In This Crazy World

An Original Work / March 11, 2020

In this crazy world of ours,

With emotions flying high,

With fear mongers at their worst

Blowing everything sky high,

Can we trust in what they say?

Do their words even make sense?

Is it logical to say

That a few is an event?

An agenda, do they have?

Is it clear to you right now?

That the purpose of it all –

To the beast that we should bow?

So discerning we must be.

Must not buy into everything.

The deceiver has his tricks,

That we might bow to him as king.

God gave us all our minds,

And we need to put to use

In discerning all the lies,

And in seeing the abuse.

They want us all to be afraid.

So to capture us, they will,

If we all don’t use our brains,

And we swallow every pill.

So, turn off the television,

And the media, alike,

And spend time with your Lord

Asking him what’s up with life.

Pray he gives you much discernment,

And the knowledge of his will,

To not buy into every story

That comes to us from The Hill.

For, the book of Revelation

Foretold this long ago,

That a beast would rise and take us

Where we do not want to go.

So, we must, we must resist him,

And not buy into his lies,

So he does not overtake us

And we get a huge surprise.

We must follow Jesus, Savior,

Where’er he leads to go,

And the Word of God He’s given,

We must truly, truly know.

For there is a great deceiver

Who is up to all his tricks,

And he wants to capture Christians

With his lies, so no one flicks.

So, take time to sit and listen

To the Lord and what he says

About our present circumstances

And then rest in him, instead.

Let the Word of God fill up you

With his promises, for sure,

And the peace of God o’ertake you,

So you don’t bite the “worry lure.”

Escaped from Corruption

2 Peter 1:1-2 ESV

“Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, “To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: “May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.”

This epistle was written to those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with that of the apostles – a faith which is by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ, not by our own righteousness, of our own flesh. And, yet it isn’t absent of works. For, as God’s workmanship, we were created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared in advance that we should walk in them (Eph. 2:8-10; Tit. 2:14; Rom. 2:6-8; 2 Co. 9:8).

So, what exactly does that faith look like? This is God-given faith, and it is God-persuaded faith. It is of God and for God and for his glory and praise. Thus, it submits to Christ as Lord, it leaves our sinful lifestyles behind us, and it follows our Lord in obedience to his commands (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; 1 Jn. 2:3-6).

2 Peter 1:3-4 ESV

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”

A lot of people these days are claiming faith in Jesus Christ, and thus they are also claiming for themselves all of God’s promises to his people, i.e. to those who have that faith of equal standing with that of the NT Apostles. And, this is why you hear them claiming who they are in Christ. But, the promises of God are conditional. They are not unqualified (unrestricted).

First of all, the “us” here is not everyone who says they believe in Jesus Christ. James (of the Bible) said that even the demons believe, and they shudder, but they are not saved from their sins. So, belief in Jesus is not a mere acknowledgment of him. It is death to sin and living to righteousness.

So, who are the recipients of his precious promises? They are the “us” to whom God has granted all things that pertain to life (in Christ) and godliness. Believing in Jesus Christ means we now have the life of the Spirit of God living within us, who is living the life of Christ out through us, as we submit to his Lordship. And, that life is a life of godliness, not of wickedness.

They are the “us” whom God has called to his own glory and excellence. This means that we, as believers in Jesus, are called to live lives which are to the praise of God, for his glory and honor, and which are holy, godly, upright, pure, faithful and honest, etc. – all in the strength and power of God at work within our lives, as we cooperate fully with God’s work of grace.

And, what is the object or the purpose of these great and precious promises? It is that through them, through the things he promised us, we might become partakers of the divine nature, “having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”

So, the promises of God to all who believe in him are not to be thrown around as some badge we wear that we can use to comfort ourselves when we are living in open rebellion against God in willful, habitual, and often premeditated sin against Almighty God. And, they are not to be taken out of context and broadly applied to anyone who says they believe in Jesus.

The whole purpose of Jesus dying on that cross was not just so we can escape hell and go to heaven when we die. His purpose in dying for us was that we might die with him to sin and live with him to righteousness. It was that we would no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us, and that we might now honor God with our lives, as His possession.

He saved us out of the pit of sin and darkness. He delivered us up out of our slavery to sin so that we would no longer be entangled by it. He transformed us in heart and mind away from living to sin and self to now living for him and his righteousness. But, this is not of ourselves. This can only be done through Jesus Christ, by God’s grace. But, we have to yield to our Lord, and we have to forsake sin and follow Jesus in obedience (Ephesians 4:17-24).

2 Peter 1:5-8 ESV

“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Okay, so this is obviously not works-based salvation. This is not us adding works on to our faith. This is us, as God’s workmanship, walking in the works that he created for us to do all along, as part of our relationships with him, and as part of our walks of faith with him.

These are not the works of our own flesh, but the works of the Holy Spirit. So, they are given by God and empowered by God, but we still have to put them into practice in our lives. We still have to do them, but as we yield control of our lives over to our Lord, and as we walk in obedience to him.

