Uninstall

Tuesday, September 23, 2014, 10:31 p.m. – The Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “Songs in The Night.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read 1 Corinthians 5 (NASB).

A Personal Illustration

A while ago my husband installed the computer software program “Acronis” on my PC to take care of backups. As far as I know it had been working fine. Then this past Sunday I tried to shut down my PC when it came up with a message: "Operations Are In Progress, Please Wait..." It went on forever and so I shut it down, or at least I thought I did. I turned it back on today but got the same message. Evidently it is a problem with Acronis.

All we had was a blue screen. We were not getting anywhere with it. I prayed. And then I had the idea to remove the battery. When Rick put the battery back in, now we had access again. Rick tried to uninstall Acronis, but that program hung on for dear life. The program itself acted like a virus that just wouldn’t let go. I have never seen a program so difficult to uninstall before. He tried all kinds of things to try to remove it, but it would not budge.

The computer system ended up crashing. I prayed again. Then I suggested going back to Friday night, when the last Windows system restore point was created (9/19 at 11 p.m.), and doing a system restore, which restores the “computer's system to an earlier date when everything worked correctly” (1).

Once the system restore was complete, he tried uninstalling the program again. The uninstall was successful now. Wow! That was like performing a root canal. It took a hard reboot to bring the system back up, so we could access it to work on it, and then it took a system restore to be able to uninstall the vicious software, and now it seems to be running smoothly.

Needs to Be Removed

It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father’s wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst.

As I contemplated what was taking place this evening with my PC, I could not help but see a spiritual application to the whole scenario. I see much of today’s church here in America like my PC. Programs have been “installed” within the church which seem safe on the surface, but they have a vicious side to them. Serious sin and worldliness have infiltrated the church, some of it barely even noticed, being introduced through what has been “installed” within the church: The church, for the most part, has adopted the ways of this world and of big business in order to grow their “churches.” The gospel of salvation has been watered down, made more acceptable and less judgmental, and so “believers” feel as though they have the freedom to continue in sin and still be covered by the blood of Christ.

Because the church leadership wants the world to be comfortable in their churches so that they will come back and will feel at home there, they have made many compromises of truth and have introduced much worldliness into the church. This has opened the door wide for sin to be rampant within the church, going on unchecked or ignored, because the people are being taught that they should not be judgmental, that they should not confront anyone, and that they should “stay in their own lane” and not get in anyone’s face. The church, in fact, is being taught that they should “immerse” themselves in the culture, and that they should just go around “blessing” people through acts of kindness, being “nice” to people in place of sharing the gospel, because, after all, they don’t want to be too preachy. It might turn people away, they say.

Clean It Out!

For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

So, what needs to be removed from the church today is their “Acronis,” i.e. the teachings, philosophies and marketing schemes of human origin that have been “installed” within the church and have grown and multiplied within the church to where there is not much difference at all between the church and the world anymore. But, the church leadership and many of the people are stubbornly holding on, and are not willing to let go. They are proud of their church meetings and their worship services, but worldliness continues to consume and to grow within the church like gangrene, the gospel continues to be diluted, the truth of God’s word is ignored, disdained or twisted, and the Lord’s messengers are rejected.

So, there is going to have to be a “hard reboot” in order to gain access within the church so that the problem can be addressed, and then there is going to have to be a “system restore” so that the vicious “program” can be removed. In other words, God is going to have to take his church through some hard times in order to revive (reboot) her. He is going to have to take her back in time to when she first became corrupted with the world so that he can restore her to what she was like when everything worked correctly. I believe God is going to have to judge (discipline; the hard reboot) his church, which will involve taking her back in time (confronting her with her sin and/or the removing of modern conveniences) so that they will willingly let go of their idols (their “Acronis”) and they will return to their “first love” and to how they were before they went astray.

Bad Associations

I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.

We are supposed to judge sin within the church. It is not mean to do so if it is done in love. To ignore sin is not love. It is selfishness. There is nothing kind about ignoring sin.

We are also not to associate with believers who are willfully living sinful lifestyles. So, if the majority of institutional churches of today in America are practicing sin by conforming to the ways of this world, by diluting the gospel to make it more appealing to the flesh, by teaching a false grace, by replacing the word of God with movies and with books written by humans, by ignoring scripture in favor of human philosophy, and by practicing the rejection and persecution of those who do teach the true gospel, then should we continue to associate with these institutions of humankind? I say not. By continuing to support them, we are giving our approval to their wickedness, which makes us just like this Corinthian church which was proud and did not remove the wickedness from among them.

I believe because most of the church here in America is stubborn and unrepentant and she continues in her humanistic, worldly and ungodly ways, the Lord Jesus is going to have to give her a “hard reboot” and he is going to have to give her a “system restore” in order to remove (uninstall) from among her the “Acronis” of the church of today which is corrupting the church and is keeping the true gospel from going forth. Yet, I also believe that the church will be revived during this time, and that through revival the church will go forth with the gospel to the ends of the earth, and then the Lord Jesus will return. Amen!

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

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

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

Lord, I praise You forevermore.

You, my Savior, I now adore.

Hope in heaven awaiting me,

Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,

And I’m bound for heaven.

Jesus set me free from

All my sin, I say.

I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:

Overcame death, my vict’ry won!

Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!

I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!

My sin is but hist’ry!

I am free to please Him

With my life today.

I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me

A new life bought at Calvary.

Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.

Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;

Through my Lord, I’m able

To sit at His table;

Fellowship with Him.

I will thank Him always!

http://originalworks.info/songs-in-the-night/

Sources:

(1)  http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/what-is-system-restore#1TC=windows-7.

An Appeal

Thursday, September 18, 2014, 6:00 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “Full Release.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Romans 12 (ESV).

