Be Alert! Pay Attention!

Acts 20:18-21 ESV

“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

As servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, and as ministers of his gospel of salvation, this should be our testimony in heart and in life, too. We should be those who serve the Lord Jesus and our fellow Christians with integrity and with humility of heart and mind. And, we should be those who weep over the sins of other Christians, and over the sins of the world, too.

And, if we are truly living for the Lord Jesus, and if we are doing what he says, and if we are following him in his footsteps, and if we are speaking the truth of the gospel, and if we are opposing the lies, we should be facing trials, too, from the enemy of our souls. For, we should be hated, rejected, and persecuted as Jesus was hated, rejected, and persecuted, too, because he told people the truth that they didn’t want to hear.

And, the truth that we should be proclaiming is the same truth that Jesus and his New Testament apostles taught us. And, that is that the truth in Christ Jesus is we must die with Christ to our old lives of living to sin and self, that we should be made new in our minds and hearts of the Spirit of God, and we should put on our new selves in Christ Jesus, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph. 4:17-24; Rom. 6:1-23).

Acts 20:22-24 ESV

“And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”

When I accepted the call of God on my life, to write whatever he gave me to write and to put it on the internet, I knew that I was going to face rejection, opposition, persecution, and disapproval, and that people were going to distance themselves from me. And, all that did happen. And, it isn’t just writing what he gives me to write, but also saying what he gives me to say to others, and that is sometimes met with opposition and rejection, as well.

So, when I accepted God’s call on my life, I also had to accept into my life the cost of following Jesus Christ in doing whatever he asked me to do. I had to consider my life as dead to me but alive to God. If I did not do that, I could not have followed the Lord in this calling on my life. For, I must be willing to have the whole world be against me and hate me because I proclaim to them the truth which will set them free from their bondage.

Acts 20:28-30 ESV

“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.”

Now, we are not all overseers, but we all have a responsibility to one another in the body of Christ to build one another up to maturity in Jesus Christ our Lord, and to encourage and strengthen one another in our walks of faith in Christ Jesus (Eph. 4:1-16; Ro. 12:1-8; 1 Co. 12:1-31).

And, we are all to be watchful and prayerful, and to be those who test whatever we hear to see if it is truly from God. But we must test what we hear against God’s Word IN CONTEXT. For, many liars and deceivers are teaching the Scriptures, but out of context to make them say what itching ears want to hear. And, we must also test what we hear against God’s divine character and his revealed will for our lives.

For, there are many wolves in sheep’s clothing within the fellowships of the church who are teaching what is false (half-truths), and who are leading many people away from their pure devotion to Jesus Christ to follow a cheap grace gospel which requires no repentance, no walks of obedience to our Lord, and no submission to his Lordship over our lives.

Acts 20:31-32 ESV

“Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified."

So, we need to be alert (aware, watchful). We need to have our minds and hearts in tune with the Spirit of God so that we can see error when it is right before us. But we are not going to be alert if we are still giving in to the flesh as a matter of habit, and if we regularly resist the Holy Spirit and his promptings in our hearts.

For, God’s grace to us is not a free license to continue in willful sin against God without conscience and without remorse. His 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 our Lord’s return (Tit. 2:11-14; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9).

God’s grace, which saves us from our sins, delivers us out of our bondage to sin, and it empowers us to walk with our Lord in righteousness and holiness, pleasing to God. It crucifies us with Christ in death to sin, it transforms us away from sin to God, and it resurrects us with Christ to newness of life in him free from slavery to sin, and now living as slaves to our Lord and to his righteousness (Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17).

For, God’s will for our lives is that we be holy, set apart (unlike, different) from the world of sin, and set apart to God and to his righteousness. His will for us is that we live free of the control of sin over our lives, and that we walk in purity of devotion to him, desiring to please him in all that we do.

But he doesn’t expect us to do this in our flesh. Actually, it is impossible to live holy lives pleasing to God in the flesh. For, it is only by God’s grace, and in his power and strength, that we are able to live lives which are set apart from the world and unto God.

So, if we will just surrender our lives to him, he will give us all that we need to resist Satan, to flee temptation, and to draw near to God in full assurance of faith. We just have to believe it, and then do it.

Abide in Him  

An Original Work / July 31, 2013

Based off Ps. 27:14; Is. 40:31; Jn. 14-15

If you wait for the Lord, put your hope now in Him,

He will give you His strength and endurance within.

