In Harmony

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Rom. 12:9-21 NASB

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are to love one another with godly love, and we are to do so sincerely, without hypocrisy. When we truly love God and others, we will hate what God hates, and we will honor what he honors. We will hate what brings harm to others, and we will desire for others what is best for them.

We won’t rejoice with them in their sin or pat them on the back and tell them they are ok just like they are, if we know they are living in sin. We will lovingly tell them the truth about sin, and how God feels about it, and what he did for us in order to free us from bondage to sin.

Jesus gave up his reputation and his life to see us be free from sin. We should love one another with that same kind of love that cares more about what is best for others than it does about our own reputations, i.e. what people will think of us if we tell them the truth.

We should never lack in zeal (passion) when it comes to our walks of faith with Christ, but we should serve our Lord with dedication, and with eagerness to obey him in all things. As servants of the Lord, and as those who love our fellow humans, we should be sensitive to the needs of others and be willing to help meet their legitimate needs, as we have the resources to help them, and as God leads.

We, as the body of Christ, should do the things that Jesus did, as well as care about what is important to him.

We should be sympathetic and compassionate toward the hurting and the needy, while exercising godly wisdom. And, we must be willing to suffer rejection, false accusations and persecution, even from those to whom we are demonstrating the love of Christ, because we want to see people come to faith in Jesus Christ and to grow in his grace and in their walks of faith to maturity.

To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. For,

“The one who desires life, to love and see good days,

Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.

“He must turn away from evil and do good;

He must seek peace and pursue it.

“For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,

And His ears attend to their prayer,

But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. 1 Pet. 3:8-17 NASB

In Harmony / An Original Work / September 2, 2012

Based off Ro. 12:9-21; 1 Pet. 3:8-17

Love each other truly.

Cling to what is good.

Hate all that is evil.

Never lack in zeal.

Serve the Lord with fervor.

Joyful in hope be;

Patient in affliction;

Praying faithfully.

Honor one another.

Live in harmony.

Share with all God’s people

Who are found in need.

Do not be conceited.

Sympathetic be.

Love, and show compassion

In humility.

Keep your tongue from evil.

Peaceful you must be.

Honor one another.

Live in harmony.

God sees who are righteous;

Listens to their prayers.

But He’s against evil –

Is His to avenge.

Do not fear what they fear.

Suffer patiently.

In your hearts, make Christ Lord.

Serve Him faithfully.

Honor one another.

Live in harmony.

https://vimeo.com/112832903

An Addict's Spouse

What I am about to share with you, I share with permission from my husband of 45 years. He has now made public his sexual addiction, and he states that he now wants complete deliverance. To be perfectly honest, though, I have heard those same words come out of his mouth many times, but they were never followed up with action. Yet, he is now willing to talk about it publicly, and to have me talk about. So, this is a step of faith.

If you know anything about addiction, of any kind, you will know it is essential to recovery and to deliverance that the addict is honest, that he (or she) confesses the wrong, and that he (or she) seeks help. The more we hide it, the worse it gets. We need to talk about these things instead of pretending the elephant isn’t in the room. For, this is more prevalent than what we would like to imagine, and many lives are being impacted by this.

This is not about some sickness, though, as some people would have you to believe, unless you want to consider sin a sickness. The Bible makes no allowances for addiction (slavery, bondage) to sin. I just want to make that perfectly clear. Jesus Christ died on a cross that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, not that we might practice sin while claiming heaven as our eternal destiny (Gal. 5:19-21). Jesus said that if a man even looks at a woman with lust that he has committed adultery in his heart (Matt. 5:28).

And, my husband has known these truths, at least for the whole of our marriage, even though many times he pretends he is ignorant of them. As well, he professes to have believed in Jesus Christ since childhood. He even went to Bible college. He has, as well, been a Bible teacher, a deacon, a youth leader, and even a pastor, over the course of our marriage, and even before that. Yet, he has lived in sexual addiction probably 50 years or more. So, it isn’t that he didn’t know that what he was doing was wrong, or that he didn’t know the way out of it, because he did, but it is that he didn’t take the way out provided for him. He has admitted to this, too.

So, if you are a man, and if you have a close walk with the Lord, and you feel led of God to reach out to my husband, this is his blog: https://rdlove12.wordpress.com/. If not, I would still covet your prayers.

But, now, I want to talk about being the wife of an addict.

For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many. 2 Co. 1:8-11 NASB

My goal here is not to trash my husband. I have no desire to do that. I love him very much, which is why I am still with him. My goal is to see my husband set free from his sinful addiction, and for him to know true freedom in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Yet, my goal here is also to reach out to other women, like myself, who have husbands who are sexual addicts, and who have suffered in similar ways as I have, because of their husband’s sinful practices. I want them to know that they are not alone in this!

You see, it isn’t just the cheating, but it is the lying that hurts so much. And, it isn’t just the cheating and the lying, but it is the cheap shots, the cutting remarks, the false accusations, the deceptions, the manipulations, the childish temper tantrums, and the continual stomping on my heart whenever I try to help him out of his addiction, that really hurts. I can’t trust anything he says, either. And, that hurts, too. And, I know his body language, too, all too well, so I can pretty much tell whenever he is lying to me.

