us, and what God’s grace is really all about. So, their eyes are just as blinded (veiled) to the truth as those they accuse of being the legalists, because neither end submits to Jesus Christ as their Lord, and neither walks in the freedom of God’s grace, for they are still following after the flesh, believing that God approves of them as they are or solely for what they do.

The truth, nonetheless, lies somewhere in between these two extremes and opposing ends. The truth is that Jesus Christ died on that cross, not just to free us from the punishment of sin and to promise us heaven when we die. He died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. His grace is not liberty to continue in the practice of sin, nor is it liberty to add on human regulations to God’s grace. His grace, though, does instruct us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we await Christ’s return. And, the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us who walk (conduct our lives), not after the flesh, but according to the Spirit, for if we walk according to the flesh (sinful practices or flesh works), we will die in our sins, not live with Christ for eternity. For, the gospel message frees the captives. It doesn’t pacify them in their prisons.

The Lord’s Anointed / An Original Work / December 16, 2011

Based off Isaiah 61

The Spirit of the Sov’reign Lord on me;

Anointed to preach the Good News;

Sent me to bind up the brokenhearted;

Proclaim freedom for the captives.

He sent me to preach release for pris’ners

Who are walking in sin’s darkness;

Proclaim God’s grace to all men who’ll listen;

And tell them about God’s judgments;

Comfort all who mourn;

Give crowns of beauty;

Oil of gladness and thanksgiving.

They will be called oaks of God’s righteousness,

A planting of our Savior, God,

For the display of our Lord’s splendor, and

They will rebuild God’s holy church.

God will renew them, and will restore them,

And you’ll be called priests of the Lord.

You will be ministers of our God, and

You will rejoice in salvation.

The Lord loves justice;

He is faithful to

Reward those who are seeking Him.

I delight greatly in the Lord;

My soul rejoices in my Savior, God.

He has clothed me with His salvation,

And in a robe of His righteousness.

He has given me priestly garments to wear,

As the bride of Jesus Christ.

As the garden of our Lord and Savior,

He causes us to grow in Him.

He makes righteousness,

Praise, and thanksgiving

Spring up before all the nations.

https://vimeo.com/114836524

Priests of Our God

Friday, November 3, 2017, 12:30 p.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “The Lord’s Anointed.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read various scriptures on the subject of us being God’s kingdom priests.

Our Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16; cf. Heb. 10:11-25)

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, the second person of our triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – left his throne in heaven, came to earth, took on human flesh, suffered as we suffer, and was tempted in like manner as we are also tempted, yet without sin. He healed the sick and afflicted, raised the dead, delivered people from demons, comforted the sorrowful and oppressed, fed the hungry, and performed many, many miracles, which gave evidence as to who he was and is. He also confronted sin in sinful humans, preached repentance for the forgiveness of sins, and taught obedience to his word as a sign that we are those who truly know, love and worship him.

Yet, even though he never sinned, and all that he did was good, and was for the good of humankind, i.e. in their best interest, still many hated and rejected him, primarily those of his own faith (belief), nationality, race and homeland, and even some from his own family. His principal (primary, chief) opponents were actually the religious rulers or leaders within the temple of God, i.e. those who wielded enormous influence and/or rule over the people, some of them being on the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. In fact, they hated Jesus so much that they plotted and carried out his death on a cross. But, this was God’s plan for our salvation, that Jesus Christ would become our sacrificial Lamb on the altar as a sacrifice (offering) for our sins.

In Old Testament times, and up to the time in which Jesus was crucified on a cross for our sins, the people of God had human priests who yearly made sacrifices for the sins of the people, including for their own sins. In Jesus’ death, he not only became that sacrificial Lamb to take away the sins of the world, but he also was the high priest who offered up the sacrifice for our sins, which was his blood, shed on the cross so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. When he died, the veil that hung between us and God’s holy presence was torn in two, symbolizing that Jesus Christ had now made the way for us, his followers, to come directly into God’s presence. Now we are called his kingdom priests, a holy nation belonging to God.