He will renew your strength, so you will not lose heart.

You will soar on wings like eagles, never depart.

“If you abide in Me, and My words live in you,

You will walk with Me daily and follow what’s true.

I will live now in you; give you peace now within,

If you obey My teachings and turn from your sin.”

“If you listen to Me, and do all that I say,

I will give you My comfort; be with you always.

I will heal all your pain; life with Me now you’ll gain,

If in fellowship with Me you always remain.”

https://vimeo.com/115029858

Purity's Principle

An Original Work / May 26, 2020

Why, my beloved,

Do you search near and far

For what never will satisfy

Your deep longings of heart?

Why must you flitter

From here and to there

Seeking for pleasure

In other affairs?

You seek not the wisdom

Of God in your heart.

From Godly counsel

You ever depart.

While playing your games,

The clock keeps ticking by

While you waste away time,

And God’s patience you try.

You certainly think that God

Does not keep track

Of your many adulteries,

While purity you lack.

Or else this you think –

God will not notice, not care

that although you snub Him,

you think you’re His heir.

So, let me be quick

To point out to you truth.

God’s Word not agrees with you

Who are uncouth.

God certainly cares when you

Leave Him for lust.

Yes, God is so loving,

But also He’s just.

Our Lord did not die

On that cross that sad day

Just to forgive you so

With sin you’d play.

Our Lord Jesus Christ,

Gave His life for our sins

So we’d live victoriously,

Holy within.

To sin and to self

We must die with our Lord,

And fellowship with Him,

Walk with Him, one accord.

The lust of our eyes,

Pride of life, must forsake,

If fellowship with our Lord God

We partake.

In holiness now we must walk,

Faith within,

Empowered by God,

Holy Spirit live in.

The Floods Have Lifted Up

Psalm 93:1-2 ESV

“The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty;

    the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.

Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.

Your throne is established from of old;

    you are from everlasting.”

God is absolutely sovereign over all that he has made. He is still on the throne! Amen! Our Lord God Jesus reigns supreme. He is still King! He is not weak. He is still all powerful and all knowing. Nothing escapes his notice. Nothing in all the earth goes under his radar. He knows all that is going on behind closed doors. And, he will act when the time is right.

Nothing overtakes God. Nothing thwarts his plans and his purposes. He has reasons for all that he allows. Yet, he is not unsympathetic to our cause. But, he allows things in our lives for his purposes, to make us who he wants us to be, to conform us to his likeness, to purify us, to make us holy, and to bring us to maturity in Christ, our Lord.

Psalm 93:3 ESV

“The floods have lifted up, O Lord,

    the floods have lifted up their voice;

    the floods lift up their roaring.”

We have a foe. He goes by the name Satan (or the devil). Sometimes he is called Lucifer. In the book of Revelation, he is referred to as a dragon. In Genesis he was in the form of a serpent. And he is against God, against Jesus Christ, against the true gospel of Christ, and he is against those of us who are the Lord’s servants and messengers.

And, he has evil spirits and evil humans who do his bidding. And, they also work against us and for him. And, some of these evil humans are in positions of world power and rule. They are kings or queens, presidents, prime ministers, governors, mayors, congressmen and women, senators, CEOs of corporations, bankers, and pastors of church congregations, etc.

And, they are indeed lifting up their voices, and they are roaring against the people of the world, and against sovereign nations, and against followers of Jesus Christ who are the true church. And, you can read about it in the news, and on social media, and on blogs, and on various internet sites.

And, you can see it and hear it on TV programs, on news shows, and on talk shows, and the like. But what you need to hear and to see may not be what is seemingly obvious, but what is hidden. So, don’t take it all at face value. Pray for much spiritual discernment! Mind manipulation is real!

There is a barrage of all kinds of messages, many of which are intended to make people afraid, to confuse them, to get them angry and upset, and to get them fighting with one another over some things that aren’t even real.

For, their goal is to divide and conquer. And, so they throw more and more things out there for the public’s consumption that ignites division. And, so we have to not believe everything we see, or that we think we are seeing, for anything can be faked (just think Hollywood). And, we have to stop believing everything we hear or that we read, for there are multitudes of liars and deceivers among us who are trying to lead us astray.

