The Safe Place

Wednesday, May 24, 2017, 6:31 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 57 (NASB).

Refuge in Him (vv. 1-3)

Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me,

For my soul takes refuge in You;

And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge

Until destruction passes by.

I will cry to God Most High,

To God who accomplishes all things for me.

He will send from heaven and save me;

He reproaches him who tramples upon me. Selah.

God will send forth His lovingkindness and His truth.

When we trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior of our lives, and the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us, we become God’s children, and followers of Jesus Christ. We also become the Lord’s servants and his witnesses. We are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. So, we are to let our light shine before all people, and not hide it. Also, we are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that we may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9). We are his witnesses not only in word, as we share with others the truth of the gospel, but we are his witnesses by how we live our lives, day in and day out.

Becoming a follower of Jesus Christ has many spiritual benefits. Our sins were paid for with the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, when he took our place on a cross, and he became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God. By God’s grace, through God-given faith in Christ Jesus, we are delivered from slavery to sin, and we are set free to now walk with Christ in his righteousness and holiness. We now have eternal life with God and the hope of heaven when we die. Yet, this is promised on the basis of that faith being continuous, and on the basis of us forsaking our former way of living for sin and self, no longer conducting our lives according to our sinful flesh, but now walking (in lifestyle) according to the Spirit of God.

Thus, when we walk in Christ’s holiness, and we are separate (unlike, different, distinct) from this sinful world, and we share the truths of God’s Word with the world around us, and with others who profess the name of Jesus, too, there will be those who won’t like us. They won’t approve of our lifestyles. They also won’t approve of the message. Some will think we are weird, crazy, radical, disconnected, strange, extreme, and just not normal. And, some of them may even make it their job to try to “normalize” us, i.e. to try to get us to be more like them, less solemn about our faith, and to not take life so seriously. Some will try, as well, to get us to compromise our faith in order to not offend people with the gospel, and they will attempt to convince us to “stay in our lane” and to not be concerned about others.

And, so, we will call out to God in prayer, seeking him for guidance, counsel, wisdom, strength, courage, and determination to stand on the Word of Truth, and to not give way to pressure from the enemy to cave in. We will pray for God’s spiritual protection over our lives, and we will trust him to watch over us, and to carry us through every difficult situation we face. We will trust in his sovereignty, and surrender to his will, and believe that He has a plan and a purpose for it all, and that he will supply all we need to endure and to persevere. As well, we will look forward to our future hope in eternity with God, when we know that all this evil will be done away with, and we will live in perfect peace with our Lord, free from all threats.

Soul Among Lions (vv. 4-6)

My soul is among lions;

I must lie among those who breathe forth fire,

Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows

And their tongue a sharp sword.

Be exalted above the heavens, O God;

Let Your glory be above all the earth.

They have prepared a net for my steps;

My soul is bowed down;

They dug a pit before me;

They themselves have fallen into the midst of it. Selah.

Yet, while we still walk the face of this earth, we will have trouble and hardship. When Jesus sent out his disciples to minister to people’s needs and to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven, he told them he was sending them out like sheep among wolves. He warned them that they would be handed over to the courts and scourged in their synagogues. He said that brother would betray brother to death, and that they would be hated because of the name of Jesus. Yet, they were not to fear their persecutors. What Jesus told them in the darkness, they were to speak in the light, and what he whispered in their ears, they were to proclaim upon the housetops. Jesus said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” [See: Matthew 10.]

Yes, we will be persecuted for our faith and for the sake of the name of Jesus and his gospel. Some of us may be severely beaten, tortured, imprisoned, starved, and killed for our faith. Others of us may face ridicule, betrayal, hatred, false accusations, gossip, mistreatment, mockery, rejection, being ostracized and otherwise cast aside or ignored. Yet, the message to us is still the same. We should not fear what man might do to us, but we must put our faith and trust in the sovereignty of God. These persecutions should only serve to drive us to call on God in our suffering, to make us even more determined in our walks of faith, and to inspire us to keep sharing Jesus Christ with the world so that many will be saved.

Heart is Steadfast (vv. 7-11)

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;

I will sing, yes, I will sing praises!

Awake, my glory!

Awake, harp and lyre!

I will awaken the dawn.

I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples;

I will sing praises to You among the nations.

For Your lovingkindness is great to the heavens

And Your truth to the clouds.

Be exalted above the heavens, O God;

Let Your glory be above all the earth.

In all our sufferings and persecutions, thus, we must have steadfastness of heart, and not give way to fear. We must be unwavering, persistent, and committed to our Lord, to his service, and to his gospel, despite what others do to us, for God is in control. He will see us through, and one day he will take us safely home to be with him forever if we continue in Him to the end.

One of the ways in which the Lord helps me when my heart is troubled is that he puts songs in my mind which counsel me, encourage me, and which strengthen me in my faith, but which also give praise and thanks to God for his many blessings to me. We get down sometimes because we lose focus on Jesus Christ and we get our eyes on our circumstances, instead. So, singing songs of praise, worship and of spiritual encouragement help to lift our spirits and to get us refocused on Jesus and what is eternal, rather than on what is temporal. God has a reason for all that he allows into our lives, so we need to trust him, rest in him, and believe him to accomplish his purposes in and through our lives and through our times of trouble, too. When we do, his peace and calm assurance floods our souls. All is well!