I cry a lot! Even, if it is just inside me. And, I pray a lot! And, I trust God to work his will in both of our lives. And, I thank the Lord, too, for all the encouragement, comfort, help, and counsel he has given to me over these years, which is what has seen me through these difficult times. I could not have ever made it without my Lord! I know that all too well! And, I also acknowledge that these difficulties have been instrumental in drawing me closer to my Lord and in giving me the passion I have for this ministry, and the compassion I have for those who are still trapped in sin.

But, compassion is not coddling the unrepentant. Compassion is what leads us to lead others out of slavery to sin. It is pure selfishness when we see someone trapped in sin and we do nothing, not even pray for them, but just walk away, because we don’t want to get our hands dirty, because their sins are just too messy for us. Yet, I know that if we warn someone and they don’t repent, it is not our fault, and the responsibility for their deliverance is on their shoulders, not ours.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. Eph. 3:14-21 NASB

Amen! God has had to strengthen me so many, many times when I was hurting deeply, and even, at times, when I wanted to just give up. And, he has also shown his love to me in so many ways, that I would not even have ever imagined. He keeps encouraging me to hold on, and to not give up hope that my husband will be delivered, and that he will walk in freedom one day. I fear sometimes, though, that I will never see that day, and that I will die with our marriage still broken and my husband still in chains. And, that breaks my heart!

And, then God reminds me that HE is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that I ask or imagine (think), according to His power that works within me and you. I am only free, too, by the grace of God! And, I am only able to be strong and to keep doing what I do each day because of his love, his grace, his encouragement, his strength and his power at work within me.

For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Col. 1:9-14 NASB

This is my prayer for my husband, for myself, and for the church, the body of Christ, that we might all walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, and that, if any of us have not yet been delivered from bondage (addiction) to sin, that we would be rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of Christ, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Amen!

My Cry For Mercy  

An Original Work / October 31, 2013

Based off Psalm 86

Hear my prayer, Lord, I am needy.

Guard my life, for I’m devoted to You.

Save me! I’m Your servant.

You are my God. I trust in You.

O, Lord, have mercy on me,

For I call to You.

Bring joy to me, for to You

I will lift up my soul.

You are giving and forgiving.

You abound in love to all who

Call upon You. Hear my prayer, Lord.

Listen to my cry for mercy.

In days of trouble I call to You,

Knowing that You will

Do marvelous things,

Because You are my God.

Teach me Your way; I’ll walk in it.

In Your truth, Lord, You will guide me.

A pure heart, Lord, You will give me,

So that I may glorify You.

Turn to me, Lord, and grant

Strength to Your servant.

O, Lord, You are my help,

For You love and You comfort me.

Teach me Your way; I’ll walk in it.

In Your truth, Lord, You will guide me.

A pure heart, Lord, You will give me,

So that I may glorify You.

https://vimeo.com/114690984

Monday, December 11, 2017, 11:00 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for what you led me to share this evening from your word and from my life. May you get all the glory, and may many lives be delivered from slavery to sin. Amen!

Giving Up?

Do you ever feel that you have sinned so badly that there is no hope for you? That you can never be forgiven? Or, that you will never gain victory over your sin? And, so you give up? And, you just give in to the sin?

Well, there is hope for you! Jesus Christ, God the Son, died on a cross, not just to forgive you of your sin, but to deliver you out of your slavery to sin. He made the way for you to be free! And, not just free of the punishment of sin, but free from your chains… your bondage… your addiction.

“In him we have redemption” (salvation; deliverance from sin) “through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us” (Eph. 1:7-8a).

“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (Heb. 8:12).

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9).

“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out” (Ac. 3:19).

So many people have this idea of salvation as merely freedom from the punishment of sin (eternal damnation), through God forgiving us of our sins, and that eternal life with God begins after we die. It is what they were taught, that “being saved” means we don’t go to hell when we die but that we go to heaven. But, that is only part of what our salvation means.

The Bible says that Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24). He died that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us (2 Co. 5:15). And, eternal life is not something we just experience after we die, but it begins at the moment we turn from our sins, and we turn to follow Jesus with our lives (Jn. 3:36; 1 Jn. 5:11-12).

Jesus didn’t come just to give us life in heaven after death, but he came to give us new life in him now, while we live on this earth, free from slavery to sin, and free to walk in his righteousness and holiness (Rom. 6:1-23; Eph. 4:17-24). In fact, he came to give us abundant (full, continuous, more than enough) life in him (Jn. 10:10). This is what it means to be “born again.”

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:15-16).

“But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one” (2 Thess. 3:3).

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Co. 10:13).

Jesus Christ didn’t come to this earth, and take on human flesh, just so he could die for our sins and be resurrected from the dead. When he was on this earth, he took on our humanity so that he could experience what we experience; so he could feel what we feel; so he could become our sympathetic, compassionate, and merciful high priest who intercedes for us to God the Father. He knows exactly what we are going through!

