Love and Hate

The passage for today is from the book of Leviticus, in the Old Testament of the Bible. It was a Book of Law for the Israelites of the Old Testament, probably most of which is not repeated for us in the New Testament.

But, the overall message of holiness and sanctification and pure worship of our holy God is taught to us also in the New Testament, under the New Covenant. Thus, we are still taught to repent of our sins, to be holy as God is holy, and to walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands.

Leviticus 19:1-2

1 Peter 1:14-16

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.”

“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’”

The word holy means to be set apart by and for God. But it also means to be different (unlike) the world because we are being made to be like Jesus. And, that entails submission to Christ as Lord, and turning away from our sinful lifestyles, and now walking in obedience to our Lord in all our conduct (behavior, character, attitude, and mind).

What this means for us is that we are to give our lives over to the Lord, and to make him truly Lord (master) of our lives. We are to be no longer enslaved to sin, but now we are to be bond-slaves of God and of his righteousness. We are to no longer live like the ungodly, but we are to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to God (Rom. 12:1-2; Rom. 6:1-23).

And, this is a daily walk of faith in Jesus Christ, empowered by the Spirit of God. Daily we deny self (the flesh) and we die with Christ to sin and we follow our Lord in obedience (Lu. 9:23-26; Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9).

We are no longer conformed to the passions of the flesh, but we are being conformed to the likeness of Christ, by the Spirit of God. So, we no longer conduct our lives according to our fleshly desires, but we conduct our lives according to the Spirit of God in holiness and righteousness, by the Spirit. And, the fruit that we bear is not of the flesh, but it is of the Spirit.

Leviticus 19:4

“Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the Lord your God.”

So, what is an idol? It is anything that has our heart, our passion, and our desire in place of or above our heart, passion, and desire for God and for his righteousness. And, it is anything that consistently and habitually leads us down a path of unrighteousness and wickedness, or which so consumes our time and thinking to where we don’t have time for God.

Idols can be distractions that keep us from walks of obedience to the Lord, or they can be sinful addictions, or they can be people or things in our lives which have more value to us than our relationships with Almighty God.

So, they can be careers, relationships, smart phones, social media, intellect, education, possessions, and/or people (politicians, sports heroes, preachers, etc.) And, they can be our personal time, which we may covet, or sleep, or hobbies, or entertainment, or games, or recreation, or our bodies, etc.

It is a lot like a married person going after other lovers in place of his or her commitment to spouse, marriage, faithfulness, honor, and mutual respect. And, those “other lovers” can be real people, and those relationships can be physical or emotional and/or romantic. Or, the “other lovers” can be images in a video or in a movie or in a magazine, or they can be images in one’s own mind, or they can be the person’s own body and masturbation.

So, God, like the rejected spouse, is saying, “Don’t go after other lovers, for I am to be your only spouse (husband). Be faithful to me. Love me. Show me honor and respect.” For, he is to be our only God.

Leviticus 19:11-12

“You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another. You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.”

This reminds me of many New Testament passages, but in particular the one in Ephesians 4 where we are taught to put all these things off, and where we are taught to put on what is right and good and holy, instead.

Not only should we not steal, but we are to work with our hands, and we are to be generous to others. Not only should we not practice lies and deception, but we are to be truth tellers, as a matter of course. Not only should we not say “Lord, Lord,” but then deny him with our lifestyles, but we should honor God with our lives by our obedience and by our submission to him as Lord.

Not only should our minds not be on the smut of this world, but our minds are to be set on things which are above, which are of God, and which are pure, holy, righteous, good, honest, etc. We are to think on those things, not on the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

If we want to be free of any sinful addiction, first we must have a heart transformation of the Spirit of God, and submit to the Lordship of Christ over our lives, and then we must put off anything that is even leading us to sin, plus the sin itself, and then replace that sin with what is righteous and good and which is for the benefit of others, and which shows love to others.

Leviticus 19:17-18

“You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”

Hate is the opposite of love. Love does no harm to its neighbor. If we love God, we will obey him. If we love other people, we will not sin against them. So, if you are cheating on your spouse via self-gratification and porn or flirtation with another person of interest, that is not love. It is hating. For, the intention is to do your spouse harm, whether you admit it or not.

And, if you have professed faith in Jesus Christ for many years, and if you have studied and/or taught the Scriptures, then you definitely know right from wrong, and you have absolutely no excuse for why you are still cheating on your spouse, and why you are still treating your spouse with contempt and not with love.

And, don’t “cop out” (avoid doing something that one ought to do) by adopting the cheap grace gospel, and by claiming that God’s grace covers it all, or by giving excuses like “nobody is perfect,” or whatever other lame excuse you have for why you continue on a sinful course hating those you are supposed to love and who love you.

We are to love God with our whole being, and we show we love God by obeying his commandments. And, he commands us to love one another with a divine love which prefers what God prefers, which is what is holy and pure. Adultery is hating, for it is the opposite of love. So, instead of feeding your own fleshly appetite, love others above yourself (see Phil. 2:1-8).

The Kingdoms of Earth Pass Away

Lyrics by Henry R. Trickett, 1887

Music by James H. Fillmore, 1887

The kingdoms of earth pass away one by one,

But the kingdom of heaven remains;

It is built on a rock and the Lord is its King,

And forever and ever He reigns.

The tempest may rage and its anger acclaim,

Yea, the wind and the torrents may roar,

And the strong gates of hell may assail it in vain,

Still the kingdom shall stand ever more.