And, understand that Satan’s servants will disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. So, they could even be those who are preaching holiness and righteous living, in order to lead us to follow those who are truly antichrist, but who are masquerading as servants of righteousness or as sympathizers of Christians and of the church. For, Satan is going to try to make you feel that he is on your side so that he can lure you to destruction.

So, pay attention carefully to what these people in the public are saying. Pay attention to where their true loyalties lie. And, examine those carefully in prayer before the Lord, seeking God’s face for truth – his truth. For, the devil is very clever. And, he knows how to deceive, and how to manipulate naïve minds into believing whatever he tells them. So, seek the counsel of God so that you don’t jump on the bandwagons of deceiving forces.

Psalm 93:4-5 ESV

“Mightier than the thunders of many waters,

    mightier than the waves of the sea,

    the Lord on high is mighty!

Your decrees are very trustworthy;

    holiness befits your house,

    O Lord, forevermore.”

But, praise the Lord, our God is mightier than any of these masqueraders of righteousness. Our God is stronger than any foe that would come against us. He is more powerful than any global powers that may be trying to take us captive to do their will. And, his voice is above all these roaring voices.

He is mightier than anything this world can throw at us. And, so we never have cause to live in fear. We have no reason to fear anything that may come our way.

But this doesn’t mean we will be protected from bad things. For, he promises us that suffering is part of our walks of faith in Jesus Christ. He promises us that we will be hated, rejected, and persecuted for righteousness’ sake. And, while we live on this earth, we will have pain, sorrow, and sickness. That is just part of being human. Yet, we should walk in wisdom, but we are not to live in fear. There is a difference.

Yet, as things in this life continue to get crazier and crazier, and when we don’t understand it all, or why things have to go the way they are, or what our responses should be to our situations, we need to call on God for wisdom. But then we need to listen to his counsel, and then heed it. And, we need to know that not everything is what it appears to be. For, if we don’t see that, we are prime for being deceived.

In all of the junk that is going down in the world, though, we must remember that God is still sovereign. He is still in control. Nothing can thwart his purposes. He has this handled. So, we need to trust him completely. We need to trust his word, too, for he is completely trustworthy! He is the only one who is!! He will do what he said he would do.

And, truly he is looking out for what is best for us, as he defines best. For, his goal for us is that we walk in holiness, in purity of devotion to him, that we forsake our sins and our idols, and that we follow him in obedience. So, he will do what is necessary to get his people to live for him and no longer for themselves. So, when it gets even crazier, TRUST HIM!

Bow the Knee  

Chris Machen and Mike Harland

When the path grows dim and our questions have no answers, turn to Him.

Bow the knee; Trust the heart of your Father when the answer goes beyond what you can see.

Bow the knee; Lift your eyes toward heaven and believe the One who holds eternity.

And when you don’t understand the purpose of His plan,

In the presence of the King, bow the knee.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuZltbXH9KQ

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We Die Daily

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

God the Father loved us so much that he gave his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, God the Son, to die on a cross for our sins, so that we might be delivered out of our slavery to sin and so that we might now become slaves of him and of his righteousness (Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Eph. 4:17-24).

He did this so that whoever believing (present tense belief) in him would not die in his sins, but so he would have eternal life with God. And, this belief is a gift from God to us, and it means to be persuaded by God. So, since this belief in Jesus is of God, it submits to Christ as Lord, it dies with Christ to sin, and it lives to Christ and to his righteousness, in the power of God’s Spirit (Eph. 2:8-10; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Lu. 9:23-26).

So, this saving faith, which is God-given and divinely persuaded, is much more than just an acknowledgment of Jesus, or some words we repeat after someone else in a prayer. It is much more than just a decision to receive his grace, his forgiveness, and his salvation from sin. It is choosing to die with Christ to sin, and it is choosing to now walk with him in obedience.

For, the Scriptures teach us that the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us who walk, not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. And, they teach us that if we say we have fellowship with God, but yet we walk (in practice) in darkness (wickedness) that we lie and we do not live by the truth (Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; 1 Jn. 2:3-6; Lu. 9:23-26).

And, they continue by telling us that if we walk in darkness, according to the flesh, that we will die in our sins, because we did not die with Christ to our sins. And, we will not have eternal life with God (Gal. 5:16-21; Eph. 5:3-6).

