Babylon, the Harlot

I was doing some biblical research on the Great Prostitute, the Harlot Babylon, talked about in the book of Revelation. And, so I was taking notes on how she is described in scripture, only I will share them present tense.

She makes all the nations drink the wine of passion of her sexual immorality. She is the mother of prostitutes and of the earth’s abominations. She is a dwelling place for demons, and a haunt for every unclean spirit. The kings of the earth commit acts of immorality with her. And, she is corrupting the earth with her immorality. Notice how often immorality is mentioned.

And, then I gleaned this from several commentators: She is proud, disrespectful, oppressive and a persecutor of the true church, the saints of God. She is corrupt in respect to religion and devoted to idolatry. She is identical with the apostate church. And, she entices ignorant (naïve) people to engage in immorality and idolatry (Source: biblehub.com).

And, I gleaned this from several dictionaries: She is irreverent, ungodly, corrupt, dishonorable, vile, immoral, and dishonest.

And, then the Lord put this scripture in mind:

“For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.” Phil. 3:18-19

Burn Her Up with Fire

And, so I believe the Lord would have me talk about how this is happening in our world and in the church today. So, I was reading in Revelation 17:16:

“And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.”

Now, I believe that Babylon the Great is an actual physical place, as well as it is symbolic of a particular belief system or overall attitude, frame of mind, behavior, and influence, etc. So, although I believe this actual physical place will one day be physically burned with literal fire, as a judgment of God on her, I also believe that this is talking about setting her on fire with burning passions of the flesh and of sexual immorality, and of her influence on the rest of the world toward following the same way of thinking and behaving.

I don’t want us to get hung up, though, on trying to identify the actual physical location and then to miss the intent of this message. So, I want to focus more on the philosophy, behaviors, and influences of this harlot.

Now, the beast is of Satan, and I believe it is a conglomerate of the wealthy and powerful of the world who are presently conquering one nation at a time for the New World Order (one world government) and the one world religion. And, so its goal is not just to physically conquer people and nations, but it is to philosophically, mentally and spiritually conquer all people, and especially it wants to conquer the church, which it hates. It wants to bring us down any and every which way that it can (See Revelation 12-14).

But right now, even though the beast hates the harlot, it is using the harlot, too, to do its dirty work. So, this is kind of like an “inside job,” so to speak. The harlot rides the beast, i.e. she is subservient to this beast and is attached or connected in some way to this beast. There is a working relationship between the two, in other words. But, then one day the beast will turn on the harlot, and he will destroy her. This is my understanding.

Unequally Yoked

So, how does all this fit with our lives and our world today?

I am certain that this has been going on a long while, and aspects of it have been going on ever since Jesus came, died, rose again, and ascended back to the Father, then sent His Holy Spirit to indwell his followers. Satan has been fighting against our Lord and his gospel message and his saints and servants all this time, but it is much worse now. For, now he has infiltrated the church, and has turned it into a place for demons and evil spirits.

In 1954, I believe it was, then Senator Lyndon B. Johnson encouraged the church in America to incorporate under the headship of the government of these United States of America, via the 501c3, thus turning God’s house into a market place (a business of men) and placing the government in the position that only Jesus Christ should hold over the church.

Thus the church which did incorporate, whether knowingly or not, essentially turned its back on Jesus as their only head, and they opened the door wide for all manner of evil to now permeate the gatherings of the church. For, the church was now unequally yoked together with the ungodly, and they had turned God’s house into a marketplace, and they put another head over the church, all of which God forbids his people to do.

And, it only got much worse from there. Now the church was answerable to the government, not just to God, and government worship was introduced into the church via patriotic songs and the pledge (vow) of allegiance (fidelity) to the flag (form of government) of the USA. And, the church was now operating as a business of men, instead of as the body of Christ, and it was marketing the church just like any other business.

And, so it began to change the nature (character) of the church and to alter its gatherings to appeal to the world and to the flesh of man. And, church worship services began being more like stage productions and comedy routines to entertain the masses, and pastors now had to be comedians and entertainers who were charming and witty. And, it wasn’t the Word of God and the Holy Spirit leading these churches, but it was marketing books written by mere men.

Cheapening God’s Grace

And, then, in order to draw in large crowds of people from the world, they altered the gospel of our salvation, too, to make it so we could be “saved” and have eternal life with God, but that it didn’t really have to change how we lived day to day, since we were now “under grace” and not “under the law.”

And, so people got the idea they could just live however they wanted, continuing in their sinful addictions, but that when they died, they would still go to heaven. And eventually it came to where they were telling people they don’t have to repent of sin or obey God’s commandments to be saved.

And, then this church philosophy, which largely came through the Rick Warren movement, initially, began to spread throughout the whole world, and was carried to many different countries. Thus, they were enticing the people and the kings of the world to commit adultery with them against God, and they were telling them that they were free to continue in immorality without guilt because Jesus paid it all and nothing is required of them.

And, so we now have the church at large in America, and in many places throughout the world wherever this influence has spread, who are believing that they can be saved from their sins, have heaven guaranteed them, but that they can live in all kinds of wickedness and immorality without punishment and without guilt. And, this, my friends, is BABYLON!

So, the Harlot church has the image that it is following Jesus Christ, but it isn’t. For to follow Jesus is to obey God’s commandments (New Testament). And, to follow him is to leave our sinful lifestyles and our idols and our immoralities behind us in order to live to Christ and to his righteousness.

The Harlot and Persecution

Now, I am not saying that every church which has incorporated under the 501c3 is literally living in adultery against her Lord. I believe there are church congregations which naively accept this incorporation with the government, but that they are still following the Lord and the scriptures and they have not bought into the cheap grace gospel. But, they are in the minority.

But, I still believe God is calling them to come out of this Babylon (the 501c3 union with the government), to disconnect from this unholy union, and that they are to return to Jesus Christ as their only head.

But, this Harlot Babylon, via the 501c3, is not content with just leading people into sexual immorality and into all kinds of wickedness while promising them heaven when they die. But, it is going headstrong ahead in its persecution of the church that has not bowed to the “golden statue”, and it is accusing them falsely of teaching works-based salvation and of being intolerant, judgmental, hateful, harsh, bitter, and unforgiving, etc.

