Called According to His Will

Ephesians 1:1-2 ESV

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

What is written in this book of Ephesians is a letter that Paul wrote to the saints in Ephesus, who were faithful in Christ Jesus. So, to understand who this applies to, we should read a little section of chapter four where it explains what it means to be “in Christ Jesus.”

“But that is not the way you learned Christ! — assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:20-24).

This is the fundamental truth of the gospel of our salvation. And, that is that coming to faith in Jesus Christ means that we, by the Spirit, put off our old self, which is of the flesh, that we are renewed of the Spirit of God in the spirit of our minds, and that, by the Spirit, we put on the new self in Christ Jesus created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (cf. Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; 1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15).

But, this isn’t a one-time thing and then it is all over. The scriptures are real clear that our salvation is continuous, and that our faith must also be continuous to the very end of our days. We need to be faithful in Christ Jesus. And, we need to be saints, i.e. we need to be holy in all of our conduct, as a matter of our life course; as a matter of our walk of faith.

In other words, we must walk (in lifestyle) according to the Spirit of God if we want to have eternal life with God (same scripture references as above).

So, this is speaking to those who have forsaken their former lives of living for the flesh, who are faithful to Christ Jesus, and who have put on Christ and his righteousness and holiness, as applied to their lives, not just in theory, but in practice, in how they (we) walk (live our lives).

Ephesians 1:3-10 ESV

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

So, this doesn’t apply to everyone who professes faith in Jesus Christ. Not everyone who says Jesus is Lord has truly made him Lord of their lives. Many people give lip service to the Lord but their hearts are far from God, which is evident by how they conduct their lives day in and day out, as a matter of habit and lifestyle. So, not everyone can claim these promises.

For, we weren’t chosen of God just to escape hell and to go to heaven when we die. We who are genuinely in Christ Jesus by God-given faith in him were chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before God, but not just positionally, but experientially, which is evident by how we live our lives. We were chosen by God to live our lives separate (unlike, different) from the world because we are being conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ, by the Spirit of God.

God predestined us to be adopted as his children according to the purpose of his will, which is that we would live holy and righteous lives, by the Spirit, free from enslavement to sin, and that we would walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands. For, this is for the praise of God! This is for the praise of his glorious grace which instructs us to say “NO!” to ungodliness and fleshly lusts and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we await our Lord’s return (Tit. 2:11-14).

We who are in Christ Jesus by God’s grace, through God-given faith in Jesus Christ – which submits to his Lordship, leaves behind the old sinful self, and follows the Lord in obedience – have been redeemed through the blood of Christ shed for us in his death on a cross. In his death Jesus bought us back for God that we might now be God’s possession, and that we might honor God with our lives (1 Co. 6:20; 2 Co. 5:15, 21; 1 Pet. 2:24; Tit. 2:14; Eph. 2:10).

For, Jesus’ grace to us isn’t just a free ticket into heaven, and it isn’t free license to continue in willful and often premeditated sinful practices, either. His grace delivered us out of our bondage to sin so that we can now be slaves of his righteousness, which is according to his will and purpose for our lives (Rom. 6:1-23).

Ephesians 1:11-14 ESV

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

Again, we who have obtained an inheritance in Christ Jesus are among all those who have been predestined according to the purpose of God. And, again, his purpose is that we leave our lives of sin behind us to walk with him in his ways and in his truth, that we continue to say “NO!” to sin, and that we live godly, holy, and upright lives until the time Jesus comes to take us home to be with him forever.

And, again, we who believe in Jesus Christ are to be for the praise of God’s glory. And, we aren’t for the praise of his glory if we are continuing in sinful addictions willingly, in direct disobedience to our Lord’s commands. The two don’t mix, for the Spirit is opposed to the flesh and the flesh is opposed to the Spirit, so those who are in the realm of the flesh can’t please God.

And, the scriptures teach that we are slaves to whomever we obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness (Rom. 6:16).

And, they continue on to say that if we walk (in practice, in lifestyle) according to the flesh, that we don’t have the hope of eternal life with God, but we will die in our sins because we refused to die to our sins (Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Gal. 5:16-21; Gal. 6:7-8; Rom. 2:6-8; Eph. 5:3-6).

So, those who have obtained an inheritance in Christ Jesus are those who are walking (in conduct) according to the Spirit and not according to their flesh. They have left their sinful lifestyles behind them, and they are walking in obedience to the Lord’s commands – all because of God’s grace – all because of what Jesus did for us in dying for our sins – and all in the power and working of God’s Spirit now living within them.

And, the Holy Spirit living within us is our guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it. But, the “we” here are those who have crucified the flesh with its deceitful desires. We are those who belong to Christ (Gal. 5:24). It doesn’t mean we are perfect, though, or that we never fail, but it means that we are, by the Spirit, putting to death the deeds of the flesh and that we, by the Spirit, are walking (in practice) according to the Spirit.

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!

If Thy way and its sorrows bearing,

We go again,

Up the slope of the hillside, bearing

Our cross of pain.

By and by, through the shining portals,

Turning our feet,

We shall walk, with the glad immortals,

Heav’n’s golden street.

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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The Army of God

Isaiah 62:1-3 ESV

“For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,

    and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet,

until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,

    and her salvation as a burning torch.

The nations shall see your righteousness,

    and all the kings your glory,

and you shall be called by a new name

    that the mouth of the Lord will give.

You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,

    and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.”