Also, after his resurrection, when he went back to the Father in heaven, he didn’t leave us as orphans, helpless, and without hope. He sent his Holy Spirit to indwell us, empower us, and to encourage, strengthen, counsel and help us to resist Satan, to flee temptation, and to walk in holiness and godliness. We are not without resources, in other words, in our fight against temptation and sin. For, he also gave us spiritual armor to use in our battle against our enemy and all his tricks he uses against us (Eph. 6:10-20).

When I was a child, I had an abusive father. When I knew a hit was coming, I would cross my arms in front of my face, hoping to block the hit, but it was only partial protection, and the hit still came.

I think a lot of us might resist Satan’s temptations in the same way. I used to do that. It is really a defeatist approach. It says that we believe Satan still has power over us, and it does not truly believe that Jesus gave his life up for us that we might be free. It does not truly accept that Jesus already won this battle for us, and all we have to do is to live, in his power, like we truly believe that.

So, when temptation comes our way, we don’t just try to block the hit, knowing full well that we will get hit, but we put on our spiritual armor. In fact, we are proactive in knowing these hits will come, so we make no provision for the flesh. We remove from our lives all hindrances, and all known pathways to sin, and we make a plan, in advance, for how we will combat Satan’s attempts to bring us down, but we do this by the Spirit, in his wisdom and strength, for this battle is the Lord’s!

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16).

“…be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:18b-20).

Some people will tell you that they try not to sin, i.e. in practice, but they still do. I believe it is because they open themselves up wide to known sins in their lives by not being proactive, by not relying on the Holy Spirit, but by living “by the seat of their pants.” What is that saying? “If you don’t make a plan to succeed, you plan to fail.”

You know your sin patterns. You know your triggers. You know that if you have a casual approach to what you are doing, such as just carelessly surfing the net or scanning through TV channels, that you are bound to fail. It has proven to be true over and over again. So, why do you think this time will be any different?

One of the biggest reasons, though, that Christians (or professing Christians) fall back into old sin patterns, is that they are not walking by the Spirit. We cannot overcome sinful patterns of behavior if we are not living holy and godly lives, pleasing to God, but we are continuously feeding our minds with the trash this world has to offer. Garbage in, garbage out.

If we are truly conducting our lives after the Spirit and not after the flesh, we will not carry out the evil desires (lusts) of the flesh. This means we need to not even be entertaining ourselves by the sins of others. How can we, for instance, be pure in mind and heart if we are consuming daily immorality, theft, lies, adultery, fornication, cheating, blasphemy, cursing, and rebellion, etc. We need to be taking in the Word of God, and then applying it to our lives, and then we need to be encouraging one another to do likewise.

And, daily, we need to be giving thanks to our Lord, not in mere performance, though, or in shallow displays, but in truth. We need to thank and praise him for life, for love, for mercy, for his grace to us, for breath, health, and for pain and for sorrow, for even the difficulties of life are meant for our good, to mature us in Christ, to make us holy, to prune us, and to make us into Christ’s likeness (See: Heb. 12:1-13).

I Sing of His Mercy / An Original Work

Based off Psalm 32 / April 10, 2014

Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven

By the blood of Jesus Christ.

Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does

Not count against them; freedom found.

When, in silence, I did not confess

My sin to You; had no strength.

Then I owned up to my sin and

You forgave and cleansed me within.

Therefore let the godly pray to You;

Draw near to You; grace they’ll find.

They will not be o’ertaken by afflictions,

But in Christ peace abounds.

Lord, You are my hiding place.

I find my refuge in You secure.

You protect me from all evil.

You give songs of vict’ry in You.

Lord, You teach me to walk in Your ways;

Counsel me in love, I know.

Help me to not be stubborn and

Unwilling to follow in Your truth.

Thank You for Your love and mercy.

I put my trust in You always.

I rejoice in my Lord and

I sing of Him throughout all my days.

https://vimeo.com/91747192

Monday, December 11, 2017, 4:30 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for your Word, and for how it speaks truth to our hearts. Thank you, too, for your grace, your forgiveness, and the strength you give us to live holy lives, pleasing to you.

Eyes on Jesus

What are you going through? Have you lost a loved one to death? Your spouse has left you for another? Or, your spouse is a sex addict? Your kids are rebellious, drug addicted and out-of-control? You lost your job? You don’t know how you are going to pay your bills? You have just been diagnosed with cancer? You are being persecuted for your faith in Christ? Or, you are addicted to sin, and you feel hopeless that you will never be free?

“Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Col. 3:1-3 NASB

If you are a true believer in Jesus Christ, you have died with him to sin and self, and you have been resurrected with him to newness of life, born again of the Spirit of God, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Jesus Christ set you free, not only from the punishment of sin, but from the control (power) of sin over your life. Now you should walk no longer according to your flesh, but according to the Spirit.