John 3:17-18 ESV

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

Some people misinterpret these words here and so they think that Jesus condemns no one to hell, and/or that he doesn’t judge our wrongdoing. So, they also interpret these words to say that Jesus accepts us just the way we are, even if we are living in open rebellion against him in willful, adulterated, lustful and sensual desire. And, some of them also go so far as to say that once we “get saved,” that God can’t even see our sins. He only sees Jesus.

They think if they mouth empty words of “belief” in Jesus, which produces no fruit of repentance and obedience to Christ, that it gives them full liberty to now live however they want without condemnation. But that is not what the Scriptures teach! They teach that it is those who WALK according to the Spirit, and not according to the flesh, who are not under condemnation, and who have the promise of eternal life with God (Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9).

Also, although it is true that Jesus, in his first coming to the earth, did not come to bring condemnation upon us, but to save us from our sins, it is not true that he did not speak words of condemnation to many people who refused him, and who chose to reject him and to not obey him.

Jesus spoke the hard truths to the people when he walked the face of this earth, which is why they killed him. He confronted sin in sinful humans, he called them to repentance and obedience, and he warned them of divine judgment and of condemnation if they refused to turn away from their lifestyles of sin, and if they refused to honor him as Lord of their lives.

If he just went around “loving on” everyone, making them feel good about themselves, even in their sin, being Mr. Nice Guy so that everyone would like him, they wouldn’t have crucified him on that cross. They killed him because he told them the truth, and they didn’t like it. And, they killed him because he didn’t bow to them and to their man-made religion, either.

John 3:19-21 ESV

“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

And, here we have the crux of the matter. Jesus Christ – the Light of the world, the righteousness of God, and the Word of Truth – came into the world. But those who rejected him, who rejected his truth, did so because they loved the darkness (wickedness) rather than the light (Jesus, the Word, righteousness, the Truth). And, this was because their deeds were evil.

Yet, we need to understand here what that means. This is not talking just about people who profess no faith in Jesus Christ at all. This is talking about people who reject Jesus and his righteousness by their life choices, by their actions. They choose not to die with Christ to sin, and not to live to Christ and his righteousness, because they want to hold on to their sinful practices.

So, with their lips they may confess him as Savior and Lord, but by their actions they deny him. And, our actions are what matter, not what we profess with our lips. For, our actions speak louder than words, and our actions are what reveal if we truly do believe in Jesus Christ for our salvation from sin, or if we are just looking for an “easy out” from hell (Gal. 5:16-21; Eph. 5:3-6; Gal. 6:7-8; Rom. 2:6-8; 2 Co. 5:10; 1 Jn. 2:3-6; Rom. 8:1-17).

Therefore, we have many people these days teaching a cheap grace gospel which requires no dying with Christ to sin, no submission to Christ and his cross, and no walks of obedience to his commands. For, they want to remain in their sins. They don’t want to have to give up their sinful practices. They just want God to forgive them of their sins so that they don’t have to feel guilty when they continue in sin, and so that they don’t have to fear hell.

But this is not the gospel that Jesus and his New Testament apostles taught. And, yet it has become very popularized in my lifetime, and it has grown more and more blatantly defiant against the Lord and against his doctrine of salvation in recent years.

So, just know this. We are not saved from our sins and guaranteed eternal life with God based on a one-time decision in our lives to accept Jesus into our hearts to be our Savior. We must die with Christ to sin, and we must live to Christ and to his righteousness if we want to be saved from our sins and have eternal life with God. For, salvation is not a one-time event. It is an ongoing and daily decision to die to our sins and to live to our Lord.

[Rom. 8:24; Rom. 13:11; 1 Co. 1:18; 1 Co. 15:1-2; 2 Tim. 1:8-9; Heb. 9:28; 1 Pet. 1:5; Jn. 8:31-32; Rom. 11:17-24; Col. 1:21-23; II Tim 2:10-13; Heb. 3:6, 14-15; 2 Pet. 1:5-11; I Jn. 2:24-25]

Though Your Sins Be as Scarlet

Frances J Crosby, 1880

William H. Doane, 1876

“Though your sins be as scarlet,

They shall be as white as snow;

Though they be red like crimson,

They shall be as wool!”

“Though your sins be as scarlet,

They shall be as white as snow.”

Hear the voice that entreats you,

Oh, return ye unto God!

He is of great compassion,

And of wondrous love;

Hear the voice that entreats you,

Oh, return ye unto God!