Jesus, I am Resting, Resting

Jean Sophia Pigott

Jesus, I am resting, resting,

In the joy of what Thou art;

I am finding out the greatness

Of Thy loving heart.

Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,

And Thy beauty fills my soul,

For by Thy transforming power,

Thou hast made me whole.

O, how great Thy loving kindness,

Vaster, broader than the sea!

O, how marvelous Thy goodness,

Lavished all on me!

Yes, I rest in Thee, Belovèd,

Know what wealth of grace is Thine,

Know Thy certainty of promise,

And have made it mine.

Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,

I behold Thee as Thou art,

And Thy love, so pure, so changeless,

Satisfies my heart;

Satisfies its deepest longings,

Meets, supplies its every need,

Compasseth me round with blessings:

Thine is love indeed!

Ever lift Thy face upon me

As I work and wait for Thee;

Resting ‘neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus,

Earth’s dark shadows flee.

Brightness of my Father’s glory,

Sunshine of my Father’s face,

Keep me ever trusting, resting,

Fill me with Thy grace.

Jesus, I am resting, resting,

In the joy of what Thou art;

I am finding out the greatness

Of Thy loving heart.

We Serve Him

Tuesday, May 23, 2017, 8:26 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Oh, To Be Like Thee.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 103 (quoting select vv. NASB).

Bless the Lord (vv. 1-5)

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And all that is within me, bless His holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget none of His benefits;

Who pardons all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases;

Who redeems your life from the pit,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;

Who satisfies your years with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

On bended knee, in all humility of spirit, we are to adore, magnify, praise and thank our Lord for all that he has done for us. God the Father sent his Son Jesus Christ to the earth to take on human flesh, and to die on a cross for our sins. He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God (2 Co. 5:21). Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24). So, we must die with him to sin and self so that we can be resurrected with him to newness of life. Sometimes we, too, will have to accept being treated as though we have done wrong when we haven’t, and in order to see others come to salvation from sin.

We need to always remember all that Jesus Christ did for us. Not only did he become sin for us so that our sins would die and be buried with him, and not only was he resurrected from the dead, victorious over sin, Satan and death, but he took our punishment for sin on him so that we might live with him for eternity. Sometimes, we, too, will be punished for things we did not do, but if we bear up under unjust suffering, and keep loving and forgiving our persecutors, we might win their hearts to Jesus. We must always keep in perspective where we were before Jesus saved us from our sins so that we don’t lose patience with others who are still bound in sin’s deceitfulness.

By God’s grace, through God-given faith in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven our sins, delivered from both the punishment of and the slavery to sin, and set free to now walk in the Spirit in Christ’s righteousness and holiness. We were once bound for hell, in the pit of despair, chained as prisoners to sin, but Jesus set us free! He turned us from darkness (sin, wickedness) to light (truth, righteousness) and from the power of Satan to God so that we could be forgiven our sins, and have a place among those who are sanctified (purified, made righteous, holy) by faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 26:16-18).

Those Who Fear Him (vv. 11-14)

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.

As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Just as a father has compassion on his children,

So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.

For He Himself knows our frame;

He is mindful that we are but dust.

Even though Jesus died for the sins of the world, not everyone is saved from their sins. We have to each individually believe in him with God-given faith which is divinely persuaded as to his perfect will for our lives. Since it is God-given faith, and not human faith which saves us, this faith is in agreement with God regarding our sin, and it conforms to Christ’s righteousness and holiness through the power and working of God’s Holy Spirit within our lives. When this takes place, and we have repented of our sins, in all humility, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are resurrected with him to newness of life, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (See: Eph. 4:17-24; Ro. 6:1-23; Gal. 2:20).

God’s lovingkindness is, thus, extended towards those who fear him; as well as he has compassion on those who fear him. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. Amen! Yet, this is not talking about being afraid of him, but it is speaking of treating him with honor, respect, value, obedience, reverence, submission, devotion, commitment, and loyalty, etc. And, this is about giving him our love, steadfastness, fidelity (faithfulness), and our worship. And, the way in which we worship him is by giving our lives to him, as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to him, which is our reasonable service of worship to him – no longer conformed to the ways of this sinful world, but transformed in mind and heart of the Spirit of God.

We Who Serve Him (vv. 19-22)

The Lord has established His throne in the heavens,

And His sovereignty rules over all.

Bless the Lord, you His angels,

Mighty in strength, who perform His word,

Obeying the voice of His word!

Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,

You who serve Him, doing His will.

Bless the Lord, all you works of His,

In all places of His dominion;

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Our God is absolutely sovereign and in control over all he has made. He also has full authority over all powers in heaven and on earth. It is important that we remember this, especially when things get pretty bad, at times, or when we are being persecuted and put to the test for our faith and for our testimonies for Jesus Christ. There is nothing that escapes his notice, or that he does not have the power to change according to his will. He created Lucifer knowing he would rebel, and he let him live, knowing he would tempt Eve to sin against God, and then that Eve would lead her husband Adam to sin with her. In fact, he created Adam and Eve knowing full well that they would sin, and that he would have to banish them from the Garden, and that he would then put a curse on them and on the earth. But, he had a plan, even from the beginning, that he would send his Son to die for our sins.

