The Devil's Schemes

The Lord Jesus gave me a vision this morning that he is using to help me get out of this passage the lesson he has for me to share today from his Word.

The Vision: I saw a very large vehicle, like a Cadillac from the 1960s, drive up in front of a building, right in front of my face, as big as life. I think that “Honey” may have been the driver, or that she may have been in this vehicle. And, then in my mind I heard “Wealthy’s” voice say, “I didn’t think it would be a big deal.” END

Translation: I witnessed a humongous agent (instrument, tool), i.e. a means of accomplishing something (the Cadillac). The Cadillac represents “The Standard of the World,” but is also a symbol of prestige, success, comfort, luxury, convenience, and coddling of both driver and passengers. And, this vehicle is being driven (pushed, encouraged, or forced) by “Honey,” i.e. by what is sweet (appealing, attractive, inviting or harmonious). But, it is a façade, i.e. it appears attractive and inviting, but it has a fierce bite.

This instrument of accomplishing something is building, i.e. it is happening now, right before our eyes, and it is developing, forming, and is in process. But, it is in my face, i.e. it is directly opposed to or against those who are for God and who are for righteousness and holiness, and who are for turning away from sin and following Jesus Christ in surrender to his will for our lives. But, the wealthy nations, in particular America at large, do not see this “instrument” being driven by “honey” as any big deal, i.e. they downplay it.

Ephesians 6:10-20 ESV

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” vv. 10-12

The Struggle

Although it is true that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but it is against the devil and his many spiritual forces of evil he has at his disposal, still he uses flesh and blood humans to do his dirty work, too. So, we do have real physical human enemies who are fighting against us, but we have to know that Satan is behind them, and that this is a spiritual battle which can only be won with spiritual weapons of warfare, i.e. the armor of God.

So, the Lord Jesus is giving me three examples this morning of this “Cadillac,” i.e. of this instrument (tool) being driven (pushed) by Honey.

One: The “Green New Deal” – U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is being used presently as a mouthpiece (instrument) for the “Green New Deal.” In reality, though, this is nothing new. This is just new terminology for a deal which has been in the works for a very long time, and which, in reality, became the new “Standard of the World” (the Cadillac) in June of 1992.

This is when George H.W. Bush, then president of the USA, and the leaders of 177 other nations around the world signed a document known as Agenda 21. It is being promoted as a global plan for improving (or saving) the environment, but it is really a secret plan for total world domination by the Elite – super wealthy and powerful of the world – alias “the beast”.

The plan, which is presently in place, and is active world-wide, including within the USA, is to bring the entire world under a one-world totalitarian government, and under a one-world totalitarian religion, too. And, it is a business plan, so they have many steps they have taken so far and that they are presently taking to reach that ultimate end. And, the plan is to bring us all into socialism (or communism), which will mean bringing the entire world (except for the super-rich) all down to the same poverty level.

It is a lot like the book “1984” (*) being realized in our world today. But, it is also a fulfillment of the prophecies of scripture with regard to these last days before the return of Jesus Christ. So, this isn’t new information. It is just the reality of the information we already know from reading scripture, but now active in our world and in our individual nations today.

The problem that exists with this, though, is that the wealthy nation of America, at large, and the church at large within our nation are not taking this seriously. They don’t see this “new deal” as any “big deal,” but it actually is a humongous deal, for it is the plan for global domination by the Elite – super wealthy and powerful of the world. This is this rule of the beast being realized in real time in our world (See: Rev. 13).

*IMO, 1984 is not recommended reading material in that it contains some subject matter not suitable for Christians to be taking into their minds. But, it is a futuristic story told about the events that are presently taking place in our world. So, if you could get cliffs notes or a summary of the book, that would probably be preferable to reading the entire book unedited. FYI, I have not read this: https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/n/1984

Two: The Internet – The internet is also a humongous instrument of this New World Order which, although certainly has its positive aspects, is being used for the moral and spiritual downfall of the people of our nation, and of the people of the world at large. But, this also includes easy access to the internet, too, via smartphones, electronic tablets and laptop computers.

For, the internet opens wide easy access to a whole world of evil right at our fingertips, in the comfort of our homes, or in a corner of a room unnoticed by anyone else, because of the ease of access via tablets and smartphones and other avenues, too, which may provide for secretive access to such things as pornography, secret chats, sex-texting, extramarital affairs, etc.

And, this is being pushed by “Honey,” too, i.e. by what is appealing to the flesh, and what is pleasurable, inviting, seductive and agreeable to the sin nature. And, on the surface, it may initially appear somewhat benign. Or, those being allured by it may convince themselves, again, that what they are doing on there, or how they are approaching it, is really “no big deal.”

Three: The cheap grace gospel – This is also being driven by “Honey,” i.e. by what is inviting, appealing, attractive, comfortable, and convenient, which also coddles its “passengers” in their sinful addictions. For, what is being made available to us on the internet for our sensual pleasure, as well as this cheap grace gospel, is the new “Standard of the World.” It is the Cadillac which has a false face, giving out false promises, and a false hope, and which stands in direct opposition to purity, faithfulness, holiness, righteousness and godliness.