We live in troubled times. The church of Jesus Christ is under fire, in case you haven’t noticed. And, by “church” I don’t mean institutions of men, or buildings called “church,” or church denominations in an unholy union with the federal government. I mean the body of Christ, the saints of God who have died with Christ to sin and who are living to Christ and to his righteousness, in the power of God’s Spirit living within them.

We have been under the attack of our enemy Satan ever since the church came into being, in reality, but here in America it is now becoming more evident that the church here is under persecution, too. It may publicly be coming in forms of attacks on institutional Christianity, but in reality they (world powers) appear to be on a crusade to bring evangelical Christianity down, to demonstrate to the world that it is bad for society as a whole.

But, this is not anything new, really. This has been going on a long time. But, the pressures are now mounting against the true church, the saints of God here in America, and against the true gospel of our salvation, too. But, this is yet another step in the total destruction of the church, as is Satan’s plan. He and his hordes are surely out to destroy us. But, it is God’s will to revive his church and to breathe life back into her – the life of his Spirit.

And, God will not keep silent until his church is revived, and until his holy people are living holy lives, pleasing to God, and until they are out there in the world letting their lights shine brightly for Jesus Christ, and until they are walking in fellowship with their Lord in obedience to his commands, in unity with Christ and with one another. He is going to keep calling his wandering ones back into fellowship with him, and to repentance and obedience.

And, this is because he loves us, and he has called us to be a holy people living lives which are separate from the world and unto God. So, he will discipline us, in love, in order that we may share in his holiness (Heb. 12).

Isaiah 62:6-9 ESV

“On your walls, O Jerusalem,

    I have set watchmen;

all the day and all the night

    they shall never be silent.

You who put the Lord in remembrance,

    take no rest,

and give him no rest

    until he establishes Jerusalem

    and makes it a praise in the earth.

The Lord has sworn by his right hand

    and by his mighty arm:

‘I will not again give your grain

    to be food for your enemies,

and foreigners shall not drink your wine

    for which you have labored;

but those who garner it shall eat it

    and praise the Lord,

and those who gather it shall drink it

    in the courts of my sanctuary.’”

So, the Lord has called certain ones of his saints to be watchmen (and women) in our day and time, to speak his messages (biblical messages) to the people day and night, and to never be silent. Their assignment from God is to expose the lies of the enemy, to proclaim the truth of God’s Word, to call the wandering church to repentance and obedience to Christ, to warn of divine judgment, but to promise restoration for the repentant.

And, the Lord is sending out his watchmen (and women) throughout the earth and on the internet to proclaim his messages so that the adulterous and idolatrous church will come to repentance, and so they will be revived, and so that they will be on fire for the Lord and will be sharing the gospel of our salvation, so that many will be saved before our Lord returns.

For, the church in America, at least, has been overtaken by the enemy for a long while now. I can’t say exactly when this began, but it appears it has been going on my whole lifetime, but in slow, deliberate and calculated steps (increments) of deception, a little at a time, so that it was barely noticeable by the unsuspecting and the naïve.

And, the result has been disastrous! For, so much of the church has been turned upside down, and it has become worldly and adulterous. So much of the church has gone the way of the world and of big business and has converted the church, which is a living organism, into businesses of men to be marketed like any other business, and to make the church appealing to the world, and to dilute the gospel to make it acceptable to the world, too.

So, the vast majority of those who call themselves Christians in America are very worldly and very fleshly, and they have been convinced that they can continue in sinful practices without guilt and without punishment, and that they don’t have to share the gospel, but all they have to do is be “nice” to people and to be “good deed doers.”

And, thus, Satan has emasculated the church, i.e. he has rendered the church here in America powerless, weak, and ineffectual spiritually with regard to holiness, righteousness, purity and faithfulness to God and obedience to his Word. But, God, in his mercy and grace, is still calling his wandering ones to repentance and to renewed faith, because it is God’s will to revive his church, not to hand her over to the enemy for destruction.

Isaiah 62:10-12 ESV

“Go through, go through the gates;

    prepare the way for the people;

build up, build up the highway;

    clear it of stones;

    lift up a signal over the peoples.

Behold, the Lord has proclaimed

    to the end of the earth:

Say to the daughter of Zion,

    ‘Behold, your salvation comes;

behold, his reward is with him,

    and his recompense before him.’

And they shall be called The Holy People,

    The Redeemed of the Lord;

and you shall be called Sought Out,

    A City Not Forsaken.”

So, as followers of Jesus Christ, what is our responsibility with regard to getting out the truth of the gospel, not just to those who have made no profession of faith in Jesus Christ, but to those who have professed faith in Jesus Christ, but for whom it was a false faith, or for those who have wandered away from the true faith they once had?

We may not all be called to be watchmen (and women), but we are all responsible to proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light. And, we are all to let our lights shine before men and to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. And, we are to be the Lord’s witnesses to the people of the world, and to snatch people from the fire and to save them, etc.

So, we need to be out there where the people are, which right now in America is on the internet, since we are not allowed to gather in person right now, and we have to keep six feet between us and other people. And, we need to be preparing the hearts of people to repent of their sins and to follow the Lord in obedience to his commands.

And, this involves exposing the lies and the deceptions, and proclaiming the truths of God’s word (in context), so that blinded eyes will be opened and so that people will turn their hearts back to (or to) the Lord in repentance, in surrender to God, and in obedience to his commands.

We need to unite together as the people of God in this effort to get the truth out and to expose Satan’s lies, for many people today are living under a cloud of deception. We need to rise up as a mighty army for God, not in physical warfare, and not with using the weapons of this world, but by putting on the armor of God with which to fight off Satan’s evil attacks against us.