These qualities listed here are really the fruit of lives which are committed to Christ, and they are part of our process of maturing in Christ in our walks of faith with him. The more we get to know the Lord through the study of His Word, and through obedience to what he teaches us, the more we want to be like him and to walk in his footsteps. And, so we will grow in him, by him.

2 Peter 1:9-11 ESV

“For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

But, our walks of faith in Jesus Christ, and us growing to maturity in Christ, becoming more like him, are not optional. It is not merely recommended or suggested that now that we are “saved,” that we are “supposed to” also grow to maturity, as though we can be “saved” for any length of time and not grow in our walks of faith.

The Bible is real clear on this subject. It is those who are walking according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh for whom the righteous requirement of the law is fully met. If we want to have eternal life with God, we must walk (in lifestyle) according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh. For, if we walk according to the flesh, we will die in our sins (Lu. 9:23-26; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Gal. 5:16-21; Eph. 5:3-6).

So, this is why there is a caution here to all those who profess faith in Jesus Christ. If all we did was “get saved,” and now we think heaven is guaranteed us, but we think that spiritual growth and development is optional, we need to think again. That is not what the scriptures teach. So, we need to know what the scriptures teach on this subject, for we are all going to be judged one day on the basis of whether or not we bore fruit in keeping with repentance (Gal. 6:7-8; Rom. 2:6-8; John 15).

So, we need to be diligent to confirm our calling, and it isn’t by reading off a list of “Who I am in Christ,” for you may not even be “in Christ” if you did not surrender your life to him, and if you did not forsake your former life of sin, and if you are not walking in his ways according to the Spirit of God.

So, know what the scriptures teach regarding your salvation. But, don’t cherry pick the scriptures you like which tell you what your itching ears want to hear. Read the New Testament book by book, chapter by chapter, and verse by verse, IN CONTEXT, praying and asking the Lord Jesus to show you his plan of salvation for us humans, and then follow what He says.

Soldiers of Christ Arise  

Lyrics by Charles Wesley, pub. 1741

Soldiers of Christ, arise, and put your armor on,

Strong in the strength which God supplies, through His Eternal Son.

Strong in the Lord of Hosts, and in His mighty power,

Who in the strength of Jesus trusts is more than conqueror.

Stand then in His great might, with all His strength endued,

But take, to arm you for the fight, the panoply of God;

That, having all things done, and all your conflicts passed,

Ye may o’ercome through Christ alone and stand entire at last.

Leave no unguarded place, no weakness of the soul;

Take every virtue, every grace, and fortify the whole.

From strength to strength go on; wrestle, and fight, and pray;

Tread all the powers of darkness down and win the well-fought day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44GUiMdFApA

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A Trumpet Call

Deuteronomy 7:1-2 ESV

“When the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and mightier than you, and when the Lord your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them.”

The land that we are going in to possess, as followers of Christ, and as God’s children today, is our eternal home with God in glory. And, the enemies which God has cleared away for us, so that we can have eternal life with God, are Satan, sin and the flesh.

Jesus, God the Son, did this by becoming sin for us on that cross so that we might become the righteousness of God.

For, in Jesus’ death on the cross, his blood bought us back for God that we might become his possession, and that we might now honor God with our lives. On that cross he died that we might die with him to sin and live with him to his righteousness, and that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us (1 Co. 6:20; 2 Co. 5:15, 21; 1 Pet. 2:24).

And, by God-given faith in Jesus Christ, which submits to Christ as Lord, and which leaves our lives of sin behind us, and which follows our Lord in obedience to his commands, we enter into relationship with Almighty God, and we are delivered out of our bondage (slavery, addiction) to sin. And, we are now empowered of God to live holy lives, pleasing to God.

But, it isn’t over. Our faith in Jesus is not a one-time experience and then one day we die and go to heaven. We must daily defeat our enemies. Daily we must die to sin and self and walk in obedience to our Lord. Daily we must put on the armor of God with which to fight off Satan’s evil attacks against us. And, daily we must feed on the Word of God and do what it says.

And, we must make no compromises with the devil, with sin and the flesh. We can’t get slack now that we are “saved,” if indeed we are. We must devote ourselves to completely destroying our enemies (Satan, sin and the flesh), by the Spirit of God, in daily putting sin to death in the power of God. For, if we walk according to the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

Deuteronomy 7:3-5 ESV

“You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly. But thus shall you deal with them: you shall break down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and chop down their Asherim and burn their carved images with fire.”

We are not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. We who are followers of Jesus Christ are not to marry unbelievers. But, this is where it gets tricky.

At least here in America far too many people claim to be Christians who are Christian in name only, but not in practice. And, God’s standards for what constitutes a follower of Jesus have been so broadened, that the narrow road that few travel has now been turned into a broad road for the masses.

So, this calls for much spiritual discernment. But, we need to make certain that we really are “in Christ” by faith in him, for there is a cheap grace gospel which is permeating the church that has reduced our Lord’s gospel of grace to a “free for all” where there are no rules, and no boundary lines, but just freedom and permission to keep on living in sin without guilt.

So, make sure you are “in Christ.” Read these scriptures in context that talk about our salvation from sin and eternal life with God (Lu. 9:23-26; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9, to begin with).