Your Spiritual Worship

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Although Paul does not express this as a command here, that does not mean this is optional or merely a suggestion or a recommendation. In other passages of scripture we are instructed in the truth of what it means to have faith in Jesus Christ. It means we die with Christ to our old lives of living for sin and self, we are transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God, and we now live holy lives pleasing to the Lord – all in the working, power and strength of the Spirit within us (See Lu. 9:23-25; Ac. 26:16-18; Ro. 6-8; 2 Co. 5:15; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 4:17-24; Tit. 2:11-14; & 1 Jn. 1-5). As well, we are commanded in other scriptures to not be conformed to the world, and to not love the world, but to be separate (unlike; different) from the world, and to be holy, set apart to God and to his service.

Yet, just because we have come to know Christ as Savior and Lord of our lives, it does not mean we will live in absolute perfection from that moment on. We still have the propensity to sin, so we must be urged from time to time to remember what Christ did for us in dying for our sins, and with that in mind, to live like we say we believe. Our lives are to be given completely over to the Lord Jesus as instruments of righteousness, to be used for his purposes and for his glory. We were bought with a price. Our lives no longer belong to us to do with them what we want. Our goal should be to please our master in all we do. And, we should seek his righteousness and not seek after the pleasures and treasures of this world. This is our true worship of God, not merely just singing songs of praise to him.

Not Conceited

For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.

I have come to realize, over the years, that even someone who is constantly drawing attention to himself or to herself, by putting themselves down all the time, can be just as guilty of pride (conceit) as someone who boasts about his or her own accomplishments. Both an overly developed sense of self-worth (pride in oneself) and an extremely low opinion of ones worth, especially if continuously expressed to others, are focused on self and on wanting or craving the attention of others and their acceptance. True humility is not self-abasing. True humility does not focus on oneself, but is more concerned with others. So, instead of boasting about ourselves in public or cutting ourselves down all the time in front of others, we should think of ourselves with sound (reasonable) judgment.

We were all born into sin. All have sinned. There is not one of us who is righteous in his own merit. So, not one of us is better or worse than others. We are all capable of any sin given the right circumstances. Yet, in Christ we are his beloved, special, called, and chosen ones. We are saved from slavery to sin, we have the hope of eternal life, and we have the Spirit of God now within us transforming us to make us more like Jesus. Amen! All we possess that is good has been given to us by God, so we have no reason to ever boast as though we did not receive it from the Lord. As well, we never have cause to be self-abasing, because we are God’s created works, Jesus Christ now dwells within us, he has made us new creations in Christ Jesus, and he considers us his very special people, loved of God, and called to his service. So, when we think with sound self-judgment, we have no cause for pride.

One Body

For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

1 Corinthians 12 expands on this teaching even more, so I would recommend reading that chapter, in combination with this one, as well as to read the first part of Ephesians 4, as they all teach how the body of Christ is to operate. The institutional church of today, for the most part, I believe misses the mark on what this teaches. The Spirit of God is the one who gifts us, and it is the Spirit of God who gives us our assignments (roles; parts) within the Body. The gifts we receive from the Spirit are not to be confused with natural talents and abilities, which all humans have. These are supernatural abilities and job assignments, and they are also not to be confused with specific church ministries as assigned by humans, although we may use our spiritual gifts within the framework of some church ministries.

So many institutional churches operate with man’s way of thinking instead of with God’s. They determine what ministries they will have in their churches, and anything outside of what they have determined is either treated with suspicion and/or with scorn and contempt. Now, I realize there is a lot of strange stuff going on out there in the name of Christ and in the name of Christianity, so I agree we should exercise wisdom and discernment, yet we should not go so far as to quench the Spirit or to put out the Spirit’s fire by excluding members of Christ’s body from fellowship within the body just because their gifts do not fit with our man-made goals and objectives for building earthly kingdoms of human origin. We should never say to another part of the body, “We don’t need you! Go someplace else!”

True Love

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

We live in a generation which was brought up on television, movies, and the like. Over the course of time we have also introduced home computers, laptops, tablets (IPads, et al), and smart phones, et al. So, we are continually being bombarded with the philosophies, culture, thinking, and value system of this sinful world, to the point to where we can become desensitized and not even realize the kinds of things we are taking into our minds every day. The media world mostly does not teach godly love, but it teaches a false notion of what true love is all about, so that even Christians have adopted this false love notion. Yet, even before that, our religions, cultures, family heritage and upbringing have possibly introduced into our minds false ideas of what true love is all about. So, we need to be discerning.

True love hates what it is evil. It does not embrace it, play with it, nor is it entertained by it. And, it certainly does not placate it or encourage it in others. It cares enough about others to weep over it, confront sin, and to show the way out from underneath the bondage of sin. True love clings (hangs on to) what is good (what is healthy spiritually and emotionally). True love looks to how it can help others, so it does not take advantage of others or treat others harmfully. It truly cares, not just about physical or emotional needs, but it cares about the spiritual needs of other people, which is evident in words and in actions. Hypocritical love is that which is deceptive, which practices lies, and that which pretends one thing outwardly in some situations while it expresses just the opposite in others. We need to do more than just say “I love you,” but we need to show we love others by what we do, yet by God’s standards of what it means to love others, not by the world’s standards.

The Same Mind

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

It is difficult for one man and one woman who join together in marriage to be of the same mind, let alone for the entire body of Christ to be of one mind. We are all different. We all think differently from one another. And, that’s ok. Variety is good. Yet, here this is speaking of the same mind as the mind of Christ. Our unity in the church should be unity with Christ and his word, and not unity with humans and with humanistic philosophies and values. So, if we are of one mind with Christ, it is entirely possible in this day and age that we may not be of one mind with the majority of the institutional church. And, that is ok, too! The standard for unity and oneness within the body of Christ is our Lord and his Word. Our lives, decisions, thinking, etc. should be based in him, and from that all else should flow. We should daily put into practice the things taught us by the Lord in his word, as we daily walk in fellowship with him, growing in his grace, and living to please him with our lives.