For, the church of Jesus Christ needs to be revived, and many people need to be saved from slavery (bondage, addiction) to sin and to be liberated to now walk in holiness and in purity of devotion to their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. So, let’s take this opportunity we have been given by God to get alone with God, and to get serious about his calling on our lives. And, then let’s get out there and flood the internet with the true gospel of our salvation so that many will put their trust in Jesus Christ to be their God and Lord.

Onward Christian Soldiers  

Sabine Baring-Gould, 1865

Arthur S. Sullivan, 1871

Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus going on before.

Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;

Forward into battle see His banners go!

At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee;

On then, Christian soldiers, on to victory!

Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise;

Brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise.

Like a mighty army moves the church of God;

Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod.

We are not divided, all one body we,

One in hope and doctrine, one in charity.

Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,

But the church of Jesus constant will remain.

Gates of hell can never ’gainst that church prevail;

We have Christ’s own promise, and that cannot fail.

Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng,

Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song.

Glory, laud, and honor unto Christ the King,

This through countless ages men and angels sing.

Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus going on before.

Copyright status is public domain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hka5PpnXci4

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Running with Perseverance

 Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

The Cloud of Witnesses

When the scriptures were first written, they weren’t written by chapter and verse. Each book was one continuous writing, or one collection of writings, such as the Psalms. They were later divided into chapters and verses in order to make it easier for us to locate specific passages of scripture.

So, to understand chapter 12, it is good to look back at chapter 11 to get the context. Also, when a sentence begins with the word “therefore,” we need to look back to what preceded it to see what it is there for.

So, that takes us back to Hebrews 11, which is considered the “Faith Chapter” of the Bible. Here we have a historical record of many people throughout history who were considered people of faith. So, how do we know they were people of faith? It is because they obeyed God and they did what he told them to do. Their actions proved their faith to be genuine.

For example, Noah was commanded of God to build an ark. By faith, thus, Noah built the ark. What if he didn’t build it? What if he just said, “I believe God,” but then he did nothing? Would he still be a person of faith? And then there is Abraham. What if, when God told him to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, he did nothing? What if he stayed put where he was? Would he still be a person of faith?

If we read that whole chapter, I believe we have our answer. Faith is not just some intellectual assent to something. And, it isn’t a one-time experience we go through in our lives. It isn’t a feeling, or a religion, or religious rituals. And, it isn’t just following a set of rules.

Faith is believing God with God-given faith, and it is divine persuasion as to who God truly is, and as to his design for our lives. And, that is that we walk in obedience to his commands.

But, we can say we believe all we want, and still not believe. The scriptures talk about this. They call it “lip service.” It is when people mouth empty confessions of faith in Jesus Christ while their hearts truly are far from God. For, they don’t honor him as God and Lord. But, they continue on in their sinful ways, and they don’t obey him – some because they think they don’t have to. But, true faith in Christ is revealed as genuine by our actions.

Throw Off All Hindrances

Is there a correlation between chapter 11 and chapter 12? Yes, of course there is. Chapter 11 leads right into chapter 12. So, since we have these witnesses from chapter 11, who witness to us with regard to what true faith in God – in Jesus Christ – looks like, what impact should that have on us today? What truth can we take away from chapter 11 which is applicable to you and to me as followers of Jesus Christ in 2020?

We should throw off (cut out) everything, and I mean everything which serves as a hindrance to our faith, which includes besetting sins (sins that so easily entangle us). And, we are to run with perseverance the race God marked out for us to run, i.e. the path of righteousness he designed for us to take. This is the essence of the gospel message.

For, the gospel of Jesus Christ teaches that we must put off or forsake or die to our former lives of living for sin and self, that we are to be made new in our minds and hearts of the Spirit of God, and that we are to put on Christ and his righteousness. And, we are to now walk (in lifestyle) according to the Spirit of God and no longer according to our flesh (Lu. 9:23-26; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; 1 Jn. 2:3-6).

Thus, there is a definite connection here between what genuine faith looks like and us forsaking our sins to follow our Lord in obedience to his commands. Just like love is not a feeling, but it is what we do, so it is with faith. Faith is not generated by what we do, but what we do is the result of faith, or it is the result of unbelief. For, what we do (our walk) reveals if we have faith or we don’t (Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Rom. 2:6-8; Gal. 6:7-8).

So, we need to throw off (cut out of our lives) EVERYTHING that serves as a hindrance to our walks of faith, including any sin which might be entangling us. So, by the grace of God, because of what Jesus did for us, and in the power of God’s Spirit alive within us, we can say “NO!” to ungodliness and fleshly lusts. And, we can live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s return (Tit. 2:11-14; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17).

Running the Race

And, we can run that race and walk that walk that God designed for us even before the creation of the world. We can do it in his strength and power, and by keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, and not on our circumstances, and not on the flesh, and not on the pleasures this world is offering us.

And, that is because Jesus is the pioneer and the perfecter of our faith. Therefore, we can only do what we do, by faith in him, by yielding control of our lives over to him. For, our faith originates with him, and it is carried to completion by him.

But, because he is the one who gave us the faith, and because he is the one who carries it to completion, that means that the faith must conform to his divine purposes and will for our lives and to his commands. For, if it is genuine saving faith, it will submit to Christ as Lord, and it will surrender to his design and purpose for our lives, and it will walk in obedience to his commands. So, if it doesn’t, it isn’t genuine saving faith. It is of the flesh.