But, this isn’t just about believers marrying unbelievers. This is about Christians uniting themselves with the unbelieving world, and thus handing their children over to the unbelieving world to raise them via smart phones, video games, the internet, TV, Netflix, YouTube, ungodly books, and the like. And, this is like sacrificing your children at the altar of a false god. So, God is saying that we need to put these “false gods” to death.

And, I am not saying that all of these things listed here are all bad, for I am obviously on the internet writing devotions, and I obviously use YouTube to share Christian songs and hymns. But we need to be spiritually discerning, especially with regard to our children. We need to be diligent to protect their young minds and hearts from the evils of this world, as much as possible.

But, we should definitely not use these things as babysitters for our children, especially unattended by a discerning adult who will use godly discretion regarding what their children take into their minds and hearts.

Deuteronomy 7:6-8 ESV

“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”

We don’t become Christians just so we can escape hell, and just so we can go to heaven when we die. Both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, God’s people, who are now followers of Jesus, are called to be holy, set apart (separate, different) from the world, and set apart unto God and to his service.

Thus, we are to leave our lives of sin behind us, and we are to follow our Lord Jesus in surrender and in obedience to his commands (Eph. 4:17-24).

But, we don’t do this to earn or to deserve our salvation. We are not saved from sin because of our works done in the flesh. We can do nothing in ourselves to be worthy of God and of his salvation. We are saved only by God’s grace, because of God’s love for us, and by God-given faith in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:8-10).

But, his grace instructs us to say “No” to ungodliness and to live godly and upright lives. And, the faith to believe in him is divinely persuaded as to Christ’s righteousness and holiness and of our need to forsake our lives of sin to follow our Lord in his truth and according to his ways.

So, his grace is not freedom to keep on sinning without guilt, but his grace delivers us out of our slavery to sin and it empowers us to live righteously before God (Tit. 2:11-14; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9).

For, we weren’t chosen by God just so we could escape hell and go to heaven when we die. We were chosen by God to be his possession and for him to be our Lord (owner-master) and for us to now be slaves of his righteousness. For, Jesus didn’t die just to forgive us our sins, but he died to transform us and to make us like him; to conform us to his likeness in true righteousness and holiness.

For, God loves us, and he wants what is best for us, i.e. what is for our good, as God defines good. So, like a loving father, he is not handing us over to the world to babysit us, either. So, he watches over our ways, and he counsels us in the way we should go, and he warns us of danger, and he sends messengers to turn our hearts away from the world and to God. And, that is because he doesn’t want us destroyed by the world of sin, too.

He Gave Me a Song

Songwriter: Alton Howard

He took my burdens all away, up to a brighter day…

Brighter the way grows ev’ry day, walking the heav’nly way…

I am redeemed no more to die, never to say goodbye…

He gave me a song, to sing about

He lifted me from sin and doubt

O, praise His name, He is my King

A wonderful song He is to me

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

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Have Unity of Mind

1 Peter 3:8-9 ESV

“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.”

We, as followers of Jesus, are to have unity of mind with one another, but that is not unity of human minds, but the mind of Christ. And, it is critical that we know the difference, because “unity” is being stressed much within today’s market-driven and flesh-driven church, but that is unity with man, and with human marketing schemes and business goals and plans. And, it is often unity with a half-truth watered-down gospel of men, too.

So, the unity we are to have with one another, as followers of Jesus, is unity of the mind of Christ. And, so we need to learn to know the mind of Christ. Yet, we are not going to learn it unless we are bathing our minds and hearts with the Word of God (IN CONTEXT), and unless we are following our Lord in obedience to his Word, and unless we are listening to what He says.

And, we are not going to know the mind of Christ, too, if we are, instead, bathing our minds and hearts with the words of men, and with business marketing schemes, and with worldly philosophy; or if we are filling our minds and hearts with the pleasures and passions of our sinful flesh and of this sinful world.

Yet, if we have unity of mind and heart with our Lord Jesus, then all else flows from that. For, we will also be likeminded with Christ in our love for others, in our emotions and sympathies towards others, and in our humbleness of mind and heart.

But, we will also have the passions of Christ, and his concerns, and his burdens for the hearts of men and women. And, we will learn, too, to love (prefer, be passionate about) what he loves, and to hate what he hates.

And, Jesus loves purity of devotion to him, faithfulness, holiness, righteousness, morality, decency, uprightness, kindness, thoughtfulness, tenderness of heart, humility, submission to him as Lord, and walks of obedience to his commands. And, these things, too, we should love (embrace, prefer, seek after, long for).

And Jesus, i.e. God, hates wickedness, evil, lies, adultery, sexual immorality, deceit, cheating, stealing, murder, hatred, violence, gossip and anything that willfully hurts others and that causes them damage and harm.

Yet, although we are to hate wickedness, and thus we should not participate in it at any level, as a matter of life course, especially, we are to love those who do evil against us. We are to pray for them, do good to them, and bless them. We are to do to them or for them what is physically, morally, and spiritually beneficial to them, which is for their well-being (for their welfare).