So, God is appealing to all his church that is being influenced by this harlot, and he is commanding them to come out from underneath her influence so that they do not share in her sins or in her punishment. And, he is calling his true church to come out of this “unequally yoked together” relationship with the government, with the world, and with businesses of men, and to return to him as their only Lord (Rev. 18:1-5; 2 Co. 6:14-18).

The Ninety and Nine

Lyrics by Elizabeth C. Clephane, 1868

Music by Ira D. Sankey, 1874

There were ninety and nine that safely lay

In the shelter of the fold;

But one was out on the hills away,

Far off from the gates of gold.

Away on the mountains wild and bare;

Away from the tender Shepherd’s care.

“Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine;

Are they not enough for Thee?”

But the Shepherd made answer: “This of Mine

Has wandered away from Me.

And although the road be rough and steep,

I go to the desert to find My sheep.”

But none of the ransomed ever knew

How deep were the waters crossed;

Nor how dark was the night the Lord passed through

Ere He found His sheep that was lost.

Out in the desert He heard its cry;

’Twas sick and helpless and ready to die.

“Lord, whence are those blood-drops all the way,

That mark out the mountain’s track?”

“They were shed for one who had gone astray

Ere the Shepherd could bring him back.”

“Lord, whence are Thy hands so rent and torn?”

“They’re pierced tonight by many a thorn.”

And all through the mountains, thunder-riv’n,

And up from the rocky steep,

There arose a glad cry to the gate of heav’n,

“Rejoice! I have found My sheep!”

And the angels echoed around the throne,

“Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!”

Copyright status is public domain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqRjmVp4cR8

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Teach Me, Lord, Your Ways

Psalm 25:4-5 ESV

“Make me to know your ways, O Lord;    teach me your paths.Lead me in your truth and teach me,    for you are the God of my salvation;    for you I wait all the day long.”

Never Rock the Boat?

Why is it important that we know the ways of the Lord? Can’t we just live a “good life”? Can’t we just be people who do good deeds for others? Wouldn’t God be pleased with us if we were just “nice” to everyone? And, then everyone else would like us, too, because we never “rock the boat”? – because we never say or do something to disturb an existing situation?

What do you think? Is that your picture of God? – A God who just wants us going around being “nice” to people and doing “good deeds” and never “upsetting the apple cart,” i.e. never disturbing the status quo, i.e. never upsetting or disturbing the way things are now?

You know, many people think of God exactly in these terms. It is very popular now to see God in a more laid back role, just hanging out with people, being their buddy, or being their “genie” in the sky there to grant their every request.

Many people have this image of God as one who does not “make waves,” i.e. as one who does not disturb the status quo, but as one who just loves on everyone and accepts them just the way they are, no matter what choices they make in life for good or for evil. And, so they expect us to follow suit, which is why you may often hear them say, “Stay in your own lane.”

But, is that God’s way? If not, then why not?

Born into Sin

Well, because of the sin of Adam, the first man, all have sinned against God and all of us come up short of attaining God’s approval and his divine righteousness. We are all born into sin, with sin natures, separate from God, and unable within ourselves to be approved by God or to be righteous in his eyes. Not one of us can do anything to earn or to deserve our own salvation. Our good deeds will never outweigh our bad deeds (Rom. 3:23; Eph. 2:8-9).

So, what can we do? Do we need to do anything?

By Grace Through Faith

The Bible says that it is by God’s grace alone, through faith, that we are saved from our sins. Both his grace to us and the faith to believe in him, though, are gifted to us by God. For, this is not our own doing. No amount of being “nice” to people or doing “good deeds” will save us from our sins or will ever be enough to meet with God’s approval of our lives (Eph. 2:8-9).

But, that doesn’t mean we do nothing, that nothing is required of us. It is just that the “doing” is now in the power and strength of God’s Spirit alive within us and at work within us in conforming us to the likeness of Christ. For, verse 10, which is often skipped over, says,

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

So, just because good works, done in our flesh, can’t save us, and we can only be saved by God’s grace, through God-given faith in Jesus Christ, it does not mean that good works are not required of us. It is just that they are God’s works, not ours, and that they are done in his power and strength, and according to his purposes and will, and in obedience to his commands, and in submission to his will and purposes.

But, his good works are not altogether like ours. There may be some overlaps, like he wants us to help meet the legitimate needs of others, where we are able, but as we are led of the Spirit. And, he wants us to be kind to people, and to put on love and compassion, etc. But, his works are done in the power of the Spirit, and according to the will and purpose of God, where our works are done in the flesh, according to what we decide.

So, good works done in the flesh do not save us. But, we are saved to be doing (walking in) good works, done in the Spirit, according to the will of God and in his power and strength, and under his guidance and direction.

Do you see the difference? It is important that we do!

What is Faith?

Ok, so we now have many people who are going around saying that we are saved only by God’s grace, through faith, which is true. But, what is faith? That is the big question. Well, it is God-given, and literally it means to be persuaded, i.e. to be persuaded by God. So, if it comes from God, and it means to be persuaded by God, then what do you think that faith should look like? Do you think God would have you continue in your sinful ways?

Well, the scriptures give us much detail on what that faith should look like, but first of all, if it comes from God, and if it is persuaded by God, then it is going to be in submission to God and to his will and purposes for our lives.

So, it will die with Christ to sin, and it will be changed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God, and it will now walk (in practice, in conduct) in holiness and according to the Spirit of God, and not according to our sinful flesh. For, this is what it means to be saved from our sins (Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Tit. 2:11-14; Lu. 9:23-26).

So, God determines the good works that we are to walk in, that he had prepared in advance that we should do. And, doing them is part of our faith that saves us. But, we don’t get to choose them. We don’t just do “good deeds” expecting God to approve us. We have to surrender our lives to him, and we have to learn His ways, and then we have to walk in them, and no longer walk in the ways of our flesh, if we want to have eternal life with God (Rom. 2:6-8; Gal. 6:7-8; Gal. 5:16-21; Eph. 5:3-6; Rom. 8:1-17).