God created angels to be his servants and messengers, and to give him praise, honor and glory. Yet, his angels are not his only servants. We who have trusted in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives are also his servants and messengers, whom he created for his glory to worship him, and to obey his voice to us, and to do what his Word teaches us. Jesus died, not just so we might die to sin and live to righteousness, but also that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us (2 Co. 5:15). His grace to us is not just so we can escape hell and have the promise of heaven when we die. His grace, which brings salvation, teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s return (Tit. 2:11-14). For, this is why he died, to transform us, not just to save us.

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

Thomas O. Chisholm / W. J. Kirkpatrick

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg

Veiled Threats

Monday, May 22, 2017, 6:13 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Your Lord is With You.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 102 (quoting select vv. NASB).

Prayer of the Afflicted (vv. 1-3, 8-11)

Hear my prayer, O Lord!

And let my cry for help come to You.

Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress;

Incline Your ear to me;

In the day when I call answer me quickly.

For my days have been consumed in smoke,

And my bones have been scorched like a hearth…

My enemies have reproached me all day long;

Those who deride me have used my name as a curse.

For I have eaten ashes like bread

And mingled my drink with weeping

Because of Your indignation and Your wrath,

For You have lifted me up and cast me away.

My days are like a lengthened shadow,

And I wither away like grass.

Veiled Threats

What is a “veiled threat”? “A veiled threat is one that is very subtle or implied, so there is no actual direct threat spoken. So, rather than ‘I'll kill you if you talk to him again,’ a veiled threat might be ‘It'd be a shame if that guy you were talking to had a really bad accident’" (1).

Yesterday, the president of the United States of America, Donald Trump, delivered a speech to the leaders of more than 50 Muslim countries (2). Based upon what knowledge God Almighty, the ONE and ONLY, has given me over the past 11 years, regarding the US government and the New World Order, especially in relation to the fulfillment of prophecy of scripture, I made the following observations about Trump’s speech, which I believe was loaded with veiled threats to the people and the nations of the world.

First of all, we must understand that the US government serves a group of the elite, a shadow government, which is the de facto government of the USA. So, the US government has no real power of its own, but it acts on the authority of this shadow government, alias the All-seeing eye of Horus, which hovers over the unfinished pyramid on our national seal. Another name for this is the “New World Order” or “beast” (See: Rev. 13). We should also realize that the mainstream media, and some offshoots, also serve this beast, as does the US/International military. We ought also to have knowledge of the fact that the real world terrorists are the US government and military, acting under the authority of this “beast” New World Order.

So, for years the US government (plus allies), has been creating scenarios in various places in the world, including within the USA, which would give them the excuse to go into other nations to rape, pillage, kill at will, murder innocents (including Christians), destroy lands, confiscate property and natural resources not their own, and force independent governments and their people to submit to the “beast” New World Order or pay the consequences. The US government is the world’s biggest bully. They hire, train, finance and equip various terrorist organizations to do their dirty work, and then they lie and claim they are fighting these terrorist groups.

Religious Extremists

So, President Trump gave a speech which primarily focused on the subject of stamping out religious extremism. So, what are “religious extremists”? They are people who practice religion (faith) who, by society’s standards, are considered to be radical, fanatical or excessive in their beliefs and practices. They are what most people, by a shared consensus, consider to be far outside what is considered reasonable, normal, ordinary or average. They are regarded as outside the acceptable conventional attitudes of society. Their beliefs are “far from moderate; not usual; exceptional” (Oxford). So, by definition, this includes Christians who hold to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and who do not compromise with the world to be accepted.

So, with that thought in mind, what Trump was talking about was how the leaders of the nations of the world, and Christianity, Judaism and Islam, need to come together in unity, which was the same message Obama and Pope Francis had been harping on for years. They need to come together, he said, in essence, to stamp out extremism. He spoke much on the subjects of cooperation, mutual respect, partnership, agreement, unity, shared resolve and values, and closer bonds, etc. His words echoed so many of Obama’s speeches over the years on these same subjects. Thus, this is all about bringing the world together as one, under one common goal and purpose, which will take us into the rule of the “beast” and the one world government and one world religion, for this is where this is all headed.

Yet, most of this “unity” they speak of is not voluntary, but is forced compliance with the “beast” New World Order. After Trump listed off many of what he referred to as the blessings of this unified effort, then came the veiled threats against those who dare to be in non-compliance. What was keeping them from experiencing all these benefits of cooperation, he said, in essence, was all the bloodshed and terror, at the hands of the terrorists. But, the caveat of all this is that somehow they must partner with this global effort in order to stave off the bloodshed and terror they have been experiencing up to this point. That is a veiled threat, because the one making the statement is the president of the country which is primarily responsible for all the bloodshed and terror happening throughout the world.

Drive Them Out!

Then, Trump went on to describe some ways in which this cooperative effort could drive out “religious extremism” from the planet. His number one suggestion was to “drive them out of your places of worship.” This has been happening already for a number of years here in America where many preachers are being trained in how to get rid of those with “strong convictions” who do “not fit” with the church’s marketing (business) goals, by inviting them to “go someplace else” where they will be a “better fit.” And, they are being trained in how to target (as potential customers) those who are naïve and not well versed in scripture, who they can mold into their church’s image, patterned after their marketing goals and objectives.