His Kingdom Priests (1 Peter 2:4-5, 9; cf. Rev. 1:6; Rev. 5:10; Ex. 19:6)

And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ… But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

On the third day after Jesus Christ died on a cross, he was resurrected from the dead, by the Father. About forty days after his resurrection, he left the earth, and went back to heaven to be with the Father. Then, he sent his Holy Spirit to indwell the lives of his followers. Jesus had told his disciples that they would continue on his ministry after he left the earth. As followers of Christ, and as those who have the Holy Spirit within us, we are anointed of God to do the kinds of things Jesus did while he was on the earth. We, as his followers, are to be Jesus to the world around us in doing what he did.

As a result of what Jesus Christ did for us in dying on the cross for our sins, and being resurrected back to life in conquering death, hell, Satan and sin, we can now come to Jesus Christ in faith and receive his eternal salvation. In delivering us from slavery to sin, he gives us new lives in him, born again of the Spirit of God, and he restores us back to a right relationship with God the Father. In Christ, by faith in him, God can now use us in the lives of others to help them, as well, to be saved from sin, born again of the Spirit of God, renewed, restored to God, and to have their broken lives rebuilt.

Thus, we serve as priests of the Lord in ministering to the lives of others in the same manner in which Jesus Christ did and now does through us. This means that, first off, we need to be living holy lives, pleasing to God. We must no longer be conformed to the ways of this sinful world. We cannot any longer live as though we are still enslaved (addicted) to sin, but we must walk (conduct our lives) according to the Spirit, and not according to our sinful flesh. Sinful practices should no longer be part of our lives.

Then we can proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light because we are now walking in the light and no longer in the darkness. And, all the glory, praise and honor belong to Christ Jesus – great things He has done!

The Lord’s Anointed / An Original Work / December 16, 2011

Based off Isaiah 61

The Spirit of the Sov’reign Lord on me;

Anointed to preach the Good News;

Sent me to bind up the brokenhearted;

Proclaim freedom for the captives.

He sent me to preach release for pris’ners

Who are walking in sin’s darkness;

Proclaim God’s grace to all men who’ll listen;

And tell them about God’s judgments;

Comfort all who mourn;

Give crowns of beauty;

Oil of gladness and thanksgiving.

They will be called oaks of God’s righteousness,

A planting of our Savior, God,

For the display of our Lord’s splendor, and

They will rebuild God’s holy church.

God will renew them, and will restore them,

And you’ll be called priests of the Lord.

You will be ministers of our God, and

You will rejoice in salvation.

The Lord loves justice;

He is faithful to

Reward those who are seeking Him.

I delight greatly in the Lord;

My soul rejoices in my Savior, God.

He has clothed me with His salvation,

And in a robe of His righteousness.

He has given me priestly garments to wear,

As the bride of Jesus Christ.

As the garden of our Lord and Savior,

He causes us to grow in Him.

He makes righteousness,

Praise, and thanksgiving

Spring up before all the nations.

https://vimeo.com/114836524

When to Obey

Friday, November 3, 2017, 4:58 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Trust and Obey.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Romans 13 (NASB).

Established by God (vv. 1-7)

Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.

For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor.

Good rulers or bad rulers, we still are in subjection to their authority. Honest and trustworthy, or scoundrels and despicable, we still have to obey them. God puts in authority over us bad kings and good kings, those who honor him as Almighty God, and those who despise and reject him as King of their lives. So, we don’t have to be in agreement with those in authority over us in order to obey them. They also don’t have to be fair or just for us to submit to their rule.

Now, are there exceptions to this? Yes, there are. Look at the examples of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the book of Daniel. They obeyed the authorities until the rulers told them they must disobey and reject God. And, this is where God draws the line in the sand, which means to go to a certain point, but no further. If a ruler requires we go against God and his Word, we don’t do it! Also, the disciples of the New Testament provided a wonderful example of this when they told the authorities, who were demanding they no longer speak in the name of Jesus, that they must obey God rather than man. God always trumps man in authority.