Full Release / An Original Work / April 15, 2012

Walking daily with my Savior brings me joy.

Loving Father; precious Jesus;

He’s my Savior and my Lord.

Gently leads me; follow Him.

I’ve invited Him within.

Now abiding in His presence, oh, what peace.

From my self-life He has brought me,

By His mercy, full release.

Hope and comfort, peace and safety Jesus brings

When I daily bow before Him;

Obey freely; do His will.

Follow Him where’er He leads.

Listen to Him; His words heed.

Now obeying his words fully, oh, what love

That He gives me through salvation,

By His Spirit, from above.

Loving Father; precious Jesus, He’s my friend.

With my Savior, by His Spirit,

I will endure to the end.

Share the gospel, tell what’s true.

Witness daily; His will do.

Tell the world of how their Savior bled and died.

On a cruel cross He suffered

So that we might be alive.

http://originalworks.info/full-release/

My Heart's Desire

Wednesday, September 17, 2014, 7:00 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “Give Me Courage, Lord.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Romans 10 (ESV).

Not All Saved

In Romans 9 we read where Paul expressed his great sorrow and unceasing anguish in his heart for his fellow Israelites to be saved. He continued this thought in chapter 10. These were the people of his own nation, of his own race and culture, and of the faith he was brought up under, too. Some of them may have been his physical relatives, as well.

They had been so blessed by God. They had the truths of scripture given to them from birth. Jesus Christ, our Lord and Messiah, came from this people. And, the gospel of salvation was first given to them, and from them it was to be shared with the world. Yet, not all of them believed in Jesus Christ as the fulfillment of the prophecies of scripture regarding their Messiah who was to come. In fact, probably most of them did not. So, although they were physical descendants of Abraham, and were Israelites by birth, not all were (or are) true Israel, i.e. not all were (or are today) the children of promise through genuine faith in Jesus Christ.

Yet, I believe the Lord Jesus would have me personalize this passage of scripture this morning by applying its truths to my world and to my day and time period.

Not According to Knowledge

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

The institutional church of today here in America has been blessed with so much knowledge, too, and with so much in the way of Bibles, Bible helps, hymns and spiritual songs, the preaching of the Word, and material blessings, too. We have church buildings galore, freedom of worship, and sermons abound in these buildings, and on TV, on the radio, and on the internet. The Word of God is everywhere. We have no want of it in any way, only in the distortion of it as is preached in many of our pulpits today. And, that is a sad reality.

These are my people, of my nation and my culture, though of many different races. And, many of them are my physical relatives, as well. They are also the people of my faith, though not all have genuine faith. Some think because they were brought up in the church that it makes them Christians, but it does not; or they think that because their families claim Christianity as their religion that it means they, too, are Christian, but many of them are not; or they think because they are members of an institutional church that it makes them Christian, but many are not true Israel, i.e. true Christians at all.

The gospel of salvation was given to the church, and from them the true gospel of Jesus Christ was to go forth throughout the world so that many would be saved. Sadly enough, not much of that is being done anymore. Sadly enough, a social gospel of just being “nice” to people and immersing ourselves in today’s culture has replaced the true gospel of death to sin and new life in the Spirit. As well, so many in the church today are so much like the world that they don’t stand out as different at all, or they are not committed at all to spreading the Word of God so that many can know Christ and be saved.

My heart’s desire is that my people would be saved, or that they would be revived if they have wandered off from the truth after coming to know Christ as Savior, and if they have become followers of the world and of humankind, instead of Christ being their first love. I have unceasing anguish and great sorrow in my heart for my people to be saved and to walk with God in purity, righteousness and holiness, in the power of the Spirit within them. For I know that many have been given a false grace gospel absent of the cross of Christ in their lives, and so they are not genuinely saved. I also know many of them once walked with the Lord Jesus but have since gotten caught up in the ways of this world and of this social gospel which waters down the truth and which gives them an out for their sin.

If We Confess

…“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Many people misuse this passage of scripture in order to water down the truth of the gospel. In our culture today in America, this does not have the same meaning (weight) as it did to those of old who first heard these words. When the people of Paul’s day, in the days of the early church, believed in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and when they confessed him audibly before humankind as Lord (ruler; master) of their lives, they knew they would most likely be persecuted and maybe even put to death for their faith. Here in America if we audibly confess belief in Jesus, little now does it bring about any kind of persecution, unless, of course, we are serious about our walks with the Lord, and we are preaching the truth of the gospel of salvation, and then we will be persecuted, and most especially by the religious establishment of our day, and by the leadership of these establishments, too.

Another thought here along these same lines is that saying audibly that “Jesus is Lord” here in America does not mean he is truly Lord of our lives, nor do I think that most people really understand what it means to have him as Lord of our lives. It is merely a title of respect given to Jesus. Yet, having him as Lord means we are in full submission to him, we have forsaken our lives of living for sin and self, we have been transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God, and we are walking daily in fellowship with Him in his righteousness and holiness - in the power of the Spirit within us – not in absolute perfection, but in daily dying to self and sin and choosing to walk in the light of his Word.

How Beautiful!

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

So, what is this “good news” that we are to preach so that people may be saved? The Bible teaches that we have all sinned and that we all come up short of attaining the glory of God in our lives (See Ro. 3:23). Yet, it also teaches that the wages (payment) for sin is death – eternal punishment and eternal separation from God – but the gift of God (our salvation) is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (See Ro. 6:23). As well, we are taught that it is by God’s grace that we are saved, through faith, and it is not of our own making lest we should boast. Our salvation is a gift from God via Jesus’ blood shed on the cross for our sins. We do nothing to earn it or to deserve it. While we were still helpless (weak; sinners) Christ died for the ungodly (See Eph. 2:8-9; Ro. 5:6-8). Yet, we must accept it/him by faith.