For, the cheap grace gospel is not true grace, and it is not “good news,” either. For, it keeps its adherents trapped in their sinful addictions believing they are free to remain in sin, while they give them a false promise and hope of eternity with God in heaven. Whereas God’s grace, which delivers us from our slavery to sin, demands that we say “NO!” to ungodliness and fleshly lusts and that we live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we await Christ’s return (Tit. 2:11-14).

But, again, those who are trapped in their sinful addictions find this cheap grace very appealing, and they downplay it as “no big deal,” because they have convinced themselves that God’s grace demands no repentance and no walks of obedience to his commands. And, not only that, but just like some of our government leaders fake opposition to this “new deal,” the addicted will sometimes pretend to be against the very thing they are involved in, hoping to convince others that they are not really doing what they are doing.

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…” vv. 13-17

We are not going to be able to stop this Agenda 21 from taking place, though, because scripture prophesied that these things will take place. The beast will set up his New World Order, and he will reign as the ruler of the world for a predetermined period of time which God controls.

However, we can get ready spiritually for the reality of this, for this is going to mean severe persecution of Christians. And, we can purify our hearts of all that is of this sinful world, and we can live for Christ and follow his ways. We can face the reality that all of this is a “huge deal,” and we can repent of all active sins in our lives, and we can choose to surrender our lives to Christ and to make him truly Lord of our lives. And we, as well, can dedicate our lives to getting out the truth of the gospel so that many will be saved.

“…praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” vv. 18-20

And, we can be in prayer for one another, because this is serious spiritual warfare that is going on right now for those who are following Jesus Christ with their lives. We can pray that we will all be strong in the Lord, and in his mighty power, and that we will not give way to the enemy or be tricked by him, and that we will not fear what is yet to come.

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!”

https://vimeo.com/115747912

Friday, March 22, 2019, 5:30 a.m.

By God's Grace

An Original Work / March 21, 2019

By God’s grace we’ve been set free

So that we can bend the knee,

Humbly turning from our sin,

Letting His love come within.

Walking with him day by day,

Read His Words, and kneel and pray,

Listening to Him as He speaks,

Growing in Him by the weeks.

Comfort He brings to our hearts,

When our loved ones do depart,

When we are misunderstood,

And evil rages over good.

Joy to us, His love imparts,

When He rules within our hearts,

Making him Lord of our lives,

In our hearts His Word now thrives.

Peace to us He’ll truly bring,

When we make him Lord and King,

Giving up our all to Him,

By His grace, forsaking sin.

Daily with Him now we meet,

Sitting with Him at His feet,

Drinking in His every Word,

Doing the Words that we heard.

Love our Savior, He’s our friend,

He’ll be with us to the end,

Helping us throughout each day,

To be faithful in all ways.

He’s our Healer, Priest and King,

Who rules over everything.

He gives strength for every need,

As on His Word we daily feed.

Can't? He Can!

Jeremiah 17:1-4 ESV

“The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with a point of diamond it is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of their altars, while their children remember their altars and their Asherim, beside every green tree and on the high hills, on the mountains in the open country. Your wealth and all your treasures I will give for spoil as the price of your high places for sin throughout all your territory. You shall loosen your hand from your heritage that I gave to you, and I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever.”

What is the sin of Judah being referred to here? Jer. 16:10-12 tells us:

“’What is our iniquity? What is the sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?’ then you shall say to them: ‘Because your fathers have forsaken me, declares the Lord, and have gone after other gods and have served and worshiped them, and have forsaken me and have not kept my law, and because you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, every one of you follows his stubborn, evil will, refusing to listen to me.’”

And, who does Judah represent? They were God’s chosen people in the Old Testament, but his people in a very specific location, too. And this description of their sin(s) represented the overall picture of the nation and the people as a whole. For, although they were God’s chosen people, they were an idolatrous people, chasing after false gods, and following their own stubborn wills, which were evil. And, they were refusing to listen to God.

So, if we were to apply this to the church today in a very specific location, giving a broad overall picture of the condition of the church in that nation, but not of every individual, which nation is primarily in your mind? I believe this sounds a whole lot like America and the church at large in America.

And, what does the heart represent? It is the core of our being, the very essence of who we are as individuals. And, it can be who we are collectively as a people or as a nation, too, generally speaking. For, it is our overall character and temperament. It is our overall way of thinking, believing and behaving, though not specific to every individual.

So, what is being described here is an idolatrous nation whose sins are so severe that they are defined here as indelibly marked on the core, the character, and the overall nature of the nation and of the church of that nation which it represents. And, again, I believe this describes America.

Jeremiah 17:5-6 ESV

Thus says the Lord:“Cursed is the man who trusts in man    and makes flesh his strength,    whose heart turns away from the Lord.He is like a shrub in the desert,    and shall not see any good come.He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,    in an uninhabited salt land.