Then, he went on to explain how they should starve these religious extremists of territory, of finances, and of the attraction (drawing) they have toward their religious ideology (beliefs). This would, thus, be the basis for defeating them. I believe the US government (plus allies) have already been doing this in many nations, but now they are calling for a unified effort to work together with them, only this is not against those they call terrorists, but is against those who are non-compliant with the New World Order beast and the one world religion. And, this is coming to America, too. Christians who hold on to their faith and who follow Jesus Christ in obedience are going to be starved of food, money, bank accounts, and Christian fellowship, and perhaps of Bibles, hymn books, etc. The last suggestion he made for getting rid of these “extremists” was to drive them out of this earth, via death.

While Trump was in Saudi Arabia, he helped launch a new center “to counter the online spread of hate.” I believe this means censorship and maybe even some of us denied access to our personal blogs, social media, Christian discussion sites, etc. Remember here that what they term as “hate” has to do with speaking out about sin, calling people to repentance and obedience to Christ, and telling people that Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to God in heaven. If we don’t compromise our faith, and we don’t blend in with the rest of the religions of the world, we are religious extremists, and we will be targeted for persecution and even death (See: Revelation 13).

Sovereignty of God

Yet, God, our creator, is still absolutely sovereign over all that he has made. He is completely in control over all powers and authorities, and nothing can happen without him allowing it, and for a purpose. Some of our Lord’s purposes in allowing his saints to go through such persecution, as this writing describes, is that he might purify and prune us, that we might become more like him, that we might learn not to rely on ourselves, but on him, and that we might share in his holiness. He allows difficulties in our lives, too, to mature us, to teach us perseverance, to make us strong, and that we might bear much fruit for his kingdom. As well, when we experience his comfort in trials, we are to encourage others who are going through similar suffering with the comfort we received from him.

All of this, too, is for the praise of his glory, for the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and for the revival of the adulterous church. When the church goes through such persecution there will be no more fence riders. There will be no more those who are just casual or complacent about their faith in Jesus Christ. Those who profess faith in Jesus Christ will either join with others in being the kind of followers of Christ with “extremist ideology,” consistent with the teachings of Jesus and of his NT apostles, or they will bow to the beast.

Trump talked much on the subject of it being the people’s choice to either unite with this global coalition of nations or not, but if they chose not to unite, he did not promise them a hopeful future. We, who are followers of Jesus, already have a hopeful future, and we would be throwing that down the toilet to unite with this New World Order (beast). So, stand tall, and stand strong, and stand on the Word of God, and don’t compromise.

Your Lord is With You

An Original Work / August 14, 2016

Based off Various Scriptures

Fear not for your Lord is with you.

He will not leave you, nor will He abandon you.

When you walk through valleys of life’s rough ways,

You must fear no evil, for God is near.

Be of courage, then, and be not dismayed,

For your Lord is with you throughout your days.

Fear not for your Lord is with you.

He will not leave you, nor will He abandon you.

Trust Him with your life and witness.

He’ll go before you, and He will prepare the way.

The Lord is our helper, so we’ll not fear.

He will strengthen us. He sees all our tears.

Do not be afraid, but to God do pray,

And the peace of God will be yours today.

Trust Him with your life and witness.

He’ll go before you, and He will prepare the way.

My God, He is my Rock and my Shield

And the Horn of my salvation, whom I praise.

He reached down from heaven and rescued me;

Drew me out of waters so deep I’d sink.

My God turned my darkness into His light;

Opened up my blinded eyes, gave me sight.

My God, He is my Rock and my Shield

And the Horn of my salvation, whom I praise.

https://vimeo.com/178977106

Resources:

(1)       https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130324174246AA1Pv8A

(2)       http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/21/politics/trump-saudi-speech-transcript/

Know No Evil

Saturday, May 20, 2017, 6:30 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “He Keeps Me Singing.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 101 (NASB).

Integrity of Heart (vv. 1-4)

A Psalm of David.

I will sing of lovingkindness and justice,

To You, O Lord, I will sing praises.

I will give heed to the blameless way.

When will You come to me?

I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart.

I will set no worthless thing before my eyes;

I hate the work of those who fall away;

It shall not fasten its grip on me.

A perverse heart shall depart from me;

I will know no evil.

I will sing of God’s lovingkindness towards us, i.e. I will sing of his love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, steadfastness, and faithfulness. I will sing about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who died on a cross for our sins, and who took our punishment for us so we could be set free from the curse of sin, which is death, and be free from bondage (addiction) to sin. I will praise him for his great salvation provided for us, and for eternal life, which is with God, promised to all who would put their faith and trust in him as Lord and as Savior of their lives. I will sing, too, of his compassion, and of the encouragement he gives to those who are walking in his ways. And, I will praise him, too, for the comfort, strength, guidance, and empowerment he provides for us so we might live holy and godly lives, pleasing to him.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we all ought to say with David that we will be mindful to walk (conduct our lives) according to the way of Christ’s righteousness. We should also be committed to walking (in lifestyle) within our houses, our jobs, neighborhoods, or within our church gatherings with integrity (honesty, honor and uprightness) of heart. We should not set any worthless thing before our eyes, too. This means we should not watch anything on TV, in movies, on the internet, in books, magazines, or live and in person which would bring dishonor to God’s name, either by the watching of it, or by the content of what we are viewing itself. But, this goes even beyond this to say we ought not to put what is worthless (rubbish, useless) before our eyes, too. Some things are just a waste of time, and God has better things for us to do, which would be useful to his kingdom work.