So, what does this faith look like? Well, we learn in Ac. 26:16-18 that we need to have our spiritually blinded eyes opened, and we are to be turned from sin to the light of Christ and his Word, and from the power and control of Satan over our lives to God, so that we might receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified and made holy in Christ Jesus our Lord. In other words, we must die with Christ to sin, and we must be resurrected with Christ to new life, and we must walk (in lifestyle) in the Spirit in purity, righteousness and holiness – all in the power and strength of the Spirit within us (See Ro. 6-8; Eph. 4:17-24; Gal. 2:20 & 1 Jn. 1-5).

Jesus Christ died, not just so our sins would be forgiven, and so we would escape hell and have eternal life with him in heaven. Jesus Christ died to free us from the power and control of sin and Satan over our lives so that we could walk in the Spirit and in holiness day by day. He died so we would no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave himself up for us (See 2 Co. 5:15). As well, his grace teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled and upright lives while we wait for his return (See Tit. 2:11-14). If we say we have fellowship with God or that we love God, and yet we continue in sinful lifestyles (walking in darkness), scripture says we are liars, and we do not live by the truth, and in fact, we do not know God at all (See 1 Jn. 1-5).

Disobedient and Contrary

But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for

“Their voice has gone out to all the earth,

    and their words to the ends of the world.”

But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,

“I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation;

    with a foolish nation I will make you angry.”

Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,

“I have been found by those who did not seek me;

    I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”

But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

Has the church here in America today heard the gospel of salvation? Certainly we have, though many have heard a distorted version of it. So, if they are to be truly saved, they must hear the truth. As well, many have heard the truth, but have not truly believed, or many have believed but have since strayed from their pure devotion to Christ. So, the Lord has been sending out his messengers to preach the true gospel so that they would be saved, and so the church would be revived, and yet many have ignored or have refused those messages, and have chosen, instead, to embrace a softer and more acceptable version of the gospel, which is not the gospel at all. So, much of today’s institutional church is not unlike Israel of old as they are also disobedient and obstinate in response to God.

Because of their response to the truths of God’s word, many have also rejected and persecuted the Lord’s messengers, and yet, we are to be encouraged, and to not grow weary in doing good, for our work will one day be rewarded when we see the church revived and the gospel going out like it has not for many years, and many will be saved. Amen!

Give Me Courage, Lord

An Original Work / November 13, 2013

Based off Various Scriptures

Do not let your hearts grow weary,

For your work will be rewarded.

Be strong; let your hearts take courage.

Do not fear, but wait on Jesus.

Be strong and very courageous,

For your God will go before you.

Do not fear. He will not leave you.

Wait for Him. He’ll not forsake you.

Be careful to do what He says.

Do not turn away from your Lord.

Take courage! You’ll be His witness,

For God will guide and protect you.

So we are always encouraged.

We walk by faith and not vision.

We make it our aim to please Him,

So in Christ, we glorify Him.

http://originalworks.info/give-me-courage-lord/

No Greater Joy!

Monday, September 15, 2014, 7:00 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “Follow Him.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Romans 6 (NASB).

United With Him

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.

Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

There is a popular teaching today, with regard to our salvation, which teaches belief in Jesus absent of death to sin. Belief in Jesus isn’t even really described exactly, in these cases. They teach something like, “All you have to do is invite him into your heart. Then you are saved, you are going to heaven, and nothing can ever take that away from you.” Bam!

So, what’s wrong with that? Well, it is wrong if we don’t teach people the gospel that Jesus and the apostles taught, which says that coming to faith in Jesus Christ means dying with Christ to sin (to our old ways of living in sin) so that we might walk in newness of life. Coming to Christ by faith is not about cleaning up our old lives a little at a time, as is convenient for us. It is about being united with Christ in DEATH to our old lives of living for sin and self so that we can live for him and walk in his holiness in the power of his Spirit within us (See Lu. 9:23-25; Ac. 26:16-18; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 4:17-24 & 1 Jn. 1-5).

When we get the idea that faith in Jesus Christ means only that he forgives our sins, and so now we have the hope of eternal life, but that nothing really has to change in our lives, then we have been given a false hope of salvation. Why? Because the Word of God teaches that Jesus Christ died so that we would no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave himself up for us (See 2 Co. 5:15). Who is teaching that now, though? We hear so much about God’s grace these days, yet do we hear that his grace teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled and upright lives while we wait for his return? (See Tit. 2:11-14) Usually if you point these things out, you are called a legalist.

Yet, this passage makes it quite clear that IF we have truly been united with Christ, by faith, our old self was crucified with him, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin, for IF we have truly died with Christ, we have been freed from slavery to (the control of) sin. Amen! It is not true grace if we remain in slavery to sin, is it? True grace frees us from bondage to sin (from sinful lifestyles), and it sets us free to walk in Christ’s righteousness. It does not give us carte blanche to continue in sin free from guilt. In fact, we read in 1 John that if we say we have fellowship with God or we say we love God and yet we continue in sinful lifestyles, we are liars and the truth is not in us, and we do not really know God. Ouch!

One day we are all going to come before God. Many people are going to think they are bound for heaven because of some decision they made at some point in their lives to “receive” Christ into their hearts, but they are going to hear, “I never knew you.” Scripture makes it real clear that true faith in Jesus involves death to our old lives of sin. It involves listening to and obeying the teachings of Christ and the apostles. And, it involves walking in holiness, purity and devotion to Jesus Christ – all in the power and strength of his Spirit within us. It does not teach absolute perfection or that we will never sin, but it encourages us, that if we do sin, that we should go to our Lord in prayer and confession, and that we daily put off sinful attitudes and behaviors, and that we walk in the ways of the Lord.