Although we are not to resist authority, in the sense of rejecting or not submitting to that authority, this is not to say that we cannot challenge that authority in a respectable manner and/or in a legal course if we believe the authority is unjust and/or that we are innocent of all charges brought against us. Paul gave us an example of this, as did Jesus. Paul, when he felt the authority was overstepping their bounds, and his life was at risk, appealed to Caesar, who was the emperor (king). Upon his initial arrest, and up to this point, and beyond, he gave several statements of defense in his own behalf where he challenged the legitimacy of his false arrest and the false charges brought against him.

Jesus, too, although he submitted to the authorities, with biblical exceptions, frequently challenged corrupt authority, specifically those who were also in positions of religious authority over the people.

So, we are to give to authority what is due them unless they require or they encourage that we disobey our Lord and his Word. Not only do we not submit, in those cases, but we are also permitted to challenge them. But, we should do so respectfully. And, not only that, but if a ruler claims faith in Jesus Christ, and is leading the people, through deception, to reject the teachings of scripture, because this ruler is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, we are allowed to expose the lies and deceptions in order to rescue the people from being deceived so they don’t fall away from their pure devotion to Christ.

Jesus and the apostles did this. They exposed the fruitless deeds of darkness and they warned the people against false teachers/leaders, and they, in contrast, told them the truth, so that their eyes would be opened, and so they would obey God instead of humans, who were leading them astray.

Love One Another (vv. 8-10)

Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

If we are to love one another, we need to know what this love is. The Greek word for love here is agapē, which means “to prefer, to love; for the believer, preferring to ‘live through Christ’ (1 Jn 4:9,10), i.e. embracing God's will (choosing His choices) and obeying them through His power… refers to what God prefers as He ‘is love’ (1 Jn 4:8,16)” (1).

So, if we are to agapē one another, this love will embrace God’s will, and will be in submission to God and his Word, and it will obey them, not go against them. So, don’t call it “love” when you cheat, lie, commit adultery, view pornography, or have romantic or sexual affairs with others to whom you are not married. Don’t tell people lies and then call it “being polite,” either. Don’t willfully gossip about people behind their backs, in order to try to make them look bad, and then act like you like them to their faces. Lies are never kind, no matter how you dress them up.

Love does no harm to a neighbor, a friend, an acquaintance, a family member, a spouse or a member of Christ’s body, his church. So, love does not sin against others, which is sinning against God. And, sinning means to go against God’s will, his directives, and his choices for our lives, i.e. what God prefers, i.e. what he deems as right (pure, moral, just, honest, decent).

Put on Christ (vv. 11-14)

Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

These words are addressed to those who profess Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior of their lives. We can be Christians and still be failing in some areas of our lives. We can be alert in some or many aspects, and still be asleep (not alert) in others, especially with regard to deceiving spirits and self-deception. So, we need to have our minds, hearts and spirits awakened to the truth so that we follow the truth and not after lies. And, all lies of the enemy are not all that obvious, but many are very subtle and carefully and skillfully blended in with truth to make them look like truth, which is why many people, even Christians, are being deceived.

One of the greatest deceptions within the church right now is to convince people that they can be saved from their sins and have the hope of eternal life with God in heaven by merely repeating words after someone in a prayer, or by merely acknowledging Christ’s existence and accepting his forgiveness of their sins. But, forgiveness is not automatic, otherwise everyone would be saved. It comes following being turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God (See: Ac. 26:16-18). It comes following turning from our sins (repentance) to follow our Lord in obedience.

Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. When we come to him in faith, we are crucified with him in death to sin, and we are resurrected with him to newness of life, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. The righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us who walk, not after the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For, if we walk (in lifestyle) according to the flesh (sin), we will die in our sins, not have the hope of eternal life with God in heaven. This is not to say that a Christian will never sin, but that sin should no longer be our master so that we obey its lustful desires. Rather, Christ Jesus should be the one we obey (See: 1 Pet. 2:24; Eph. 4:17-24; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Lu. 9:23-25).