But, Jesus isn’t just the originator of our faith, and the one who carries it to completion in our lives, and he isn’t just the one who empowers and strengthens us in the faith so that we can run that race he has for us. But, he sets the example for us as to what that should look like in our lives, too.

He literally died. He gave up his life here on this earth to see us go free. And, in his death he put our sin to death. In his death and in his resurrection, he conquered sin, death, Satan and hell on our behalf so that we could walk in victory over darkness. Amen!

Although in this life he suffered much at the hands of those who opposed him, and even though he was tempted to sin in all the ways we are, and even though he was falsely accused and beaten and mocked and hung on a cross to die, although he had done no wrong, still in all of that he did not sin. He remained faithful to God the Father.

And, that is the race he has put before us. It is the walk he commanded us that we should walk. And, it involves us putting sin to death in our lives, humbling ourselves, submitting to God, and being willing to be hated, rejected, falsely accused and put to death for our obedience to Christ, and because we are sharing the gospel message with others which can set them free from darkness, and which can bring them into God’s wonderful light.

For, Jesus didn’t die on that cross just so we could escape hell and just so we could go to heaven when we die. He died that we might die with him to sin and that we might live to him and to his righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24).

O Could I Speak the Matchless Worth

Author: Samuel Medley (1789)

Tune: ARIEL

O could I speak the matchless worth,

O could I sound the glories forth

Which in my Savior shine,

I'd soar, and touch the heav'nly strings,

and vie with Gabriel while he sings

in notes almost divine,

in notes almost divine.

I'd sing the precious blood he spilt,

my ransom from the dreadful guilt

of sin, and wrath divine:

I'd sing his glorious righteousness,

in which all perfect, heav'nly dress

my soul shall ever shine,

my soul shall ever shine.

I'd sing the characters he bears,

and all the forms of love he wears,

exalted on his throne:

in loftiest songs of sweetest praise,

I would to everlasting days

make all his glories known,

make all his glories known.

Well, the delightful day will come

when my dear Lord will bring me home,

and I shall see his face;

then with my Savior, Brother, Friend,

a blest eternity I'll spend,

triumphant in his grace,

triumphant in his grace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0Rd-873CY4

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Do Your Assignment

Matthew 20:1-16 NIV

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

“About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went.

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

“‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

“The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

“But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

The Kingdom of Heaven

What is the “kingdom of heaven”? It is a spiritual kingdom, not an earthly one. It is ruled by God, not by men. God is head over all, and all who are within his kingdom submit to his rule and authority. And, all who are within his kingdom have turned away from lives of sin to follow him in obedience to his commands. So, the kingdom of heaven is the church, the true church, which is spiritual and which is a living organism, not an organization of men.

We don’t become members of this church by going through a membership 101 class, or by signing some covenant of membership with a church denomination. We don’t become members of this church through physical water baptism, either, or by going through catechism. We become members of this church immediately upon faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior of our lives, via death to sin, and being reborn of the Spirit of God.

But, this “faith” that it takes for us to be part of this kingdom of heaven is not fleeting. It is not superficial. And, it is not some one-time emotional decision that fades away with time. This faith is a gift of God to us. And, it is divine persuasion of God to turn away from our lifestyles of sin to now follow our Lord in surrender and in walks of obedience to his Word.

This faith is also continuous. It is ongoing. And, it is proved genuine by how we live our lives for God, by what we do in heart response to our Lord’s commands. For, this faith is a lifestyle, not a feeling. For, we must walk (in conduct, in lifestyle) according to (in agreement with) the Spirit of God, and we must not walk (in practice) according to the flesh (Rom. 8:1-17).

So, it isn’t just a religion. It isn’t some association with some church denomination, either. And, it isn’t membership in some social club. For, it has nothing to do with these organizations of men called “church,” or with buildings built by human hands, or with being Baptist or Methodist, etc. For, you can be Presbyterian, Pentecostal, Lutheran and Episcopalian, too, and still not enter into the kingdom of heaven. I hope we all get that!

We are The Church

Thus, the closing of the doors to these “churches” in America, or in other nations, has not closed the door to “the church,” “the kingdom of heaven.” Do you see where I am going with this? We don’t cease being the church just because we are not in some building once a week which is called “church.” And, we don’t have to cease meeting with one another in today’s technological world just because we can’t go to physical buildings.

But, let me say this, and this is very important that we get this. Getting online and watching your “church service” in place of gathering together is not the church. The people are the church. We are the church. You and I are the church if we are in Christ through genuine faith in him, which dies with Christ to sin, and which is living to Christ and to his righteousness. Watching a “church service” on TV or on the internet is not what God had in mind for his church.

Sermons are good, if they are of God, and if they are biblical and sound in doctrine, so I am not knocking sermons. But, the church is made up of all of us, and we each have a part to fulfill within the body. We each have a job, in other words. God has given us gifts of the Spirit and he has given each one of us assignments, i.e. he has “hired” us to do the work of the Lord.

So, take this opportunity while these “church” doors are closed to be the church God intended you to be with Jesus as your true head, and with the scriptures as your true manual, and with the Holy Spirit as your true guidance and direction. Pull away from this idea that the “church” is a physical building or a physical organization which is run like a business.

God has given you something he wants you to do. Do it! He has something he wants you to share with the rest of us. Share it! He has gifts he has given you to do the work he has called you to do. Use them! Use those tools he has given you to work his vineyard. And, don’t be lazy.

