Pagan Revelry (Repost)

Tuesday, December 04, 2012, 8:09 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with this song:

 

Blessed Are You / An Original Work / August 29, 2012

 

Based off Luke 6:20-49 NIV 1984

 

“Blessed are you;

Blessed are you who are poor

For God’s kingdom is yours.

Blessed are you;

Blessed are you who are hungry,

You’ll be satisfied.

Blessed are you;

Blessed are you who weep now,

For you will laugh with joy.

Blessed are you;

Blessed are you when men hate

And reject you because of Christ.”

 

The subject of the celebration of Christmas came up this morning before I read my passage of scripture for the day. I am reading in the Psalms, and today’s passage was Psalm 12. So, as I went into my time of reading this morning, I asked the Lord what my response should be to people who ask about the celebration of Christmas. I prayed, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” Then I read Psalm 12. When I got to verse 8, this is what stood out to me:

 

The wicked freely strut about

    when what is vile is honored among men.

 

The word “vile” stood out to me, and then the Lord immediately put this phrase in my mind, “pagan revelry.” I believe God sees, and has always seen in the history of mankind, “pagan revelry” as “vile.”

 

Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry.” ~ 1 Co. 10:7

 

I wanted to understand what this all meant, and how it related to my inquiry about what my response should be to the subject of the celebration of Christmas, so I looked up some of these terms in the dictionary (www.thefreedictionary.com). Vile means “loathsome, disgusting, objectionable, offensive, wicked, shameful or evil.” A pagan is a supporter (sticking or holding to) polytheistic (more than one god) religion, “especially when viewed in contrast to an adherent (supporter) of a monotheistic (only one god) religion.” And, revelry is “boisterous, noisy or unrestrained merrymaking; pleasure and good times, with connotations of carousing and self-indulgence.”

 

The Christmas Connection

 

So, what does this all have to do with the celebration of Christmas? Well, let’s look at what all the celebration of Christmas entails. For those of you who celebrate Christmas, what do you spend most of your time, thoughts and energies on in this celebration? What is Christmas to you? What is the main focus of Christmas in our society? And, what does the word of God have to say about celebrating Christ’s birth?

 

Christmas, in our society, is primarily about Santa Claus, Christmas trees, lights, decorations, Santa’s stockings, greed, commercialism, and presents, etc. So, who is Santa? He is an aberration. He is made up. Yet, he sees all, knows all, and he can be all over the world at everyone’s homes all in one night. Who does this sound like? Yes, you are right: God Almighty. He is the only one who is all knowing, all powerful, and has the ability to be everywhere at all times.

 

So, who is the great imitator of God who wanted to be God? Satan. He parades himself as an “angel of light” to deceive minds and hearts. Ever notice the similarity between the names “Santa” and “Satan”? Santa is of Satan and Satan’s goal is to be God in the hearts and minds of all people, but especially in the hearts and minds of professing followers of Jesus Christ. He wants nothing more than to steal the hearts and minds of naïve people, especially young children, away from God and to another god.

 

Is He the Reason?

 

Christmas is often marketed as the celebration of Christ’s birth, i.e. that “He is the reason for the season.” Is he really? Let’s look at that. How do we celebrate Jesus’ birth? Some people will tell you it is with the giving of presents to one another, just like the wise men gave gifts to Jesus or just like God gave us the gift of his Son, Jesus Christ. Well, for one, the wise men did not visit Jesus when he was born. He was probably a child of two years old when they visited him, and they were not coming to celebrate his birthday, per se, but to give honor to the King of kings and Lord of lords, the promised Messiah of the people of God. They were giving honor to the Savior of mankind, and they honored him with these costly gifts. Also, the giving of God’s Son is the giving of salvation to mankind (Jn. 3:16).

 

So, when we give each other gifts, is this truly giving honor to God/Jesus as the King of kings and Lord of lords and as the Savior of mankind? If it is, in your thinking, then how do you believe this is accomplished? Do you think God is truly pleased with this gift giving of ours on this holiday? And, how is this similar in nature to what God did for us in giving us Jesus? If we want to respond in like manner, then instead of giving each other gifts, most of which we don’t really need, then we should be sharing the gospel of Jesus with the unsaved. That is why Jesus came! And, that is why he died on the cross. The greatest gift we can give, then, is the gift of God’s Son to those who have not yet believed in Jesus as Savior.

 

Should we celebrate Christ’s birth?