The kingdom of God is now open to all,

E’en the vilest may now enter in;

There’s a welcome for all who will turn to the Lord,

Full salvation and pardon for sin.

Chorus: It shall stand, It shall stand,

Forever and ever and ever,

It shall stand, It shall stand,

Forever and ever. Amen and Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCAO2TpbeY0

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He Will Gather the Remnant

Scattering the Sheep

Jeremiah 23:1-2a ESV

“Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” declares the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: “You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them.”

The Church Shepherds

When I was growing up in the 1950’s – 1960’s in the gatherings of the church, holiness was being taught. Sin and judgment were talked about. And, calls for repentance and obedience to Christ rang out from the pulpit on a regular basis. We were taught to treat God and his Word as holy, and we were taught to take our relationship with the Lord seriously.

During communion services, people wept over their sins, and they repented, although I am sure not all did. And, the saints of God felt the freedom in the Spirit to burst out into singing a hymn, or to go to the altar and pray. Communion was a solemn time of reflection over our lives, and a time to repent and to renew or to recharge spiritually.

We got together for Bible study, for prayer, and for fellowship and ministry to one another Sunday mornings and evenings, Wednesday evenings, and special times throughout the week for home Bible studies or for children’s and youth group meetings, where we were taught the Word of God and holy living. And, we had times where we shared with one another what the Lord was doing in our lives for the encouragement of one another in the faith.

But things began to gradually change in the church. Little by little the world began to creep into the church, and then the focus moved away from the equipping of the saints and the encouragement of the body of Christ to now catering to the world. Now the church was being run like a business, and it was being marketed to the people of the world as any other business, too.

Now it was more about entertaining the world, and being seeker sensitive, and altering how we did things to attract the world to the “church.” Now it was more about having fun, and hearing jokes, even those mocking God and his Holy Word. Now it was about “staying in your own lane,” and not saying anything to offend anyone with the gospel.

And, now the gospel of our salvation was altered to be acceptable to the world and to the flesh of man. And, now it has no resemblance to the true gospel of Jesus Christ, at all, except for historical references to his death and resurrection and references to God’s grace and to faith in Jesus Christ.

Thus, the shepherds of these flocks destroyed God’s people and moved them away from genuine faith in Jesus Christ to going back to following after the lusts of their flesh, while consoling them in their sin, and while lying to them and telling them that God will not judge them, and that heaven is still guaranteed them, and that they don’t have to repent or obey God.

Thus, these wicked shepherds totally abandoned their flocks, and they led them back under the bondage of sin, and they stopped teaching them the holiness of God and about holy living and the fear of the Lord. And, now they paint God as Santa Claus in the sky saying, “Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas,” which has nothing to do with Jesus, but everything to do with Satan.

The Government Shepherds

No matter where we live in the world, at least most of us live underneath some type of governing authority. In America, we have always been promoted as a God-fearing Christian nation, although we know that is not the reality of what our nation is truly about.

Many of our leaders have claimed Christianity as their faith, or they were at least sympathetic to the Christian faith, and thus they have many Christians (or professing Christians) following them. And, in our nation, at least up to the present, we have had freedom of religion and freedom of the worship of God (of Jesus Christ) in private or in public. We have been blessed.

But that is all rapidly changing. First many church leaders, under the authority of their church denominations, led the people away from holiness and godly living to returning to the lusts of their flesh. And, they convinced the people that they did not have to turn away from their sins, and that they don’t have to obey God’s commands, and so they opened the door wide to lawlessness in our nation, too, for it was already in the church.

They also opened the door to a one world religion, too, which is the plan of many of our government leaders, if not of all of them. And, they did this by diluting the gospel so much that they turned it into the broad road leading to destruction rather than the narrow road which leads to eternal life with God.

Thus, these church shepherds paved the way for what our government shepherds are now plotting and carrying out against the people, and against Christians who are serious about their walks of faith with the Lord.

For, they removed the offense of the cross from the gospel, and they turned it into a social gospel. That just paves the way for a one world religion, and for many to desert the Christian faith in favor of world peace and of becoming one with the world, in agreement to deny Jesus as the only way to God and to heaven, and to deny his Lordship over our lives, and to deny his message of the cross to save lives from hell.

For, this whole thing going on in our nation and in the world right now, with the virus and with the uprisings, was orchestrated to bring us all under the rule of the beast and his one world religion. For, they are proving that we are a broken nation and a broken people and that our only hope of survival is if we all unite together and agree together on one common purpose to break down all that divides us so we can all be of one mind.

Thus, our government leaders are abandoning us, too, and they are handing us over to the enemy, for they are working to bring us under the rule of the beast and his one world religion. So, soon we should begin seeing our laws change and our freedoms ebb away, all for “the common good.”

For Their Evil Deeds

Jeremiah 23:2b ESV

“Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord.”

But God will judge these evildoers. He will judge the shepherds of God’s people who led them astray and who destroyed them through lies and through persuasion to return to living to the flesh, and not to God.

And, he will judge these government leaders, too, who have lied to the people and to the church, and who have gotten the people’s support only to turn around and betray them and to hand them over to the enemy.

Gathering the Sheep

Jeremiah 23:3-4 ESV

“Then I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord.”

I believe that during these troubling days that God is judging both shepherds and sheep, and that through these trials he is gathering a remnant who will not deny him, and who will refuse solidarity with the world. And, Jesus, one day, is going to gather us together to himself, to live with him for eternity.