He’ll forgive your transgressions,

And remember them no more;

“Look unto Me, ye people,”

Saith the Lord your God!

He’ll forgive your transgressions,

And remember them no more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FDaARQ-Rnk

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Our God Does Not Change

James 1:5-8 ESV

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

We all need wisdom. We need wisdom every day to make the right kinds of decisions, to choose best over good, to choose good over bad, and to make wise decisions about just about everything we encounter on a daily basis in our walks of faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord. And, the source of that wisdom needs to be God, although he may use humans to give us wise counsel, too.

But we shouldn’t seek the counsel of God if we have no intention of doing what he says. If all we are doing is asking for God’s opinion on a matter, and then we are going to decide if we agree with it or not, then why bother? If we don’t trust God to give us wise counsel, then we shouldn’t ask him.

We also shouldn’t ask God for his wisdom if our minds are already made up on the matter, and if we are afraid he might tell us something that disagrees with our opinions, or with our philosophies, traditions, practices and theologies, too.

For, God doesn’t think like we think. If we are looking for a god who is going to agree with us, then we are looking for a god we created ourselves, from our own imaginations, which serves us, rather than us serving him.

So, if we are going to ask God for wisdom, then we need to be ready to receive the wisdom he has for us. We need to be willing to have our thinking challenged, and our theologies shaken to the core. And, we need to be willing to have our whole belief system turned upside down if it is not in line with the truths of Scripture (in context) and with the heart of God.

James 1:13-15 ESV

“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”

I believe that, biblically speaking, there is evidence that not all temptation is being enticed by our own desires. Jesus was tempted of Satan in three different ways, but I don’t believe it was because Jesus was being enticed by his own desire, for his desire was to do the will of the Father.

Also, Satan tempts dedicated followers of Jesus because they are dedicated followers of Jesus, and he is hoping he can entice us away from our pure devotion to Jesus Christ. So, he may throw all kinds of things our way which is not in our hearts to do, which is not our desire, but just to taunt us, and in hopes to make us afraid, or to try to get us to give up (Eph. 6:10-20).

But it is true that God does not tempt us to sin, although he allows Satan to tempt us or we wouldn’t be tempted of Satan. He allowed Adam and Eve to be tempted. He didn’t stop Satan (the devil, the serpent) from tempting Eve and then Adam. He could have! He is God! And, He allowed Jesus to be tempted, too, in all the ways in which we are tempted.

But, is it true that temptation is enticement to do what the flesh desires? Yes! And, those under the control of the flesh are more apt to give in to that temptation, too, for Satan already has them in his grasp. He already has convinced them to yield consistently to temptation to sin against God, so they are easy prey for his temptations.

And, those who are being controlled by the flesh, and who are walking (in practice) according to the flesh, and who are regularly yielding to those temptations to do what their sinful flesh desires will die in their sins, even if they profess faith in Jesus Christ, because they refused to die to their sins.

But, for us who are under the control of the Spirit of God, although we will be tempted to sin against God, because we live in flesh bodies, and the flesh is weak, we must know that Jesus died on that cross to deliver us out of slavery to sin and to empower us to live righteous and holy lives, pleasing to God. So, we are not powerless to resist temptation ever! (1 Co. 10:13).

James 1:16-18 ESV

“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”

The grace of God, in providing for us salvation from sin, is a gift to us from God, as is the faith to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior of our lives. And, it is a gift which we must appropriate to our own lives.

This grace, which brings us salvation, instructs us to say “No!” to ungodliness and fleshly lusts, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s return. And, it provides the way for us to die with Christ to sin so that we are no longer enslaved to sin, but so we are now slaves of God and of his righteousness, created in Christ Jesus for good works, for us to walk in them (Eph. 2:8-10; Tit. 2:11-14; Rom. 6:1-23).

Since God’s grace to us, in providing for us salvation from our sin, is from God, then it is consistent with God’s divine character and his will for our lives. And, that has not changed since the beginning of time.

For, his will for us is that we walk in fellowship with him, in purity of devotion to him, in righteousness and holiness. And, his will for us is that we be not overtaken by sin, and that we not walk in sin, but that by God’s grace we walk in holiness and that we live godly lives, pleasing to God (Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; Rom. 12:1-2; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; 1 Jn. 2:3-6).

So, we should not be deceived by those who would try to teach us that God’s grace merely forgives us our sins, but that his grace does not require repentance, obedience, or submission to Christ as Lord. For, every good and every perfect gift is from above, from God, who does not change. Our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Amen!