 

How did Jesus say we should remember him and honor him? He said we should honor him and remember him through the remembrance of his death, not his birth. And, the way in which we remember his death is through the taking of communion, not just the taking of it in the sense of taking a sacrament in a ritualistic sense, but as Paul described in 1 Co. 11:27-29:

 

Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.

 

There is a sense, thus, in which this participation in the Lord’s Supper is not merely the sharing in the drinking of the vine and the eating of the bread, but it is a participation in the meaning of these symbols in reality in how we live our lives. For Jesus, the juice of the vine and the bread represented his blood and body which were given for us on the cross of Christ for our sins, so that we could be set free from the penalty of sin (eternal damnation), and so we could be set free from slavery to sin (day-to-day).

 

So, when we come to the Lord’s Table in remembrance of him, we are not merely recalling his death, but we are choosing to partake (drink and eat) with him in his death, which communion symbolizes, and in his resurrection, in death to our sins and in resurrection to new lives in Christ. This is why it is critical that we examine our hearts, not just in communion services, but all the time, to make sure that we have forsaken our lives of sin, and we are walking in obedience to Christ in all ways all the time. This is the kind of worship and honor of Jesus that he desires:

 

Jesus said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” ~ Luke 9:23-26

 

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. ~ Romans 12:1-2

 

Who gets Top Billing?

 

This (the above scriptures) is the kind of “gift giving” that God approves. It is not that he is against us giving each other gifts, I don’t believe, but I don’t believe the way we do gifts and the way we celebrate Christmas in our culture is what he desires, and in fact, I believe he sees it as “vile” and as “pagan revelry,” because it is a blend of the worship of Santa, greed, and a pagan holiday with the celebration of Jesus, only Jesus does not get top billing in this celebration. Think with me about that for a moment.

 

Look at your decorations for Christmas. Do you have a tree beautifully decorated with all kinds of trimmings? Are there lots of gifts underneath the tree? Who are these gifts for? What do they represent? Do you have Santa stockings hanging by your fireplace? Do you have images of Santa and his reindeer displayed in your house? And, where is Jesus in all of this? Do you buy a bunch of gifts you can’t afford for people who don’t really need them because tradition dictates that we should do this in celebration of Jesus? How does any of this give honor and praise to God/Jesus?

 

And, do you also have a manger scene displayed in your house along with Santa? Then, this is a celebration of a false god and the true God side-by-side, which is what God chided his children about all throughout history. And, how is Jesus pictured? He is pictured as a helpless baby in a lowly manger. Whose birthdays do we celebrate with images of what we looked like as babies? - Only Jesus.’ I believe this is purposeful. Why?

 

Children, in particular, will see Jesus as a helpless baby who does what for them? And, they will see Santa as all powerful, all knowing, and as one who can be all places at all times, and who brings them presents. What is wrong with this picture? Do you see the deception here? And, the two are celebrated together side-by-side. Even if you don’t do the Santa thing, you, perhaps, are still celebrating the birth of Jesus in a manner which has pagan roots, and which has nothing to do with Jesus Christ at all, and that minimizes who he truly is while on the same day an “all powerful, all knowing and omnipresent Santa” steals the hearts and minds of young children, because he brings them presents. How can you top that?

 

And, then we lie to our children and we tell them that Santa is real, even though they can’t really see him, so is that of God? And, we use terminology like “I believe in Santa.” And, then we tell our children to believe in Jesus, whom they also cannot see. Oh, what trickery Satan has concocted to get us to believe we are truly celebrating the life of Jesus when all we are doing is falling prey to a lie of Satan.

 

The Challenge

 

You don’t have to believe this, obviously, because I said it, but I pray that each person reading this today would prayerfully and honestly before God examine what has been shared here today in light of God’s word, and that you would inquire of God as to how he views our celebrations of Christmas. God gave us the gift of salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ shed on a cross for our sins. The best way we can celebrate the life of Jesus is to honor him with our lives, and to share the truth of his gospel with a world in need of the Savior. Will you pray and ask God if he is pleased with your celebration of him?

 

Sing Praises / An Original Work / November 30, 2012

 

Based off Psalms 6-9

 

Sing praises to the Lord!

Tell of His wond’rous works.

Afflicted, they cry out;

The Lord will not forget;

The needy, not desert.

 

The Lord’s our refuge now;

A stronghold when we fear.

The Lord will ne’er forsake

The ones, who Him pursue!

 

Sing praises to the Lord!

With all my heart I sing.

I will rejoice in Him;

Sing praises to His name;

Tell of His wond’rous works.

 

My shield is God Most High.

He saves those who believe

In Jesus Christ, God’s Son.

His grace has pardoned you!

 

The Lord accepts my prayer!