One of the biggest offenses the church at large in America has committed against her Lord is that she turned to the US government as her “Egypt.” She partnered with this evil government via the 501c3 not-for-profit tax exempt status. And, in doing so she became unequally yoked together with the ungodly, which God commands she not do (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).

She also turned the gatherings of the church into a marketplace, a place of business, which scripture also commands we not do (John 2:13-17).

For, when we, the body of Christ, his temple, gather together, it is to be for prayer, for fellowship, for the breaking of bread, and for the teaching of the Word of God. And, our gatherings are also to incorporate the gifts and ministries of the Spirit of God, and the assignments each one of us has been given by God, too (See: Rom. 12; 1 Co. 12; Eph. 4:11-16).

Church as Business

But, the church at large in America has turned the church into a place of business, and is marketing it just like any other business, using the same or similar marketing techniques, schemes, tricks, gimmicks, manipulations and deceptions, too. This is not every congregation, though. But, this is a picture of the church at large here in America.

So, since they are marketing the church (their businesses) to the world, they are also, at large, making the gatherings of the church attractive and inviting to the world, which is their customer base. Thus, they utilize worldly means and methods to appeal to the flesh, even including what is sensual and deceptive, and sometimes even what is vulgar or sacrilegious in order to draw in large crowds of people.

Thus worship services are often more like large stage productions, and Bible studies are often studies of books written by mere humans, much of which twist the scriptures to their advantage, and some of which even includes middle eastern religious philosophy and practices, too. And, pastors are turned into clowns, entertainers and game show hosts to make everyone laugh. And, church is promoted as a place of “fun,” of having a good time, and a place of comfort and relaxation, where you can let your hair down.

And, because the church at large is now trying to draw in large crowds of people from the world into their gatherings, they have also adulterated the gospel of Jesus Christ, and they have reduced it to a cheap grace gospel absent of God’s true grace, and absent of the sinner turning away from his sin to follow Jesus Christ in obedience to his commands.

Thus, they are guilty of idolatry, and of promoting another Jesus and another gospel other than the one taught in scripture. And, they are guilty, too, of following their own stubborn and evil wills. And, they are refusing to listen to God, for what they are doing is against God, and it is against the teachings of scripture, especially since this cheap grace gospel gives them permission to continue in their sinful addictions with no repentance.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 ESV

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,    whose trust is the Lord.He is like a tree planted by water,    that sends out its roots by the stream,and does not fear when heat comes,    for its leaves remain green,and is not anxious in the year of drought,    for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

I believe the market-driven church here in America is already under the judgment of Almighty God, and that some of its leaders and our nation’s leaders are part of that judgment. For, our nation’s leaders and many of our church leaders in this nation are leading the people of this nation to a one world totalitarian regime of the beast of Revelation, and to a one world religion, too. And, their plan, which is in place, is called Agenda 21.

So, although this nation is already under judgment, with more yet to come, still the godly can find their solace in their Lord God, no matter what comes. For, we who put our trust in the Lord, and not in man, and not in the flesh, nor in the things of this sinful world, are blessed by God. But, blessed does not mean we are not going to face hard times. It just means that we are at peace with God, and that he fulfills our every need.

We don’t have to worry about what is going on within our nation or about what is yet to come, for we know that our God is completely sovereign over all things, and over all rulers. And, he has a plan and a purpose for what is going on in our world, and for why he is allowing some of the things that he is. And, I believe that purpose is to bring people to faith in Jesus Christ, to revive his idolatrous and wayward people, and to purify his faithful ones.

This part about not fearing when the heat comes really spoke to my heart. I don’t know about you, but I am not particularly fond of the kind of “heat” this is talking about. And, my natural inclination is to want to escape. But, God did not promise us a life of ease, did he? No! He promised us that following him would be hard, and that we would be hated and persecuted for our walks of faith and for our testimonies for Jesus Christ and for his gospel.

So, no matter how bad things get, and they are going to get much worse, we have to keep trusting the Lord, believing that he is completely faithful in all that he does, and that he is not going to allow anything into our lives that he will not use for his purposes, and that he will not give us what we need to endure it and to overcome all evil. For, he is all powerful! And, even if, in our flesh, we feel like we can’t handle this, we must know that He Can!

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!”

https://vimeo.com/115747912

Thursday, March 21, 2019

The Whole Point

I Peter 2:1-3 ESV

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

We read in the first chapter of 1 Peter that, as obedient children, we are not to be conformed to the passions of our former ignorance (of our former sinful lifestyles). But, as God who has called us is holy, so we are to be holy in all our conduct (actions, behaviors). And, to be holy means to be separate (unlike, different) from the world of sin because we are being conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ, by the Spirit of God now living within us.

Thus, by the Spirit, we are to be putting to death the deeds of the flesh, and we are to be walking (in lifestyle) now according to the Spirit of God. For, this is why Jesus died that horrible death on a cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness (Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Pet. 2:24; Eph. 4:17-24).