What that will look like from that time forward, I am not completely sure of. But, this one thing I know. There will be no more sin, no more heartache, no more pain or sadness, no more evil or evil people, and God will wipe all the tears away from our eyes, and we will truly be at peace with our Lord.

The Kingdoms of Earth Pass Away

Lyrics by Henry R. Trickett, 1887

Music by James H. Fillmore, 1887

The kingdoms of earth pass away one by one,

But the kingdom of heaven remains;

It is built on a rock and the Lord is its King,

And forever and ever He reigns.

The tempest may rage and its anger acclaim,

Yea, the wind and the torrents may roar,

And the strong gates of hell may assail it in vain,

Still the kingdom shall stand ever more.

The kingdom of God is now open to all,

E’en the vilest may now enter in;

There’s a welcome for all who will turn to the Lord,

Full salvation and pardon for sin.

Chorus: It shall stand, It shall stand,

Forever and ever and ever,

It shall stand, It shall stand,

Forever and ever. Amen and Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCAO2TpbeY0

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The Council of The Lord

Jeremiah 23:16-17 ESV

Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, ‘It shall be well with you’; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, ‘No disaster shall come upon you.’”

Do we understand what this is saying here? It says we should not listen to people who say they are speaking from God, such as prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers of the word of God, if they fill our minds with vain hopes. And, then it goes on to explain to us what is meant by “vain hopes.”

They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. And, by “visions” is not necessarily meant a literal vision (like a dream when you are awake), but rather something such as an idea, a goal, or a plan that comes from one’s own imagination, not from the mind of God.

Most church denominations today require (or strongly encourage) their pastors and their church leaders to come up with vision and purpose statements for their local church congregations. And, some of them are being taught to put these vision and purpose statements in writing, and to put them up where the people can read them. And, they even encourage their congregants to memorize these business goals for the church.

Much of this has been initiated by global movements, such as the Rick Warren movement which has spread like wildfire across denominations, and across the USA, and into other countries, as well. And, a massive number of churches, regardless of denomination, adopted his role model for how to grow their churches (businesses), and in how to attract the world to their gatherings so that the world would feel comfortable among them.

But let me state something here. I am using the term “church” here as it is largely understood, but the church is not a denomination, not a building, not a business, not a corporation, and not a civic center or a social club. The church is us, the people of God who believe in Jesus Christ. And, Jesus is our head, not men and their business goals, plans, and visions.

Yet, one of the biggest and most offensive things that came out of this business role model movement for the church was the diluting of the gospel of our salvation and the cheapening of God’s grace. And, that is what this passage of Scripture here is talking about.

For, according to what they are teaching, we can despise the Word of God, go our own stubborn way, dishonor God with our lives, treat God with disdain and disrespect, yet be promised heaven as our eternal destiny and that we will suffer no disaster, no judgment of God, and no danger or sword. Does that even make sense? No! Not according to Scripture.

Jeremiah 23:18-20 ESV

“For who among them has stood in the council of the Lord    to see and to hear his word,    or who has paid attention to his word and listened?Behold, the storm of the Lord!    Wrath has gone forth,a whirling tempest;    it will burst upon the head of the wicked.The anger of the Lord will not turn back    until he has executed and accomplished    the intents of his heart.In the latter days you will understand it clearly.”

The modern business role model church, at least here in America, is being led by humanistic philosophy and by business marketing plans and schemes. I know, for my husband and I were church planters for a while, and we went through their training. And, we have seen the results of these marketing schemes, too, and the impact they have had on the church and on individual professers of faith in Jesus Christ. And, it is not good!

The Word of God is not the primary focus of these modern market-driven and flesh-driven congregations. It is books written by mere mortals who blend truth with lies, and who mix Christianity with what is cultish and with other religions and their teachings and practices. And, it is marketing books on how to build and to grow their businesses called “church.”

It is also entertainment, movies, games, fun, relaxation, being non-judgmental, non-offensive, all-inclusive, and seeker friendly. It is the big show, i.e. the stage production, and it is appearance, and acting, and stage props, and jokes, even ones that mock God’s holy word. And, it is about making the “church” attractive to the world, and thus compromising morals, Christian values, biblical standards, and biblical truth to win the world.

Since they have largely ignored God and his Word, and they have followed after men in their deceitful scheming, instead, and since they have made men and their edifices their gods, instead of God being their only God, the Lord is bringing judgment on these institutional churches which claim him as their Lord, but who literally despise the Lord and his Word, which is evidenced by what they teach and by what they practice.

Jeremiah 23:21-24 ESV

“I did not send the prophets,    yet they ran;I did not speak to them,    yet they prophesied.But if they had stood in my council,    then they would have proclaimed my words to my people,and they would have turned them from their evil way,    and from the evil of their deeds. “Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.”

I love how the Word of the Lord, regardless of time that has gone by, is still relevant and applicable to our lives today. For, this speaks volumes to the situation we find ourselves in today with so much of the church, or what is falsely called church, cheapening God’s grace and teaching a gospel message which is a lie and which is filled with vain hopes.

If a man or a woman speaks as if from God, but if what they teach others that they must do (or not do) is against the teachings of Scripture, and if it is against God’s divine character and will for our lives, then they are not being sent by God. So, how do we know what is of God and what is not?

Well, the beginning of this passage quoted here (vv. 16-17) gave us the first part of it, and now this gives us the second half of it.