But, you can’t do this in your own strength, or in your own flesh. Only in Christ’s power and strength, and because he put sin to death on that cross, can you walk (in lifestyle) according to the Spirit, and no longer live to gratify the cravings of your sinful flesh. You just need to submit to him, and yield to his will. Obey him. Follow his Word. He will not fail you.

Your life is now hidden with Christ in God, i.e. you are under the protection and shelter of the Almighty. Your life is no longer your own, because you were bought back for God with the blood of Christ. And, God is quite capable of taking care of his own, too. He will never leave you or forsake you. He will carry you through whatever it is you are going through. He has a plan and a purpose for your life. You just have to trust him. Rest in him. Believe him.

Instead of focusing on the waves crashing in all around you, keep your focus on Jesus, and on heavenly things, eternal things. We get discouraged, disheartened, and feeling hopeless when we focus our attention on what is passing away rather than on our eternal blessings and the riches of God’s grace to us. We need to believe that God is absolutely sovereign over our lives, and that he will give us all we need to endure difficulties, or to flee temptation to sin, or to respond correctly to unjust suffering.

“Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Co. 4:16-18 NASB

I will be 68 years old yet this month. So, I understand about the outer person (male or female) decaying, i.e. our physical bodies. I don’t have nearly the physical energy or stamina I had when I was much younger. My mind is not as sharp as it was, either. I don’t multi-task like I did when my kids were little, and I move at a much slower pace. I take naps in the daytime, some days. My hair is thinning, my skin is getting wrinkles, etc. It is all part of the aging process, but I would never want to be young again.

But, I don’t believe this is just talking about the natural aging process. I believe this includes trials, tribulations, heartaches, and struggles. They are the things which take a toll on our bodies, our minds and our emotions. They are the things which have the potential to weigh us down, to discourage us, and to make us feel hopeless, and to want to give up. That is…

Unless we find our hope and strength in the Lord.

When we turn to the Lord for our strength and help, instead of letting the things of this earthly life get to us, he renews us within, which also gives us greater stamina and endurance without. Then, we don’t lose heart, because we are focusing our energies and our minds and hearts on the Lord, on his Word, and on walking in the Spirit, and not giving way to the flesh. And, he gives us a different outlook to our suffering. We can now see what we are going through via a different lens, i.e. via his Word, his will and his ways.

We realize that God’s ways are higher than our ways, and what may seem like a tragedy to us may be a blessing in disguise. God uses these types of things in our lives to teach us, to mature us, to make us more like Jesus. When we go through hardships, it has a way of humbling us, too. As we draw near to Jesus in our difficulties, and we learn from him, we also grow closer in our walks of faith, and we share in Christ’s holiness. And, that is a good thing! We need that! And, God knows what we need, too.

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.” 2 Pet. 1:2-4 NASB

We have everything we need in Christ. We are not lacking. He has given us everything we need to endure suffering, to respond correctly to unjust treatment, and to flee temptation and to draw near to God. He has given us all that we need, too, to walk in holiness, righteousness and godliness. So, there is never a reason for us to give up hope, or to despair.

There is absolutely no excuse for a born again Christian to still be sin addicted, either. Satan no longer has control over us if we are truly in Jesus Christ, by faith in him. Jesus set us free from sin, so how can we live in it any longer? As born again believers in Christ, we were created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. We CAN, in Christ, in his power, and in his strength, be completely free from any kind of sinful addiction. We just have to trust God with our lives instead of trying to control them ourselves.

We CAN, in Christ, become partakers (participants) of the divine nature, i.e. we can live godly and holy lives in Christ Jesus by His power and by His grace to us. By the Spirit we can be putting to death the deeds of the flesh and living our lives in agreement with the Spirit of God. Thus, too, we can escape (flee) the corruption that is in the world by lust, or that is in the world by fleshly desires which are opposed to God and to his Word.

We just have to get our minds and our eyes off of what is of this earth, and what is of our sin natures, and on to what is of God, and of his nature, i.e. on to what is holy, righteous, moral, pure, just, honest and trustworthy. And, we need to put into practice, by His Spirit, what is godly and holy, and cut out of our lives all that is of our sinful flesh. We have to trust in the Lord and not in ourselves, and rely on him to help us through whatever situations we find ourselves in, rather than put our trust in human flesh. God will not fail us. We can always count on Him!

I Will Lift My Eyes  

An Original Work / December 12, 2012

Based off Psalms 121-125

I will lift my eyes to my Lord Most High.

My help comes from Him, who saved me from sin.

He will not let your foot slip, and He who watches will not sleep.

Our Lord watches over you, and your life He will keep.

I will lift my eyes to my Lord Most High.

My help comes from Him, who saved me from sin.

I give thanks to Him.

I will lift my eyes to my God in heav’n.

I look to the Lord. My sins, He’s forgiv’n.

Because of His great love for us, He made us alive with Christ.

Through the kindness of our Savior, He gave us new life.

I will lift my eyes to my God in heav’n.

I look to the Lord. My sins, He’s forgiv’n;

My home, now in heav’n.

Praise be to the Lord, who is on our side.

Our help found in Him. He gives peace within.

Those who trust will ne’er be shaken. God will supply all we need.