Disregarding the Scriptures

But, going back to my opening remarks. There are many people who believe that we are saved only by God’s grace, through faith, but then they misinterpret what that faith is, and how it should operate, and what it should look like. For, they feel they are free to continue in their sinful practices, now that they are under grace, and that heaven is guaranteed them regardless of how they live their lives on this earth.

And, then they accuse walks of holiness, purity, honesty and righteousness as being works-based salvation, when that is not what they are.

But, then they will promote “good works” as equal with “sharing the gospel,” or they will promote them as being like Jesus in going around doing good. But, “good works” as they choose them, not as God wills and as he chooses, although, again, there may be some overlaps.

And, so what we have ended up with is a society of people who call themselves Christians and followers of Jesus who disregard the teachings in scripture on the subjects of repentance, obedience to God’s commands, and surrender to Christ’s Lordship, who are still operating in the flesh, and who are determining for themselves what the Christian life should look like. And, so the “good” that they do they do in their own strength, according to their own will and purpose, and according to man-made religion.

What our Lord Wants

But, what our Lord wants for us is not our works that we are willing to do for him, and it is not false confessions of faith in him which are not followed by obedience, either. For, His truth and his ways are determined by him, not by us. And he says we must die with him to sin and live with him to righteousness if we want to be saved from our sins and to have eternal life with him in heaven.

For, he didn’t die just to forgive us our sins and to promise us heaven, but he died that we might die with him to sin and live with him to his righteousness. For, our salvation isn’t just a ticket into heaven, but it is deliverance out of our slavery to sin and it is empowerment of God to now walk with him in holiness, purity, honesty and faithfulness for the glory of God and in the strength of the Lord, and under his guidance and direction.

And, walking in the Spirit, and doing the good God prepared in advance that we should walk in, doesn’t mean just being “nice” to people or doing good deeds for others, as determined by us – this is not to be considered “sharing the gospel” with them.

For, walking the walk that Jesus walked means we will “rock the boat,” and we will “make waves,” and we will “upset the apple cart” and we won’t “stay in our own lane.” For, we will do what Jesus did, and we will say what he said, and we will tell people about judgment and the wrath of God as well as tell them about the love and grace of God.

And, we will teach God’s grace as instruction in living righteously, and in not living according to the flesh. And this is because we love God, and we are called according to his purpose, that we will speak the truth in love to people so they may be saved. Thus, we won’t stay in our own lane (Tit. 2:11-14).

When I Was Walking

An Original Work / January 16, 2020

When I was walking along the way,

My Lord was with me, and He did say,

“My child I’m with you. I hear you pray,

‘Oh, help me, Lord! Need You today!’”

He is my friend, near to the end.

Gently leads me. His servant be.

He helps me pray – knows what to say.

He’s all I need. On Him I feed.

When I am wond’ring of what to do,

He gently leads me to what is truth.

He is my helper. He strengthens me.

When I’m in want, supplies my need.

He comforts me with all His love.

Gives me His grace from heav’n above.

I heed His call to watch and pray,

To guard my heart throughout each day.

When He is calling to come to Him,

To let Him lead you, trust Him within,

How will you answer to Him today?

Will you say, “Yes, Lord, have your way”?

Do not neglect to let Him in,

Cleanse you from sin, made new within.

Leave all your sin, obey your Lord,

Trust in His Word – His mighty Sword.

https://vimeo.com/385888176

Sing of His Strength

Those Who Work Evil

Psalm 59:1-5 (ESV)

“Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;

    protect me from those who rise up against me;

deliver me from those who work evil,

    and save me from bloodthirsty men.

“For behold, they lie in wait for my life;

    fierce men stir up strife against me.

For no transgression or sin of mine, O Lord,

    for no fault of mine, they run and make ready.

Awake, come to meet me, and see!

    You, Lord God of hosts, are God of Israel.

Rouse yourself to punish all the nations;

    spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah”

Who are the enemies of those who have trusted in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of their lives? Well, our primary enemy, who is behind all other enemies, is Satan. For, he opposes God, and he opposes Jesus Christ. And, he is against the scriptures, and he is hostile to the gospel of Jesus Christ, to our salvation from slavery to sin, and to our walks of obedience to Christ.

So, he is out to destroy the true gospel of our salvation, to destroy Jesus Christ and his messengers (followers, servants), and to destroy the impact that Jesus and his gospel of grace might have on the lives of those who would submit to the Lordship of Christ, leave their lifestyles of sin behind them, and who would follow our Lord Jesus in obedience to his commands.

So, Satan has his own army of followers, some of whom probably don’t even realize they are following Satan. They might even be convinced they are following God, because they have been deceived. And, they are rising up against the true gospel of grace, as Jesus and his NT apostles taught it, and thus they are also rising up against those who are teaching the true gospel.

And, how are they accomplishing this? By introducing a false grace, a cheap grace substitute for the true gospel of grace, and by passing it off as the genuine thing while attacking the true gospel of grace as false, and by calling it works-based salvation, which is not to be adhered to. So, they convince people that what is false is true and that what is true is false to deceive them into accepting the lie over the truth, which is Satan’s plan.

What is cheap grace?

So, what is this cheap grace substitute that is sieging and supplanting the true gospel of grace? Where does it come from? Well, it literally comes from Satan and from hell, for it is modeled after pride, foolishness, self-indulgence, and all that is worthless. Thus, it is the byproduct, i.e. the fruit of all that is of the flesh of man.

And that fruit is shown in the works of the flesh, which are sexual immorality, depravity, maliciousness, corruptness, pride and lust, etc. And, it is revealed in the lives of those who have bought into the cheap grace substitute, who are living in immorality and depravity apart from God.

Not only that, but this false grace is a false protector of those who call themselves Christians, because it promises them heaven and freedom while leaving them still in bondage to sin, and while sending them straight to hell, which is Satan’s plan.