Trust and Obey  

John H. Sammis / Daniel B. Towner

When we walk with the Lord

in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will,

He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise,

not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear,

not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear,

not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss,

not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove

the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows,

for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet

We will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do,

Where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Resources:

(1)       http://biblehub.com/greek/25.htm

Present Active

Thursday, November 2, 2017, 8:00 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “To My Beloved.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 1 Peter 2 (Quoting select vv. NASB).

Putting Aside (vv. 1-2)

Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24). We “who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal. 5:24). Thus, we should no longer be walking in sin. Instead, we should, by the Spirit, daily be putting to death every type of sin which might still be trying to get a grip on us (Rom. 8:1-14); daily dying to sin and self (Lu. 9:23-25). And, we should be living according to the Holy Spirit.

This means that we don’t live like we did before we believed in Jesus Christ. We don’t make sin our practice. We don’t make compromises with the world to be accepted by the people of the world or so we will not be rejected, or for our own entertainment. We don’t accept any amount of “dirt” into our lives so we appear “normal,” either. It is ok to be different. We, as followers of Christ, are called to be different from (unlike) the world, because we are being made to be like Jesus. This is what it means to be holy. We are not called to “fit in” with those who make compromises with the world.

So, what should we do? As those who believe in Jesus Christ, we are to make him our only Lord (owner-master), and we are to be his bond-servants. We should now hunger and thirst after righteousness, not after the pleasures this world has to offer us. Entertainment should not be what we go after, but we should thirst for God and for his Word. We ought to pray for the Spirit to speak to our hearts God’s messages to us, and then we must walk in the truth we have been shown. This way, we will mature in our walks of faith, and grow in our understanding of God’s will for our lives.

A Living Stone (vv. 3-8)

And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in Scripture:

“Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone,

And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”

This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,

“The stone which the builders rejected,

This became the very corner stone,”

and,

“A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”;

for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.

“And coming to him…” Notice that we don’t “come” to Christ, then it is a done deal, so we go on about our lives living however we want, and one day, when we die, we get to go to heaven. Our salvation is not a one-time deal. It is progressive. We were saved (past), we are being saved (present) and we will be saved (future) when Jesus Christ returns and our salvation is complete. Faith in Jesus means we are continually coming to Christ, not in new birth every time, but in our spiritual walks of faith. Faith, as well, is not a one-time deal. If you read Jn. 3:16 in the Greek, you will see that “believes” is actually “believing,” just like “coming,” which means it is present tense and it is active, not passive. And, believing means we are walking in the Spirit, and we are no longer living to please our flesh.

We, as part of God’s family, his household, the body of Christ, the temple of the Spirit, if we truly are in Christ Jesus, are being built into a spiritual house (building), which is to be holy, set apart for God and for his service. We are to offer up to God spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. This reminds me of Romans 12:1-2, where we are being urged, by the mercies of God, to give our lives to God as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to him, no longer conformed to the ways of this sinful world, but transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God away from sin and to God and to his righteousness (purity, morality, uprightness, honesty, decency).

But, not everyone has faith. And, not everyone who says they have faith really has faith. James said that even the demons believe, and they shudder. But, they don’t have eternal life, because they do not accompany their faith with obedience, so it is not saving faith. So, rejection of Jesus Christ is also not always a mere verbal rejection of Christ, but is a rejection of him which is evidenced by how we live our lives (by our lifestyles). Many profess the name of Jesus, but it is lip service only, because their hearts are far from him. They hear with their ears what he says, but they don’t put his words into practice. They are still making sin their practice, instead.

A Holy Nation (vv. 9-12)

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

But, disobedience to the word of God, as our practice, should not be what defines one who truly has faith in Jesus Christ. God chose us to be holy, to be set apart from the world, to obey Jesus, and to walk in his ways. We are God’s possession. We belong to him. Our lives are no longer our own to do with what we want, for we were bought back for God with the blood of Christ, therefore we are to honor God with our lives. If we are in Christ Jesus, through faith in him, that means God rescued us out of darkness (sin) and he brought us into his wonderful light (righteousness), so we are to proclaim this to the world around us, not try to be like the world.