In the New Testament we are told to hate what is evil and to cling to that which is good (Ro. 12:9). We, too, should hate what God hates and love what he loves. God hates idolatry, sexual immorality, lies, deceit, pride, murder, evil plots, false witnesses, child abuse and evil doers, etc. But, he loves the people of the world, mercy, kindness, truth, faithfulness, integrity, and righteousness, etc. Yet, many who call themselves Christians have reversed this to where they take pleasure in evil, via what they watch on TV, in movies, on the internet, or in person, etc. And, they reject repentance, obedience, and submission to God and to his righteousness. So, they end up calling evil good and good evil. And, they cling to evil rather than to good.

Yet, to become a follower of Jesus Christ, we must deny self and take up our cross daily and follow (obey) him. If we hold on to our old lives (of living for sin and self), we will lose them for eternity, but if we lose our lives (die with Christ to sin), for the sake of his name, we will gain eternal life (Lu. 9:23-25). If we walk (in lifestyle) according to our sinful flesh, we will die in our sins without Christ, and without the hope of heaven when we die, or when we leave this earth. But, if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of our sinful flesh, we will live with Christ for eternity (See: Ro. 8:1-14). If we say we have fellowship with God, but we walk (conduct our lives) in darkness (sin), we are liars, and we do not live by the truth (1 Jn. 1:6).

So, a perverse (obstinate) heart must depart from us, i.e. we must repent of our sin. And, we are to know no evil. What this word “know” means, in context, is that we are not to be intimately associated with evil. We should not be “in bed” with evil. We should not do anything that would show agreement with evil, including allowing ourselves to be entertained by it. And, we are not to be partners with or partakers in evil, at all, in any shape or form.

Workers of Evil (vv. 5-8)

Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy;

No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure.

My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me;

He who walks in a blameless way is the one who will minister to me.

He who practices deceit shall not dwell within my house;

He who speaks falsehood shall not maintain his position before me.

Every morning I will destroy all the wicked of the land,

So as to cut off from the city of the Lord all those who do iniquity.

What the Lord Jesus is showing me here is that there is a present evil, particularly here in America, which many Christians are partnering (participating) with, probably most of them without any knowledge or understanding, because they have been duped by master manipulators and deceivers into believing their lies. What the Lord has been showing me for many years is that the US government is not the actual government of these United States, but that they serve (bow to) a shadow government of the Elite of the world, which is the de facto government here in the US. And, they use our government and military and news media to work for them in bringing the world under the subjection of the New World Order (beast).

Our government and military, for years, have been going into other nations under false pretenses, usually via false flag operations and the creating (orchestrating, instigating) of chaos within these nations, thus giving them an excuse to go inside. Inside these other nations, and now somewhat inside our own nation, as well, they rape, pillage, confiscate property not their own, destroy and take over sovereign nations, and murder innocents, including Christians, and at will, with no conscience on the part of those making these decisions. They are forcing other nations to bow to the beast, and they are also forcing unity with the beast and with its new world order and its one-world religion. And, they are against all those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus (Rev. 12:17).

This means we cannot trust our government, our mainstream media or our military officials to tell us the truth. Most of what we read or see in the news is fabricated, twisted, and/or completely orchestrated (scripted) from beginning to end, as is much of what we see in the political realm, as well. Our politicians, for the most part, are merely actors in a play who are just following their scripted roles, which is often for the purposes to deceive and to distract the American people, so they believe the lies and disbelieve the truth. For example, this whole “fake news” scenario is to get people to believe the mainstream media and to reject all other sources of truth, and they have been very successful in accomplishing their purposes, too.

So, Donald Trump has no real authority, nor does Congress, for they answer to this shadow government of the Elite of the world, i.e. the All-seeing eye which hovers over top the unfinished pyramid on our national seal; also on our $1 bill. Whether Trump gets booted from his office as president or not, I do not know, but I do know that who is getting the real boot is the US as a sovereign nation, and we are being taken over by this New World Order (beast). And, I know that the US was intended to be the instrument to bring about this N.W.O. from the very beginning, which is evidenced by our national symbols. Our forefathers were primarily freemasons, which is a false religion with a false god, and our nation was founded on syncretism, not on Christianity, which is also evidenced by our national symbols and the statues and buildings in D.C., including the layout of our capital city.

What this all means is that the US, or just our government, military and financial district, is the harlot which rides the beast and which sits on many waters, i.e. on peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues (Rev. 17). And, much of the church, via the 501c3 institutional church, is in bed with her, i.e. they are in bed with pure evil. They have partnered with an evil government in complete contradiction to God’s commands to not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers, and against the teachings of scripture with regard to turning the house of prayer into a marketplace, and with regard to turning to a human government for their support and help. So, God is calling his church to come out of this Babylon so that she does not share in her sins and in her punishment, for her sins are piled high to heaven (Rev. 18:4-10).