1 Peter 3:10-12 ESV

For “Whoever desires to love life    and see good days,let him keep his tongue from evil    and his lips from speaking deceit;let him turn away from evil and do good;    let him seek peace and pursue it.For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,    and his ears are open to their prayer.But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

This “love” of life is not the selfish kind of what is called “love,” but is really “lust.” It is not a hunger after the things of the flesh or of this sinful world. This will (desire) to love life has to do with agape love, which is God-like love which prefers what God prefers. It prefers, and it seeks after, and it takes pleasure in what is of God, not of the flesh of man (of humans).

So, it prefers to live life through Christ, and it embraces his will for our lives, and it chooses what he chooses, and it obeys his commands through His power and strength. And, what God prefers is what is holy, righteous, pure, just, moral, upright, godly, faithful and kind and loving.

And, life is not just physical life on this earth, or the abundant life that we have through faith in Jesus Christ, but it is eternal life with God, too. And, it is the life of the Spirit of God living within us, and it is life with purpose, direction, and the peace of God in our lives. For, it is not life absent of God, but it is life sustained by God.

Thus, if we want to have this life in the Spirit of God, which is a life of fulfillment in our Lord Jesus, and which results in life everlasting with God, then we need to (must) turn away from evil and do good. We must forsake our former lives of living for sin and self, we must be transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God, and we absolutely have to walk with our Lord in obedience to his commands.

And, the peace we must pursue is not the kind of peace the world goes after, but it is peace with God. And, it is critical we understand this, too, for “peace” and “unity” are buzz words that are being thrown around a lot these days in the market-driven church and within governments of nations. But, our unity and our peace must be with God, first and foremost. And, what unity or what peace we have with others has to coincide with our peace and unity with God, i.e. we make no compromises with the world of sin.

And, we must understand here, too, that our Lord did not die on that cross just to forgive us our sins and so that we could continue in sin unhindered and without guilt or remorse. The Lord is against those who choose to do evil. He is not on your side if you are living in sin in willful rebellion against him. He is not your best buddy. He is against you, not for you. And, if you continue on a sinful course, you will not be with him for eternity, either.

1 Peter 3:13-18 ESV

Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.

So, we need to stay on a steady course with our Lord Jesus, in death to sin, and in living to righteousness, in his power and strength. We need to remain steadfast in spirit in following our Lord in obedience to his commands, even in the face of all opposition – even in the face of much persecution, even coming from the church and from others who profess faith in Jesus Christ.

And, we must always be prepared to give a defense for our faith in Jesus Christ, and for why we believe the way that we do. But, we must not be argumentative with people in the sense of getting into fights with them over doctrine or over differences in beliefs and practices. That serves no good purpose, but only harms the cause of Christ. Too many Christians are fighting among themselves and out in the public eye, too, particularly on social media, including on Christian-based websites. And, that is wrong!

Jesus is our example for how we are to respond to unjust suffering at the hands of those who are against us. And, his example expands far beyond the moments before his death when he was silent, for he wasn’t even silent the whole time he was being falsely accused, falsely put on trial, and beaten mercilessly. And, he wasn’t silent in the face of false accusations during his life of ministry, either. But, he spoke the truth in love consistently.

So, don’t buy into the lies which tell you that silence is somehow godly. God didn’t call us to be silent. He did call us to be godly in how we deal with opposition, and there may be moments when silence is the best option, but we are to keep on sharing our faith and speaking against the lies, and we are to keep on teaching the truth, even in the face of death. But, when we speak the truth, it needs to be in “love.”

But, love means to prefer what God prefers, so love is not some mushy gushy feeling that compromises faith and conviction in order to make others feel good about themselves in their sins and that never confronts sin or calls for repentance and walks of obedience with Christ.

True love cares more about the salvation of human lives than it does about people liking us. And, Jesus is the epitome of true love, for he gave his life up for us on that cross so that we would be delivered out of our slavery to sin, and so that we could live holy and godly lives, pleasing to him. And, this is how we are to love others, too.

Footprints of Jesus

Lyrics by Mary B. Slade, pub. 1871

Music by Asa B. Everett

Sweetly, Lord, have we heard Thee calling,

Come, follow Me!

And we see where Thy footprints falling

Lead us to Thee.

Though they lead o’er the cold, dark mountains,

Seeking His sheep;

Or along by Siloam’s fountains,

Helping the weak.

If they lead through the temple holy,

Preaching the Word;

Or in homes of the poor and lowly,

Serving the Lord.

Though, dear Lord, in Thy pathway keeping,

We follow Thee;

Through the gloom of that place of weeping,

Gethsemane!

Then, at last, when on high He sees us,

Our journey done,

We will rest where the steps of Jesus

End at His throne.

Footprints of Jesus,

That make the pathway glow;

We will follow the steps of Jesus

Where’er they go.

Copyright status is public domain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug0g048Nqes

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He Satisfies the Longing Soul

Psalm 107:4-9 ESV

“Some wandered in desert wastes,

    finding no way to a city to dwell in;

hungry and thirsty,

    their soul fainted within them.