So, this cheap grace will never go after a lost sheep to bring him to God or back to fellowship with God, for the purpose of this cheap grace is to deliver no one from their slavery to sin so that they won’t end up in heaven, but in hell.

And, it will bring no followers into submission to Christ, and in surrender to his will, and to leaving their sinful lifestyles behind them, and into walks of obedience to their Lord resulting in eternal life with God (Lu. 9:23-26; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; 1 Pet. 2:24).

But, many people are buying into this cheap grace substitute to soothe what ails them. Thus, they are putting the working of God’s grace, of the Holy Spirit of God, to death in their lives, instead of putting sin to death in their lives. And, this is going to cost them their lives for eternity, for it puts them in trouble with God. For, they will not die to sin, submit to his Lordship over their lives or follow the Lord in obedience to his commands, and thus they will die in their sins, not have eternal life with God (Rom. 2:6-8; Gal. 6:7-8).

Thus, the followers of this cheap grace feel at liberty to continue in their sinful practices without guilt and without remorse. Their minds are puffed up with pride, and they are filled with the lusts of the flesh, and thus there is not fruit of the Spirit evident in their lives. They may be able to alter some things in their lives via behavioral modification, but the heart never changes and thus they aren’t truly transformed of heart and mind of the Spirit of God, and thus they don’t have eternal life with God or salvation from sin.

So, this is a prayer for deliverance and for protection from those who would come against the Lord’s servants and witnesses, who would malign them, and who would malign the gospel of Jesus Christ in favor of a cheap grace, and who would lead people straight to hell while promising them heaven.

Bring Them Down

Psalm 59:11-13 (ESV)

“Kill them not, lest my people forget;

    make them totter by your power and bring them down,

    O Lord, our shield!

For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips,

    let them be trapped in their pride.

For the cursing and lies that they utter,

    consume them in wrath;

    consume them till they are no more,

that they may know that God rules over Jacob

    to the ends of the earth. Selah”

This is also a prayer for God to bring down those who are promoting this cheap grace gospel and who are leading many people astray, and/or who are opposed to the Lord’s servants and witnesses, and who are attacking them, and/or who are plotting evil against them to bring them down.

This is a prayer that the Lord would make them totter (shake, tremble), i.e. that they would lose their power over the people, that they would lose their influence, and that they would not be able to continue in their deception, for they would be found out, and their lies exposed and the truth revealed.

There are so many liars and deceivers – so many wolves in sheep’s clothing who are leading people astray to a false gospel and/or who are bent on attacking the Lord’s servants in order to destroy them. The prayer is that they would be caught in their lies, their sins exposed, and that they would be put to shame and would no longer be a threat to the true gospel or to its messengers. And, I pray God would save them from their sins, too.

But I Will Sing

Psalm 59:16-17 (ESV)

“But I will sing of your strength;

    I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.

For you have been to me a fortress

    and a refuge in the day of my distress.

O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,

    for you, O God, are my fortress,

    the God who shows me steadfast love.”

It can be overwhelming, at times, to be opposed on a regular basis, and to have people fighting against you because you share the truth of what God’s Word teaches for the salvation of their souls. And, they may oppose you in many different ways, such as just rejecting you, giving you the silent treatment, lying to you, gossiping about you, and/or pretending to like you or to even agree with you while stabbing you in the back, etc.

But, the Lord gives strength, help and perseverance to his followers so that they can continue in the work to which he has called them, and so that they can be bold in their witness for Christ without fear of what might happen to them or without fear of what their enemies might say about them to others.

If this is where we are, being opposed, then we need to rely on the strength of the Lord and we need to keep doing what God has called us to do, for it means the salvation of human lives. We just have to continue to seek and to save those who are lost, which also involves exposing the lies of the enemy and expounding the truth in opposition to the lies, in order to rescue people from the gates of hell.

The Ninety and Nine

Lyrics by Elizabeth C. Clephane, 1868

Music by Ira D. Sankey, 1874

There were ninety and nine that safely lay

In the shelter of the fold;

But one was out on the hills away,

Far off from the gates of gold.

Away on the mountains wild and bare;

Away from the tender Shepherd’s care.

“Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine;

Are they not enough for Thee?”

But the Shepherd made answer: “This of Mine

Has wandered away from Me.

And although the road be rough and steep,

I go to the desert to find My sheep.”

But none of the ransomed ever knew

How deep were the waters crossed;

Nor how dark was the night the Lord passed through

Ere He found His sheep that was lost.

Out in the desert He heard its cry;

’Twas sick and helpless and ready to die.

“Lord, whence are those blood-drops all the way,

That mark out the mountain’s track?”

“They were shed for one who had gone astray

Ere the Shepherd could bring him back.”

“Lord, whence are Thy hands so rent and torn?”

“They’re pierced tonight by many a thorn.”

And all through the mountains, thunder-riv’n,

And up from the rocky steep,

There arose a glad cry to the gate of heav’n,

“Rejoice! I have found My sheep!”

And the angels echoed around the throne,

“Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!”

Copyright status is public domain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqRjmVp4cR8

*Caution: This link may contain ads

Revealed Through the Spirit

God Revealed to Us

1 Corinthians 2:9-13 ESV

“’What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,    nor the heart of man imagined,what God has prepared for those who love him’— “these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.”

The Bible is the written word of God, and it is God-breathed. It is not a dead history book, though. It is alive and active, and it discerns the thoughts and intentions of our human hearts (Heb. 4:12). But, not everyone who reads the Bible can discern its meaning and how it is to be applied to our daily lives. For, these things are revealed to us through the Holy Spirit.

Yet, this does not mean we have perfect understanding. For, we now see as through a glass (mirror) dimly, and we only know in part. But, when Jesus returns, and we see him face to face, then we will know fully (1 Co. 13).

But, just because we only know in part does not mean we have to “fly by the seat of our pants,” i.e. rely on our own instinct (nature, impulse) rather than on the Spirit of God who gives us knowledge and understanding of God’s Word. We just need to pray for understanding, especially with regard to sections of scripture we don’t understand. But, also with regard to how our Lord wants to apply it to our lives and world and church today.