He Keeps Me Singing / Luther B. Bridgers

There's within my heart a melody

Jesus whispers sweet and low:

Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still,

In all of life's ebb and flow.

All my life was wrecked by sin and strife,

Discord filled my heart with pain;

Jesus swept across the broken strings,

Stirred the slumbering chords again.

Though sometimes he leads through waters deep,

Trials fall across the way,

Though sometimes the path seems rough and steep,

See his footprints all the way.

Feasting on the riches of his grace,

Resting neath his sheltering wing,

Always looking on his smiling face,

That is why I shout and sing.

Soon he's coming back to welcome me

Far beyond the starry sky;

I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown;

I shall reign with him on high.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,

Sweetest name I know,

Fills my every longing,

Keeps me singing as I go. 

Acceptable to God

Friday, May 19, 2017, 10:56 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Oh, To Be Like Thee.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Psalm 19 (quoting vv. 7-14 ESV).

God’s Words (vv. 7-11)

The law of the Lord is perfect,

    reviving the soul;

the testimony of the Lord is sure,

    making wise the simple;

the precepts of the Lord are right,

    rejoicing the heart;

the commandment of the Lord is pure,

    enlightening the eyes;

the fear of the Lord is clean,

    enduring forever;

the rules of the Lord are true,

    and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold,

    even much fine gold;

sweeter also than honey

    and drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover, by them is your servant warned;

    in keeping them there is great reward.

Our Bible (Genesis to Revelation) is the Word of God to us. It was penned by men of God, as God breathed his words into their hearts and minds. All of it is “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). But, not all of it literally applies to followers of Jesus Christ. So, we have to read scripture in context and see how God might use it to teach and to train us in righteousness, always making sure it agrees with the teaching under the New Covenant relationship between God and his people.

God’s Word is perfect, without error in its original form. Over the years since these books were first penned, it has been copied over and over again, and it has been translated into multiple languages and in various versions, too. So, the translations we have in our possessions may not be 100% accurate to the original texts, but our God is all powerful, and as believers in Jesus we have the Holy Spirit living within us who will guide us into all truth, and who will make his Word known to our hearts. Yet, we must also be diligent in our study of scripture to make certain we are correctly handling it, too. So, we should always read scriptures in context, and see if what we are reading agrees with other similar texts, if we are able, and to make certain, as much as is within our ability to do so, that we are hearing and following the truth.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we should also be students of his Word, for this is how God primarily speaks to us. This is where we learn truth from what is false, and righteousness, holiness, godliness, and the will of God for our lives. “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). This is our bread, our sustenance for our spiritual lives. Through God’s Word he encourages, strengthens, counsels, urges, warns, instructs, guides and directs us in the way we should go, as well as he answers our prayers.

We, as Christ’s followers, should love the Words of God, and they should be more precious to us than gold, or than anything this world has to offer us. When we read and study God’s Word, and we pray, and we worship him, this is where we have our intimate times of fellowship with our Lord. Our lives should not be complete without our times with our Lord each day in personal worship. Through these times we grow to maturity, and we learn what it means to follow HIM in obedience, and we understand his will for our lives. It is here that we hear his voice speaking to us ever so gently, and his voice should be what we long to hear, too. His words should bring much joy to our hearts. And, in keeping them, there is certainly great reward!

No Dominion! (vv. 12-13)

Who can discern his errors?

    Declare me innocent from hidden faults.

Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;

    let them not have dominion over me!

Then I shall be blameless,

    and innocent of great transgression.

When we get to know God’s Word, and our Lord’s voice, and we recognize when the Holy Spirit is speaking to our hearts, it greatly improves our discernment in knowing right from wrong. Yet, when we come to faith in Jesus Christ, God puts his laws in our minds, and he writes them on our hearts (Heb. 8:10). So, even from the beginning of our walks of faith we should know when we are doing wrong. Yet, it is possible, because of other influences in our lives, and wrong teaching and training, to become desensitized to some things which are wrong, which we may not see as wrong, because they are not blatantly as offensive as some more obvious sins. But, when the Holy Spirit convicts our hearts, and he shows us the error of our ways, we must respond in obedience.

There are some sins, too, which we may have formed as habits, and they may be so automatic that we do them without much forethought. These need to be eradicated from our lives, and they need to be confessed as sin, and not excused away as just habit. God will help us to put off these sins and to put on his truth and righteousness in their place, if we are willing (See: Eph. 4-5). Jesus died for our sins, not just to deliver us from the punishment of sin, but to deliver us from bondage (addiction) to sin. He has given and he will give us the way of escape, but we have to take the way out he provides, and not ignore his promptings.

Other sins are regarded as willful sins, i.e. knowingly and arrogantly making a choice of the will to do what we know is wrong. This may include plotting out the sins in advance, lying about what we are doing before we even do it, in order to deceive others, and then covering up our sin with lies after the fact. Sinful habits can also fit into this category, especially if we keep repeating the same sins over and over again, knowing that we are doing this, and yet we do nothing or little to try to overcome or to correct the sinful behaviors, or we give up easily, which is why they then get ingrained in our lives and become so automatic. One of the main reasons these sins hang on is that we are not willing to go the distance with them to truly remove them from our lives, but we continue to play with fire.