Slaves of Righteousness

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

As followers of Jesus Christ, this is how we are to live. Sin should no longer be our master now that we are under grace. Instead, we should be slaves of righteousness. We are to be entirely at the disposal of our Lord Jesus to do whatever he wants us to do. We ought to be absolutely devoted to Jesus and to his will for our lives. We should no longer follow the ways of our flesh, or do just what we want to do, but we should give ourselves completely to him for his service in obedience to his commands. For us to be able to do this, we must daily die to sin and self and follow our Lord in obedience – all in his power and strength within us. We are to be holy unto the Lord, set apart (unlike; different) from the world, and set apart to God and to his service, growing in the likeness of Christ.

I remember the day when this next verse really sunk into my brain: “For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness” (v. 20). In other words, we are one or the other but we can’t be both. We can’t be true followers of Jesus Christ if we are still living sinful lifestyles. If we are still living sinful lifestyles then we are free of the control of or slavery (commitment) to righteousness. As well, what benefit do we gain from sin? We may experience some temporal pleasure, but if we are truly in Christ, we should not be comfortable in our sin. Holding on to sin will only hurt our fellowship with our Lord and with fellow believers in Jesus Christ, and it will keep us from being effective in our testimonies and witness for Jesus Christ. There is no benefit to sin. If we continue in sin, we will not have the hope of eternal life with God in heaven, but we will face eternal punishment.

Yet, there is great benefit in being united with Christ in death to sin, and in walking in his righteousness and holiness in the power of his Spirit within us. We are free! Amen! And with freedom comes victory, joy, peace, purpose, fruit, obedience, fellowship and harmony. I know what it is like to live for sin and self, and I know what it is like to walk in harmony with my Lord, to listen to his voice, and to follow him wherever he leads. I can tell you that there is no greater peace or joy than to know that I am walking in obedience to my Lord, and that I am following him wherever he leads me. I am free! Praise Jesus!

Follow Him / An Original Work / February 21, 2013

Based off Luke 9:22-25

Jesus, Son of God,

Died for us on a cross.

Anyone who would come to Him

Must deny himself and follow.

He must take up his cross daily;

Die to sin and self each day.

Father, God above,

Loved us so: gave His Son.

If you want to save your old life;

Keep on sinning, follow your ways,

You will lose your life forever;

Hope of heaven gone away.

Spirit of our God

Gives us life in God’s Son.

Nonetheless, if you die to self;

Forsake your sin; follow Jesus,

You will live with God in heaven,

And forever praise His name!

http://originalworks.info/follow-him1/

Strengthened in Faith

Sunday, September 14, 2014, 9:00 p.m. – the Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “Refresh My Spirit, Lord.” This was followed by “Lord, Move Me.” Both songs have a similar theme.

Refresh My Spirit, Lord / An Original Work / August 8, 2011

Based off of Psalm 51 & Matthew 11:28-30

Refresh my spirit, Lord. Revive my heart today.

Move me to serve You, Lord in all I do and say.

Be my heart’s one desire; my spirit set on fire

In pure devotion, Lord, to love you and obey.

Create within me, Lord, a pure heart, this I pray,

So I can worship You and yield to You always.

May all Your love and pow’r be lived in me, I pray,

So I might love as You; be Your witness today.

Jesus says, “Come to me all you with heavy hearts,

And find in me your peace, and give to me your all.

My yoke is light to bear, ‘cause I paid for your sin,

So you might be set free, and purified within.”

http://originalworks.info/refresh-my-spirit-lord/

I have been really dragging for a couple of days. Part of it is emotional, I am sure, as multiple things are on my mind, and I am praying over several situations going on in my life right now. Part of it is physical and hormonal, too. Those types of things come and go, or are cyclical, so they are a fact of life which must be recognized so that I (we) don’t let these times weigh me (us) down. All these things affect me spiritually, so it is during these times that I need to be refreshed in my spirit, revived in my heart, moved to follow my Lord in obedience, and reminded of God’s absolute faithfulness in my every part of my life.

I am presently reading in Romans for my quiet times with the Lord each day. So, after reading the lyrics to these two songs, I prayed, “Speak, Lord, your words to my heart.” Then, I read Romans 3-5. When I got to Ro. 4:18, I knew this was where I was to read.

Against Hope

In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. Therefore it was also credited to him as righteousness. Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification. ~ Ro. 4:18-25 NASB

I must admit that sometimes there are situations in my life which appear hopeless on the surface. It is hard to wait, at times, for things promised, because of things present which give the indication of the opposite of what is hoped for. And, so I need to be encouraged to keep pressing on, believing God, even when I can’t see what lies ahead. I need to keep believing even when the evidence is not physically present with me. I must believe God even when all looks as though there is no way. So, I find much encouragement in this story of Abraham’s faith, and in how he believed God even when, from all physical evidence, it looked absolutely hopeless. I was immediately strengthened in my faith as the Spirit spoke his words of encouragement to my heart through this story.

Sometimes we read the word, and we intellectually take it into our minds, but it has no real power or effect, for whatever reason. Other times we are affected by it, and we learn from it, and we grow from it, but we don’t sense the Spirit putting his finger on any particular area of our lives. Then other times we read the word and the Spirit of God quickens our minds and hearts and deals specifically with situations in our lives. Then what we read immediately convicts our hearts, gives us direction, instills hope, and/or it refreshes our hearts, encourages our spirits, and it strengthens us in our faith. This was one of those times when I knew that God had a personal message for me through this story.

The Lord Jesus immediately lifted my spirits when I read how Abraham believed God, against hope, and how he did not waver in unbelief. His faith did not weaken, but he grew strong in his faith, and he gave glory to God, even when he had not yet realized the fulfillment of the promise. As well, he was fully persuaded that God had the power to do what he had promised, and that he would fulfill that promise. Amen! Lord, I believe!