For, the Bible is not just a bunch of instructions to us, or just historical records of things past, or just poetry for us to enjoy (or not). It is the living, breathing word of God to us. And, the Holy Spirit of God makes it practical to our lives today, and to our world and church today, just like he did for the people who lived at the time the scriptures were first written.

So, when we read the word of God, this should not be an intellectual exercise of trying to decipher its meaning in our own flesh. This should not just be about interpreting it in its context, but that is critical. But, we should read the word of God prayerfully, asking for wisdom, counsel, and discernment to know the will of God for our lives, but not just his general will for all of us, but his specific will for you, and for you, and for me.

And, then for those of us who teach (share, impart) his word, we need to pray for spiritual discernment to know what practical message the Lord would want to give through it to our readers or our listeners in our world and in our church and in our families today. For, although the overall message of God’s word is to be applied more broadly, his specific messages for us today are to be applied more precisely to our given situations we face now.

For, our Lord has things he wants to say to his people today that will be somewhat different from what he said to his people hundreds of years ago. For, we live in a different world than they did back then. And, so our experiences will be somewhat different. But, his overall message throughout the scriptures does not change with time and space. It remains the same.

What changes is only how it might be applied to our specific circumstances today. But, this is not adding to revelation, but it is giving practical application of revelation already given.

Spiritually Discerned

1 Corinthians 2:14-16 ESV

“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. ‘For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”

A lot of confusion comes into play, I believe, when we try to interpret scripture via our own intellectual reasoning, or when we try to make scripture fit our theology or lifestyles rather than reading the pure word of God with open minds and hearts to hear what the Spirit wants to teach us.

A lot of people have what is termed “sacred cows” that they hold on to, no matter what, and they won’t even examine the scriptures to see if maybe what they have always believed or have always been taught is truth. It is kind of like that saying which says, “If it was good enough for (fill in the blank), then it is good enough for me,” right or wrong.

And, that is because they are thinking with natural minds, not with the mind of God. They are following forms of religion rather than following the God of our faith. They are Baptist or Presbyterian more than they are Christian, for example. They are followers of the teachings of men over and above the teachings of scripture. And, they are just regurgitating what they have been taught without actually examining the scriptures themselves, by the Spirit of God, to see what God would want to say to them today.

And, thus, many of them, when they hear teaching that is of the Spirit of God, and which reflects the mind of Christ, and which reveals our Lord’s concerns for this generation, they oppose it because it doesn’t fit with their theology or with their traditions or religious practices.

But, we can’t judge what is or is not of the Spirit of God with natural minds and with human thinking and reasoning. For human thinking and reasoning is not always going to make sense of what is of the Spirit of God. Jesus faced this, as did Paul, where they were being judged by human standards and reasoning, and so they were misunderstood and criticized falsely, even though they were walking in obedience to God the Father.

The Mind of Christ

If we are truly in Christ, by God-given faith in him, which submits to his Lordship, forsakes former lives of living for sin, and walks in obedience to our Lord, then we have the mind, the thinking, and the reasoning of God. And, we can know his heart, and we can feel what he feels, and we can know what concerns him, and what he wants shared with others that he knows is of utmost importance.

And, what he is most concerned about are all the lost sheep out there, but not just those who have never made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, but all those who have professed faith in him but who are still living in sin and for self, convinced God’s grace covers all their sins, and that heaven is guaranteed them as their eternal destiny, no matter how badly they sin.

And, so he is sending his willing messengers out into the world to go after these lost sheep with the truth of the gospel of our salvation in order to bring them back to God. And, too, he is sending out his messengers to the church and to the world to expose the fruitless deeds of darkness and false teachings which have captivated people’s hearts and minds, so that he can set them free from believing the lies, and so they will believe the truth which will set them free from their slavery to sin.

And, the truth is that if we want to be saved from our sins and to have eternal life with God, then we must die to sin and we must follow our Lord in obedience to his commands. That is the essence of the gospel of our salvation. No other gospel will do (Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Pet. 2:24).

No other gospel will deliver you from your slavery to sin and will empower you to live for God and for his righteousness. For, the cheap grace substitutes, while promising you freedom, and while promising you heaven when you die, do not put sin to death or follow the Lord in obedience to his will and to his ways (Lu. 9:23-26; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Tit. 2:11-14).

The Ninety and Nine

Lyrics by Elizabeth C. Clephane, 1868

Music by Ira D. Sankey, 1874

There were ninety and nine that safely lay

In the shelter of the fold;

But one was out on the hills away,

Far off from the gates of gold.

Away on the mountains wild and bare;

Away from the tender Shepherd’s care.

“Lord, Thou hast here Thy ninety and nine;

Are they not enough for Thee?”

But the Shepherd made answer: “This of Mine

Has wandered away from Me.

And although the road be rough and steep,

I go to the desert to find My sheep.”

But none of the ransomed ever knew

How deep were the waters crossed;

Nor how dark was the night the Lord passed through

Ere He found His sheep that was lost.

Out in the desert He heard its cry;

’Twas sick and helpless and ready to die.

“Lord, whence are those blood-drops all the way,

That mark out the mountain’s track?”

“They were shed for one who had gone astray

Ere the Shepherd could bring him back.”

“Lord, whence are Thy hands so rent and torn?”

“They’re pierced tonight by many a thorn.”

And all through the mountains, thunder-riv’n,

And up from the rocky steep,

There arose a glad cry to the gate of heav’n,

“Rejoice! I have found My sheep!”

And the angels echoed around the throne,

“Rejoice, for the Lord brings back His own!”

Copyright status is public domain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqRjmVp4cR8

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God Prepared for Us

Without Lofty Speech

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 ESV

“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

In most churches today, it would seem, at least here in America, Paul would probably not be welcome. He wouldn’t even be invited as a guest speaker. Why? Well, for one, the vast majority of today’s church appears to be following a man-made gospel which tickles itching ears, and Paul would definitely not “fit the bill” (be suitable) for that purpose.