He is a holy God, and he commands us that we must be holy in all our conduct. And, to be holy is to be separate (unlike, different) from the world of sin, because we are being made to be like Jesus. And, he says we must be those who bear fruit (produce, results) for his eternal kingdom, too, if we want to see God, if we want to spend eternity with him.

So, just know that we are all going to reap what we sow in this life. If we sow to please the flesh, from the flesh we will reap corruption. But if we sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit we will reap eternal life (Gal. 6:7-8).

The Walls Came Tumbling Down

By G. A. Thacker

The Lord is calling, sinner, come to Him today,

Turn from this vain world’s renown;

If you will follow Him in faith, like Joshua,

Walls of sin will tumble down.

Chorus:

Yes, the walls came tumbling down;

Joshua, marched seven times ’round,

Then the walls came tumbling down,

And the walls came tumbling down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-lD0U3ylL4

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Not So Obvious Trials

James 1:2-4 ESV

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Yes! Trials do come in various kinds, don’t they? Some of them may be obvious, while others may be more subtle in nature. If you throw out your back, or you lose your job, or someone you love dies, or you get in an automobile accident, those are fairly obvious. You know what you are facing, so it is easier to know how to deal with it, but it is still a trial.

And, then there are those trials that are not so obvious, although you may think that they are. On a surface level they may appear as one thing, while underneath something else is going on that you didn’t anticipate, or that you didn’t see coming, and so you weren’t prepared, and then BAM!

You were so focused on what you could see, or on what you thought you were seeing, that you didn’t see coming what was lying underneath. So, the real trial ended up being in what you couldn’t see, not in what you could see. Does this make sense?

Good versus Good

And, then there is the good versus the good. For, Satan doesn’t always come at us with what is obviously bad. Sometimes the bad is disguised as good because the bad is mixed in with the good and it is subtle, and so it is harder to see. Let me give you a personal example.

Every day the Lord gives me a song in my head to go with what he has me write each day. So, I know that the song is always going to agree with the passage of Scripture. If it doesn’t, then I will question whether or not the Scripture is the one he wants, or if this is the right song. And, sometimes a song will be in my head, and then when I get ready to write, another song will be in my head, and so I have to examine if the first song or the second song is the one the Lord wants.

So, what I am saying is that Satan has access to planting things in our minds, and they may be good things, and they may come into our minds just as gently as they do when it is the Holy Spirit speaking. But if it produces confusion in our minds, then we need to test the spirits, and we need to see if the good being introduced into our minds is the good that God has for us, or if this is a distraction from the good that God wants, and its intention is to confuse us, instead. Does this make sense to you?

Masqueraders

We just need to understand that Satan is not how he is pictured in cartoons wearing a red costume, with a tail, with horns on his head, and holding what looks like a pitchfork in his hand. He comes to us, instead, like an angel of light, and his servants masquerade themselves as servants of righteousness (2 Co. 11:14-15).

So, the trial here is not one that can be seen outwardly with human eyes. For, the trial is Satan using his wicked schemes against our minds to try to trick us, to manipulate us, to get us distracted, to confuse us, to get us off target, and to give us other “good” options that would take us away from God’s best for us, or from what God is desiring to accomplish through us.

So, when you come up against things in your life, that on a surface level may appear as one thing, know that if what you are experiencing is more subjective, or if it is something that you are just being told, or that you are being led to believe, that it may not be what is being presented.

And, there may be a devil in an angel’s costume deceiving you in order to distract you and to get you focused on something that may not even be true, so that you will neglect what is true. So, just saying we need to test everything.

But, in all of these trials, we are to thank the Lord that he is allowing us to go through these things in order to mature us in our walks of faith, and in order to make us more savvy so that we don’t easily fall into deception.

James 1:12 ESV

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”

To remain steadfast under trial is not just about enduring the trial. It is about testing the trial to see what is at its core, to see who or what is behind it all, and to examine it before God to see if what we are seeing or hearing is the reality of the trial, or if there is something more sinister going on underneath that is trying our faith in ways we cannot see with our eyes.

For, again, we may think we are being tested in one way while truly we are being deceived, and deception is the real trial, to see if we will discern the deception and if we will have our eyes opened to it so that we don’t fall prey to it.