The Lord has heard my cries.

He is so merciful.

He heals my anguished soul.

The Lord has made me whole.

 

Give thanks unto the Lord.

Give praise unto His name.

Our Lord is righteousness.

Sing praises to the Lord!

 

Sing praises to the Lord!

 

Sing Praises: https://vimeo.com/118438651

 

Blessed Are You: https://vimeo.com/115046573

 

Note: All scripture references are taken from the NIV 1984.

Do Not Grow Weary

Hebrews 12:2-3 ESV

 

“Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.”

 

Why did Jesus Die?

 

Why did Jesus die that horrible death on a cross? Yes, it was to take our sins upon himself and to put them to death with him so that, by faith in him, we could be forgiven our sins, be free from the punishment of sin, escape hell, and go to heaven when we die. But that is only part of the story.

 

When Jesus shed his blood for us on that cross, he bought us back for God (he redeemed us) so that we would now be God’s possession, and so that we would now glorify God with our lives (with our bodies). He died that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness. And he died that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us (1 Co 6:19-20; 1 Pet 2:24; 2 Co 5:15, 21; Eph 2:10; Tit 2:14).

 

You see, the purpose of his death was not just to pay the penalty for our sin so that we would not have to pay the penalty, but it was to deliver us from our slavery to sin so that we could now, empowered by God’s Spirit, become slaves (bondservants) of Christ’s righteousness (Rom 6:1-23; Eph 4:17-24).

 

So, the joy that was set before him was our redemption. It was his blood purchasing us back for God so that we would no longer be under the control of sin and of Satan, but so we would now be under the control of God’s Spirit; so we would no longer be enslaved to sin, but so we would now be enslaved to righteousness.

 

Therefore, he came to this earth, took on human flesh, and he suffered and was tempted as we suffer and are tempted, yet without sin. He was harassed continually by the religious leaders in the temple of God, called crazy, and he was accused of being of Satan and of being a blasphemer. And they were all the time trying to trick him in hopes that they could trip him up with his words so that they would have cause to accuse him.

 

Then, they falsely arrested him, brought false accusations against him, gave him a mock trial, spat on him, beat him mercilessly, mocked him, and they treated him with contempt and derision. And they hung him on a tree (a cross) to die, as though he was a common criminal, and although he had done no wrong but only good.

 

But this was in God’s plan for our redemption. So, Jesus was put to death, but on the third day he was resurrected from the dead by the Father. Then he appeared to many people, including his disciples, and then he ascended back to the Father in heaven, after which he sent his Holy Spirit to indwell his followers to be Jesus in them, so that we always have Jesus with us.

 

Why was Jesus hated?

 

But why did his persecutors treat him this way? What was their reasoning? The Scriptures say they hated him without cause, without just cause. For, they hated him because he was not like them, and because he didn’t follow all their religious customs and their man-made rules (traditions).

 

They were jealous of him, too, for Jesus’ initial popularity among the people, and they were threatened by him that if he continued to gain the confidence of the people that their own positions of power and authority might be in jeopardy. So, they sought to discredit him and to turn the people against him to save their own skins.

 

They also did not like it that he claimed to be God, which is who he is, and that he confronted them with their sins, warned of divine judgment, and that he called for repentance, for obedience, and for submission to him as Lord. And then he told them that if they did not die the death he was to die to sin, and if they did not follow him in obedience, that they did not have eternal life with God (Jn 6:44-56; Jn 14:23-24; Jn 15:1-11; Lu 9:23-26).

 

Consider Jesus’ Opposition

 

So, we are to consider Jesus who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that we may not grow weary or fainthearted.

 

The overall context of this passage of Scripture appears to be in regard to us overcoming sin, yet I believe we can also take from this verse that we are to learn to endure hostility against ourselves from those practicing sin against God who are hostile to God by their attitudes, philosophies and behaviors.

 

We are to walk the walk that Jesus walked, and we are to lay our lives down for others to see them set free from their slavery to sin, too.

 

Now, we obviously don’t die for people’s sins, nor could we. For Jesus, our perfect and sacrificial Lamb, and our high priest, already did that, once for all, so that has already been taken care of for us. But, when we follow Jesus in obedience, and we do and say the kinds of things he did and said, he said we will be hated and persecuted as he was hated and persecuted.

 

And the reason we do and say the kinds of things he did and said are for the same reasons as he did and said them, and that is that human beings might go free from their slavery to sin, and that they might now become slaves of his righteousness and live their lives for his glory and praise and not for themselves. And it is out of love and obedience to our Lord.