Assembling Together

You know why it says we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together? It has nothing to do with all of us sitting in chairs or in pews as spectators listening to a handful of people utilize their gifts, if in fact that is what they are doing. So, why gather? That we may encourage one another in our walks of faith so that none of us are hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

And, do you know that the scriptures teach that we grow together to maturity in Christ as “each part” does its work? And, that all of us are necessary? And, that we are not to feel as though we are not needed? And, do you know that it says we are not to treat others within the body of Christ as though they are not wanted, either? (See: Rom. 12, 1 Co. 12; Eph. 4).

But, this is happening in “churches” of men all the time now, this making no room for “each part” to do its work, and this telling people that they are not needed and/or wanted. For, the Holy Spirit is being crowded out in favor of the teachings and marketing schemes of men. And, this is just wrong!!

In Summary

Ok, so what does this all have to do with this passage of scripture? Well, we are talking about the kingdom of heaven here, which is the true church with Jesus Christ as her true head. And, we are talking about God inviting people to work for him in his vineyard, which is us.

And, the work he is giving us to do is to share his gospel far and wide, and it is to encourage one another within the body of Christ. And, it is to help one another to grow to maturity in Christ. And, we “each” have a part, not just a few. And, that means you! And, me.

And, it doesn’t matter who has been a Christian the longest, or how many people have Bible college degrees, or what gifts we have been given, or what our assignments from God are within the body of Christ. Not one of us is to be raised above another. We all matter! We all have a part! And, we need to be busy doing the work he assigned us.

So, how can we do that? He will show us the way. If we are on the internet, which I assume you are if you are reading this, there are many things we can do. But, we need to inquire of the Lord and ask him what assignment he has for us, for we don’t want to be in the wrong place, especially if we are trying to serve God in our own flesh.

So, ask the Lord to show you how you can be used within the universal body of Christ right now to help all of us grow to maturity in Christ. Ask him to show you how he would have you to encourage other brothers or sisters in Christ in their walks of faith. But, know that the word “encourage” is not just making people feel good about themselves. For, it includes urging, admonishing, insisting (in the Lord), advising, inspiring and appealing, too.

And, don’t worry about what other people are going to think about you. And, don’t do what you do to get “likes” or human applause and acceptance. Do what you do for the glory of God and for the spiritual wellbeing of others. Put others above your own comfort, and do what you do out of a heart of love for other people in light of eternity.

How Beautiful Heaven Must Be

Songwriters: A. P. Bland / A. S. Bridgewater / Dwight Moody Brock

We read of a place that's called heaven,

It's made for the pure and the free;

These truths in God's word He has given,

How beautiful heaven must be.

How beautiful heaven must be

Sweet home of the happy and free;

Fair haven of rest for the weary,

How beautiful heaven must be…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCfHh-Ra1N8

His Glory and Praise

Matthew 20:17-19 ESV

And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

Jesus Christ, God the Son, came to earth for the very purpose to die on a cross for our sins so that we could be delivered out of our slavery to sin, and so that we could live for him and to his righteousness, in his power and strength at work within us (1 Pet. 2:24; Rom. 6:1-23; Eph. 4:17-24).

Believing in him as Lord and Savior, thus, means death to sin and self, transformation of heart and mind of the Spirit of God, surrender to him as Lord, and walking with him in obedience to his commands (Rom. 8:1-17).

Our lives are no longer our own to be lived however we want, for we were bought back for God with the blood of Jesus Christ, so that we are now God’s possession, and our lives are to be lived now for his glory, not for our own (1 Co. 6:20; 2 Co. 5:15, 21; Tit. 2:11-14; Eph. 2:10; 1 Pet. 2:24).

Not only that, but Jesus said that his followers will suffer just like he suffered. If he was hated and rejected, so should we be. If he was hounded and falsely accused and mocked and called crazy and of the devil, so will we be. And, if he was persecuted for righteousness, so shall we be. And, many of us will be martyred for our faith in Jesus Christ, as well.

And, if his primary persecutors were people of his own faith, and religious leaders within the temple of God with the power to rule over the people, know that our primary persecutors may come from within the gatherings of the church, or from within the institutional church, and from its leadership, and from our own governmental leaders and rulers, too.

And, I have been noticing a running theme in the news, of late, too, here in America, where they seem to be vilifying evangelical Christians. For, there has been one story after another after another condemning evangelical Christians and pastors of evangelical church denominations.

I am not saying, though, that none of these condemnations are justified. I am just noting that there is a running theme now of making a case that evangelical Christians are bad, not good. And, granted there are those within evangelical Christianity who do give a bad name to Christianity.

Matthew 20:20-23 ESV

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

Belief in Jesus Christ isn’t about us. Our faith in Jesus Christ is not for our glory and praise. It is for the glory and praise of God. We aren’t saved from our sins just so we can escape hell and go to heaven when we die, and so that we can live however we want on this earth without fear of punishment.

Belief in Jesus Christ means that we drink the cup of suffering that he drank, i.e. that we die with him to sin and that we live with him to his righteousness. And, it isn’t just that we have a one-time experience with God where we repent of our sins and we put our faith in Jesus to save us. But, this is a life of suffering we are called to, for the glory of God.

Daily, by the Spirit of God, we are to be putting the deeds of the flesh to death in our lives. Daily we are to be denying self and taking up our cross and following our Lord in obedience to his ways. And, daily we are to be putting on the armor of God with which to fight off the devil’s schemes against us, and we are to be walking (in lifestyle) according to the Spirit of God and no longer according to our flesh (Rom. 8:1-17; Lu. 9:23-26; Eph. 6:10-20; Rom. 6:1-23; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Tit. 2:11-14).