And, many of them are looking for pastors who are dynamic speakers who are fun, entertaining, charming, and humorous, who make people laugh, and who don’t make anyone feel uncomfortable about their lifestyles. And, this seems obvious by the number of people who appear to be deserting the smaller conservative church congregations to flock after the Mega Church movement, many of them looking for programs for their children.

But, Paul wasn’t charming. He wasn’t winsome. He probably didn’t have a dynamic personality. He might have even been boring, at times, by human estimation, and longwinded, too. He didn’t dance around subjects. He didn’t play games with people’s minds. He was not manipulative. But, he was a “straight shooter” (an honest and forthright person). And, they aren’t very popular these days. Too many people just want to be entertained.

But, Paul wasn’t concerned about numbers. He wasn’t looking to see how many followers or friends or “likes” he received each day on his blog or on Facebook. He didn’t write for the crowds. He didn’t try to appeal to human flesh in order to draw in large crowds to hear him speak, either. He spoke in the power of the Holy Spirit, and he let God take care of the numbers. He spoke the messages God gave him to preach whether people liked what he had to say or not. For, he was serving God, not men (or women).

Too many preachers, pastors, Bible teachers and bloggers, too, want to please their audience. They want to say what people want to hear. So, they gear what they say around their audience and what they think people want to hear, and so they don’t let the Holy Spirit speak through them, some of them out of fear of being rejected and losing friends, followers, and “likes.” For, if they yield to the Holy Spirit, and they let God speak through them, they fear God may lead them to say something that will get them rejected.

But, we can’t write, teach, preach or speak for the approval of humans. If we are followers of Jesus Christ, and if we are his servants, then we need to let him give us the words to say, and we need to leave the results to him. We have to say what he gives us to say because it may make a difference in someone else’s life with regard to whether they go to heaven or to hell.

Wisdom of God or World?

1 Corinthians 2:6-9 ESV

“Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, “’What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,    nor the heart of man imagined,what God has prepared for those who love him.’”

Paul and the other apostles took seriously their calling of God. It was not unlike the calling of the prophets of old, for they were God’s voice to the people. They were the New Testament being written. They spoke God’s God-breathed words when they were speaking to the people under the power of the Holy Spirit. So, they spoke what God wanted them to say to the people and what the people needed to hear, not necessarily what they wanted to hear.

So, what they taught was not this “feel-good” gospel we hear so much of today. The grace they taught was not a free ride to heaven absent of true repentance and obedience to Christ, either. They were not trying to make people feel good about themselves while they continued in their sinful practices. They taught, not only Christ crucified, but they taught us dead to sin and living to God, too, as necessary for salvation from sin and for eternal life with God (Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; 2 Co. 5:15, 21).

And, that is definitely not the wisdom of this age which is all about self, self-improvement, self-gratification, self-pleasure, and being self-indulgent. It is not the wisdom of this age which is all about making people feel good in their sins and not upsetting anyone, and everyone staying in their “own lane,” so as not to offend anyone with the truth of the gospel.

The wisdom of this age is about tolerance of all people and all walks of life and all different beliefs and religions, too. It is about uniting the people of this world as one voice, breaking down all barriers which divide us as the people of the world. And, that includes breaking down that barrier which says Christian or non-Christian (saved or not saved), too. And, this is leading up to the rule of the beast and the one-world religion, too.

And, what we teach should also be the wisdom that the apostles and Jesus taught. We should be telling people that faith in Jesus Christ is not just a profession of faith or a prayer we prayed or some acknowledgment of Christ. For, we must all die with Christ to sin, and we must all live with Christ to his righteousness if we want to have eternal life with God (Rom. 8:1-17).

God’s Wisdom

God’s wisdom says that if we want to come after Christ, we must deny self and daily take up our cross and follow (obey) Christ. It says that we must leave our lives of sin behind us, and our idols, and that we must now follow our Lord in obedience to his commands. We must say “No!” to ungodliness and fleshly lusts, and we must life self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s return (Lu. 9:23-26; Eph. 4:17-24; Tit. 2:11-14).

For, if we live to the flesh, we will die in our sins, but if we live to the Spirit, we will have eternal life with God (Rom. 2:6-8; Gal. 5:16-21; Gal. 6:7-8).

For, those who love God walk in obedience to him. They are not perfect people. None of us are. But they are walking (in practice, in conduct) according to the Spirit of God, and not according to their sinful flesh. And, they know what God’s word teaches them (us), that we must walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands if we want to have eternal life with God (Jn. 8:51; Jn. 14:23-24; Rom. 6:16; 1 Jn. 2:3-6; 1 Jn. 3:24; 2 Jn. 1:6).

And, what he has prepared for us who love (who obey) him is forgiveness of sins, deliverance from our slavery to sin, and empowerment of the Spirit of God to walk righteously before our God. He has works of the Spirit he has prepared for us to do, too, which he prepared in advance that we should walk in them (Tit. 2:14; Eph. 2:10; Phil. 2:12-13; 2 Tim. 2:21; Jas. 2:17).

He has spiritual gifts for us and assignments within the body of Christ that he intends for us to use and to do for his purposes and glory and in his power and strength and wisdom, too. And, these are to be used for the building up of the body of Christ to maturity in Christ and to unity in the Spirit, so that we will grow up into Christ (Rom. 12; 1 Co. 12; Eph. 4-5).

And, he has a place prepared in heaven for us, too, for when we die.

I’ll Live On

Lyrics and Music by Thomas Laney

’Tis a sweet and glorious tho’t that comes to me,

I’ll live on, yes, I’ll live on;

Jesus saved my soul from death, and now I’m free,

I’ll live on, yes, I’ll live on.

When my body’s slumb’ring in the cold, cold clay,

I’ll live on, yes, I’ll live on;

There to sleep in Jesus till the judgment day,

I’ll live on, yes, I’ll live on.

When the world’s on fire and darkness veils the sun,

I’ll live on, yes, I’ll live on;

Men will cry and to the rocks and mountains run,

I’ll live on, yes, I’ll live on.

In the glory-land, with Jesus on the throne,

I’ll live on, yes, I’ll live on;

Thru eternal ages singing, home, sweet home,

I’ll live on, yes, I’ll live on.