So, the sinful behaviors of our former lives, from before we believed in Jesus Christ, are no longer to be currently active in our lives. We should have put those off, or we need to put those off if we have not already. And, in place of those sinful behaviors and attitudes, we should be craving the Word of God in its fullness, much like a baby craves his mother’s milk, but not just intellectually, but in practice in our daily lives. For, this is how we will grow to maturity in Christ when we are in God’s Word and are obeying His Word.

Put These Off

So, some of the things we need to put off are listed for us here, which include malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander. I believe these all are interconnected, i.e. that they go hand-in-hand with each other. And, I believe they all stem from envy (bitterness, resentment). For, out of the bitterness in one’s heart can flow all of the rest of these sins.

For, as humans, we can sometimes get the idea that certain things are our rights or that they are something owed to us, and that is because we are self-deceived, which is really where it all begins. For, by nature we are selfish human beings, wanting what we want, when we want it, the way that we want it. And, then if others do not meet up to our expectations, we thus get angry, which then leads to bitterness and resentment, if the anger is not dealt with appropriately, and if it is allowed to fester in our hearts.

And, if we don’t forgive others, and if we don’t get the proper perspective of ourselves and who we are and of how to love others, then the bitterness will continue to fester and it will roar its ugly head whenever we feel that our rights have been stomped on.

And, from that bitterness of spirit comes purposeful hatred, meanness, cruelty, slander, and sinful addictions, too, which are then covered up with hypocrisy and lies, and then are enabled to continue on course via self-deception, i.e. via believing one’s own lies about oneself. So, we need to get into the Word, and we need to follow what it teaches us, for therein we will find the truth, so that we can obey the truth, and so we can reject the lies.

I Peter 2:9-10 ESV

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

God chose us to be holy, set apart from the world of sin, and set apart to God and to his service, i.e. to his will and purposes for our lives. He didn’t just forgive us our sins so that we could escape hell and go to heaven when we die, though. He rescued us out of darkness (sin, wickedness), and he brought us into his marvelous light (truth, righteousness).

And, as God’s holy people, we are thus to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (v. 5; cf. Rom. 12:1-2). We are to give our lives over to the Lord fully, holy and pleasing to him, which is our reasonable service of worship of him. And, we are to no longer be conformed to the ways of this sinful world, but we are to be transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God away from sin and to living and walking in righteousness.

For, Jesus didn’t die merely to forgive us our sins, but he died to eradicate sin from our lives and in order that we might now be his possession, i.e. that he might be truly Lord (owner-master) of our lives, and that we might be his bond-servants committed to following him in obedience to his commands.

And, then, we are to proclaim to others the excellencies of Christ who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light. We are to be telling others about Jesus Christ, about who he is, and about what he did for us on that cross. And, we are to be sharing with them the gospel of our salvation that delivers sinners from their slavery (addiction) to sin, and that sets them free to now walk by the Spirit of God in righteousness and holiness.

I Peter 2:11-12 ESV

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

You know, for many years I have been teaching the Word of God, from Matthew to Revelation, and including the books of prophecy (which includes the Psalms). And, I have come to the conclusion that there is no way anyone can miss the true gospel if they read Matthew to Revelation, in context. The true gospel message is all throughout the New Testament, but it is also in the books of prophecy, too.

So, for anyone to teach that repentance and obedience to Christ are not required components of believing faith in Jesus Christ, they have to be ignoring most of the New Testament. For anyone to teach that all one has to do is say some words after someone else and then they are congratulated that they are now God’s children and that heaven is now guaranteed them, and it can’t be revoked, is also to ignore most of the teaching about the gospel of our salvation.

Jesus saved us from our sins so that we would be delivered from our bondage to sin and to Satan, and so that Satan and the flesh would no longer have control over our lives, but so we might now be under the control of the Holy Spirit of God and of righteousness. This couldn’t be more clear!

How We Live

So, we are supposed to live as strangers (aliens) in the world. We are not supposed to love the world as we are supposed to love God, and we are not to give ourselves up to the world, as we are supposed to give our hearts, minds and whole beings in surrender to our Lord. The world should not love (embrace) us as its own, either, but the world should hate us because we are not like the world, but because we are becoming like Jesus.

And, we are to abstain (not partake in) the passions of the flesh, like we should not be watching, listening to, or involving ourselves in any way with anything that is a lie, that is immoral, or that is crooked. We shouldn’t be filling our minds with sensuality or sexual immorality, and we shouldn’t be allowing ourselves to be entertained by lies, theft, cheating, murder, etc.

We need to keep our conduct honorable always, especially among all those who do not believe in Jesus Christ. For, if we are no different from the world in speech, behaviors, attitudes, and thinking, what is going to lead them to want to believe in Jesus Christ, too?

But, even if we are honorable in all our conduct, this is no guarantee that unbelievers will be led to Christ, or that they will not mock, reject, criticize and falsely accuse us of wrongdoing. For, they may, at least for now, but later on they may be led to Christ.

So, the whole point of this is that, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are to live holy lives separate from the world of sin and surrendered to Jesus Christ, our Lord, in walks of obedience to him. And, then we are to be sharing the gospel of our salvation so that others can come to know him, too.