And, suffering for righteousness’ sake is to be a regular part of our Christian lives as we walk daily in obedience to our Lord and we do what he says (Ro. 5:3-5; Phil. 3:7-11; 1 Pet. 1:6-7; 1 Pet. 4:12-17; Jas. 1:2-4; Matt. 5:10-12; Lu. 21:12-19; 1 Co. 10: 2 Co. 1:3-11; Heb. 12:3-12; Rev. 2-3).

But, there are many preachers today who would lead you to believe the opposite of that. They would lead you to believe that is all about you, and that it is all for you and for your glory and praise. And, they will lead you to believe that your freedom in Christ is merely freedom from the punishment of sin so that you can now go on sinning without fear of punishment.

But, they are exceedingly separated from the life we have in Christ Jesus our Lord, and they are far off from his roadmap for our lives. And, they are far away from understanding or from proclaiming the truth regarding his salvation from sin and his will and purpose for our lives. For, the salvation they teach is not the one of the scriptures, not in its entirety. It may be half right, but half wrong, and thus it is all wrong, i.e. it is a lie.

For, Jesus died on that cross that we might die with him to sin and live with him to his righteousness. He bought us back for God so that we would now be God’s possession, and that our lives would be for the glory and praise of God. He died that we might no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave his life up for us. Thus, we must drink the cup of suffering that Jesus drank if we truly want to be in Christ and to have eternal life with God.

For, if we sow to please the flesh, from the flesh we are going to reap destruction. But, if we sow to please the Spirit, then from the Spirit we will reap eternal life (Gal. 6:7-8; Rom. 2:6-8; 2 Co. 5:10; Gal. 5:16-21).

Matthew 20:24-28 ESV

And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Again, our salvation is not about us. It isn’t for our own glory and praise. It isn’t so that we can be raised up, but that Jesus might be lifted up. And, it isn’t just so we can get out of going to hell and just so we can go to heaven, either. And, it isn’t permission to keep on living in sin, and to self, while claiming heaven as our eternal destiny, either.

And, it isn’t so that we can stick our noses up at other people, either, and think that we are somehow superior. But, it also doesn’t mean that we compromise truth in order to appear humble and lowly, either, out of being ashamed of Christ and his gospel, and out of fear of being persecuted for righteousness’ sake.

We are here on this earth to serve God and to be a servant to others in sharing with them the love of Jesus, and with doing the kinds of things that Jesus did, too, when he walked the face of this earth. But, know this: Jesus confronted sin in sinful humans, and he called for repentance and obedience to God, and he warned of divine judgment and of the fires of hell, too.

So, serving others never means compromising our faith or the gospel of our salvation so that others will think well of us, or so that they will think that we are humble and not self-righteous.

For, Jesus came to give his life as a ransom for many, and we, too, are to lay down our lives and our reputations, and to forsake worry over what others will think about us in order to share with others the truth of the gospel so that they can be saved from their sins, and so that they can have eternal life with God, for the glory and praise of God.

O Could I Speak the Matchless Worth

Author: Samuel Medley (1789)

Tune: ARIEL

O could I speak the matchless worth,

O could I sound the glories forth

Which in my Savior shine,

I'd soar, and touch the heav'nly strings,

and vie with Gabriel while he sings

in notes almost divine,

in notes almost divine.

I'd sing the precious blood he spilt,

my ransom from the dreadful guilt

of sin, and wrath divine:

I'd sing his glorious righteousness,

in which all perfect, heav'nly dress

my soul shall ever shine,

my soul shall ever shine.

I'd sing the characters he bears,

and all the forms of love he wears,

exalted on his throne:

in loftiest songs of sweetest praise,

I would to everlasting days

make all his glories known,

make all his glories known.

Well, the delightful day will come

when my dear Lord will bring me home,

and I shall see his face;

then with my Savior, Brother, Friend,

a blest eternity I'll spend,

triumphant in his grace,

triumphant in his grace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0Rd-873CY4

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He Will Not Disappoint

I live in the United States of America. I was born here in 1949. America is what I know. This is where God placed me. And, so a lot of what he gives me to share is related to my nation. But, some of this may apply to other nations, too, so if you don’t live here, just let the Lord speak to your heart regarding your nation, and the church in your nation, and your own life, too.

The church at large in America and America as a nation have been on a massive spiritual and moral decline for a long time. I know that A. W. Tozer was writing about this in the early 1940’s, even before I was born, so this may have been going on my whole life. I don’t think I really became aware of what was going on, though, until about 1999. That is really when my eyes began to be opened, but the Lord greatly opened my eyes in 2004.

That is when the Lord revealed to me the crisis situation today’s church in America is facing. And, it has only gotten much worse, not better, with the passing of time.

For, the church invited the world and the government and big business into union with them back in the 1950’s. And, it only got much worse with the megachurch (Rick Warren) movement that swept across America’s churches, regardless of church denomination, in the 1990s or earlier, and continuing on to the present.

So, the church at large in America shifted away from feeding the sheep of God’s pasture to marketing the church to the world, and thus they changed the focus of their gatherings to what would draw the world into their meetings. Thus, the church began to compromise with the world to attract the world, and thus they also compromised the gospel message to make it more palatable and acceptable to the world, too.

So, the vast majority of the church went the way of the world and of big business, and thus they stopped teaching on sin, judgment, repentance and obedience to Christ. But, they made salvation from sin a mere acknowledgement of Christ or some words repeated after someone else in a prayer, which then guaranteed the adherents eternal life with God, unqualified, regardless of how they lived their lives from that moment forward. Many of them even encourage continuance in sinful practices.