How do we know a true messenger of God from a false one? A true messenger of God will turn people away from their evil ways and from the evil of their deeds. Do we get this? This is critical that we get this. A true messenger of God is not going to tell people that they can “believe” in Jesus, have heaven guaranteed them, and that they can keep walking in sin.

A true messenger of God is not going to tell you that you can live in sin and that God doesn’t even see your sin, but that all he sees is Jesus. And, so you can live in absolute utter filth, vegging out on pornography and all sorts of abominations against God, and still they tell you God can’t see your sin and so he just looks on you with delight and he smiles even while you smack him in the face with your insolence and your utter disrespect for him as God.

A true messenger of God is going to speak the truth in love to you. He or she is going to warn you against living for sin and self, and warn you of divine judgment, and call you to repentance and to obedience to Christ. All the prophets of old did this, and all the New Testament apostles did this, too, as far as I recall to the best of my knowledge and understanding.

Jesus Christ did not die on that cross merely to forgive our sins and to promise us heaven when we die. He died that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness. For, the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us who WALK, not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit (1 Pet. 2:24; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17).

So, make certain that the gospel message you are staking your future on is the truth. And, the truth is that we must die with Christ to sin and live to him and to his righteousness if we want salvation from sin and eternal life with God in heaven (Lu. 9:23-26; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; 1 Jn. 2:3-6; Gal. 6:7-8).

The Kingdoms of Earth Pass Away

Lyrics by Henry R. Trickett, 1887

Music by James H. Fillmore, 1887

The kingdoms of earth pass away one by one,

But the kingdom of heaven remains;

It is built on a rock and the Lord is its King,

And forever and ever He reigns.

The tempest may rage and its anger acclaim,

Yea, the wind and the torrents may roar,

And the strong gates of hell may assail it in vain,

Still the kingdom shall stand ever more.

The kingdom of God is now open to all,

E’en the vilest may now enter in;

There’s a welcome for all who will turn to the Lord,

Full salvation and pardon for sin.

Chorus: It shall stand, It shall stand,

Forever and ever and ever,

It shall stand, It shall stand,

Forever and ever. Amen and Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCAO2TpbeY0

*Caution: This link my contain ads

Jesus, Our Peace

Storms of Destruction

Psalm 57:1-3 ESV

“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,

    for in you my soul takes refuge;

in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,

    till the storms of destruction pass by.

I cry out to God Most High,

    to God who fulfills his purpose for me.

He will send from heaven and save me;

    he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah

God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!”

We are suffering some “storms of destruction” right now with all the rioting and destruction of property that is going on in the USA, and in other nations in the world. But the destruction is not merely physical. There is a much more sinister destruction at work here behind the scenes of it all.

For, it is a destruction of the “old order” of life on this earth so that, out of the ashes of the old order, a new order of Satan (of the beast) can rise and take over. And, this includes the destruction of God-given faith in Jesus Christ, i.e. of the gospel of our salvation – a devastation which has been going on for a long while, but which is now being taken to the next level.

So, how is this taking place?

Well, it was initiated by Satan, who wanted to be God, and who rebelled against God, and so he was cast out of God’s heaven, along with a third of the angels who rebelled with him. And, Satan has been against God and against the people of God, ever since God created Adam and Eve, too.

Satan tried to take out Jesus from the time of his birth, all during his ministry on the earth, and via having him put to death on a cross. But in his death, Jesus put sin to death, and in his resurrection, he rose victorious over sin, the grave, and Satan, on our behalf. So, Satan is already defeated.

But that doesn’t stop Satan from still trying to win. When he couldn’t stop Jesus, he then focused his attention on Jesus’ followers, and on the message of the gospel of our salvation. And, he has been coming against the saints of God and the gospel ever since the crucifixion of Jesus on that cross.

And, Satan is now using a movement of men (of human origin), which is calling for or which is demanding equality and social justice, to bring about this “new order” of things. This movement, though it has some good intentions, is being used as a springboard to bring about this “new order.”

For, social justice has to do with the redistribution of wealth, fulfilling our societal roles and getting what is due us from society. It has to do with “benefits and burdens of cooperation,” being progressive, attending to the “common good” of others, and conforming to “societal norms."

Therefore, "social justice" is anti-God, and it is against the gospel of Jesus Christ, for its goal is that we all be alike, and that we all agree together, and that we all conform to the norms of society as determined by the world, not by God. So, to cooperate with social justice will mean the abandoning of our faith in Jesus Christ. So, if we say “No,” we will have to pay the price.

An Example

It is kind of like what is happening here in South Carolina regarding the virus stuff. Our governor has now put together a program whereby all restaurants have to meet certain safety guidelines set down by the state. If the restaurant owners follow the safety guidelines, they get a sticker, a seal of approval from the state. If they don’t comply, they don’t. And, the citizens of SC are being urged to dine ONLY at restaurants displaying the sticker.

When I first read this, it immediately recalled what it talks about in the Scriptures regarding the mark of the beast. If we don’t take the mark of the beast, we will not be able to buy or sell. And, this is where this is all headed. The state, the government, is going to mandate standards for all of us to go by. If we comply, we get certain privileges. If not, we don’t get them.

In the Midst of Lying Ones

Psalm 57:4-5 ESV

“My soul is in the midst of lions;

    I lie down amid fiery beasts—

the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,

    whose tongues are sharp swords.

“Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

    Let your glory be over all the earth!”