He Lifted Our Burdens

An Original Work / February 15, 2014

Based off Isaiah 9:2-7

People walk in darkness.

They abide in their sin.

It has power o’er them.

True belief escapes them.

Jesus Christ came to save them.

He gave His life up for them;

Crucified; died for our sin,

So we might be forgiven,

And have life up in heaven.

Many come to know Him.

God’s love now o’erflows them.

They rejoice in vict’ry.

Their sin is but hist’ry.

We were once bound in slav’ry.

Jesus lifted our burdens;

Set us now free from Satan,

So we now walk in freedom.

Sin has no more dominion.

Praise be to our Savior!

He showed us His favor.

He took all our burdens;

Cast them all upon Him.

He is our mediator;

The Light which shines in darkness.

Counselor in our troubles;

He gives peace now in our hearts;

Joy which is everlasting.

https://vimeo.com/86854416

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Christian Fakery

Galatians 5:13-15 ESV

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

John the Baptist, Jesus Christ (God the Son) and his New Testament apostles all taught the true gospel of grace. They all taught true freedom in Jesus Christ, our Lord. For, they all taught that we must die to sin and live to Christ and to his righteousness if we want to have eternal life with God. They all taught that the way to heaven is straight and narrow, not crooked (meandering) and broad (wide). And, scripture teaches that few find the narrow way, but that many follow the broad way which leads to destruction.

Yet, the modern way has changed the mind (thinking, believing and behaviors) of this true gospel of grace, and it has reduced the gospel’s mind to that of the immature, and to the mind void (empty) of God’s true grace. For, it now has the mind of the childish, demanding its own way, rather than having the mind of Christ, submitting to his way. But, God’s grace, which brings salvation, instructs us to say “No” to ungodliness and fleshly lusts and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we await Christ’s return.

Yet, the majority have altered (misinterpreted) God’s grace to give free license to continue in slavery (addiction) to sin. For, they are teaching a grace which merely forgives sin and promises heaven as our eternal destiny, but which does not put sin to death in the lives of the believers. Rather, it coddles them in their sin, and it gives them a false hope (safety/security), and it gives them a false sense of value and acceptance in Christ Jesus.

But, true freedom in Jesus Christ, our Lord, does not give opportunity for the flesh, but opportunity for the life of the Spirit within us. True freedom in Christ is set free of the chains (bonds, addiction) of sin, not just merely forgives our sins. And, true freedom in Christ does not make a practice of willfully committing sins against one another, but it makes a practice, instead, of loving one another as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.

Galatians 5:16-18 ESV

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

The way of the flesh is the way of selfishness. It is the way of self-gratification and self-pleasure. It is all based on human wants and desires rather than on what God wants and what he desires. It is all about “me” and not about God. It is all about what brings “me” pleasure, and it is not about pleasing God. And, it is definitely not about loving others and meeting their legitimate God-given needs.

The way of the flesh is also secretive, hidden from sight, lying continuously in order to cover-up sinful practices. The way of the flesh is fakery, too, i.e. pretending to be one thing while you live just the opposite. Or, it is keeping everything on a very surface level, always keeping things light and jokey, talking about fluff, things meaningless, and even things opposed to the gospel.

Rather than Christians gathering together for deep, meaningful spiritual fellowship, they will often talk about what is trivial, such as movies or games or Facebook memes. But, they will avoid deep spiritual conversations that open up their hearts and reveal honest dialogue about where they are in reality. For, if they do, they risk being rejected and ostracized, and so, in order to be accepted, they make compromises, and they embrace what is opposed to the Spirit of God to “make nice” with the world.

Galatians 5:19-21 ESV

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

There are many people today leading double lives. They pretend to be followers of Jesus Christ, and they may even pretend to have repented of their sins and that they are walking in holiness and purity. But, they are secretly engaged in sinful practices behind closed doors while they are lying and are faking their Christian walks as a means of covering their tracks, hoping they will not be found out and the truth revealed about them.

They may pretend to believe in the true gospel of grace, too, but by their lifestyles they deny that truth and instead they support the cheap grace gospel, which is void (empty) of God’s true grace. They may, as well, blend in with whatever groups of people with whom they are experiencing friendship or fellowship. In other words, they may appear to follow the true gospel when with people who do, but then vocalize support of the cheap grace gospel when with those who are promoting it in place of the truth.

One of the biggest areas where this is taking place now in people’s lives, especially within the gatherings of the church, is in the area of sexual immorality, or more specifically with regard to pornography addiction. Porn addiction is something that is usually kept hidden, and that is covered up with lies and fakery in order to throw people off their scent hoping that no one will suspect them of porn addiction but will believe they are living rightly.

Some people who are addicted to sin, and especially to sexual sin, will make many excuses for their sin, even denying that they are addicted, because they may be able to go weeks at a time without failure. But, addiction is cyclical, like from sunrise to sunset to sunrise to sunset, etc. They may be able to give the appearance of righteousness, or even to be able to walk in some small amount of freedom from their sinful practices only to keep repeating the same cycle over and over again, which shows addiction.