No Pain, No Gain

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. ~ Ro. 5:1-5 NASB

You have probably heard the old saying, “No pain, no gain.” Apparently it has to do with physical exercise, toning of body muscles, and losing weight. Getting in physical shape takes discipline, hard work, and muscle soreness in order to gain the end goal of toned muscles, healthier bodies and weight loss.

Well, a similar situation occurs as we get in shape spiritually, i.e. as we grow in faith and in our walks with the Lord. Certainly we do so in the power and strength of the Spirit within us, yet the Spirit takes us through situations in our lives to help with that process. In other words, these difficult situations in our lives, which I mentioned earlier, which can try our faith, also serve God’s purposes in our lives. As we go through these difficulties, and we learn to turn to him, and to draw on his strength, we grow in faith, and he develops his (godly) character within us.

Difficult times teach us perseverance, i.e. the waiting I spoke of previously, and the steadfastness in continued faith, even when all looks hopeless. When we persevere, even in the face of much difficulty and/or persecution, his character is proven in our lives in how we respond to those troublesome circumstances. The more we become like Jesus in all that we think, do and say, the greater our faith will be so that we will be more hopeful by trusting in our Lord and in his many promises to us, and we will not waver in unbelief. Our God is absolutely faithful in all that he does, and he will do all that he has said he will do, and that is why true hope will never disappoint, because we hope for what God has promised.

Lord, Move Me / An Original Work / October 16, 2011

Be my desire, my heart set on fire,

Lord, move me to worship You only, I pray.

Fill with Your Spirit, my heart overflow.

Lord, may I long for You; Your word to know.

Teach me to walk with You, Lord, in Your power,

And may I serve You, Lord, right now in this hour.

Lord, how I want to obey You forever.

Help me to hear You, Lord, so I will not stray.

Teach me to love You; adore You always.

Envelope me, Lord, with Your grace today.

Meet me in my need, and show me Your mercy.

Forgive me for all things, as I humbly pray.

Counsel me, lead me, direct me, and guide me,

So I follow You, Lord, where’er You lead now.

I love to hear You speak Your words to me.

I am so grateful that You set me free.

Wash me, and cleanse me, and make me like You, Lord,

And I will live with You for eternity.

http://originalworks.info/lord-move-me/

A Bondservant

Saturday, September 13, 2014, 5:11 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “Living Sacrifices.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Romans 1:1-17 (NASB).

Set Apart

Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake, among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ…

Paul was a bond-servant of Jesus Christ. I wanted to understand, thus, what it means to be a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, so I looked it up:

The word bondservant comes from the Greek word doulos, meaning “one who is subservient to, and entirely at the disposal of, his master; a slave.” In Roman times, the term bondservant or slave could refer to someone who voluntarily served others. Under Roman law, a bondservant was considered the owner’s personal property. Throughout the New Testament, the word bondservant, slave, or servant is applied metaphorically to someone absolutely devoted to Jesus. As bondservants, we renounce other masters (Matthew 6:24) and give ourselves totally to Him (Matthew 16:24). “Now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life” (Romans 6:22). http://www.gotquestions.org/bondservant.html

Although this is not taught much in today’s modern church here in America, this is the true meaning of what it means to be in Christ and to be a follower of Jesus. Once we were slaves to sin and unrighteousness, but when we come to Christ Jesus, by faith, we are set free of slavery to sin, and now we become voluntary slaves of righteousness. Jesus bought us with a price. Therefore we are to honor God with our lives. Our lives are to no longer be our own, but they are owned by our Lord and Master, Jesus. We are to be entirely at the disposal of our Lord Jesus to do whatever he wants us to do. We ought to be absolutely devoted to Jesus and to his will for our lives. We should no longer follow the ways of our flesh, or do just what we want to do, but we should give ourselves completely to him for his service in obedience to his commands. For us to be able to do this, we must daily die to sin and self and follow our Lord in obedience – all in his power and strength within us.

Paul was also set apart for the gospel of God. As the Lord’s servants, we, too, are set apart for his service and for his gospel. We, who are in Christ, are growing into a holy temple in the Lord (Eph. 2:21). We have been chosen by God, holy and beloved (Col. 3:12). Jesus “has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity” (2 Tim. 1:9). Like the Holy One who called us, we are to be holy in all our behavior (1 Pet. 1:15-16). “As living stones, (we) are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 2:5). And, we “are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9).

Holy means: "likeness of nature with the Lord" because "different from the world;" "different from the world" because "like the Lord;" and it implies something "set apart" and therefore "different (distinguished/distinct)" – i.e. "other," because special to the Lord - http://biblehub.com/greek/40.htm. This is what it means for us to be holy, and it is what it means to be set apart from the world and to the Lord. We have to be unlike (different from) the world, and we have to be becoming like Jesus Christ in all that we do, think and say.

Encouraged Together

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine. I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.

There is just nothing quite like the encouragement and strengthening we receive from other believers in Jesus Christ who are also absolutely devoted to Jesus, set apart from the world, and set apart to God and to his service. Paul sets the example for us here in how we can encourage and strengthen one another in the Lord.

First of all, we should be thankful for the Body of Christ, and especially when we see believers in Jesus committed to the Lord in love, purity, and in service to him and to others. I know I need to do more to show my appreciation for my brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world, so this convicts my heart.

Secondly, we should be devoted to praying for one another, especially since we are on a spiritual battlefield and Satan is attacking the church left and right. Reading this brings me under conviction. I know I need to pray more, and more effectively, and specifically for my brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world. And, I need to be asking them more how I can pray for them, because we all need prayer. I know I do.