Like I said, I believe there are people participating in this movement that have good intentions. They want to see people treated with fairness and with respect. But there are also people in this movement, mainly at higher up levels, who do not have good intentions, but who are using this as a springboard to bring us into this “new order” of the beast (of Revelation). So, we need to be people of discernment who can separate truth from lies.

For, ALL people have suffered something. Everyone has stuff. As Christians we are to take a biblical approach to suffering. And there should be no respecter of persons. We should demonstrate equal concern for ALL people who suffer injustice at the hands of others. Love as Jesus loves.

Each of us should examine his own heart. If we have sinned against someone, then we need to confess that sin. We don't confess what we did not do. And, we should not bend over backwards to show special treatment to ANY race. We should treat all people the same, as Jesus did.

We should live our lives for Jesus and follow his example for how he treated people. Color should never be an issue in our relationships with other people. People are people regardless of the color of their skin. And, don't apologize for who God made you to be, either.

A Net for My Steps

Psalm 57:6-11 ESV

“They set a net for my steps;

    my soul was bowed down.

They dug a pit in my way,

    but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah

My heart is steadfast, O God,

    my heart is steadfast!

I will sing and make melody!

Awake, my glory!

Awake, O harp and lyre!

    I will awake the dawn!

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

    I will sing praises to you among the nations.

For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,

    your faithfulness to the clouds.

“Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!

    Let your glory be over all the earth!”

If we allow ourselves to get caught up in this movement on the level to where we are calling for social justice and equality, then we must be prepared for what that means. For, it will mean socialism or communism, and it will mean forced cooperation with the “international community,” i.e. with the New World Order, or we will pay the consequences for disunity.

And, ultimately this is going to come down to making a final decision of whether we will say “Yes” to the world or “No” to the world (and to Satan), and to follow Jesus Christ with our lives.

If we say “No” to the world, we will have to pay the consequences for not following the guidelines of the state for what they decide should be our belief system, and for what they determine should be the “societal norms” for all people to have to adhere to.

And, this is going to involve much persecution of Christians, and of the gospel of our salvation, which will be on the chopping block, for certain.

So, what should our response be to it all?

We need to call on God in prayer, praying for his mercy. And, we must take refuge in the Lord, and NOT in man. We must rest in the Lord and in his sovereign will over our lives, too, and commit our ways to him.

And, we must accept who God made us to be. We must accept that he created all of us, and he made us the various colors that we are, and he placed us in the homes in which we grew up. Nothing happened to us by chance. He allowed us to suffer injustice, abuse, scorn, and mistreatment. For, that is all part of his purpose to conform us to his likeness.

It doesn’t make evil right. And, it doesn’t mean we should not expose the fruitless deeds of darkness. We should. But then we should share the only hope for the sin-sick soul, which is faith in Jesus Christ and submission to the Lordship of Christ. And, it is death to sin with Christ, and it is living to Christ and to his righteousness, by his grace and in his power (Rom. 6).

And, we need to let God be God, and remember that vengeance is his, and he will repay. One day our persecutors will either repent of their sins, and find faith in Jesus Christ, which should be our hope, or they will face God’s judgment, and they will be put to shame for the evil they have done. And, they will fall into the pit that they dug for us.

So, commit your way to the Lord. Trust in him, and not in ANY HUMAN to save you. Let the Lord be your peace in the midst of this storm. And, sing praises to him, even when everything we have known seems to all be falling apart at the seams. Never lose sight of the fact that God is in control, and that he will have his way in this situation. To God be the glory!

He Gave Me a Song

Songwriter: Alton Howard

He took my burdens all away, up to a brighter day…

Brighter the way grows ev’ry day, walking the heav’nly way…

I am redeemed no more to die, never to say goodbye…

And some of these days in that fair land, sing with the chorus grand…

He gave me a song, to sing about

He lifted me from sin and doubt

O, praise His name, He is my King

A wonderful song He is to me

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

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Encouragement from God's Heart

2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 ESV

Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.

The Word Under Attack

The word of God is under enemy attack. There is an army of people who are working for Satan, being used as his tools, whether with full knowledge or not, who are on the offensive against the whole counsel of God, and who want to destroy the full gospel message of our salvation from sin.

They are those who, spiritually speaking, are lazy, fruitless, idle, and ineffective for God’s eternal kingdom. They are both believing the lies of Satan, and they are spreading his lies, too, in opposition to the truth.

For, the authority they are resting in is not the authority of God and of the word of God (the whole counsel of God). But they are submitting themselves to human authority, and to the authority of a spiritual bond that is worthless and empty regarding the power to save human lives from their sin. And, one day they will hear God say, “Depart from me, I never knew you.”

For, although many of them have made a confession of Christ as Lord, they do not submit to him as Lord. He is not the one in control over their lives, for the flesh is still what is ruling their thoughts and actions. So, they are not bearing fruit in keeping with repentance and for God’s eternal kingdom, for they are still living worldly, fleshly, and self-centered lives.

The Rebuttal

But, the Word of God has something to say on this issue. For, the Word of God is pure, upright, virtuous, and blameless. And, it has an observation about these who are working in opposition to God’s word and to his gospel message. And, it has an analysis of what is being taught, too. For, the Word of God serves as the standard by which we are to examine the things being taught by these who are attacking the gospel of Jesus Christ.

So, we are to use God’s Word to examine what we are hearing and reading to see if what we are hearing and reading is truth, i.e. if it is in line with the teachings of Scripture under the New Covenant. But we must study the Word of the Lord in context. For, many false doctrines are being spread from taking Scriptures out of their context to make them mean something other than what was intended.