But, since they are able to have short periods of victory, or so they believe, they convince themselves that they don’t fall into this category of those who practice such things as this, and so they are also able to convince themselves that they have the promise of heaven.

But, the scriptures are real clear that those who make a practice of such things, meaning it is regular, cyclical, habitual, and a way of life for them in that they willfully and with full intent continue to go back to the same sins over and over again, that they do not have eternal life with God.

And, full intent also involves an unwillingness to cut out of one’s life those things leading one into sin, too, for it means leaving that door open wide to go back to those same sins because deep down inside one really does not want to give those sins up. And, that is why one never closes that door.

Galatians 5:22-26 ESV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

The scriptures teach here that if we walk by the Spirit, we will not gratify the desires of the flesh. But, we can only walk by the Spirit if truly we have the Spirit living within us. And, we can only have the Spirit living within us if truly we have been crucified with Christ in death to sin and we have been raised with Christ to newness of life in him, free from the control of sin and now under the control of righteousness, instead (Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Tit. 2:11-14).

In other words, we can’t muster up this fruit of the Spirit in our own flesh, and try to pass ourselves off as Christians while we still walk in darkness, i.e. while we still make sin our practice, our lifestyle (addiction). So, to walk by the Spirit, we have to be in the Spirit, and then to walk by the Spirit means that the Spirit of God has control over our lives, and that the flesh is no longer our master, but Christ is. He has to be Lord (master) of our lives.

Then, in lifestyle we can live by the Spirit, and if we are living by the Spirit, dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus, then we will not live to gratify the desires of the flesh. This is not saying we will be perfect, or that we will never sin again, but sin will no longer be our master, and sin will no longer be our practice, our routine, and our habit. But holiness, righteousness and the fruit of the Spirit will be what we practice, instead.

Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken  

Hymn lyrics by Henry F. Lyte, 1833  

Music attr. to Mozart, 1831/ Arr. Hubert P. Main, 1872

Jesus, I my cross have taken, all to leave and follow Thee;

Destitute, despised, forsaken, Thou from hence my all shall be.

Perish every fond ambition, all I’ve sought or hoped or known;

Yet how rich is my condition! God and heav’n are still mine own.

Let the world despise and leave me, they have left my Savior, too;

Human hearts and looks deceive me; Thou art not, like them, untrue.

And while Thou shalt smile upon me, God of wisdom, love and might,

Foes may hate and friends disown me, show Thy face and all is bright.

Haste then on from grace to glory, armed by faith, and winged by prayer,

Heav’n’s eternal day’s before thee, God’s own hand shall guide thee there.

Soon shall close thy earthly mission, swift shall pass thy pilgrim days;

Hope soon change to glad fruition, faith to sight, and prayer to praise.

*Copyright status is Public Domain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhIo2o3WLnA

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Under Attack!

Psalm 23:1-3 ESV

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

    He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.

    He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

    for his name's sake.

Life has its ups and downs. Trials come, and trials go. And, our enemy Satan (the devil) prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

So, if we are walking closely with the Lord, doing what he says to do, we are bound to come face to face with his attacks regularly. And, he uses other humans to do his dirty work, and to come against us, too. So, that hits close to home. And, so we may be tempted to fear. Or, Satan may attack us with feelings of fear, even though we are not giving way to the fear.

Yet, if we are truly followers of Jesus Christ, by God’s grace, through genuine faith in him, then we don’t have to fear our enemy or what he might do, or what his servants or those being deceived by him might do to us. For, our God is with us, and he will not leave us or forsake us.

Jesus Christ, God the Son, is our divine shepherd. He is completely sovereign over all of creation, and over all powers and authorities in the heavenly realms and on the earth. And, he is all powerful, all knowing, and ever present everywhere. So, nothing we are going through escapes his notice or is out of the realm of his control and power.

So, that means we are also not powerless over our circumstances, either, for if Christ lives within us, we can rely on his power and strength to get us through every trial and every difficulty, and to come out victorious. But, the victory is not necessarily in the escape from the trial, but in the courage and strength God gives us to endure the trial and to not let it take us out.

Also, even when things get really heated, and Satan and his hordes are fiercely attacking, we can be at peace, for our Lord leads us to peace in him. Yet, I am not saying the peace will always immediately come, though. I had a really bad battle the night before last with being attacked of Satan with feelings of fear, and it did not let up for a couple of hours. But, I kept praying and quoting scripture and singing songs, and eventually the peace came.

So, we can’t give up and we can’t give in when we are attacked, even if the attacks persist for some time. But, we have to just keep trusting the Lord, keep on resisting Satan, and keep on fleeing the temptation to cave to our enemy’s evil tactics against us, for he has many tricks up his sleeves, too.

But, we must follow our Lord’s lead to those still (or quiet) waters where he restores our souls. And, we have to follow his lead, too, onto those paths of righteousness.