I don’t know why so many people get this idea that salvation from sin is just deliverance from hell and the hope of heaven when we die, but that God requires nothing of us in between. All throughout the NT we read that we, as Christ’s followers, are to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul, that we are to put on the armor of God, and that we are to walk in the Spirit and to Christ and to his righteousness. This means that we should not be practicing lying, cheating, stealing, gossip, gluttony, adultery, or fornication, nor should we find ourselves being entertained by such as this. Our lives should be above reproach, so that we honor God with our lives, and so others see that we are walking in holiness, to the glory of God.

To My Beloved / An Original Work / November 14, 2011

Based off I Pet. 5:6-9; Eph. 6:10-20; Jms. 4:4-10

Be strong in the grace of Christ, and

Put on His full armor in your fight

Against the enemy of your souls,

And resist him with all your might.

Take up the shield of your faith within you.

Salvation’s helmet – you put it on.

Put on the belt of truth,

And walk in the Spirit,

And you’ll not be ashamed.

Love your Lord Jesus; call His Name.

Call on your Lord and Savior, Jesus, and

Make Him Lord and King of your hearts.

Obey all of His teachings He has given

To you to follow in all His ways.

Repent of your sins. Return to your God.

Follow Him where’er He leads you now.

Humble yourselves in full

Surrender to His will

For your lives today.

Bow before Him, and humbly pray.

Be strong in the grace of Christ, and

Obey your Lord in ev’rything, always

Keeping His teachings in your hearts near you.

Walk with Christ in ev’ry way.

Resist the devil. He will flee from you.

Draw near to God, and He’ll be near you.

Wash your hands you sinners

And double minded.

Weep and wail o’er sin.

With Christ, your new lives begin.

https://vimeo.com/125863190

For His Praise

Wednesday, November 1, 2017, 6:11 p.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “The Ransom.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Ephesians 1 (ESV).

Chosen by God (vv. 1-10)

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Who are the saints of God? They are all of us who have put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives. This is speaking to us. Even before the creation of the world, God had already chosen us to be holy, which means to be separate (unlike, different) from the world, and to be set apart to Christ, to follow him in obedience to his ways. He had also chosen us to be blameless in his sight, i.e. through the death of his Son on a cross. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, in his death became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God. On that cross he put sin to death. When he was resurrected from the dead, he rose victorious over sin, hell and death on our behalf. Through faith in him, his righteousness is credited to our accounts so that we, the faithful in Christ, are no longer condemned to hell, but we have the promise and hope of eternal life with God in heaven.

God, in love, predestined (foreordained, predetermined) that we would be his children, by his grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will. And, what is his will for us? Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He died that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us. He died, too, that we might no longer walk (conduct our lives) according to our sinful flesh, but according to his Spirit, and to his righteousness and holiness. His grace to us is not merely forgiveness of sins, an escape from hell, and a promise of heaven when we die. His grace instructs us to say “NO” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we await his return. All this is his will for us, which he foreordained for us.

Faith in Jesus Christ is not a mere assent to who he was, and is, or a mere acknowledgment and acceptance of his sacrifice for our sins or his forgiveness of our sins. When God the Father draws us to Christ, if it is him drawing us, and not some humanistic philosophy intended to pacify sin, he makes known to us his will and purpose. His Holy Spirit convicts our hearts of sin, of righteousness and judgment. We are pricked to the conscience with regard to our sins, we confess them, turn from them, and we turn to follow our Lord in obedience. For, when we believe in Jesus, we are crucified with him in death to sin, and we are resurrected with him to newness of life, created to be like God (in his likeness) in true righteousness and holiness.