And, believe me when I tell you that even believers in Jesus Christ who are grounded in the Word of God, and who are walking in faithfulness to their Lord, can be deceived if they are not testing what they hear and see, as a matter of daily practice, and if they are not willing to accept that not everything is as it appears outwardly.

For, exercising spiritual discernment is a huge part of remaining steadfast under trial, for if we get the wrong idea regarding the trial, and we think it is one thing, while it is another, then we may not have stood the test at all. And, that is because we got sidetracked on to the wrong things because we were listening to the wrong voices instead of listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit who will open our eyes to these things which are hidden, if we are willing to let him show us the things hidden in the darkness.

An Example

Let me give you an example. Much of today’s church, at least here in America, has united with the US government in an unholy union under the 501c3. They have incorporated the church, the body of Christ, and they have turned it into a business of men, marketed just like any other business of men. So, they are doing what is contrary to God’s will by being unequally yoked together with unbelievers, and by turning God’s house, his body, into a marketplace, and by putting another god (the government) before God.

So, they see this present trial we are going through, which has led to the closing of the doors of buildings called “church,” as Satan closing the doors of the church. Thus, they feel that if the doors to these buildings are reopened, that somehow that is a spiritual victory. It isn’t.

For, these buildings are not the church. And, these businesses of men, marketed like other businesses, are also not the church. So, it is God who closed those doors. So, it isn’t remaining steadfast under trial by enduring not being able to go to these businesses. God has allowed this to take place to move his people away from these institutions of men back to the cross of Christ, and back to functioning as the body of Christ, as God intended.

So, to endure this trial and to remain steadfast under it would be to hear from God, to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches, and to heed God’s messages to his church, his body, at this time. And, it would be to forsake these institutions of men, and it would be to unite with the body of Christ outside of these institutions, and it would be to let Christ be the head of his church, and to get back to the cross of Christ and away from man-made religion.

For, to love God is to listen to him, to hear his voice, and to let him show us what is really going on right now, not what men are saying what is going on right now, for many of them are liars, deceivers, and manipulators who want us off track, and who want us following them instead of us following God.

So, we need to have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches right now, in our day and time. And, we need to see that the church is us, the people of God, not these buildings and man-made religions. And, we need to have eyes to see how far the church has gotten away from God, and from what he has called his church to be and to do. And, then we all need to begin to function as the body of Christ, with Jesus as our true head.

And, then we will have stood the test, and we will have remained steadfast under trial. And, one day we will receive the crown of life God has for us who love and who obey our Lord.

Sing to Me of Heaven

Songwriters: Ada Powell / Benjamin Burke Beall

Sing to me of Heaven, sing that song of peace

From the toils that bind me it will bring release

Burdens will be lifted that are pressing so

Showers of great blessing o'er my heart will flow

Sing to me of Heaven, as I walk alone

Dreaming of the comrades that so long have gone

In a fairer region 'mong the angel throng

They are happy as they sing that old, sweet song

Sing to me of Heaven, tenderly and low

Till the shadows o'er me rise and swiftly go

When my heart is weary, when the day is long

Sing to me of Heaven, sing that old, sweet song

Sing to me of Heaven, let me fondly dream

Of its golden glory, of its pearly gleam

Sing to me when shadows of the evening fall

Sing to me of heaven, sweetest song of all

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMeC-hZnhuo

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Time is Ticking Away

I was in prayer last night, around 11 p.m., praying for certain people in my life, praying for their salvation from sin and for their surrender to Jesus as Lord. Many of these people have known the Scriptures since childhood, but they have not yet surrendered their hearts to the Lord, to let him truly rule their hearts and minds.

And, then that old song, “My Grandfather’s Clock,” (1) began playing in my mind. I recalled that the Lord had reminded me of that song one other time, which he had me write about in February of 2008. The song is about a man who was given a clock when he was born. It served him well until the day he died. But while he lived, the clock was his pride and joy (his idol; his god).

The clock numbered the seconds of his life. It was his faithful servant. “It kept in its place, not a frown upon its face, and its hand never hung by its side.” For, it was a god made of wood, which never confronted him with his sin, for it knew its place. And, it was never unhappy with him, but it always served him faithfully all throughout his life, no matter what.