Thirdly, we should long for fellowship with other believers. When I say “fellowship,” though, I don’t mean just hanging out and watching a movie together, playing games, or eating pizza and chips, drinking sodas, and talking about all our worldly activities and toys. The early church met daily from house to house and in the temple courts for the teaching of the word, for prayer, for the breaking of bread and for fellowship. They were committed (devoted) to fellowship with one another. Yet, I think that in our modern-day churches we have altered the meaning of fellowship quite a bit, and that we have lost the idea of what the early believers experienced in genuine fellowship with one another. I found this good definition of “Christian fellowship”: http://www.gotquestions.org/koinonia.html.

Paul, as well, gave a very good definition of Christian fellowship in his letter to the Roman believers. He longed to see them so he could impart some spiritual gift to them. Now, we know that it is the Spirit who gives the gifts, as he determines, so I am not quite certain what Paul meant by this, other than perhaps to encourage them in their spiritual gifts or in helping them to discover what gifts they have in the Spirit, which is something we can all do with one another.

Another aspect of this fellowship was the encouragement they were to receive from one another by one another’s faith. Yet, how many times do believers in Jesus Christ get together for “fellowship,” and the name of Jesus is not even mentioned, much less is there any mutual encouragement of one another’s faith taking place? We need to encourage each other by sharing with one another what the Lord Jesus is doing in our lives.

Under Obligation

I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”

We read in Romans 8:12-13 (NASB): “So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

Paul said he was “under obligation” to everyone, implying that his obligation was to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to all. I believe all of us are under obligation, as followers of Christ, to no longer live according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, and that this involves daily putting to death the misdeeds of the flesh so that we can walk daily in the Spirit and under the Spirit’s control. This goes back to the subject of being bondservants of Jesus Christ – absolutely devoted to Jesus! As bondservants, we are obligated to renounce all other “gods” (idols) in our lives, and to give ourselves wholly unto Him. And, this includes being ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ in making disciples of Christ of people of all nations, baptizing them, and teaching them to obey all Christ commands us.

Paul realized that the gospel of Jesus Christ was the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, and that is why he was so committed to sharing the gospel, so that many could be saved, so they could be set free from sin, and so they could become slaves of righteousness, as well as have the hope of eternity with God in heaven. The same gospel that he preached, and that Jesus and the other apostles preached, is the gospel we are to live and to also preach (teach/witness) to the world around us.

Living Sacrifices / An Original Work / September 14, 2012

Based off Romans 12:1-2; 6:11-14 NIV

Oh, holy ones, I counsel you,

In view of God’s mercy,

To give yourselves to God in love

As living offerings,

Pleasing to God, holy in love.

This is your true worship.

Do not conform to worldly lives.

Let God transform you today.

Then you’ll be able to

Test and approve of what

God’s will is – His pleasing

And perfect will.

Oh, holy ones, I counsel you –

Offer yourselves unto God.

Oh, holy ones, I counsel you –

Do not be conceited.

Humble yourselves before your God.

Do not be self-righteous.

The strength you have to live in love

Comes from your Lord God, so

Live your new lives in pow’r of God.

Be changed in heart, mind and will.

Do this because of what

Christ did for you when

He died on the cross to save

The world from sin.

Oh, holy ones, I counsel you –

Humble yourselves before God.

Oh, holy ones, I counsel you –

Count yourselves dead to sin,

But be alive to God in Christ.

Do not let sin reign in

Your earthly lives so you

Obey its evil desires.

Offer yourselves unto your God

As those who’ve been born again.

For sin shall no longer be

Your lord and master.

Give of yourselves to God

For righteousness.

Oh, holy ones, I counsel you –

Be alive to God in Christ.

http://originalworks.info/living-sacrifices/

He Took Courage

Friday, September 12, 2014, 6:00 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put in mind the song, “In Faithfulness He Leads Me.”  Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Acts 28:11-31 (NASB).

On to Rome

The ship Paul was on as a prisoner ran aground. All the people on board the ship were brought safely to land, including all the prisoners. Then they found out that the island they were on was called Malta. The natives there showed “extraordinary kindness” to those on the ship who had landed on their island. Paul ended up healing the father of a man named Publius. After this happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases came to him to be cured. As well, the natives of the island showed Paul and the others great honor and respect, and they supplied them with all they needed to set sail again. At the end of three months on the island they did set sail again, and eventually they arrived in Rome.

When Paul and the others arrived in Rome, many followers of Christ came to meet them. “When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.”

I cried when I read this. I thought about all that Paul had just been through. Paul had been arrested in Jerusalem on false charges. A plot to take his life was afoot, so the commander had him transferred to Caesarea. There he was put on trial before Governor Felix. Two years passed, and then Felix was succeeded by Festus. Then Paul was on trial before Festus. When Festus asked Paul if he would be willing to stand trial before him in Jerusalem, Paul appealed to Caesar. So, Festus said, “To Caesar you will go.”

Some more time passed, and then Paul was placed on a ship headed to Rome, along with some other prisoners. The winds were against the ship, so they ran into much difficulty and eventually ran aground in Malta where they stayed another three months. So, when Paul finally got to his destination, and he was greeted by his fellow Christians, who had come distances to see him, he thanked the Lord and he took courage.

Perhaps you can identify. I know I can. I have never traveled a ship that had difficulty on the waves of the sea and that ran aground, and I have never been arrested on false charges or held in prison for long periods of time. Some of you may have. Yet, I do know hardships, trials, persecutions, rejections, being ostracized, mocked, abandoned, and lied against, etc. I know, too, what it is like to go long periods of time without much in the way of genuine Christian fellowship with other believers, and during this time, suffering much loneliness, hatred, and misunderstandings, and missing those close friendships of years gone by. And, I also know the joy of those times when the Lord Jesus sends someone along my way to encourage my heart and to refresh my spirit, and I am so thankful and I do take courage.

In Rome

When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.