God, in his love and grace, foreordained that we should be to the praise of his glory (his divine approval). So, his will and purpose for us is that, if we want to come after Christ, we must deny (humble) ourselves, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and self) and follow (obey) him. He said that his sheep listen to his voice, and they follow (obey) him. He said that if we love him, we will keep his word, and he and the Father will make their home with us. He also said, in essence, that if we hold on to our former lives of living for sin and self, we will lose them for eternity. But, if we lose our lives (die with him to sin), for his sake, we will gain eternal life with him (Lu. 9:23-25; Jn. 10:27-30; Jn. 14:23-24; cf. Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24).

Called to Hope (vv. 15-23)

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

When we trust in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, that is not the finished product. We have just begun our spiritual journey with our Lord. Our salvation is a process of a lifetime, not a one-time experience, and then that is it until we go to heaven one day. We must walk by the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of our flesh. We must walk in the light as Christ is in the light. Daily we must put on the armor of God with which to fight off Satan’s evil schemes against us. Daily, by the Spirit, we are to be putting the deeds of the flesh to death, and we should be putting on Christ and his righteousness. We must get rid of all things in our lives which hinder our walks of faith, all sins which so easily entangle us, and everything which weighs us down or which leads us into temptation, so we can run with perseverance the race God has marked out for us, i.e. this spiritual journey he has us on.

Daily we must be in the Word of God, drinking in its truths, relying on the Holy Spirit to teach us with all wisdom the way in which we are to walk. And, then we must be walking in that light (enlightenment) we are given, and not walk away from it forgetting what we look like. If we don’t walk in the truth we have already been given, then gaining more knowledge, just for the sake of knowledge, is useless, because we do not put it into practice. In God’s Word we learn to know him and his will for our lives and the purpose for which he created and chose us in him. As believers in Christ, we have the Holy Spirit living within us guiding us into all truth, too, so he makes the Word of God come alive to us in all practical application to our daily lives. And, this is how we come to know, too, his specific and individual callings (assignments, gifts) for our lives, so that we can walk in them.

Also, when we believe in Jesus, we become members of his body, his church, the people of God, who are of faith in Jesus Christ, of whom he is the head. He purposed that we should work together as a body in his service, according to his will, for the praise of his glory, as each one of us does our part. So, part of his will, also, is that we regularly meet together, according to his will, wherever possible, to study together his word, to pray with and for one another, to encourage one another in the faith, and for Spirit-filled and Spirit-led fellowship in Christ. We, as well, are to build one another up in the faith, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, for the mutual spiritual growth and maturity of one another.

Basically, the Christian life is not just a saved life, but it is a life of following our Lord wherever he leads us, doing what he says, going where he sends us, and saying whatever he commands us to say. It is a life committed to Christ and to his service, recognizing that our lives are no longer our own, but we belong to God, so now our lives should be his to do with what he wants. They are not perfect lives, but they are lives which walk in the light of Christ and no longer in the darkness of sin. They are also lives surrendered to Christ, separate from the world, and committed to holiness, godliness, purity, uprightness, honesty and integrity - all for the praise of God’s glory, and all in his wisdom, strength and power. Amen!

The Ransom / An Original Work / September 8, 2011

Jesus paid the ransom,

so we’d be forgiven;

Purified from our sin,

so we’d be set free.

Crucified on a tree;

took on him our sin.

Buried our sin with Him;

rose in victory.

Jesus calls us to Him;

asks that we flee from sin;

Obey His commandments;

live eternally.

God our Father loves us,

which is why He gave us

His Son to die for us

on a cruel tree.

God created us to

walk in fellowship with Him,

daily trusting in His righteousness.

He has a plan for us

to abide in His grace;

Be transformed in our hearts;

live for him always.

Won’t you trust in Jesus?

Be your Lord and Master?

He wants to forgive you;

give you victory

Over sin and yourself;

Jesus set you free.

Daily walking with Him,

live victoriously.

Invite Him in your heart.

He’ll give you a new start.

Your old life behind you,

a new creature be.

https://vimeo.com/125864288