So, if we don’t want to be ruled by them, we need to obey the teachings of scripture and do what it teaches us we must do to shake off these sins which so easily entangle, so we can run the race marked out for us by the Lord. We also have to get rid of what leads us into sin and what hinders our walks of faith. If the internet is your downfall, for instance, cut it out of your life if you can’t manage it under the power of the Spirit within you. If yard sales are your downfall, stop going to them, and avoid streets where you know they frequently have them. Learn to say “NO” to what you know is going to lead you into sin, resist Satan, run away from what even tempts you to sin, and draw near to God in obedience to him and to his Word.

My Words (v. 14)

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

    be acceptable in your sight,

    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

I think one of the most besetting of sins are those involving the mouth. We speak before we even think sometimes, and that is not good. We need to guard our tongues, but we also need to have our hearts cleansed first, because it is out of the heart that the mouth speaks. So, if we want to have purity in what we say, and not falter in our speaking, we need to have our hearts and minds in the right place.

We must forgive others, and not hold grievances in our hearts against anyone. We must be careful not to judge others unjustly, hypocritically or with human judgment. We must avoid gossip like it is the plague and keep from complaining about things over which we have no control, and just because we want to gripe. There is a time to confront wrong, though, and to speak out against what is evil, but it should be for good purposes, to warn others, to call for repentance, and to encourage faithful obedience.

I pray this prayer with the psalmist that the words of my mouth, and the meditation (what I focus on) of my heart would be pleasing in HIS sight. If it is not, I pray the Lord would reveal this to me, that I might confess it to him, and that I would respond to him in obedience in having the change of heart and mind he would have for me that would result in the right words coming out of my mouth, for I want to honor him in all ways, including with my lips, i.e. with the words that I speak.

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

Thomas O. Chisholm / W. J. Kirkpatrick

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg

Do Right

Thursday, May 18, 2017, 5:14 a.m. – The Lord Jesus put in mind the song “Near the Cross.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Isaiah 56 (ESV).

Hold it Fast (vv. 1-2)

Thus says the Lord:

“Keep justice, and do righteousness,

for soon my salvation will come,

    and my righteousness be revealed.

Blessed is the man who does this,

    and the son of man who holds it fast,

who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it,

    and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”

In the book of James, we read that we need to not be just hearers of the Word, but we need to be doers of the Word. We need to not just read the Bible and then walk away and forget what we learned, but we need to be putting into practice what it teaches us. In Romans we read that Jesus died for our sins that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us who walk (conduct our lives), not according to our sinful flesh, but according to the Spirit. For, if we walk (in lifestyle) according to the flesh, we will die in our sins, but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live with Christ for eternity. So, it is essential that we not only believe with our minds, but by doing what we say we believe, we show that we believe also in our hearts – in the center of our being.

We need to be people who practice righteousness, holiness, honesty, integrity, fair dealings with people, and impartiality. We must do what is righteous, i.e. what is pleasing (or approved) or is right in the eyes of the Lord, i.e. what is pure, upright, honest, moral, just, and decent, etc. Not only must we be people of integrity, living holy lives, pleasing to God, and practicing what is right in the eyes of God, but we must hold it fast. In other words, we need to stand on the Word of God, and on the truth of the gospel, and on the teachings of Jesus and of his NT apostles. It is absolutely necessary that we hold fast to godly character and to holy living, and not forsake these to run after false gods, but that we remain steadfast in doing what is pleasing to and approved by God, and is right in his eyes.

The book of Isaiah is in the Old Testament. The Jews of this time period were required by God to keep the Sabbath, which was every Saturday. This was to be a day in the week set apart for God, for worship of him, and for resting from their work (their labors). In the New Testament, believers in Jesus Christ are not given the same command. In fact, it appears that we are not to judge those who do keep it or those who don’t (Col. 2:16). Yet, we do read in the book of Hebrews about a Sabbath-Rest (Heb. 4:1-13). We enter into that rest when we trust in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, with God-given faith. This rest is our salvation, and it is eternal life with God. And, it is conditional upon our obedience to Christ and to his Word, yet not in absolute perfection, but in regular practice, keeping our hands from doing evil. For, one day Jesus is coming back to judge and to take his bride to be with him forever. We need to be ready for HIM.

A House of Prayer (vv. 6-8)

“And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,

    to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord,

    and to be his servants,

everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,

    and holds fast my covenant—

these I will bring to my holy mountain,

    and make them joyful in my house of prayer;

their burnt offerings and their sacrifices

    will be accepted on my altar;

for my house shall be called a house of prayer

    for all peoples.”

The Lord God,

    who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares,

“I will gather yet others to him

    besides those already gathered.”

To a Jew, a Gentile (non-Jew) would be a foreigner, I believe. We, who are true followers of Jesus Christ, have joined ourselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love his name, and to be his servants. Thus, we are to live out the truth of the gospel in our everyday lives, keeping to (obeying) the Lord’s commandments (his instructions) to us, his followers. And, this is not just Old Testament. This is what the New Testament writers taught, as well. If we say we have fellowship with God, but we walk (in lifestyle) in darkness (sin), we don’t live by the truth. If we don’t obey Jesus’ commands to us, we don’t love him, we don’t know him, and we don’t have the hope of eternal life with God. We have to be not just hearers, but doers of the Word.