Our Lord has done great things for us. He’s our friend, indeed!

Praise be to the Lord, who is on our side.

Our help found in Him. He gives peace within.

I can count on Him.

https://vimeo.com/112516626

Sunday, December 10, 2017, 6:33 p.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for leading me to these scriptures today, and for the truths you taught me through them.

Vain Worship

God would rather the doors of our churches be shut than for us to offer up shallow forms of worship and praise to him, which may stir the emotions, but not produce changed hearts, minds, and lives for Jesus Christ. It is better to have no sacrifices, than to have vain ones (See: Malachi 1:10).

The Lord Jesus led me to read Hebrews 12 (vv. 1-4 ESV).

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us… v. 1

We have a very disturbing situation, at least here in many of our churches in America. It is one, in fact, of grave concern. Not only have so many churches and their pastors gone the way of the world, turned the church into a business, and are running it and marketing it as such, but they have diluted the gospel message to make it more appealing to human flesh.

What this means is that they are giving their listeners the idea that faith in Jesus Christ does not have to result in changed lives. In fact, many of them are saying that God does not even require repentance or obedience, and that he is pleased with them no matter what they do. All they have to do is say they believe in Jesus, and heaven is guaranteed them, no matter how they live their lives from that moment on, so they say.

Thus, sinful behaviors and addictions are running rampant in many of our churches, including among the leadership, and not many are even blinking an eye, it would appear. There is not much of a distinction, either, between the world and the church anymore, as so many who profess the name of Jesus live not much differently from those who make no profession of faith in Christ, at all. And, this is normal in so many congregations.

Yet, instead of confronting sin, and calling for repentance, and for obedience to Christ and to his Word, many are coddling the unrepentant, and they are making a way for them to continue in willful, continuous, addictive, and sinful lifestyles, for they don’t want to offend them or make them feel bad about their sin. Some are even telling them, while they are engrossed in sin, to just claim who they are in Christ, which then just subdues or eradicates any sense of guilt or shame they might have had for their sin.

But, God is giving us a much different message. He is saying we must lay aside (get rid of) every weight (encumbrance) and sin, which so easily besets us, or which clings so closely to us. For, this is why he gave his life up for us, that we might die with him to sin. Thus, He doesn’t coddle us in our sin, nor does his grace make provision for the flesh. His grace, which brings salvation, teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions (lusts), and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we await Christ’s return. He said, in fact, that if we walk (conduct our lives) in sin, we will die in our sins, not have the hope of eternal life with God.

The other half of this is that Jesus died, not just so we can die to sin, but so we can live to his righteousness. This is why we need to lay aside sin (all sin) which so easily clings to us, so that we can run the race he has marked out for us, i.e. the Christian life, our walk in the Spirit. If we don’t put off sin, how can we walk in holiness and righteousness? We can’t, for the two are in conflict, one with the other. So, if we remain addicted to sinful practices, then how can we also worship our Lord in spirit and in truth? Won’t he see our worship of him as disingenuous?

…looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. v. 2

This is not about performance, though, or about a set of rules we have to follow, though we definitely have those, nor is this about us just trying hard not to sin. This, as well, is not about behavioral modification. This is about faith in Jesus Christ which results in changed hearts and lives. This is about loving God, and thus walking in obedience to him, because we love him, and so we honor him, we revere him, we respect him, and we obey him.

When we truly believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, we die with him to sin, and we are resurrected with him to newness of life, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. This is what it means to be “born again” of the Spirit of God. We no longer walk like we did when we didn’t know Jesus, but now we walk according to the Spirit, and daily, by the Spirit, we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh.

Notice that it says here “by the Spirit,” for we can’t change our own hearts, and we can’t, in our flesh, be conformed to Christ’s likeness. We do, nonetheless, have to cooperate with the Spirit’s work of grace in our lives. Over and over again in the New Testament we are told what WE must do to inherit eternal life and to live lives pleasing unto God.

Surely this heart change is of the Spirit of God, and not something we can bring about in our own flesh, but faith in Jesus means we turn our lives over to him, and we submit to his lordship over our lives, and we walk in his ways and in his truth, and we no longer live to gratify our sinful flesh. And, all this is possible because of what Jesus did for us in taking our place on that cross, and in putting sin to death, and in being resurrected from the dead victorious over sin, hell, death and Satan, on our behalf.

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. vv. 3-4

Jesus Christ, although he was fully God, yet he was also fully man when he walked this earth. Thus, he suffered like we suffer, and he was tempted in like manner as we are also tempted, yet without sin. He had to resist Satan, flee temptation, and draw near to God the Father, too. So, he knows what we are going through. We are not alone.

When he knew that it was time for him to be put to death, his flesh struggled with the thought of it, for he knew the suffering he must go through in order to become sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God. But, he resisted the temptation to yield to the flesh, and he submitted to the Father’s will. And, he did resist sin to the point of shedding his blood on a cross so that we could go free from sin.