 

So, when we are walking in fellowship with our Lord, and we are living lives which are separate (unlike, different) from the world, those who are worldly, including many professing Christians, will not like us, and they won’t want to be around us, and they may mock us and think us crazy, too.

 

And if we are sharing the teachings of Jesus Christ and of his New Testament apostles, and we are proclaiming the whole counsel of God, the gospel of our salvation in its fulness, we will be despised and rejected by those who are worldly, including by worldly Christians. Some of our fiercest opposition, in fact, may come from within the church, not from without.

 

But we are not to grow weary or to become fainthearted when they persecute us, and when they are hostile towards us because of our faith and because of the message of our salvation which we proclaim. For, we are to look to Jesus, consider all that he endured for us, and we must be willing to endure the same for the joy set before us, too, which is the salvation of human lives.

 

All Through the Night 

 

An Original Work / December 7, 2013

Based off Various Scriptures

 

Blessed are you when you’re persecuted

Because of your faith in Jesus Christ.

Blessed are you when people insult you,

And falsely say what leads folks to doubt.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is

Great in the heavens. You’re not alone.

 

When you are persecuted in one place,

Flee to another. God will be there.

You will be hated by all the nations

Because you testify of God’s grace.

Many will seize you and persecute you,

And put to death the foll’wers of Christ.

 

Yet, do not fear what humans may do to you,

For I’m with you all through the night.

I tell you, love your enemies with my love,

And forgive as I forgave you.

Pray for those who do evil against you.

Rest in my love and grace from above.

 

https://vimeo.com/379481617

If We Want Different Results

Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV

 

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

 

Examples of Faith

 

In Hebrews, chapter 11, we have an accounting of some of the greats of the Christian faith who have gone on before us. They serve as this “great cloud of witnesses.” By faith in God (in Christ) they obeyed the Lord, and they did what he said, and because they obeyed, many human lives were impacted for eternal salvation. Many put their faith and trust in God (in Christ).

 

They serve as an encouragement to us to also follow our Lord in obedience to his will for our lives, not only for ourselves, but for all people whose lives will be impacted by our lives, and for the glory and praise of God.

 

They were imperfect people, though, so let us not get sidetracked by their imperfections and therefore miss what the Lord desires to teach us here. He does not demand perfection of us, either, but he does command us to walk (in practice, in lifestyle) according to the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh (Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Jn 1:5-9; Tit 2:11-14).

 

Weights and Sins

 

We have an illustration here of someone running a physical race. The runner is able to run much better if he doesn’t have things weighing him down preventing him from being able to run the race or to not be able to finish the race. And that is why you will see runners with very lightweight clothing.

 

We, as followers of Jesus, are to run, not a physical race, but a spiritual race to which God has called us. This walk of faith in Jesus Christ (our race) involves us first dying with Christ to sin, by the Spirit, then us being reborn of the Spirit of God (resurrected with Christ to newness of life in him).

 

Since Jesus died on that cross that we might die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness, faith in Jesus is like the runner throwing off every hindrance and the weight of sin which weighs him down so he can run the race God has for him to run (to live) with perseverance.

 

But this is not a one-time event in our lives and then we are good to go until we reach heaven one day. We must daily die to sin and to self and daily follow our Lord in walks of obedience to his commands. And the same Holy Spirit who transformed us from death to life will also empower us to continue to put sin to death in our lives and to live for righteousness.

 

This involves us daily saying “No!” to ungodliness and fleshly passions and us living self-controlled, upright, and godly lives, by the Spirit, while we wait for our Lord’s soon return. It is a daily discipline of putting on the armor of God to fight off Satan’s schemes against us, too (Tit 2:11-14; Eph 6:10-20).

 

Thus, if something in our lives is regularly tripping us up or pulling us down and keeping us from living a life of righteousness as we are called of God to do, then we must get rid of whatever it is that is leading us into habitual sin. This is just pure logic, and it is wisdom, as well as it is obedience to God.

 

We don’t go to places we know are going to tempt us to sin where we know we are bound to fail, because wisdom teaches us that if we follow the same plan each time that we are going to get the same results. Wisdom also says, “Change the plan if you want different results.”

 

So, this isn’t just about forsaking our sins and living to Christ and to his righteousness, by the Spirit, but this is about getting rid of those weights, those hindrances to our walks of faith weighing us down which are keeping us from walking the walk and not just talking the walk.

 

Those hindrances could be laziness, selfishness, pride, the distractions of this world, and addictions, including addictions to social media or games or movies or novels or whatever it is that is keeping you from being fully surrendered to Jesus Christ.