For, our Lord often allows us to go through trials and difficulties as a way to draw us closer to himself, and in order to purify our hearts and to make us even more holy. So, rather than letting these trials take us out or to make us afraid, we need to allow our Lord to grow us through them, for they do serve God’s purposes in conforming us to his likeness.

Psalm 23:4 ESV

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

    I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

    your rod and your staff,

    they comfort me.

For one person this valley of the shadow of death may be very severe, yet for another it may not be nearly as severe, and yet for both of them it is still the valley of the shadow of death. It is still a dark time. It is a time when they are experiencing potentially crippling attacks from the enemy.

So, they are hurting and/or they are battling feelings of depression because of what they are going through. And, they may even be tempted to be afraid of what might happen to them further.

Some who are going through this may literally be at risk of losing their lives or of facing a real physical threat to their bodies or to their minds and emotions, for abuse comes in many different packages. Yet, for some, the attacks may never enter a physical realm at all, but are merely attacks on their minds and on their emotions, but that is severe enough right there.

And, it isn’t as though having no fear of evil means nothing bad can happen to us. It can mean bad is coming, and it can be over a long period of time, too. For, we read in scripture that we, as followers of Jesus, will be hated and persecuted because of our faith and testimonies for Jesus Christ.

And, some of us may even be put to death because we stand for what is right and we stand against evil. But, we are not to be afraid, not because it won’t happen, but because Jesus is allowing it and he will carry us through it all.

Psalm 23:5-6 ESV

You prepare a table before me

    in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

    my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

    all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

    forever.

Our enemy’s goal is to make us afraid, to take us out, and to get us to turn tail and run. He hopes to make us fall or to get us to give up and to abandon ship. And, he is very skilled at what he does, too.

Yet, our Lord supplies us with everything that we need. He comforts and he helps us. He pours out his spiritual blessings upon us, too, and he shows us that he loves and cares about us. And, he does this in the presence of our enemies. Thus, they may even be jealous of us, or hate us because of it, like Cain hated his brother Abel and so he murdered him.

So, this is not a promise that bad stuff won’t happen to us if we follow Jesus Christ with our lives. But, this is a promise that our Lord will be with us through it all and that good will come out of it. And, that we will be blessed of God despite our suffering or in our suffering for righteousness’ sake.

But, since he does this in the presence of our enemies, then that may mean even greater persecution for us, because our enemies will be jealous of us and of our relationships with God. But, God will work all things for good for those who love (and obey) him and who have been called according to his purpose.

And, we must be willing to suffer whatever God allows us to suffer, for it may mean the salvation of human lives. Because of our suffering, others might turn to the Lord for their salvation. And, that is a very good thing!

And, God may use suffering in our lives, too, to prepare us for specific areas of ministry he has planned for us. And, if we had not suffered so, we would not be spiritually, mentally and physically ready for what is coming.

So, God is able to turn bad things around for good to make us who he wants us to be, to be used of him in a special way at a specific time in history, and for the glory of God, too. So, we need to follow His lead.

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.

https://vimeo.com/113503727

Sunday, March 17, 2019

Whatever You Do

Colossians 3:1-4 ESV

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

If we who have believed in Jesus Christ have died with Christ to sin, and we have been raised with Christ to newness of life in him, then we are to seek after (desire, long for, pursue) what is of the kingdom of heaven, not what is of this earth; not what is of the flesh.

“For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” Rom. 6:10-11 ESV

So, we should long to be holy as he is holy, and we should seek after purity, truth, righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, and integrity, too. Our hearts and our passions should not be toward entertaining ourselves incessantly, or mainly geared toward what pleases our flesh. And, we should not be focused on the values, attitudes, thinking and behaviors of this sinful world, either.

Colossians 3:5-11 ESV

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

The reason Jesus died on that cross is that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. This is taught all throughout the New Testament. And, it is taught, too, as necessary components to believing faith in Jesus Christ for eternal life with God. For the faith it takes to believe in Jesus comes from God, it is gifted to us by God, and it is divinely persuaded of God. And, thus it submits to Jesus Christ as Lord, and it surrenders to his will.

Regardless of what many people are teaching today as the gospel of Jesus Christ - as the gospel of his grace - Jesus did not die on that cross merely to forgive us our sins and to promise us heaven when we leave this earth. He died to rescue us from darkness and to bring us into his wonderful light. And, He died to deliver us from our bondage (addiction) to sin, not so that we can continue in sinful practices claiming his grace covers it all.

Therefore, we are to put off the attitudes, thinking, values and behaviors of this sinful world, because faith in Jesus Christ involves putting these to death in our lives, by the Spirit. Every day we have to die to sin and self and put on Christ and his love, and his grace, and his way of righteousness and holiness. For, sexual immorality, lies, pride, gossip, gluttony, selfishness, hate, and idolatry of any kind (putting other things above God) must go.

For, the wrath of God is coming against all who make a practice of such things as this, even against many of those who make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. For, God’s Word says that those who practice such things, who walk in them, do not have eternal life with God, but they will die in their sins (Rom. 8:1-17; Gal. 5:19-21; Gal. 6:7-8; 1 Jn. 1:5-9).