So, although he does sympathize with our weaknesses, he makes no provision for the flesh. He doesn’t demand sinless perfection, though, otherwise he would not have had to die for our sins, if we could obey with absolute perfection (See: 1 Jn. 2:1-2). But, he does demand that we walk, not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, if we want to have eternal life with him in heaven (Lu. 9:23-25; Rom. 8:1-17).

So, those of us who are in Christ Jesus, by faith in him, have no excuse for still walking according to the flesh and living to fulfill the desires of our flesh. We have no excuse for continuing in sinful addictions, for Jesus Christ set us free from slavery to sin. We have no justification, either, for covering up our sins with lies and deceptions, and for choosing our sinful addictions over God and over the people God has placed in our lives for us to love with Christ’s love, especially if we have been Christians for many years.

So, the encouragement here is to trust Jesus Christ with our lives, to rely on his strength and power to overcome sinful addictions, and to believe that he has truly set us free, and that Satan no longer has power over us, that is, if we are truly in Christ, by faith in him. Thus, we must put off not only the sin, but all which leads us into sin, so that we can run the race God has for us. Many continue in sin, because they continue to make provision for the flesh.

The Battle for Truth  

An Original Work / May 18, 2013

Based off Malachi 1-4

Truth is marching, truth is marching.

I love you. Honor me.

Tell the truth. You’ll be free.

Sing My praise all your days.

I will give all you need.

Truth is marching, truth is marching.

Turn from sin; cleansed within.

Stand in awe of My Name.

Teach what’s true. Walk in peace.

Follow Christ, in His ways.

Truth is marching, truth is marching.

Show to God faithfulness.

Do not be adult’rous.

Do not shed shallow tears.

Do not be insincere.

Truth is marching, truth is marching.

I have sent messengers,

Who have giv’n my address.

They call for repentance,

And they warn of judgment.

Truth is marching, truth is marching.

I, the Lord, do not change,

So return – blessings gain:

Healing comes; joyfulness;

Freedom from your distress.

https://vimeo.com/117023801

Saturday, December 9, 2017, 7:33 p.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for dying on a cross so that we can go free from sin and walk in your righteousness. Amen.

Troubled Hearts

The Lord Jesus led me to read John 14 (vv. 1-6 NASB).

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.” V. 1

When we are born into this world, we are born with sin natures, in slavery to sin, separate from God, and we all fall short of attaining God’s divine approval, in our own flesh (Rom. 3:23; Rom. 5:12-19; 1 Co. 15:21-22, 42-49). Our hearts are troubled, because we don’t know God, and thus we are not in fellowship with him. So, we don’t have the hope of eternity with God.

Many people in this condition mimic what they see in the world, they reproduce what they see, and what is patterned before them, and they follow the examples of others. Some of them have the notion that life on this earth is to be one big party filled with self-indulgence and fleshly pleasures. And, thus, they don’t take sin seriously, or judgment, or their futures. So, they just play games with their lives and with their eternal destiny.

Yet, God, who is righteous and holy, sees all of this, and his heart is filled with love, concern and compassion for the people of this world. For, he is not willing that any should die in their sins, but that all should come to repentance by turning away from their sin, and by turning to him, to follow him in surrender and obedience. This is why Jesus Christ, God the Son, came to earth, to die for our sins, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; so that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us (1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15).

But, it is not just those who have made no profession of faith in Jesus Christ about which God is so concerned, but it also about those who have professed him as Lord and as Savior of their lives, but who are still living in slavery (bondage, addiction) to sin; who are still living sinful lifestyles, while claiming heaven as their eternal destiny.

Some of them, in their flesh, and in their own strength, have tried to escape their enslavement to sin, i.e. their chains, but it was on their terms, according to their own will, not truly trusting in Christ to be Lord (owner-master) of their lives. So, they only ended up right back where they began, spinning their wheels, performing, trying to be good enough, in some ways, while still holding on to their own lives, and living for sin and self.

The Lord longs to be gracious to them; to you. Jesus died and was resurrected from the dead to free you from your prison, not to console you in your sin. His grace to us is not a pat on the back for trying in our own flesh to be good enough, for we can never be good enough. His grace to us is also not freedom to continue in willful sinful practices. His grace teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives, while we wait for Christ’s return.

So, belief in Jesus Christ is not a mere profession of faith, words we repeat after someone in a prayer, and a mere acknowledgment of who Jesus is and was, and of what he did for us in dying for our sins. It is also not a mere acknowledgment of his grace to us or an acceptance of his forgiveness of our sins. When we truly believe in Jesus Christ, we die with Christ to sin, and we are resurrected with Christ to new lives in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Rom. 6:1-23; Eph. 4:17-24).

“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” Vv. 2-3

So, if we want to have this hope of eternal life with God and a home in heaven with our Lord, then we need to realize that God’s grace to us is not merely forgiveness of sins, but it is death to sin. He didn’t die just to give us an escape from hell and the promise of heaven when we leave this earth. He died to deliver us out of slavery to sin, and to put us on the path (the way) of righteousness and holiness, to fill us with his Spirit, and to empower us to walk in his holiness and righteousness from now to eternity.