So, when we examine what we are hearing, and what is being presented to us, against the word of God, then if what is being presented to us is contrary to the teachings of Scripture, as a whole, then we need to reject it.

Thus, we need to reject this gospel message which teaches a superficial faith in Jesus Christ, which grinds up (pulverizes) the meat of the Word, and which mixes it all together with insolence and disrespect toward God. For, it teaches (or it implies) that we don’t have to leave our lifestyles of sin behind us, that we don’t have to obey the Lord’s commands, and that we don’t have to surrender our lives to Jesus, making him truly Lord of our lives.

The Counterattack

When we make these observations about what is being taught, by examining their teachings against the Word of God (in context), and we present our findings, and we expose the lies, and we proclaim the truth, we will most likely be met with opposition. And, we may be accused falsely of teaching works-based salvation, or of being legalists, or of being unloving, intolerant, bigoted, and hateful, etc.

And, we may be kicked out of institutional churches, asked to leave small groups, banned from church properties, lied about, yelled at because we don’t conform to the majority, and falsely accused, put on church discipline, and/or reported to authorities, etc. For, the worldly fleshly church will not want us, for they reject Jesus Christ and his authority and the authority of the Word of God over their lives.

For, those who are buying into an adulterated gospel message, which permits them (gives free license) to continue living sinful lifestyles, they will not want to hear the truth that says that faith in Jesus Christ means we must die with Christ to sin, and that we must live for Christ and his righteousness, and that this is why Jesus died on that cross (Rom. 6:1-23; Eph. 4:17-24).

They will not want to hear the truth that says that the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us who WALK according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh. They will not want to hear that we, by the Spirit, must be putting to death the deeds of the flesh if we want to have eternal life with God. And, they will not want to hear the truth that says that if we live by the flesh that we will die in our sins (Lu. 9:23-26; Rom. 8:1-17).

The Drivers

Those who are the drivers behind this adulterated (cheap grace) gospel are determined to continue to direct people on this course of no death to sin and no obedience to Christ and of no submission to Christ as Lord. They are pushing their false gospel hard, gaining many followers after themselves who have chosen the broad road which leads to destruction, while rejecting the narrow road which leads to eternal life with God.

They are pushers of this superficial faith in Jesus Christ which provides fun and entertainment in place of true worship of God, and which discourages its followers from getting too serious about God or about holiness. For, it mocks, and it criticizes, and it treats with dishonor those whose lives are dedicated to following Jesus Christ in submission to his will for their lives.

For, the armor of God is not what these falsifiers of faith in Jesus Christ take up. What they take up is disrespect for God, dishonoring of his Word, playing games with religion, cheating God out of what is due him, and mocking those who take God and his word seriously.

Rather than upholding the Word of God, they want to squash it. They want to suppress it. Their goal is to hinder and to block the truth from getting to the hearts of the people, and that is why they go all out on the offensive against the true gospel and its servants and messengers. For, they attempt to discredit the true gospel to deter anyone from believing it.

The Prayer

So, this is a call for prayer that the Word of God would not be hindered, but that it would continue to spread so that many people will find genuine faith in Jesus Christ, which will deliver them out of their slavery to sin, and which will empower them to walk with Jesus in his holiness and righteousness, and which will give them true hope of eternal life with God.

And, it is a call for prayer that the Word of God will be honored instead of treated with disdain and disrespect. It is a prayer that asks that people treat the word of God with respect by doing what the Word teaches, too, and not just be “cherry picking” which Scriptures they will adhere to. For not all have genuine God-given faith in Jesus Christ.

It is an encouragement to those of us who are walking by faith in Jesus Christ, in the ways of the Lord, according to his truth and righteousness, that the Lord is faithful, even when humans are not. He will carry us through every attack against us and against the Word of God, and he will help us and strengthen us to remain faithful to him, despite all the opposition against us.

And, it is an encouragement to those of us who sometimes are called to suffer for righteousness’ sake, and for doing the right thing, that we are doing the right thing by standing on the truth of God’s Word, and by calling out the lies and exposing them, and by proclaiming the truth for all to hear who will listen, so that they can find true hope of salvation. And, the Lord will direct our hearts to the love of God and steadfastness of Christ.

Jesus Draw Me Ever Nearer

Lyrics by Margaret Becker

Music by Keith Getty

“Jesus draw me ever nearer

As I labour through the storm.

You have called me to this passage,

and I’ll follow, though I’m worn.

Jesus guide me through the tempest;

Keep my spirit staid and sure.

When the midnight meets the morning,

Let me love You even more…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amqP9rvikvg

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He Renews Our Strength

My Way is Hidden?

Isaiah 40:27 ESV

“Why do you say, O Jacob,

    and speak, O Israel,

‘My way is hidden from the Lord,

    and my right is disregarded by my God’?”

We all have stuff. We all have our own set of trials and tribulations. All of us go through difficult things. Some people seem to have few trials, while others appear to have an abundance of troubles and heartaches. And, this includes all humans, regardless of race, color, or national origin.

And, then there are things many of us will go through together, such as large-scale natural disasters, or global pandemics, or global uprisings, etc. And, those trials may tend to magnify our own personal battles, too.

Yet, as believers in Jesus Christ, we are to understand that trials and tribulations are a natural part of our lives. They are unavoidable. And, we should be aware, too, that we are to share in the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings, becoming like him in his death. And, Jesus said that we would be hated and persecuted for righteousness’ sake, and for the sake of his name.