And, so the Lord has been calling his wayward church back to himself for some time now, perhaps my whole life. And, he has been warning of judgment if they did not repent (such as in Rev. 2-3). But, he has been promising healing and restoration for the repentant and for the obedient.

But, it would appear as though most of his church, which has wandered away from him and from the purity of his word, is not listening to his warnings and his calls for repentance and obedience. But, they have continued on in their worldly ways, mostly ignoring God with regard to their day to day lives. For, they don’t appear to be taking his warnings seriously, although God has many warnings to the church in the New Testament.

So, I believe God is now judging America and the church in America, and perhaps in other nations, too, for their adultery, their idolatry, their corruption, their unfaithfulness, and their refusal to heed his warnings and his calls for repentance and for obedience to his commands. And, that is why we are going through what we are going through right now. But, God has a purpose in it all, and I believe good is going to come out of it.

But, too many people are looking to humans to save them from all of this, or they think if they do all the right things that they will be safe, but that is a false sense of security, for God is our only hope for salvation in all of this.

Isaiah 57:14-21 ESV

And it shall be said,

“Build up, build up, prepare the way,

    remove every obstruction from my people's way.”

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up,

    who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:

“I dwell in the high and holy place,

    and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,

to revive the spirit of the lowly,

    and to revive the heart of the contrite.

For I will not contend forever,

    nor will I always be angry;

for the spirit would grow faint before me,

    and the breath of life that I made.

Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry,

    I struck him; I hid my face and was angry,

    but he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart.

I have seen his ways, but I will heal him;

    I will lead him and restore comfort to him and his mourners,

    creating the fruit of the lips.

Peace, peace, to the far and to the near,” says the Lord,

    “and I will heal him.

But the wicked are like the tossing sea;

    for it cannot be quiet,

    and its waters toss up mire and dirt.

There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”

So, the call here, again, is to repentance, which is a forsaking of our former lives of living for sin and self, and it is a transformation of heart and mind of the Spirit of God away from sin to walks of obedience to Christ. So, God is saying to his church to remove every obstruction which stands in the way of us walking in purity of devotion and in faithful surrender to him as Lord.

And, he is letting us know with whom he dwells. He dwells with those who are contrite of heart and who are humble in spirit. He dwells with those who walk (in conduct, in lifestyle) according to the Spirit of God and not according to the flesh; who walk with him in obedience to his commands (Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; 1 Jn. 2:3-6).

So, even though God is allowing us to go through this time of trial right now, and we don’t know how long this is going to last, it will have its time when it will come to an end. But, he may take us home to be with him before it does end, too. But, that is ok, for he sometimes rescues his righteous ones from calamity through death (see vv. 1-2).

But, so many who call themselves Christians are not yet taking this to heart. They are not yet calling on God in truth, seeking his face and his counsel, and they are not humbling themselves before God. But, many are going on with their backsliding, and some of that may have even increased.

But, we serve a loving God who is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. And, his goal in all of this is to bring us to repentance and obedience to him so that he can heal us, and so that he can revive us, and so that he can restore us to pure fellowship with him.

For, he wants to lead us in his ways and in his truth. He has a purpose for our lives, and it isn’t for our own self-pleasure and self-indulgence. But, it is that we would be for his praise and glory, and it is that we would honor him with our lives in all that we are, and say, and think, and do.

But, many will still refuse him, and they will go on in their wickedness, so there is no peace for them, for those who will not bow to God and submit to his will, and who refuse to walk in his ways – in the ways of righteousness and holiness (Gal. 5:16-21; Eph. 5:3-6; Gal. 6:7-8; Rom. 2:6-8).

So, don’t be like the wicked who refuse to repent and to humble themselves before God. For, the Word of God teaches us that if we walk (in practice) in sin that we will not inherit eternal life with God, but that we will die in our sins, instead (Lu. 9:23-26; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9).

But, for those who do repent, and who turn away from their wicked ways to follow our Lord in obedience to his ways, there is a promise of healing and of restoration and of revival. For, our God is completely faithful in all that he does. So, put your trust in him today, and let him be Lord (owner-master) of your life, if you have not yet done that.

And, if what we are going through as a nation, and as the world, is troubling you in spirit, and you are afraid, and you don’t know which way to turn or who to believe, please, please don’t put your trust in humans to save you. Put your trust solely in God, for humans are going to fail you, most certainly, but God will not fail you. If you put your hope in him, he will not disappoint.

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Thomas O. Chisholm / William M. Runyan

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;

As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see.

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Copyright status is public domain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZshh0bx7GI

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Discipline for Our Good

Hebrews 12:3-4 ESV

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

Jesus Christ, the Son of God (and God), was perfect in every way. Yet, because he was also man, he was still tempted in every way, just as we are--yet he did not sin (Heb. 4:15).

The religious leaders in the temple of God (at that time) consistently tried to trip him up with his words, so that they would have cause to accuse him. But, he did not give in to them.

And, then they hung him on a cross to die, as though he was a common criminal, although he had done no wrong. But, before they did that, they gave him a mock trial, they spat upon him, they mocked him, they tried to egg him on, to get him angry, and then they beat him beyond recognition. And, in all of that, he did not sin.

But, worse than that, when he hung on that cross to die for our sins, he literally became sin for us, taking upon himself the sins of the entire world so that he could put our sins to death, in order that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24; Rom. 6:1-23).