 

Yet, if our hearts are bent towards sin, and if it is our pattern to repeat the same sins over again, we will not be inclined to throw off the weights and the sin which so easily entangles. Thus, we must first die with Christ to sin and be transformed of God's Spirit if we are going to forsake sin.

 

Looking to Jesus

 

And this is the key here. We can’t do this in our own flesh. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. We can only be free from our slavery to sin and become slaves of God and of his righteousness in the power and working of God’s Spirit in our lives.

 

But this is also key here. We must surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, die with Christ to sin, and live to Christ and to his righteousness in the power of God’s Spirit as we yield our lives over to the Spirit’s control, and as we cooperate with God in his work of transformation of our hearts.

 

Jesus made the way for us to be set free from our slavery to sin and for us to walk in the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh, but we must walk in that way via submission and obedience to our Lord (Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:1-6; Lu 9:23-26; Tit 2:11-14).

 

And this is moment by moment and day by day surrender to our Lord, looking to Jesus for our strength and counsel, and then following him in the way that he leads us to go, resisting the devil, and fleeing temptation to sin against God.

 

And this is following Jesus’ example, too, for how he lived his life, how he resisted the devil and fled temptation to sin, and how he walked by the Spirit and did not give way to the flesh.

 

And this is following him in putting sin to death in our lives and in being willing to be hated and persecuted, too, for the cross of Christ and because we are living in unadulterated fellowship with our Lord, too. And it is because we are also following his example of speaking the truth of God’s word to the people, too, that we will be persecuted for righteousness’ sake.

 

When in The Stillness 

 

An Original Work / September 26, 2011

 

When in the stillness of this moment,

Speak to me, Lord, I humbly pray.

Be my desire, set me on fire,

Teach me to love always.

Help me to walk in fellowship with You,

Listening to You; sit at Your feet.

Whisper Your words to me,

Oh, how gently, guiding me in Your truth.

 

While we are waiting for Your blessing,

Lord, in our hearts be King today.

Help us to live for you ev’ry moment,

List’ning to what You say.

May we not stray from your word within us,

Help us obey You, Lord, in all things,

Walking each moment, Lord, in Your presence,

Our offerings to You bring.

 

Help us to love You, Lord, our master;

Be an example of Your love,

Helping the hurting, lift up the fallen,

Showing them Your great love.

Teach them to love You, follow You always,

Bearing their cross and turning from sin;

Walking in daily fellowship with You,

Making You Lord and King.

 

https://vimeo.com/126984144 

God Answers Prayers

Acts 10:1-5 ESV

 

“At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God. About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, ‘Cornelius.’ And he stared at him in terror and said, ‘What is it, Lord?’ And he said to him, ‘Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter.’”

 

Cornelius and his family were devout and God-fearing, but they were Gentiles, with whom Jews did not associate. But the Lord did not ignore his prayers just because he was a Gentile and not a Jew. For, he was seeking after the Lord, the one true God, with all his heart, so God heard him.

 

And the Lord hears our prayers, too, if we are God-fearing, and if we honor the Lord as God, and if we seek him with our hearts, and if we desire to follow him in obedience to his will for our lives.

 

Acts 10:9-16 ESV

 

“The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air.

“And there came a voice to him: ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ But Peter said, ‘By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.’ And the voice came to him again a second time, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’ This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.”

 

The Jews, under the Old Covenant, had many restrictive rules about things they could or could not do, or about things they could or could not eat. But when Jesus came, and he died on the cross for our sins, and he rose again, and he ascended back to the Father and sent his Holy Spirit to indwell his followers, he did away with all those ceremonial, dietary and purification laws. So, the Jews were free to eat what before they could not eat.

 

But this was a tough transition for many of the Jews who had been taught from birth to follow all those rules and regulations which were mostly external and ceremonial in nature and were not God’s moral laws which remained in effect to today, which the New Testament expanded upon.

 

For, God’s moral laws have to do with the heart, with righteousness, and with how we treat one another, too. The other laws were ceremonial and external in nature, although they were then required to obey them. But under the New Covenant, they were free from the external requirements. They were also free from some of the punishments of moral sins, too.

 

Anyway, Peter was having a difficult time transitioning to the new way of the New Covenant and away from the old way of the Old Covenant, but the Lord was working on his heart and mind. But this was not just about food here. This was about people and it was about accepting Gentiles into God’s family.

 

Thus, Peter listened to the Lord, and the Lord sent him to Cornelius’ house. And Peter’s understanding of what the Lord was teaching him began to increase, for he obeyed the Lord, and he did what the Lord told him to do.