So, if you are truly in Christ Jesus, by faith in him, you should no longer be enslaved to sin, for Jesus set you free! And, he will give you, and he has given you all that you need to resist Satan, to flee temptation, and to draw near to God in full assurance of faith. This is his grace to us! So, don’t buy into the lies which tell you that you can’t help it, or that it is ok to “struggle” with sin, which often means to regularly and consistently give in to sinful patterns of behavior. For, if we walk according to the flesh, we will die in our sins, no matter how much we mouth that we believe in Jesus.

“’And you know the way where I am going.’ Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” Vv. 4-6

If you have been a follower of Christ for a short period of time or a long time, you should know the way to God and to heaven. Especially if you claim to have been a Christian for many, many years, you should definitely know the way, not only to heaven, but out of slavery to sin. So, there is no excuse for you to be still walking according to the flesh, doing willfully and consistently what you know is wrong, i.e. what is sinful, and especially that which hurts others, particularly those you are supposed to love.

I am not saying here that we will never sin once we believe in Jesus, but what I am saying is that we should not be walking in sin, living to please our flesh, and being continually entertained by what is wicked and evil, especially if we have known the Lord for any length of time. There is no reason that any of us can’t be walking in victory over sin, not in absolute sinless perfect, perhaps, but consistently resisting Satan, fleeing temptation, and drawing near to God, going forward, and not backward.

I believe one of the main reasons that many people who profess faith in Jesus Christ are still under bondage (addiction) to sin is because they are not willing to go the distance to have that sin eradicated from their lives. They will not adhere to “make no provision for the flesh,” while they put on Christ. They will also not listen to biblical counsel which says we must deny self, take up our cross daily, and follow (obey) Christ, and they will not submit to cutting out of their lives those things which lead them into sin (See: Rom. 13:14; Lu. 9:23-25; Heb. 12:1-2; Matt. 18:7-9).

So, what is the way to eternal life with God and to having heaven as our eternal destiny? It is that we must die with Christ to sin, and we must be resurrected with Christ, in the Spirit, to new lives in Christ Jesus, free from the control of sin, and free to now be under the control of righteousness. We must deny self, take up our cross daily, and follow Christ. We must daily put on the armor of God with which to fight off Satan’s lies and his evil schemes against us. And, we must walk according to the Spirit, and make no provision for the flesh.

This is the way of Christ. This is the way of holiness. And, this is the only path to eternal life with God. For, if we make sin our practice, we will die in our sins, but if by the Spirit we are putting sin to death, we will have eternal life with God, and heaven, where God dwells, will be our eternal home.

Open My Heart / An Original Work / July 2, 2013

“Be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil” (Rm. 16:19b).

Open my heart. Let Your truth in.

Make of me a servant, pure within;

Sing of Your praise all of my days.

Let Your Spirit transform all my ways.

Jesus Christ died on a cross to

Save me from my sin.

“Repent of sin. Be cleansed within.

Obey all of His commands today.”

“Why do you doubt? Why do you fear?

Jesus Christ will wipe away your tears.

He cares for you. He feels your pain.

Die to sin, and life with Him you’ll gain.

Follow Him where’er He leads you.

Talk with Him each day.

Then you will know what He has planned

For your life before your world began.”

“Come unto Me, weary in heart.

Let My love and grace to you impart.

Believe in Me. Trust in My care.

Take your burdens to the Lord in prayer.

He will meet all of your needs,

And give you peace within.

Rejoice in Him! Tell of His love.

He will give you comfort from above.”

https://vimeo.com/116072845

Friday, December 8, 2017, 6:25 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for your Word, for what it teaches us concerning the way to you and to eternal life with God, which is the way of holiness. I pray we may all walk in your ways. Amen!

Abiding in Christ

The Lord Jesus led me to read John 15 (Select vv. ESV).

Are you in a true relationship with Jesus Christ? Are you genuinely saved from your sins, and bound for heaven? How do you know this? How can you be sure? What did Jesus Christ have to say on this subject?

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit… If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.” Vv. 1-2, 6

Here our relationship with Jesus Christ is compared to that of a vine and branches, which come forth from the vine. Jesus Christ is the true vine, i.e. he is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through him. He is the only way to God the Father and to heaven. We cannot be in relationship with Almighty God apart from faith in Jesus Christ.

If we are in Christ Jesus, by faith in him, we are one of these branches. We are in the vine. Nonetheless, if we want to remain in Christ, in relationship with him, then certain things must be a part of that relationship. There are requirements for us for sustaining that relationship with Christ, not in our flesh, and not to earn our salvation, but to continue to be in him, and to have the hope of eternal life with God and heaven as our eternal home.

In other words, the Christian life is not the result of a one-time experience. We must be believing (presently) in him if we want to have eternal life. We must be walking (in lifestyle) according to the Spirit, and not according to the flesh. And, to be in fellowship with him, we must be walking in obedience to him. Also, daily, by the Spirit, we must be putting sinful deeds to death (See: Lu. 9:23-25; Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; 1 John 2:3-6; Jn. 3:16).