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,

    and he delivered them from their distress.

He led them by a straight way

    till they reached a city to dwell in.

Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,

    for his wondrous works to the children of man!

For he satisfies the longing soul,

    and the hungry soul he fills with good things.”

As human beings, we have an innate hunger and thirst to love and to be loved. We are born into sin in this world, too, and thus we come up short of attaining God’s righteousness and his divine approval. So, we also have a God-void within us that can only be filled by God via genuine faith in Jesus Christ, in death to sin, and in living to righteousness in the power of God.

But, even though God has revealed himself to all humankind through his created works, human beings, in their sin nature, end up suppressing the truth about God by their unrighteousness. And, thus they are without excuse. For, it isn’t that they don’t know about God and his divine character and will, but it is that they refuse to obey what they do know. So, God gave them over to the lusts of their flesh (Romans 1:18-32).

So, they end up wandering in their sin, trying to fill that God-void in their hearts and lives with the things and the pleasures of this world, and with the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life. But, only to come up empty, still hungering and thirsting for anything to fill that void. But, nothing but God can fill that void and satisfy the true hunger of their hearts and souls.

So, for those who finally come to this realization, that only God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – can truly and fully satisfy that hunger and thirst within their souls, they end up crying out to the Lord in their distress. And, God hears them, and he delivers the penitent from their slavery to sin. And, then he leads them by a straight way, i.e. by the way of holiness (Eph. 4:17-24).

And, those he has truly delivered from their bondage to sin, and they are now walking in that freedom, they are grateful to God for not only setting them free from sin, but for satisfying the deep longings of their souls with good things, i.e. with the good things of God and of his righteousness and holiness. Herein true joy is found!

Psalm 107:10-16 ESV

“Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,

    prisoners in affliction and in irons,

for they had rebelled against the words of God,

    and spurned the counsel of the Most High.

So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor;

    they fell down, with none to help.

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,

    and he delivered them from their distress.

He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,

    and burst their bonds apart.

Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,

    for his wondrous works to the children of man!

For he shatters the doors of bronze

    and cuts in two the bars of iron.”

To sit in darkness means to situate yourself on a sinful course. And, that means that you are still in bondage (in chains) to sin. You may think you are free to live however you want, but that isn’t freedom. You are still in chains because you rebelled against God and his moral laws, and against his divine will and purpose for your life.

So, you are still weighed down with sin, which is a heavy burden to carry. And, so you end up struggling in the flesh, trying to satisfy the deep longings of your souls with other gods of this world, and with sinful pleasures. But, nothing helps. Nothing truly satisfies. For, nothing and no one but God can fill that void in your life.

So, if this is where you are, God is calling out to you to cry out to him for deliverance. And, he will deliver you out of your darkness. And, he will bring you into his wonderful light (Jesus Christ, truth, and righteousness). And, he will break away your chains so that you will now be able to walk in freedom from slavery, and so you will now be able to obey the Lord with your life.

And, when he delivers you out of your darkness, and he breaks the chains that bind you, and you truly know freedom from that slavery, thank the Lord for his steadfast love. For, he waited patiently for you to come to repentance, to leave your life of sin behind you, and to now follow him in a walk of obedience to his commands and in intimate fellowship with God.

Psalm 107:17-22 ESV

“Some were fools through their sinful ways,

    and because of their iniquities suffered affliction;

they loathed any kind of food,

    and they drew near to the gates of death.

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,

    and he delivered them from their distress.

He sent out his word and healed them,

    and delivered them from their destruction.

Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,

    for his wondrous works to the children of man!

And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,

    and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!”

Many people reject the Lord Jesus in favor of “other gods,” or “other lovers.” Perhaps outwardly they don’t. They may profess faith in Jesus Christ. But, by their lifestyles they deny him.

For, they choose their idols over God, and over spouse and family sometimes, too. And, this is because they like how these idols make them feel inside. But, feelings come and feelings go, and feelings can be so deceiving. Many people, in following their feelings, thus, end up in hell, not in heaven. And, that is because they followed the way of the flesh.

Many people, in seeking to satisfy the hungers of their hearts and souls go all the wrong places to try to fill that void. So, they end up in extramarital romantic and/or sexual affairs. Or, they end up being addicted to porn. Or, they may find themselves married to their jobs, or addicted to entertainment. Or, their “other love” may be technology, and so they give their hearts and their time, money, and passion to technology.

Their true idol, though, is themselves and their own self-pleasure. And, so they pursue their idol(s) no matter the cost to their marriages, to their families, and perhaps even to their careers.

And, for those who profess to be Christians, it costs them their relationships with the Lord, their communion with God, their fellowship in the Spirit, and the fruit of obedience. And, if they remain on a sinful course and do not repent, it will cost them their lives.

Those who let their flesh rule their lives and lead them into a sinful course, though, are allowing themselves to be intoxicated by the flesh rather than living under the control of the Holy Spirit.

And, it will lead them down a dangerous path. Often it will end up badly, too, with broken marriage vows and marriages, split families, ruined reputations, loss of jobs, or perhaps even imprisonment for doing what is truly stupid and depraved.