 

Many of us, too, from birth on up, were taught all sorts of things, some good and some bad. We were trained in customs, ceremonies, traditions of men, and our culture, etc. But when Jesus saves us from our sins, and he transforms us in heart and mind, he opens our eyes, too, to see those things that are to no longer be a part of our lives, and thus we must listen to him, too. For we may need to forsake some cultural norms and traditions of men.

 

But, contrary to what some people are teaching these days, the Lord did not remove God’s moral standards from our lives. He did not save us from sin so we can continue living in sin, dishonoring our Lord, and refusing to obey him. He saved us so we would be dead to sin and so we would now walk in his righteousness and holiness (Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24).

 

Acts 10:44-48 ESV

 

“While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, ‘Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’ And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.”

 

Because Peter obeyed the Lord, and he did what he showed him to do, and he accepted Cornelius and his family as God had accepted them, the Lord used him to share the gospel of salvation from sin with Cornelius and with those in his household who were present to listen to what Peter had to say.

 

Speaking of Jesus, Peter said: “And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” vv. 42-43

 

And because of Peter’s testimony the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word of God, indicating that they had believed in Jesus to be their Lord and Savior to cleanse them of their sins and to give them new lives in Jesus, their Lord, to be lived for the Lord for his glory, honor and praise.

 

And the Lord Jesus will use us in marvelous ways in other people’s lives, too, when we are committed to our Lord and to his service, and when we are willing to obey him in doing what he says to do, and when we are willing, too, to forsake our former prejudices, traditions, cultural norms and things learned in the flesh which are not honoring to God and/or from which he has set us free by his grace.

 

Our minds and our hearts just need to be open to being taught by the Holy Spirit and by the word of God and to be willing to let go of things past which still have a hold on our lives which are contrary to the teachings of Scripture and to God’s will and calling on our lives.

 

It is amazing, then, what God can do in us and through us for his glory, honor, and praise in the spreading of his gospel message, and in impacting other human lives for the gospel of Christ, for their deliverance from slavery to sin, and for the hope of eternal life with God through their surrender to Christ as Lord, and through walks of obedience to his commands.

 

When I Was Walking

 

An Original Work / January 16, 2020

 

When I was walking along the way,

My Lord was with me, and He did say,

“My child I’m with you. I hear you pray,

‘Oh, help me, Lord! Need You today!’”

 

He is my friend, near to the end.

Gently leads me. His servant be.

He helps me pray – knows what to say.

He’s all I need. On Him I feed.

 

When I am wond’ring of what to do,

He gently leads me to what is truth.

He is my helper. He strengthens me.

When I’m in want, supplies my need.

 

He comforts me with all His love.

Gives me His grace from heav’n above.

I heed His call to watch and pray,

To guard my heart throughout each day.

 

When He is calling to come to Him,

To let Him lead you, trust Him within,

How will you answer to Him today?

Will you say, “Yes, Lord, have your way”?

 

Do not neglect to let Him in,

Cleanse you from sin, made new within.

Leave all your sin, obey your Lord,

Trust in His Word – His mighty Sword.

 

https://vimeo.com/385888176

Mind Manipulation and Deception

James 5:1-6 ESV

 

“Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.”

 

I live in the United States of America. I have never lived outside of my country, and I have never visited another country, not even Canada or Mexico. So, I can only speak for my nation, but that does not mean that this does not apply to other nations, as well.

 

But first…

 

The Lord has given us many teachings in Scripture regarding these final days before the return of Christ. Not everything is spelled out for us in exact detail, and some of it is written in poetic form, or with the use of symbols, and thus must be taken more figuratively rather than literally. The context usually helps us interpret what is literal or figurative.

 

Thus, some of these passages of Scripture are interpreted in many different ways by various people who read them. So, in order for us to understand what they are teaching us, and how to apply them to our lives and to our world today, it requires much spiritual discernment.

 

But we are not going to be spiritually discerning if we are heavily being influenced by political parties and platforms, television, the internet, social media, and the mainstream news media and some opposing news sources which are just two sides of the same whole. We must pull away from these influences and focus on hearing the Lord from his word.

 

When Jesus died and rose from the grave, after about 40 days he returned to the Father in heaven, and then after more time he sent his Holy Spirit to indwell his followers, which he had promised to do when he was still on the earth.

 

He said that the Holy Spirit would teach us all things and would remind us of all things pertaining to Christ or pertaining to all that Jesus had taught when he was on the earth. The Holy Spirit would be our counselor, helper, comforter, encourager, teacher, and guide, and we are to listen to him.