But, also trials and tribulations are for our good, to grow us to maturity in Christ, to teach us to rely on God and not on ourselves, to humble us, to prune and purify us, to make us holy, to teach us love and perseverance, to produce in us godly character, and to produce steadfastness of spirit in us (Ro. 5:3-5; Phil. 3:7-11; 1 Pet. 1:6-7; 1 Pet. 4:12-17; Jas. 1:2-4; Lu. 21:12-19; 2 Co. 1:3-11; Heb. 12:3-12).

Yet, even knowing all of this, there may be times in our lives when we are overwhelmed by our trials, and we may begin to lose hope, and we may even begin to doubt God and his promises to us, and we may begin to question whether or not God is even paying attention to our circumstances, or we may wonder if he has abandoned and/or forgotten us.

The Everlasting God

Isaiah 40:28 ESV

“Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

    the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He does not faint or grow weary;

    his understanding is unsearchable.”

So, then he reminds us that he is still there. He hasn’t left. He hasn’t forgotten us. He is not unaware of our circumstances. He knows full well what is going on, even more than we know. For, he is the one who created us. He is the one who formed us in the wombs of our mothers. He had a plan and a purpose for our lives, in fact, even before he created the world.

Nothing escapes his notice, and nothing takes our Lord by surprise, for he is God, and he knows the end from the beginning. He knew, in fact, that when he created Lucifer as an angel in heaven, that Lucifer (Satan, the devil) would rebel against God because he wanted to be God, and that he would take 1/3 of the angels with him. And, yet he let him live.

He knew, too, that when he created Adam and Eve that Satan (the devil, the serpent) would tempt Eve and Adam to sin against God, and he knew that they would give in to sin, and yet he made them, and he let them live, too. And, he knew he would have to put a curse on them and on the earth, and that all humans from that point would be born into sin, but he still created us, and we came into being, because he had a plan for our lives.

So, no matter what we are going through in this life, God knows, God is in control, he is fully sovereign over all that he has made, and he has a plan. And, his plan is to bring human beings to faith in Jesus Christ, God the Son, so that he might redeem them from their sin, and so they would no longer be enslaved to sin, but that they might now become bond-slaves of Christ and of his righteousness (Rom. 6:1-23; Eph. 4:17-24; Rom. 8:1-17).

And, his plan for us is that we walk in holiness, according to the Spirit of God, and that we no longer walk (conduct our lives) in the way of the flesh. So, not only does he save us from our sins, and promise us eternal life with him, but he delivers us from our addiction to sin, and he empowers us to live righteously before him, for his praise. And, he allows trials in our lives to make us holy, to grow us in him, and to make us who he wants us to be.

God Gives Power

Isaiah 40:29-30 ESV

“He gives power to the faint,

    and to him who has no might he increases strength.

Even youths shall faint and be weary,

    and young men shall fall exhausted…”

So, when we go through life’s trials and difficulties, if we will trust him with our lives, and if we will yield our lives to his sovereign will, he will give us all the strength we need to endure everything this world may throw at us.

So many times, when I sit down to write, because the Lord has a message he wants to give to me to share, I am tired, or my brain may not be functioning much at all, or something on my body may be hurting, or I may be hurting emotionally because of something that was done to me that was evil. And, so I may have difficulty concentrating or focusing.

But then I pray. Often, I will say, “Lord, you write, and I will type.” Or, I will state the obvious that I have nothing in myself to give. I can’t do this. In my flesh I have nothing to share, nor would I even be able to share as I do, because then it would be lacking the power of God’s Spirit. And, so the words wouldn’t even come if I were depending on myself, and not on God.

So, I have seen the Lord work through me when there was absolutely nothing there that I had to give. Physically and mentally I just wasn’t there. Yet, I have watched him create miracle after miracle in my mind, and in my emotions, and in my body in order to work through me for his glory and praise. He truly does give power to the faint, and truly he does give strength when we are absolutely without anything to give of ourselves.

Wait for the Lord

Isaiah 40:31 ESV

“…but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;

    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;

they shall run and not be weary;

    they shall walk and not faint.”

So, don’t let your circumstances get you down. Don’t let what you are going through determine whether you are going to obey the Lord. For, it is not our strength or mental alertness that matters.

I am living proof that God can work through someone who is exhausted, whose brain is so tired that it is not functional, or whose head hurts, or body hurts, or heart hurts so much that it feels nearly impossible that I could write anything. Sometimes it is in those times when God ministers to others the most through the writings, when I have absolutely nothing to give, and the Lord has to just take over.

I believe the Lord leads me in everything he has me write, so I am not saying that it is only at those times that he speaks through me. I trust him to give me the words to say all the time. But I do know how he can create miracles in us, too, when we don’t have anything to give, when our strength is completely gone, and when we think we can’t possibly go on. And, then, too, we know without a shadow of a doubt that it came from him, and not from us, because there just wasn’t anything there.

So, I am just saying here that we should not make our decisions based on what we have to give. Sometimes the Lord has us where he has us so that he can create miracles through us. We just need to wait on him and let him do the work he intended to do all along. If we let him work in us and through us, it is amazing what he can do. We just need to step out on faith more and let him give us what we are lacking. And, then just watch him work.

Hide Me, Rock of Ages

Brantley C. George, 1946

Oh Thou blessed rock of ages

Trusting now dear Lord in Thee

Keep me till my journey's ended

Till Thy blessed face I see

Keep me when the storm clouds gather;

‘Til the sun comes shining through;

Keep me ‘til my work is over;

‘Til I bid this world adieu.