The lusts of the flesh and the pride of life have so overtaken this person’s mind that he no longer makes rational decisions, but he is led by his sensual desires, instead. But, no matter how “good” it may feel at the time, it will come back to bite whoever follows this path in the end.

The Good News!

But, the good news here is that there is still hope, if they will call out to God, will humble themselves before God, repent of sin, confess where confession is required, and turn from their wicked ways to follow the Lord in obedience.

For, there is healing for the sin-sick soul. There is forgiveness for the penitent. And, God will restore them and give them a new lease on life if they will only call on him in truth and in repentance.

And, for those who have gone down this path of wickedness, when they truly repent, and God sets them free, they will not be able to hold back the praise to God for what the Lord did in their hearts in lives in delivering them from the pit of hell. They will rejoice in God for his steadfast love for them, and that he didn’t give up on them, but was loving and patient with them, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

But, please don’t take God’s love and grace for granted. Don’t assume you have all the time in the world to change your life course and to surrender your all to the Lord Jesus. You may not.

And, don’t waste the rest of your life, too, following after your flesh, destroying your own life and other lives, too, because of your selfishness. You may get to heaven one day if you do repent, but you will have wasted your life on what will be burned up.

So, give your life completely to Jesus while there is still time. And, let the joy of the Lord be your strength, comfort, and help, rather than continue to rely on your own strength, which will fail you, and which will never satisfy the deep longings of your soul, but which will always leave you empty.  

The Joy of the Lord

Twila Paris

The joy of the Lord will be my strength

I will not falter, I will not faint

He is my Shepherd, I am not afraid…

The joy of the Lord will be my strength

He will uphold me all of my days

I am surrounded by mercy and grace

And the joy of the Lord is my strength…

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It's For Your Comfort

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 ESV

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.”

These words here are for the church, the body of Christ. It is for those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of their lives via dying with Christ to sin that they might live with Christ to his righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24).

When we go through life’s difficulties, and we are troubled in our spirits over situations in our lives which are beyond our control, our Lord is our strength and our comfort to carry us through these times. He reminds us that he is still God, that he is still on the throne, that he is in control, and that he is still completely sovereign over all that he has made, so we are not to fear.

And, so he comforts us with his love and grace, with many assurances of his promises, with the Word of God, with correction, too, and with the truth, in opposition to Satan’s lies. He comforts us, too, with the knowledge that our lives are in his hands, and that he will give us everything we need to get through this, so that we are able to come out shining like gold in the end.

And, sometimes he comforts us through other believers in Jesus Christ, too. But, I have to admit that fellow Christians are not always very comforting, and sometimes they are the problem rather than being a help to us. So, we can’t put our dependency in other people. Our dependency has to always be in the Lord. But, when he does send us fellow likeminded believers our way, who are the Lord’s comforters, it is awesome!!

A Word of Caution

But, let me add here a word of caution. To comfort others is not simply to give them a pat on the back and to tell them that everything is going to be okay. It might not be okay. More trouble may be coming their way, in fact. So, it is never comforting to lie to people or to give them false hopes.

And, we must also be careful that we don’t give the Lord’s comforts to all who profess the name of Jesus but who may be living in gross, willful and habitual sin against God. For, God’s promises are conditional. We have to believe in him. We have to turn from our sins. We have to obey him, etc.

Also, I must warn against comforting a Christian that a loved one of theirs who has passed from this life is in heaven, and that they are going to see him or her again one day. For, we can’t see inside people’s hearts. We don’t know who really knows Jesus and who doesn’t. We don’t know if people who rejected Jesus most of their lives made death bed decisions to trust him, either.

But, there are evidences the Bible gives us as to how someone should live if he is a true follower of Jesus, so we can know to some extent if this person’s lifestyle met that criteria. But, just be careful about giving people false hope, for that is not comforting at all. Not all “good” people are going to heaven, either. Few walk that narrow path that leads to eternal life with God, the scriptures teach. But, many follow the broad path to destruction.

So, if you want to truly comfort someone, make certain what you are telling them is the truth, and make certain what you are telling them truly applies to them. And, please know that comfort is not just making people feel good about themselves. It is speaking the truth in love to them, too. It is teaching them the ways of righteousness, and it is sharing with them what the scriptures teach, too, especially with regard to suffering.

For, this word “comfort” here is about a “holy urging.” It is a personal exhortation to walk in holiness with God. It is to motivate and to inspire believers in Jesus to carry out God’s divine plan for their lives. So, this “comfort” can include delivering God’s messages to people, exhorting, warning, and urging them to walk in a manner worthy of God (1).

2 Corinthians 1:8-11 ESV

“For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.”

Suffering is for our good. Righteous people suffer. And, sometimes it appears as though the wicked have no sufferings at all. But, don’t envy them. For, it is good for us to suffer, for in our sufferings we learn to depend on God and not on ourselves, and not on other people. And, we mature in our walks of faith when we respond correctly to suffering, as well. For, through suffering God is conforming us to his likeness and he is making us holy.