 

He is the one who quickens our minds so that we understand the word of the Lord, and he opens our eyes to see truth. And he gives us understanding into how the word of the Lord is to be applied to our lives and world today. For, the word of God is spiritually discerned.

 

Thus, we need to pray for this spiritual discernment, but again, we are not going to hear the Spirit’s voice if his voice is being crowded out by the voices of TV, social media, our friends, and the like, or if we are not living in purity of devotion to our Lord, but if we are still living in sin.

 

So, with that said…

 

The Scriptures warn us of a time when deception will abound, and when a false Christ will appear on the scene and will deceive many. It also speaks of a harlot who rides a beast and then it speaks of two different beasts and of the image of the beast, etc. There are many different views on what all that means.

 

I want us to strip away all the suppositions and interpretations for a minute and just look at what this means very simplistically. We are being told that a great time of deception is coming, which includes a great falling away (rebellion), and which includes people and entities which are going to attempt to deceive us into following them instead of Christ.

 

So, if we know that, why are so many believers in Jesus (or professing Christians) following after men, looking to them to save them? Why do they so easily believe whatever someone tells them without seeking the Lord’s face to learn whether or not what they are hearing is truth?

 

I believe some of that is because we were brainwashed from birth on up by schools, by institutional churches and their leaders, by politicians, by TV, then by the internet, and then social media, etc. In America we were trained early on to worship our government via the pledge of allegiance to the flag.

 

So, many of us were brought up believing our government leaders, that they were the good guys, and believing the news, and worshiping our nation via the pledge, patriotic songs, patriotic ceremonies, and the honoring of our military as our heroes who are the ones who protect our freedoms.

 

This is where I was sixteen years ago when the Holy Spirit began to open my eyes to the truth behind all the lies. He began to quicken my mind to what is going on in my nation, and he sent me to read and to do searches on so many different subjects. And then he began to confirm what he was showing me in so many different ways, too.

 

But, it would be nearly impossible to verify all the Lord spoke to me about our present world, for so much of that information is now hidden or it has been removed or the sources that may be good sources have been deleted or altered or discredited by those who are the deceivers.

 

But then they are telling the truth of what they are doing, too, if we just pay attention, for the truth is hidden in plain sight. They leave hints for us all the time. It is in the wording in their news stories, either written or verbal, or in their bloopers or supposed slips of the tongue.

 

But the bottom line…

 

But the bottom line here in all of this is that we are living in that time prophesied in Scripture, and these things are taking place right before our eyes, and many are deceived into believing the lies because they have been brainwashed and mind manipulated and hypnotized by the media.

 

The judgment of God is upon us for the reasons mentioned in this Scripture. So, the call here is to repent of your sin, to turn to the Lord in surrender to his will, to pull away from all these worldly influences and to get alone with God and to let him show you what can only be seen through spiritual eyes.

 

Stop putting your faith and trust in humans and in what they tell you, for many liars and deceivers are out there lying and deceiving the people, even the people of God, and even within “the church.” Don’t trust in the fact check sites, either, for many of them are part of the evil plot to deceive.

 

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and let the Holy Spirit speak to your hearts. Let him change you and renew you and show you the way of righteousness and truth and expose to you all the evil and deceptions that are blinding people’s eyes. Then commit your way to the Lord and follow him in truth until the day he comes to take us home.

 

When in The Stillness  

 

An Original Work / September 26, 2011

 

When in the stillness of this moment,

Speak to me, Lord, I humbly pray.

Be my desire, set me on fire,

Teach me to love always.

Help me to walk in fellowship with You,

Listening to You; sit at Your feet.

Whisper Your words to me,

Oh, how gently, guiding me in Your truth.

 

While we are waiting for Your blessing,

Lord, in our hearts be King today.

Help us to live for you ev’ry moment,

List’ning to what You say.

May we not stray from your word within us,

Help us obey You, Lord, in all things,

Walking each moment, Lord, in Your presence,

Our offerings to You bring.

 

Help us to love You, Lord, our master;

Be an example of Your love,

Helping the hurting, lift up the fallen,

Showing them Your great love.

Teach them to love You, follow You always,

Bearing their cross and turning from sin;

Walking in daily fellowship with You,

Making You Lord and King.

 

https://vimeo.com/126984144  

Captive to Human Wisdom

Human Philosophy

Colossians 2:8 ESV

 

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”

 

We, as followers of Christ, are to see to it that we are not victimized (that we do not become a casualty), like the prey of a predator, by a love of secular wisdom, raising up human wisdom over the wisdom of God. This can also include preferring one’s own thoughts to the wisdom of God, too.