Hide me oh blessed rock of ages

'Til Thy blessed face I see

When the storm around me rages

Rock of ages hide Thou me

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRKU-D5k21w

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From the Desert to Springs

Isaiah 40:3-5 ESV

A voice cries:

“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;

    make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be lifted up,

    and every mountain and hill be made low;

the uneven ground shall become level,

    and the rough places a plain.

And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,

    and all flesh shall see it together,

    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

The Wilderness

A wilderness, metaphorically speaking, is a place in the heart of some humans that is barren, unfruitful, and unproductive spiritually. It is uncultivated, undeveloped, lacking in spiritual growth and nourishment, and spiritually neglected (ignored, forgotten).

And, this describes the lives of many people in America who call themselves Christians, and who call themselves followers of Jesus Christ. Their spiritual lives are dry, unfruitful, lifeless, and dead or mostly dead. They are not bearing fruit for God’s eternal kingdom, because they are not abiding in Christ, but they are still living to please the flesh (John 15:1-11).

So, this is where we need to prepare people’s hearts to give their lives over to Jesus Christ in surrender to his will, so that they can live lives which are spiritually productive, alive, bearing fruit for God’s eternal kingdom, growing in their faith, and becoming spiritually mature in Christ.

We must teach them the straight way and the narrow way of the cross of Christ. For, too many wolves in sheep’s clothing have been feeding them feel-good messages which tell them that faith in Jesus Christ means they do nothing. They are telling them, or they are implying to them that faith in Jesus Christ requires no repentance, no obedience to Christ, and no submission to Christ as Lord.

So, they have this idea that they can have their ticket into heaven, but that they can go on living in sin, to please the flesh, without regard for God the Father, and for Jesus Christ, and for his commandments. Thus, they have no fear of God, no respect for his holiness and righteousness, and they do not love God or know God, if they refuse to obey him and to do what he says.

Preparing the Soil

So, for us to prepare the straight way for barren hearts and lives to be able to be spiritually alive and bearing fruit for God’s eternal kingdom, we must uproot all these lies. We must dig up all of these lies and expose them for what they are. We must expose the fruitless deeds of darkness for what they are so that the truth can be revealed.

And, then we must begin pouring the truth of the gospel into people’s hearts and minds. And, the truth is not found by taking Scriptures out of context to make them say what we want them to say. We can’t build our doctrine of salvation on one verse, or on one passage of Scripture, or even on one book in the Bible, either. We must read all the New Testament to fully understand the gospel of our salvation, and the grace of God.

For, Jesus Christ didn’t die that horrible death on a cross, becoming sin for us, just to forgive us our sins and to promise us heaven when we die. In his death he put sin to death that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness, that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us (1 Pet. 2:24; 2 Co. 5:15, 21).

Jesus died on that cross to deliver us from our bondage (addiction) to sin and to empower us to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to God. With his blood he bought us back for God so that we might now honor God with our lives, with our bodies, and so we would no longer live to please the passions and desires of our flesh (Rom. 6:1-23; Eph. 4:17-24; 1 Co. 6:19-20).

God’s grace, which brings salvation, is not just a get-out-of-jail-free-card. His grace instructs us to say “NO!” to ungodliness and fleshly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s return. For, this is why Jesus died, to free us from our slavery to sin so that we might now live our lives to his glory and praise (Tit. 2:11-14).

But this isn’t optional. We don’t “get saved” and then one day we die and go to heaven. What lay between “saved” and “heaven” isn’t up to us to decide. And, our salvation is not a one-time event in our lives, either. We are saved (past), we are being saved (present) and we will be saved (future) when Jesus comes to take us home to be with him and our salvation is complete.

We must walk (in practice, in conduct, in lifestyle) according to the Spirit, and not according to the flesh, if we want to have eternal life with God. We must walk in the light as God is in the light if we want to have fellowship with God and to be cleansed from every sin (Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9).

For, we are all going to reap what we sow. If we sow to please the flesh, from the flesh we will reap destruction (decay, death). If we sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit we will reap eternal life. If we make sin our practice, we will die in our sins. We will not have eternal life with God (Gal. 6:7-8; Rom. 2:6-8; 2 Co. 5:10; Gal. 5:16-21; Eph. 5:3-6; 1 Jn. 2:3-6).

So, if you have been convinced that your salvation is secure, that heaven is your eternal destiny, but yet you deny Jesus Christ by your lifestyle, and you are continuing to live in sin, to please your sinful nature, without regard for the Lord or for who you hurt in the process, know the truth. Heaven is not your destiny. This is what the Scriptures teach. You must walk according to the Spirit of God if you want to have eternal life with God (Lu. 9:23-26).

Enough for My God

By G. M. Eldridge

In God is the light, the brightest day.

He taught me to walk the narrow way,

Yet still I chose the path that was broad:

O, how could I be enough for my God?

With mercy so sweet, He led me along.

He held my hand, and gave me a song,

Yet still I sinned, a shameful fraud:

O, how could I be enough for my God?

I never had dreamed the day I’d see

the Son of God, who died for me,

Yet here by His side, I stand in awe:

Washed by His blood, enough for my God.

And who could forgive all the sins and the flaws?

O, how could I be enough for my God?

But gently He’ll lead by staff and by rod,

And help me to be enough for my God.

I just want to be Enough for You, God!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-avRK0qzso

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