And, understand here, too, that “deliverance” isn’t always an escape from suffering, but it has to do with deliverance from the ill effects which might be related to suffering, such as discouragement, fear, doubt, and depression. So, deliverance can be more in the area of strengthening, encouraging, empowering, giving courage, and giving hope to us in our suffering so that we are not only able to endure, but to be stronger in our faith because of it.

So, suffering is not our enemy. And, absence of suffering is not to be taught that it is to be expected if we are walking by faith, either. In fact, Jesus talked much about how we, if we follow him, will suffer as he suffered.

2 Corinthians 1:12-14 ESV

“For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you. For we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and understand and I hope you will fully understand— just as you did partially understand us—that on the day of our Lord Jesus you will boast of us as we will boast of you.”

Through suffering we should maintain our integrity, our faith, our composure, and our walks according to the Spirit. And, we should not return to walking according to the flesh just because life got really hard.

We must realize, too, that suffering tests our faith to see if it is genuine. And, the world is watching us, too, to see how we react to our suffering, and if we retain our testimonies for Jesus Christ when life’s circumstances all of a sudden turn on us.

And, watch out for the little stuff. I think sometimes we prepare ourselves for the big stuff, and there we don’t fail, but we are not prepared for those little things that sneak in unnoticed and that get us before we realize it. So, we need to be on guard for the little stuff, too, and be ready to react with grace, for Satan is hard at work trying to take us out any which way he can.

But, if we are going to survive what is now upon us in this world of ours, and in the days to come, as things in this world get increasingly evil and crazier, we have to be surrendered to Jesus Christ. We have to be walking in his way and in his truth. We have to put out of our lives anything which might lead us into sin or which might influence us in ways that are ungodly.

And, daily we must be in the Word, in prayer, and be walking in obedience to our Lord, saying “No” to the flesh and “Yes” to the Spirit of God, putting the Word of God into practice in our lives. And, daily we must be putting on the armor of God with which to fight off Satan’s evil schemes against us, too.

For, we live in troubled times. Satan is on a warpath against us. Deception is rampant. And, the beast is rising! So, follow Jesus Christ with your lives, and don’t give way to the enemy of our souls. Don’t follow the lies. Follow the truth.

All The Way My Savior Leads Me

Lyrics by Frances J Crosby, pub. 1875

Music by Robert Lowry, pub. 1875

All the way my Savior leads me,

What have I to ask beside?

Can I doubt His tender mercy,

Who through life has been my Guide?

Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,

Here by faith in Him to dwell!

For I know, whate’er befall me,

Jesus doeth all things well.

All the way my Savior leads me,

Cheers each winding path I tread,

Gives me grace for every trial,

Feeds me with the living Bread.

Though my weary steps may falter

And my soul athirst may be,

Gushing from the Rock before me,

Lo! A spring of joy I see.

All the way my Savior leads me,

Oh, the fullness of His love!

Perfect rest to me is promised

In my Father’s house above.

When my spirit, clothed immortal,

Wings its flight to realms of day

This my song through endless ages:

Jesus led me all the way.

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(1)       https://biblehub.com/greek/3874.htm

Do You Want to Know?

Psalm 139:23-24 KJV

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

The Search

If we were to pray that prayer, would we mean it? Do we really and truly want God to search our hearts and minds and to reveal to us any wicked way (habit, patterns of behavior, idolatry) that might be within us? And, if he did, would we truly be surprised by what he found? Or, do we already know what he will discover? And, thus some might not want that revealed?

Well, actually God doesn’t have to search us, for he already knows us. So, it isn’t that he needs to search us in order to know us and to learn about us, or as though he is going to find (discover) something by searching us that he didn’t already know about us. And, it isn’t that he needs our permission to do so, either. For, he already knows us completely, inside and out, because he is the one who made us (see Ps 139 – the whole chapter).

The searching, thus, is more for our benefit, for him to show us what can be discovered by a careful search of our hearts and minds. Thus, it would be kind of like a doctor putting some kind of scope down or up inside of our bodies, while we are awake, to where we are able to watch what he is doing, and while he explains to us what he sees inside of us.

Would we want to watch this procedure if God were to put a scope inside our hearts and minds to show us what is going on inside of us? Or, would we be hesitant about having such a procedure out of fear of what we might see is going on inside of our hearts, and inside of our minds (our way of thinking)? And, would we be fearful that someone else might learn the truth about us?

The object of this search is first of all to see if there is any wicked (evil, immoral) way (patterns of behavior) inside of our hearts and minds. Its purpose is to identify anything in our lives, such as any habits or addictive behaviors, that might still be lingering in the recesses of our hearts and minds and that might be hindering our walks of faith with Jesus.

But, the object is not just to identify them, but it is so that we can forsake those things, so that we can be led in the way of God’s righteousness, for this is the purpose for which Jesus died (1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15, 21; 1 Co. 6:20; Tit. 2:11-14; Eph. 2:10; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24).

Any Wicked Way?