So, he sets the example for us in resisting Satan and sin, in fleeing temptation, and in saying “NO!” to ungodliness and fleshly lusts. And, in him we have the strength to endure hostility against ourselves. And, we are empowered of his Spirit in resisting the devil and in fleeing temptation, and in saying “No!” to the flesh, and in saying “YES!” to God every day.

Hebrews 12:5-11 ESV

“And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “’My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,    nor be weary when reproved by him.For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,    and chastises every son whom he receives.’” “It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

God does not tempt us to sin, but he allows us to be tempted of Satan. He allows Satan and his hordes to come against us, to try us, and to scheme against us. But, he gives us his spiritual armor with which to fight off Satan’s evil attacks against us, too, and to be victorious over sin and Satan.

Our Lord allows us to go through trials and tribulations, too, that try our faith, for through them he is disciplining us like a loving father in order that we might be trained in holiness and righteousness, and in uprightness and godliness. He disciplines us through our trials in order that he might purify us, prune us, make us holy and conform us to his likeness, too.

Through his divine discipline and correction, we learn to not depend on ourselves, but on the Lord for everything. We learn to draw on his strength rather than on our own. We learn endurance and perseverance. And, we grow to maturity in our walks of faith, provided that we respond to our trials by submitting ourselves to God’s will for our lives, and providing that we don’t rebel against God and go our own way, instead.

So, the trial we are going through right now with this global pandemic, God is allowing for our good. He is using this in our lives to make us holy, to purify us, to cleanse us of all unrighteousness, to get us to rely on him and not on our own resources, and to get us to walk with him in holiness and in purity of devotion to him as our ONLY LORD AND SAVIOR.

We Need to Know

There are some things about this global pandemic of which we need to be aware, though. We need to be aware that we have an enemy, Satan, who is working against us, to destroy us in any which way that he can. And, he has many people working for him who are out to destroy us, as well, and who are out to conquer us and to take us down. So, we need to be aware of his tactics, so that we are not taken in by his deceptions, for they are many.

And, these things are written down for us in the scriptures regarding the kinds of things we can expect to take place in these last days before the return of Christ, which really began in Jesus’ lifetime on this earth. And, the scriptures teach, that although we don’t know when Jesus is coming again, that we can know when his coming is near by the signs we were told about, so that his coming should not surprise us who are watching and waiting for him.

Now, the scriptures don’t spell it all out for us regarding who is who and exactly how they are going to carry out the conquering of nations and peoples and the saints of God. They give us more of an overall description of what to expect. So, it is up to us to pray, to ask God for understanding, and to pray for much spiritual discernment to recognize the signs before us.

But, we have to get away from filling our minds with all the junk that is out there, and all the news, and all the social media memes and such which have the potential of filling our minds and hearts with all sorts of information intended to make us fearful, to confuse us (it is very confusing), to get us to panic and to tempt us to be afraid of anything and everything, pretty much.

And, we have to get alone with God and truly open our ears and our hearts to hear what he is saying to the churches right now, in our situation we are going through today. And, we have to know that not everyone tells the truth, and that not everyone is who they say they are, and that much can be faked, or statistics can be twisted, and all kinds of trickery and manipulation of minds can be happening without us even realizing it if we aren’t aware.

So, pray. Ask God who is who and what is what and what is true and what is false. Ask him to show you where you are being deceived, and be willing to hear him out. Ask him to open your blinded eyes. For, we have a real enemy out there who is out to get us, but we will get sucked into his trap if we aren’t aware he exists, and if we aren’t aware of his plots against us.

So, just know that what it says in Revelation 13, in particular, is happening now. The world is being conquered by a group of elite wealthy and powerful people who run the world, in reality. The US government works for them. What is happening to us now, our government has done many times over to people of other nations in order to conquer them for the beastly New World Order. This is the same M.O. they have been using for many years.

The portended “crisis” situation may vary from year to year, and nation to nation, but other than that, they follow the same script, basically. For, first they create the chaos and the disorder, which then proves that these nations, and now America, too, are in trouble, and that they need “fixed.”

And, then they go in as “saviors” with a preplanned “remedy” to their “problem,” which is exactly what is happening now, too. And, this is all part of Agenda 21 which is the New World Order’s agenda for global domination and for total global control over all people. It is a business plan which they are following, and if you know what is in their agenda, you can see how it is now being played out with this current crisis, too.

But, I am not asking you to believe me. I am asking you to pray and to ask the Lord what is going on behind the scenes. Ask him if what you are seeing in the news is 100% truth or even partially true, and ask him to show you the hidden agenda that is behind it all. But, be pure of heart first or you aren’t going to discern what he will say to you.

Hebrews 12:12-13 ESV

“Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.”

Evil is rising. Our faith is being tested. We are being allowed to go through some of God’s divine discipline which is intended to lead us to pure walks of faith in Christ, and away from any sins or compromises with the world or any worldliness or idolatry that might exist in our lives presently. And, what we are having to endure is painful, but God has a plan for it all, too.

He wants to strengthen us in our walks of faith with him. He wants us to trust him fully, no matter how bad things might get, and he wants us to be of courage and to not be afraid. And, he wants us walking in holiness.

How Beautiful Heaven Must Be

Songwriters: A. P. Bland / A. S. Bridgewater / Dwight Moody Brock

…In heaven no drooping nor pining,

No wishing for elsewhere to be;

God's light is forever, there shining,

How beautiful heaven must be.

How beautiful heaven must be

Sweet home of the happy and free;

Fair haven of rest for the weary,

How beautiful heaven must be…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCfHh-Ra1N8

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