Also, we must be bearing fruit in keeping with repentance. This fruit is the yield, the outgrowth or the result of abiding in the vine. It has to do with what our lives produce, i.e. it has to do with this walking according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh, and with putting sinful practices to death, by the Spirit. This is the evidence, in other words, that genuine faith in Christ exists in our lives, that it is ongoing, enduring and persevering.

For, if we are fruitless, and there is no evidence of continuous, enduring faith in Jesus Christ, a walk in the Spirit, love for our Lord, surrender to his will, obedience to his commands, and death to sin and living to righteousness, then we will be cut off from the vine and we will not have the hope of eternal life with God, but a fearful expectation of judgment and of fire. A saved life, in other words, is one that continues in faith and fellowship with Christ and which bears evidence that such a relationship truly exists (See: Jn. 8:31-32; Rom. 11:17-24; Col. 1:21-23; Heb. 3:6, 14-15).

Yet, if we do bear fruit in keeping with repentance, and we are walking according to the Spirit, and not according to the flesh, then we can expect to be pruned (disciplined) in order that we might bear more fruit (cf. Heb. 12).

“Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing… By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples… If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.” Vv. 3-5, 8, 10

Speaking to those of us who have been cleansed of our sins, who have died with Christ to sin and are living with Christ to his righteousness, we are to abide in him. Apart from him, we can do nothing. We cannot bear fruit for his kingdom if we do not abide in the vine. And, we can’t even abide in the vine apart from him, his power, and his strength. So, how do we do this?

To abide in Christ means to stay, to remain, to continue, to endure and to last in him to the end. But, this isn’t about just claiming Christianity as your religion or Christ as your Savior. This is about living Christ, his life, and his Word day in and day out, spending time with him daily in his Word, and then walking in obedience to the truth which he shows us. This is not about sinless perfection, either, (See: 1 Jn. 2:1-2), but it is about not living our lives according to our sinful flesh, but living them to please God.

We are proven to be true followers of Jesus Christ, or not, by how we live our lives, either for ourselves, for sin, and in accordance with the world, or for Christ, his Word, for holiness and righteousness. Our fruit is what is seen, what is evidenced in our lives that makes a statement that we are true followers of Christ, much the same as an apple on an apple tree is evidence that the tree is an apple tree and that it is not a pear tree.

Obedience to our Lord’s commands, i.e. to his teachings, his instructions to us, is also part of that fruit. Again, this is not speaking of sinless perfection, otherwise Christ would not have had to die for our sins, but it is speaking of a walk of obedience, in and of the Spirit, empowered by the Spirit. If we say we have fellowship with God, but walk in darkness (in sin), we are liars. If we say we love God, but we don’t do what he says, we are liars, too.

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.” Vv. 18-21

So, why does the world hate us? Why, even, do many who call themselves followers of Christ hate us? It should not be because we are wicked and rebellious, or because we are mean and hateful ourselves. They should hate us because we are not of the world. And, this is why many professing Christians will hate us, too, because they are of the world, and we are not.

The closer we grow in fellowship with the Lord, the more we should find ourselves not comfortable with worldly practices, and the more set apart from the world we should become, because we are being conformed to Christ’s likeness. This is what it means to be holy as God is holy.

So, if the world and the worldly church loves us, and considers us one of them, and includes us, then what does that say about us? Perhaps it says we are still of the world, at least in some respects. So, we should examine our hearts, our lifestyles, and our activities, as well as our thoughts, speech and actions, and see whether or not they (i.e. we) are of this world, or if they are of Christ and his eternal kingdom.

If we are truly following Jesus Christ with our lives, and if we are living our lives separate from the world (from worldliness), and if we are walking according to the Spirit, and no longer according to the flesh, we will be opposed by the worldly, which includes worldly Christians. We have to remember here that Jesus’ fiercest opponents were not the people out in the world, but they were the religious, and even the leaders or rulers within the temple of God. My fiercest opponents have also been professors of faith in Jesus Christ who are living worldly lives.

Yet, we should not let this discourage us. In fact, we should give praise to God that we have been counted worthy to suffer for the sake of his name, and for the sake of the gospel. And, we should rejoice in our sufferings, and keep on keeping on in following him in obedience. For, God may use our sufferings to touch other lives for Jesus Christ, so don’t ever give up!

Songs in the Night / An Original Work / December 18, 2013

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God,

And the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.

You, my Savior, I now adore.

Hope in heaven awaiting me,

Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,

And I’m bound for heaven.

Jesus set me free from

All my sin, I say.

I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:

Overcame death, my vict’ry won!

Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!

I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!

My sin is but hist’ry!

I am free to please Him

With my life today.

I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me

A new life bought at Calvary.

Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.

Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;

Through my Lord, I’m able

To sit at His table;

Fellowship with Him.

I will thank Him always!

https://vimeo.com/112342407

Saturday, December 9, 2017, 4:59 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for these encouraging, inspiring, and convicting words from John 15. Thank you for saving me from my sins, and for giving me new life in you! Amen!