Colossians 3:12-15 ESV

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

But, we don’t just put off sin. This is not about behavioral modification. We can’t, in the flesh, just change our habits and think God will be pleased. Jesus didn’t die just to improve our lives. He died to radically alter our lives. He died to transform us and to mold us into his likeness. He called us to be a holy people, separate from the world, and separate unto him and to his service. And, he died that we might become his possession and that he might be Lord (owner-master) of our lives, and us become his servants.

So, now that we have believed on him, we should desire him above all else. We should want to live wholly unto him, and no longer to please ourselves. And, this is a battle, I know, because we still live in flesh bodies and in this sinful world. But, Jesus already won this battle for us on the cross.

But, this is not to say we can’t enjoy what God has given to us or that we have to go around solemn all the time, with frowns on our faces. For, we have been called to be joyful in the Lord, and to sing praises unto him, and to give him thanks. And, we are to let our lights shine before all humans so that they will see Christ in our lives and so they will want to know him, too.

But, Christ must always be central in our lives. We must obey his teachings and do what he says, and not be hearers only of the Word. And, we must live holy lives unto God and not love the world of sin nor to make it our own. Yet, it is possible to be holy unto God and still enjoy life, and still laugh, too, but not about what is sinful. For, he does not intend for us to be miserable. But, he does intend for us to be righteous.

Thus, bearing with one another does not mean tolerating sin and abuse. And, kindness is not telling people only what they want to hear and what makes them feel good about themselves in their sin. For, it is never kind to lie to anyone. Jesus was kind, but he always told the truth, even hard truths which people didn’t want to hear, but what they needed to hear. And, forgiving people their sins against you also does not mean you look the other way if they are continuing to make sin their practice.

As well, the love we are to put on is not some mushy gushy feeling or just going around being “nice” to everyone. For, “nice” means agreeable, pleasant, amusing, polite (even lying to people), charming and appealing. Thus, the cheap grace gospel is “nice” but it is not kind. So, the love we are to put on is the kind that prefers what God prefers, which is what is honest, upright, moral, pure, godly, sincere, and faithful, etc.

And, the peace that is to rule our hearts is also not the kind the world speaks of. They speak of absence of conflict, and everyone agreeing together, and not making waves, and just going around doing good deeds, but never confronting anyone with sin or calling for repentance, for that builds walls, but bridges build peace, they say. But, the only bridge we are to follow is the way of salvation Jesus provided for us with his blood in order that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

Colossians 3:16-17 ESV

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are to be those who partake in the Word of God daily, not just as an afterthought, and not just as a scheduled time each day which we call our “quiet time” with God, or our time of devotions. But, his Word is to live in us and to impact how we live our lives each day, and to affect our attitudes, thinking and behaviors. And, it should be alive in our hearts all the time, speaking to us throughout the day in all our situations.

And, then we should be sharing it with our brothers and sisters in Christ so that we might encourage them in their walks of faith. And, to encourage means not merely to just make someone feel good, but it means to urge, inspire, nurture, help, persuade, and to give courage and hope, too.

And, to share spiritual songs, as well, does not mean we have to have great voices or that our songs need to be professionally performed or recorded. They don’t even have to sound great, for they are not for the purpose to entertain everyone. The whole reason God gives us spiritual songs to share is to uplift and encourage the body of Christ and to strengthen them in their faith walks with the Lord.

But, know this. Not everyone who calls himself or herself a sister or a brother in Christ is going to want to hear what we have to share. And, a lot of that, I believe, has to do with the culture of the institutional church that has trained people to see only those in official positions as those we should listen to about spiritual matters. Or, they have convinced them that songs all need to sound a certain way or be presented a certain way and anything less than that in quality, by their definition, is not worthy of consideration.

But, a lot of it, too, is because the church has become so worldly here in America, and, for the most part, they largely are not interested in talking about spiritual matters outside of organized religion. And, so we should be prepared that even many who profess the name of Jesus may reject us for sharing the truth of God’s Word and for trying to encourage the body of Christ toward faithfulness to God. And, they may even persecute us, too.

Fully Ready!  

An Original Work / June 19, 2013

Based off Acts 20-22, 26; Mt. 28:18-20; Ac. 1:8

Why are you weeping and breaking my heart?

I’m fully ready to suffer for Christ.

If I must die for the sake of His name,

I am convinced it will not be in vain.

Glory to God and to His Son Jesus,

Who has redeemed us; bought with His blood.

May I speak to you? Jesus came to me;

Asked of me, “Why do you persecute me?”

He said, “Now get up and stand on your feet.

Go, and you’ll be told all I have for you.

I have appointed you as a servant,

And as a witness; you have been sent.”

“Go into the world and preach the gospel.

Open the blind eyes. They will receive sight.

Turn them from darkness to the light of Christ;

From power of the evil one to God,

So they may receive forgiveness of sins,

And a place among those who’re in heav’n.”

https://vimeo.com/115439432

Saturday, March 16, 2019