And, this is the kind of god that many people are worshiping today, even those who profess faith in Jesus Christ. They are worshiping a god created in their own minds who coddles them in their sins, and who just “loves on them” even while they are engrossed in absolute depravity. Their god never rejects them, is always there for them, and accepts them just the way that they are, even if they are engaged in all manner of evil against Jesus Christ.

Romans 12:9-13 ESV

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”

But our God doesn’t love like some people think he does. His love prefers what is holy, righteous, just, honest, pure, and faithful. His love for us considers what is truly best for us, so his love doesn’t coddle us in our sins. His love confronts us in our sins, and it calls us to repentance and obedience to our Lord, for that is what is for our good, for our wellness – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

And, when we love others with this agape love, which is of God, we won’t coddle people in their sins, either. But, we will speak the truth in love to those we love because we don’t want them to die and go to hell, and because we don’t want them living a life trapped by sin’s deceitfulness, worshiping false gods which just make them feel good (temporarily), but which destroy them and which hurt them and the others in their lives.

When we love with this kind of love, which is of God, we are going to hate what God hates and love what God loves, so we are going to hate evil and we are going to hold fast to what is good, as God defines “good,” not as man does. For, “good” is what is healing, wholesome, and for our benefit, not what will do us harm or that which will lead us into evil.

Nonetheless, when we truly love others as Jesus loves us, and we give up our reputations and our personal comfort in order to present to them the truth which will set them free, we may not be treated with kindness in return. We may face their rebuke and their rejection of us, and we may be persecuted for righteousness’ sake because we loved enough to tell the people we love the truth so that they will be free from their chains.

Romans 12:14-16 ESV

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.”

But if we are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, and for loving others with the love of Jesus (of God), we are not to do evil against them, in return. We are not to willfully do what we know will cause them harm. Instead, we are to do to them and say to them what will be for their benefit, for their good, as Jesus spoke good into people’s hearts, too. And, he spoke the truth.

As far as rejoicing with those who rejoice, we are never to rejoice with evil, so we should never rejoice with them if what they are doing is evil. It is the same with weeping. We weep over the things God weeps over, not necessarily the things that the world weeps over. So, we need to be discerning here.

And, the same applies regarding living in harmony with others. We are first and foremost to live in harmony with God and with his Word, and then as far as we can live in harmony with others without being out of harmony with God or with his word, then we should do our best to do so. But we should never compromise our faith or the word of truth to unite with other people.

And, then we need to guard our own hearts here against spiritual pride. We are not better than others. We are all sinners by birth, and those of us who believe in Jesus are only his by his grace to us, and not of ourselves. So, we have no right to have a superior attitude as though we gained this salvation and this righteousness by our own goodness in our own fleshly efforts.

But… this does not mean we lower ourselves to a level inconsistent with God and with his holiness just so we appear humble, or just so others won’t think that we are self-righteous. We can be confident in our walks with the Lord without being arrogant, and we can maintain our walks with the Lord without being haughty. For, it takes true humility to walk with Jesus.

Romans 12:17-21 ESV

“Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

So, we don’t get even with those who hurt us, but we love them with the love of Jesus. But, the love of Jesus speaks the truth in love to others for their good. So, we love others by doing what is for their good, even if they do evil to us, in return.

And, just as Jesus gave his life up for us so that we could be free from our slavery to sin, we must lay down our lives to see others be free from their bondage to sin, too. So, we need to share with them the gospel of Christ. For, people are spiritually hungry and thirsty, too, and they need to hear about the bread of life and the living water which will satisfy the deep longings of their souls, in addition to giving them food and water.

But, when we do this, we must guard our own hearts against evil so that we are not led astray to evil while trying to help someone who is trapped in evil.

And, going back to the beginning of this writing about the grandfather’s clock, we all must remember that we are not guaranteed tomorrow. So, don’t make time your idol thinking that time will never run out. It will. And, one day you will be dead, and you will have to answer to God for how you lived your life while you were on this earth. So, don’t mess around.

Surrender your life to Jesus Christ today while you are still breathing.

Bow the Knee  

Chris Machen and Mike Harland

…When the path grows dim and our questions have no answers, turn to Him.

Bow the knee; Trust the heart of your Father when the answer goes beyond what you can see.

Bow the knee; Lift your eyes toward heaven and believe the One who holds eternity.

And when you don’t understand the purpose of His plan,

In the presence of the King, bow the knee…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuZltbXH9KQ

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(1)       https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Grandfather%27s_Clock