I’ll live on, yes, I’ll live on.

Thru eternity I’ll live on;

I’ll live on, yes, I’ll live on,

Thru eternity I’ll live on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr4bgQZubY8

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But, the Lord Delivered Us

The following is a passage of scripture from the Old Covenant Relationship God had with his people Israel, of that time. Not all of it applies to us today, but much of it does. So, we can still learn from it, and we can glean the New Testament parallels from this passage of scripture, too. For…

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17 NIV).

Fear the Lord God

Deuteronomy 6:13-19 NIV

“Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah. Be sure to keep the commands of the Lord your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you. Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors, thrusting out all your enemies before you, as the Lord said.”

To fear the Lord our God is to treat him with honor, respect, value, submission and obedience to his commands. It is to not take him and his word lightly. It is not to think we can still do whatever we want because we are now under grace. It is to honor him with our conduct, our speech, our attitudes, and in our thinking and believing, too.

We are to serve him only. We are not to serve the gods of this world. We are not to chase after the things of this world – the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life. They are not to be our gods. Our passions, our desires, our gifts, talents, our time, and our thinking, etc. should all be given over to God to serve him and his heavenly kingdom.

Contrary to popular opinion, our God still is a jealous God. He is not okay with us living however we want, to please our sinful flesh, now that we are under his grace, if we are truly under his grace. He saved us and he called us to be a holy people, set apart (unlike, different) from the world and unto him, to live godly lives which are pleasing to him. He died that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us (2 Co. 5:15).

Many who call themselves Christians today are definitely putting the Lord to the test by living in open rebellion against him, thinking that they can mouth a profession of faith in him, but that they can still remain in their sinful practices unhindered, and without guilt, while calling that “grace.”

But, that is not grace, for it still leaves them in bondage to sin, living to please the flesh, and Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He died to put sin to death in our lives, not to cover over it in the sense that we can continue in it and that it no longer matters to God. It still matters to God what we do! He says we must walk in obedience to him if we want to have eternal life with him (Lu. 9:23-26; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Tit. 2:11-14; Rom. 2:6-8; Gal. 6:7-8).

We still have to obey the commandments of the Lord if we want to have eternal life with God. We don’t have to obey all the Old Covenant laws and regulations, but we are not free from having to obey God’s moral laws. Whatever is repeated for us in the New Covenant we must still obey. And, in fact, the Ten Commandments have been explained in quite detail in the New Testament. The only one not repeated in the New Testament is the one about keeping the Jewish Sabbath. We are no longer under that one.

We Were Once Slaves

Deuteronomy 6:20-23 NIV

“In the future, when your son asks you, ‘What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?’ tell him: ‘We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Before our eyes the Lord sent signs and wonders—great and terrible—on Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land he promised on oath to our ancestors.

Amen! We were ONCE slaves to sin. That means it should be past, history. We should no longer be walking in sin, in the darkness, fulfilling the lusts of the flesh, committing adultery, lying, cheating, stealing, and hating others.

For, the meaning of God’s commandments to us, his church, is the same. We were once enslaved to sin, but now, by God’s grace, the Lord brought us out of slavery to sin. He delivered us from our enemy Satan and the power he once held over our lives. And, he gave us new lives in him now to be lived to his righteousness, in his power and strength at work within us.

It is like doing a 180 degree turn. We were once going the way of the flesh, living to please ourselves, doing whatever our sinful hearts desired. But, then the Lord rescued us, and he turned us around so that we would now walk (in conduct, in practice) in the opposite direction, i.e. we were going left, and now we are going right (the way of righteousness and holiness).

This is what it means to be SAVED! We aren’t saved from our sins if all we have is forgiveness of sins, but we are still walking in sin. How is that deliverance? It isn’t! Just like he delivered the children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt and he took them a different direction, toward their Promised Land, he removes us from our slavery to sin, and he takes us toward our Promised Land, which is our eternal life with him in heaven.

And, while we are on the way towards heaven, he guides us, he leads us, he watches over us, he instructs us in his ways, he rebukes and chastises us, he prunes and disciplines us, and he strengthens, empowers and encourages us in our walks of faith with him so that we can remain in freedom from slavery to sin and not return to where we were before.

There are many parallels between the story of the deliverance of Israel out of slavery in Egypt to our deliverance from our bondage to sin. And, the New Testament makes these parallels for us, in particular in the book of Hebrews.

Commanded to Obey

Deuteronomy 6:24-25 NIV

The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness.’”

Amen! And, this applies to us today, because it is taught for us again in the New Testament. It is New Covenant teaching, too. We have to obey all the commands of God given to us under the New Covenant, which includes the teachings of Jesus (Matthew to John) and the teachings of the New Testament apostles (all the books from Acts to Revelation).

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:11-14 NIV).

Saved, Saved  

Words and music by Jack P. Scholfield, 1911

I’ve found a Friend, who is all to me,

His love is ever true;

I love to tell how He lifted me

And what His grace can do for you.

He saves me from every sin and harm,

Secures my soul each day;

I’m leaning strong on His mighty arm;

I know He’ll guide me all the way.

When poor and needy and all alone,

In love He said to me,

“Come unto Me and I’ll lead you home,

To live with Me eternally.”

Saved by His pow’r divine,

Saved to new life sublime!

Life now is sweet and my joy is complete,

For I’m saved, saved, saved!

*Copyright status is at Public Domain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6TW78_1rBM

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Like Breathing

Hear, O Israel

Deuteronomy 6:4 NIV

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”

At the time this was written, who was the Israel being referred to? They were the Jews, who were God’s chosen people at that time in history.

To apply this to today, who would this be talking to? It is not the physical nation of Israel. It is not the Jews. It is those who have trusted in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of their lives. We are the Israel of God today. We alone are God’s chosen people. We are the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, the Jerusalem that is from above. We alone are the children of the Promise God gave to Abraham. We alone are the children of Abraham, not those who are merely physical descendants of Abraham.