So, if God did such a search of our hearts and minds, what do you think he would discover, i.e. what would he reveal to you or to me that is there? What would you or I see lurking within? Would there be something lurking?

Would he reveal to you that you are irresponsible, self-indulgent and foolish? Would the search reveal that you are living a wicked and immoral life, evidenced by the works of the flesh, i.e. by acts of sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, lying and selfish ambition, etc.?

Would it reveal that, regarding the fruit that you are supposed to bear as a follower of Christ that you are fruitless? And, that the fruit that is coming forth from your mind and heart is of the sin nature, instead? And, that the authority over your head is not God, but it is Satan and your evil flesh?

What would he show you regarding your bond, your union with Christ, with the body of Christ, and/or with your marriage partner? Would those bonds be pure of heart, faithful, honest, obedient to Christ, and submissive to Christ as Lord? Or, would they be unfaithful, dishonest, insincere, adulterous, dishonorable, not trustworthy, and hypocritical?

What about your habits? Your patterns of behavior? What about your walks of faith? What would those look like? Would it be revealed that you are a hypocrite? That you fake righteousness as a cover-up for evil? That you pretend you are living for the Lord while you are secretly engaged in what is evil, perhaps in extramarital affairs, or in willful slander against others?

Would it be revealed that you aren’t double-minded, vacillating between good and evil, but that you are actually single-minded, but your true devotion is to self, the flesh and to Satan, and not to God at all? Yet, you give the impression that you are battling evil on one side while you are trying to live for God on the other side? But, the truth is that the battle is fake, and it is false righteousness on the other side, so you are fully evil?

Are you one who professes faith in Jesus Christ while you lead others into sin by spreading a false grace gospel message that requires no death to sin, no living to righteousness and no submission to the Lordship of Christ? And, so you lead them to believe that faith in Jesus Christ gives them freedom to continue in their slavery to sin, while you lie to them that they are going to heaven one day, which is a false hope?

Have you taken on the character of the world? Do you live for self-pleasure? Is entertainment what you seek after when you have free time? Do you tell crude jokes? Do you mock the Bible or those who are serious about their walks of faith? Do you fill your eyes and minds with the filth of this world? Or, do you try to ride the fence between righteousness and wickedness?

Does your pride get in the way of you surrendering your all to Jesus? And, so you are not willing to let go of control over your own life? But, do you fake that you are giving God control while you and your flesh and your own human strength and wisdom is what is trying to “be better”? And, this is because you don’t want to have to admit or change your own failures?

And, what about your conversations? What do you talk about with others? Do you have private conversations with others of interest which your spouse doesn’t know about? Do you have a friend who is more than a friend who is a threat to your marriage? But, you hold on to that friendship anyway, and you don’t want to let go? Or, are you having a romantic and/or sexual relationship with someone other than your spouse, or even with yourself?

From God’s Perspective

God hates sin. He hates wickedness because of how it hurts us, because of how it damages us and those we are close to. He doesn’t want us to go down a path of sin, a sinful (addictive) course, because he knows it will destroy our lives, our relationship with him, and our relationships with others. And, it will end in death (Gal. 5:16-21; Gal. 6:7-8; Rom. 2:6-8).

So, if we want to be led in the way everlasting, then we need to let God show us the wickedness in our own hearts and minds. And, then in his strength, by his grace, and in his power, we are to forsake these sinful and addictive behaviors so that we can follow our Lord in obedience to his ways.

There is an old hymn called, “Is Your Heart Right with God?” It asks several pointed questions that would be good for all of us to honestly answer here, after we have allowed God to examine our hearts and minds. It asks us,

Have your affections been nailed to the cross?Do you count all things for Jesus but loss?Do you have dominion over self and over sin?Over all evil without and within?Is there no more condemnation for sin?Does Jesus rule in the temple within?Are all your powers under Jesus’ control?Does he each moment abide in your soul?Is your heart right with God?

Master, The Tempest is Raging!

Lyrics by Mary A. Baker, 1874

Music by Horatio R. Palmer, 1874

Master, the tempest is raging!

The billows are tossing high!

The sky is o’ershadowed with blackness,

No shelter or help is nigh;

Carest Thou not that we perish?

How canst Thou lie asleep,

When each moment so madly is threat’ning

A grave in the angry deep?

Master, with anguish of spirit

I bow in my grief today;

The depths of my sad heart are troubled—

Oh, waken and save, I pray!

Torrents of sin and of anguish

Sweep o’er my sinking soul;

And I perish! I perish! dear Master—

Oh, hasten, and take control.

Master, the terror is over,

The elements sweetly rest;

Earth’s sun in the calm lake is mirrored,

And heaven’s within my breast;

Linger, O blessed Redeemer!

Leave me alone no more;

And with joy I shall make the blest harbor,

And rest on the blissful shore.

The winds and the waves shall obey Thy will,

Peace, be still!

Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea,

Or demons or men, or whatever it be,

No waters can swallow the ship where lies

The Master of ocean, and earth, and skies;

They all shall sweetly obey Thy will,

Peace, be still! Peace, be still!

They all shall sweetly obey Thy will,

Peace, peace, be still!

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