When we walk in obedience to our Lord, we submit to his will for our lives, and we walk in his ways, and in his truth, abiding in him and in his Word. We, thus, experience much in the way of spiritual blessings. We are joyful in him, for we know there is no better place to be than right in the center of his will for our lives. We give our lives to him, as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to him, which is our reasonable and acceptable worship of him. We no longer conform our lives after the pattern of this sinful world, but we are transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God, so that by our lives we show what is God’s perfect and pleasing will (Ro. 12:1-2).

His house, which is now in our hearts, is a house of prayer, if we are truly following him with our lives. It may not be that we have formal times of prayer each day where we read a list of requests to him, but that we have hearts that are in an attitude of prayer all day and night. We can talk with him throughout the day, and this way our Lord can speak to us 24/7, as we go throughout our days, because we are in tune to his voice, and we are listening for him to speak, and we respond to what he says with obedience. Yet, again, this is not to say we will live in sinless perfection, or that we will never fail, but that our lifestyles should reflect Christ and our salvation from sin, and our commitments to him as owner-master of our lives.

All You Beasts (vv. 9-12)

All you beasts of the field, come to devour—

    all you beasts in the forest.

His watchmen are blind;

    they are all without knowledge;

they are all silent dogs;

    they cannot bark,

dreaming, lying down,

    loving to slumber.

The dogs have a mighty appetite;

    they never have enough.

But they are shepherds who have no understanding;

    they have all turned to their own way,

    each to his own gain, one and all.

“Come,” they say, “let me get wine;

    let us fill ourselves with strong drink;

and tomorrow will be like this day,

    great beyond measure.”

Yet, not all who call themselves Christians live like we just described. Many make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, but they are not doers of the Word; they are not doers of Christ’s righteousness, even though Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24). They are not keepers of justice, nor do they hold fast to the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by Jesus and his NT apostles. They don’t refrain from practicing evil. They don’t love the Lord and honor his name as holy. They don’t minister to him, but to themselves (See: Ez. 34). Their sacrifices to God, if there are any, are for selfish purposes, and not the kind God desires, anyway. Their hearts and lives are not given over to the Lord, but to please self, so the house of prayer does not live inside them. Their character has not been transformed of the Spirit of God, but has remained the same as before.

Some of their characteristic traits may be that they are charming, deceitful, entertaining, amusing, frivolous, shameful and vile. They come up short on submission to Christ, because they want to go their own way. They like to escape life via what is not real or via what is a cheap substitute for pure intimacy with God, rather than stand for what is righteous and holy. Some of the ways in which they are involved are crooked, twisted, immoral, abusive, and manipulative, while denying their sin, and covering it up with lies. They perform in order to try to appear righteous on the outside, while inside they are weighed down with sin, but they will not let go. So, they hide their sin, and do their evil deeds in secret, thinking no one knows, but God knows.

The Lord is pointing me particularly today to the US government and their political allies as fitting this description. The US government likes to present an image on the outside that they are the ones being persecuted by the nations of the world, but it is the other way around. They like to act as though they must protect us, American citizens, from terrorists and from wicked regimes, but they are the world’s worst terrorists, and the most wicked of regimes, for they go throughout the world killing at will, murdering innocents, attacking followers of Jesus, confiscating property and lands, and destroying and taking over other nations, and all in the name of good will and democracy, but that is a bold-faced lie! And, then they cover-up all their evil with made-up news stories which are to deceive the American public.

Our leaders are good at utilizing false flag operations, too, in order to have an excuse to bomb “the tar out of” other nations. They are using such tactics as this within the USA, too, in order to advance their New World Order agenda. The US government is not the actual government in America, anyway, for they are under the authority of a shadow government of the Elite of the world, who are the de facto government of the USA. Our leaders work for them, and much of what we read of our leaders in the news, or hear from them, are merely performances, carefully acted out by skillful actors who are just playing their parts in a play. All the while, they are in the process of handing this nation over to the New World Order “beast.” And, they will then desert us, the people, including Christians.

The message of this New World Order is one of UNITY, i.e. that we, as a people, need to rid ourselves of all which divides us, which includes the kind of commitments to Jesus Christ described in this writing, so that we can join together in harmony with people of all religions and all walks of life. And, the US government has served as this N.W.O.’s messengers in forcing compliance or pressuring people and nations and even professing Christians to bow to this “beast.” They want to stomp out individualism and for us all to think alike. They also want to stomp out “religious extremism,” which includes Christians surrendered to Jesus Christ. Yet, God plans a day in which he will judge these evil doers, so don’t be caught among them living a secret life of immorality, while hiding your wickedness behind a façade. Repent of your sins today, turn to Jesus, and follow him in obedience.

Near the Cross / Fanny J. Crosby / William H. Doane

Jesus, keep me near the cross;

There a precious fountain,

Free to all, a healing stream,

Flows from Calvary's mountain.

Near the cross! O Lamb of God,

Bring its scenes before me;

Help me walk from day to day

With its shadow o'er me.

In the cross, in the cross,

Be my glory ever,

Till my raptured soul shall find

Rest beyond the river.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BasJqHsCIo4