After three days Paul called together those who were the leading men of the Jews, and when they came together, he began saying to them, “Brethren, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. And when they had examined me, they were willing to release me because there was no ground for putting me to death. But when the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar, not that I had any accusation against my nation. For this reason, therefore, I requested to see you and to speak with you, for I am wearing this chain for the sake of the hope of Israel.” They said to him, “We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brethren come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you. But we desire to hear from you what your views are; for concerning this sect, it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere.”

When they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening. Some were being persuaded by the things spoken, but others would not believe. And when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, “The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, saying,

‘Go to this people and say,

“You will keep on hearing, but will not understand;

And you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;

For the heart of this people has become dull,

And with their ears they scarcely hear,

And they have closed their eyes;

Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

And hear with their ears,

And understand with their heart and return,

And I would heal them.”’

Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen.” [When he had spoken these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves.]

And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.

What is standing out to me here, especially in relation to this song, is how absolutely sovereign God is over every aspect of our lives.

I look at Paul’s life, and I see the hand of God on his life every step of the way. I think about how God hand-picked Paul for this assignment, and that he was even preparing him before he was saved. When I read about how Paul continually reasoned with the Jews and how he tried to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, I realized that God gave Paul all that training, knowledge and experience from early on in his life for a reason. The reason was that he would be given the task of trying to convince the Jews that Jesus Christ was indeed their promised Messiah, and that he was the fulfillment of the prophets.

Also, I think of Paul’s testimony, and how he was a persecutor of Christians before his conversion, and how he was now on the other side of that situation in that he was now the one being falsely arrested, dragged into court, thrown into prison, persecuted and even beaten nearly to death. Having been on the other side of this situation, I believe he was perhaps more sympathetic to his persecutors since he had once been in their shoes. I also believe he was more passionate about them seeing the light of truth, too, because he knew what it was to be blind, and he knew what it was to see the light.

Another aspect of this that comes to mind is that, because Paul was once a murderer of Christians, and he had a past, and now he had come to Christ, so that he was now an enemy to those who were once his comrades, I think it gave him greater determination to stay the course. He was not so easily persuaded or threatened by his opponents, because he was once one of them, nor was he afraid to be hated or even put to death. He knew the seriousness of the task before him, and he was willing to endure whatever it took to get the gospel of salvation out to as many people as possible.

Lastly, what comes to mind is that God had a plan and a purpose for Paul’s life all through his persecutions, sufferings, beatings, arrests, imprisonments, crash landings, and length of time and the freedoms he was given in the various places where he was held prisoner. He used him to share Jesus Christ wherever he went, and he used him to encourage his brothers and sisters in Christ, too, through his circumstances, as well as God provided him with much encouragement. I believe it was during some of these imprisonments that he wrote some of his letters which we now have as scripture, and it continues to encourage and strengthen human hearts and preach Jesus as Savior and Lord nearly 2,000 years later.

Greatly Encouraged

I am greatly encouraged by this lesson today, as I see how God is reminding me here of how his hand has been upon every aspect of my life, and that everything he has allowed in my life has been for a purpose. I can see how all of my life has been training for me for where I am right now.

Several years ago, for instance, I attended a local college after being away from school for 30 years. I didn’t do so well the first time through college, so I was not sure how I would do. Though I remember little of what I learned in those classes, what the Lord Jesus taught me there was that I could learn, and that helped me to believe that he could teach me things way beyond what I would have ever imagined I could learn in my life, which has then been instrumental in helping me to do what I now do.

The Lord Jesus also had me brought up in a church with a very strong emphasis on holiness and on missions (the same denomination as A. W. Tozer), so I had a wonderful foundation in the Word of Truth. I was also blessed with a pastor who was humble before God, who listened to the Lord, and who walked the walk that he taught. He was a great teacher, and so practical in how he applied the word of God to our daily lives. He not only taught us the word, but he taught us how to study the word for ourselves, and how to teach it to others, too. Yet, I, like Paul, sinned greatly against my Lord, but the Lord delivered me from those sins. God did not lead me to sin, but because of my past, I am much more compassionate towards others who sin, and also am much more passionate about seeing them set free.

And, lastly, I, too, have experienced much rejection, persecution, difficulties, false accusations, and have been kicked to the curb more times than should have been because of my faith and testimony for Jesus Christ, and because of my walk of faith and my obedience to my Lord in being his servant and witness. Yet, in all of this, or through all of this, the Lord has been faithful to me in giving me all that I need to keep me going, and for me to keep pressing forward in sharing his gospel to the ends of the earth. Praise his name!

In Faithfulness He Leads Me / An Original Work / March 20, 2013

Based off Various Scriptures

(Ps. 26:3; 86:11; 91:4-5; 111:7-8; 119:73-76;

Is. 25:1,4&9; 42:6-7; Hos. 2:16-20)

Teach me Your ways, Lord, and I’ll walk in them.

Give me a pure heart. I’ll fear Your name.

Your love is always, ever before me.

Continually I’ll walk in Your truth.

You will cover me with feathers.

Under Your wings I’ll find refuge.

My Lord’s faithfulness will be my

Comfort and my shield.

The works of His hands are faithful and just.

Trustworthy are all of His precepts.

Your hands have made me, and they have formed me.

Give understanding of Your commands.

I have put my hope, O Lord, in Your word.

Your teachings, O Lord, are righteousness.

Lord, in faithfulness You have

Afflicted me so I may learn of

Your unfailing love and comfort

And Your truthfulness.

You are my husband; You have betrothed me

In love, compassion and faithfulness.

O Lord, You are my God, I’ll exalt You.

In faithfulness You’ve done wondrous things.

You’ve been a refuge for those who’re needy;

A shelter in storms; shade from the heat.

This is the Lord, we trusted in Him,

Let us be glad and rejoice

In His salvation which He

Provided through the Lamb.

Open the blind eyes; free all the captives.

Tell them of Jesus: “Be born again!”

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