And, this is not my opinion, and it is not some replacement theology, either, and I am not going to debate this, either. It is what the Word of God teaches. Those who don’t believe in Jesus Christ, who deny him, are antichrist. Those who don’t believe in Jesus Christ, in fact, don’t believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, because they don’t believe in God – Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit – three persons in one God, the one and only true God.

Through Jesus Christ’s death on a cross, he destroyed the barrier that stood between Jew and Gentile and he made them one person in Christ. So, we are no longer divided Jew and Gentile. Now we are Christian or non-Christian. And, all Jews who don’t believe in Jesus are no different from their Arab neighbors who don’t believe in Jesus. They are the same to God, for they are still in slavery to their sin. Only we are from the free woman.

[See: Rom. 9:6b-8; Gal. 3:10-29; Gal. 4:22-31; Eph. 2:14-18; 1 Jn. 2:22]

And, I am telling you this because there are many people out there who are Judaizers today who are trying to persuade Christians to adopt some of the ways of the Jews, or to raise the Jews up to some superior status with God, almost as though they are to be worshiped. They are convincing many that adopting some Jewish ways will draw them closer to God. But, the Jews, as a nation, don’t worship the God of Christians. They have their own god.

And, they are pushing Christians to support them and to believe they are still God’s chosen people, but they aren’t, unless they believe in Jesus. They are not the persecuted ones. Satan is not against the Jews. He is against true followers of Jesus Christ, which is why we are the persecuted ones.

So, don’t get caught up in this movement that is trying to reintroduce what the Judaizers of Paul’s day did, which is what he is addressing in most of these scriptures here. For, that is what was happening then, which is happening now, too. We don’t need to be like the Jews. We need to be like Jesus!!

With All Your Heart

Deuteronomy 6:5 NIV

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

So, we, the Israel of God, the Children of Promise, are to love God – Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit – with all our heart, soul and strength.

And, this is not a blah, blah, blah. This is not something we can just read over and say, “Fine.” This is not something to take lightly or glibly. We need to examine what this means, and we need to take it to heart, and then we need to apply it to our walks of faith in Christ on a daily basis.

For one, to love God, scriptures teach, is to obey God. If we don’t obey God and his commandments (New Testament), we don’t love him, we don’t know him, he doesn’t know us, and we don’t have eternal life with God (Jn. 8:51; Jn. 14:23-24; Rom. 6:16; Heb. 5:9; 1 Jn. 2:3-6; 1 Jn. 5:3; 2 Jn. 1:6).

So, this means we need to obey God with all our heart, soul and strength. So, this means that we need to obey God with every fiber of our being 24 hours a day 7 days a week in every situation, and in every circumstance. We don’t get an out. There are no excuses for disobedience. We don’t get to pick and choose what or what not we will obey. We need to obey it all.

So, does this mean that we have to live in sinless perfection? No! Scripture teaches us that we have to walk (in practice, in habit) according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh, and that we daily die to sin. But, lack of perfection should never be used as an excuse for continuing to make sin our practice (See: Lu. 9:23-26; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Tit. 2:11-14.)

Jesus died that we might die with him to sin and live with him to his righteousness. He died that we might no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave his life up for us. He didn’t die just to forgive us our sins, but he died to deliver us out of our slavery to sin and to empower us to walk in his holiness (1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15; Eph. 4:17-24; Rom. 6:1-23).

These Commandments

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 NIV

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.”

So, what commandments are we required to obey today? From my study of the New Testament scriptures, it appears to me that we have to obey all the ten commandments, with the exception of one. We don’t have to follow the Jewish Sabbath, for now our salvation is our Sabbath rest. Now we have Jesus living within us in the person of the Holy Spirit, and we are the temple of God, so we can worship God any day, anytime, anywhere.

But, the New Testament actually expands on the description of these commandments with much more detail than we have written down for us in the Ten Commandments. And, Jesus summarized God’s commandments in two, the first being to love God with our whole heart, soul and mind, and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

But, this word “love” is not based in feelings or in the flesh of man. This word is “agape” love, which means to prefer what God prefers, which is what is holy, righteous, pure, honest, trustworthy, kind, moral, and upright. So, this means we love others as we love ourselves with a pure love that is honest, trustworthy, faithful and kind, etc. So, if we love with this love, we won’t lie to, cheat on, commit adultery against, steal from or slander our neighbors, which is all people. And, we won’t do this to God, either.

So, just like we are to love and obey God fully (see previous section), his commandments are to be fully entrenched in every aspect of our lives. Tying them as symbols on our hands, though, is not just something physical. It is binding them to our deeds, our conduct, and our attitudes. And, binding them on our foreheads is also not just something physical, but it has to do with them being implanted in our minds via the study of God’s Word and via the practice of God’s Word in our daily lives.

And impressing them on our children is not just reading them to them or lecturing them in them, but it is living them before our children so that they can see the reality of them in our lives. And, then we need to also read them and teach them to our children in all practicality to their daily lives.

And, lastly, the Word of God should be so much a part of our lives that we just naturally talk about what God’s Word teaches us at home, or out and about going places, and when we get up in the morning, and throughout the day, and when we go to bed at night. God’s Word should be central to everything we do in this life, and we should never be ashamed of it, either. But, we should live it always, like breathing in and breathing out.

Nearer, Still Nearer

Lyrics and Music by Lelia N. Morris, pub. 1898

Nearer, still nearer, close to Thy heart,

Draw me, my Savior—so precious Thou art!

Fold me, oh, fold me close to Thy breast;

Shelter me safe in that “haven of rest.”

Nearer, still nearer, nothing I bring,

Naught as an off’ring to Jesus, my King;

Only my sinful, now contrite heart,

Grant me the cleansing Thy blood doth impart.

Nearer, still nearer, Lord, to be Thine!

Sin, with its follies, I gladly resign,

All of its pleasures, pomp and its pride,

Give me but Jesus, my Lord crucified.

Nearer, still nearer, while life shall last,

Till safe in glory my anchor is cast;

Through endless ages ever to be

Nearer, my Savior, still nearer to Thee!

Copyright status is public domain

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