 

I see so many “Bible studies” in churches that are not Bible studies at all but are studies of books written by mere mortals, not divinely breathed. They may refer to the Scriptures, and they may give the appearance of teaching the Scriptures, but many of these are based largely in human psychology.

 

Many of them are teaching a false gospel of salvation, too, which appeals to human flesh, and which comes from human wisdom, and not from the wisdom of God. Some of these books also include worldliness, denial of the Lordship of Christ, and encouragements to continue living in sin.

 

As well, some of them also incorporate teachings from other religions and new age philosophy, and so they push the agenda of the coming one world religion where all religions join together in harmony and agree together not to try to convince others of their beliefs.

 

But this human wisdom also comes from Bible colleges and seminaries and secular schools of higher learning, too, many of which are teaching what is contrary to some of the teachings of Scripture, and some of which are teaching pastors how to market their churches (businesses) to the world.

 

Human wisdom has overtaken the church in these last days with the turning of the house of the Lord into a marketplace and thus patterning the church gatherings after the world and its way of doing things in order to attract the world to those worldly gatherings.

 

So, the gatherings of the church have largely become Christianized versions of what the world is offering in the way of entertainment, socialization, community involvement, recreation, fun, and inspirational talks and motivational speaking.

 

In fact, the church has become so much like the world, it is barely distinguishable between the church and the world anymore. They blend in together, and their followers are those who are also becoming one with the world and are raising human wisdom above the wisdom of God.

 

Circumcision of the Heart

Colossians 2:9-12 ESV

 

“For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.”

 

Under the Old Covenant Relationship God had with his people, he required them to circumcise their males at 8 days old.

 

But this is not the circumcision required of us under the New Covenant. For ours is not physical but spiritual. Ours is not done with human hands but by the Holy Spirit. Theirs was the cutting away of physical flesh. Ours is the cutting away of self and of sin, for ours involves death to sin.

 

For, when we believe in Jesus with God-given faith, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, we are reborn of the Spirit of God to new lives in Christ Jesus, and now empowered of the Spirit of God we are walking in obedience to our Lord in surrender to his will for our lives (Rom 8:1-17).

 

Our physical baptism with water, especially by immersion, symbolizes what took place spiritually in our hearts when we were baptized with the Holy Spirit in dying with Christ to sin and in being resurrected with Christ to newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (Rom 6:1-23; Eph 4:17-24).

 

For Jesus died on that cross to put sin to death in our lives. He died to free us from our slavery to sin so that we now, empowered of God’s Spirit, are able to live as slaves of God and of his righteousness and no longer as slaves of sin under the control of Satan. Amen! Glory to God!

 

You WERE dead, Now Alive

Colossians 2:13-15 ESV

 

“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”

 

So, before we believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, we are dead in our trespasses (sins) and the uncircumcision of our flesh. We are still in slavery to sin, under the control of the flesh and Satan, without God, without hope, and headed to hell.

 

But, praise be to God, because of what Jesus did for us on that cross, we can be delivered from our slavery to sin and we can now walk in purity of devotion to our Lord in obedience to his commands, according to the Holy Spirit and no longer according to our sinful flesh.

 

But by faith in Jesus Christ we must be circumcised of the heart and of our sinful flesh in death to sin so that we can be reborn of the Spirit of God in newness of life in Christ and now live no longer for ourselves but for him who gave his life up for us. For this is what the gospel is all about.

 

And we do receive forgiveness of sins, but this forgiveness is not free license to continue living in sin. For, if we walk according to the flesh in the darkness and sinful practices, we will not inherit eternal life with God and we will not be saved from our sins (Gal 5:16-21; Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn 1:5-9).

 

For, again, the whole purpose of why Jesus died on that cross was that we might die with Christ to sin and live to God and to his righteousness. It was that we might now be free from our slavery to sin and we might now be slaves of Christ’s righteousness.

 

For, the grace of God, which brings salvation, instructs, and trains 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.

 

For God’s forgiveness of our sins is conditional on us no longer living in sin but now walking in his righteousness.

 

[Lu 9:23-26; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; Eph 4:17-24; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6; Gal 5:16-21; Eph 5:3-6; 1 Co 6:9-10; Rom 2:6-8; Gal 6:7-8]

 

So, don’t take God’s grace for granted. Don’t take his forgiveness of sins lightly. If we live in sin we will die in our sins, not have eternal life with God, no matter what we profess with our mouths or say we believe in our hearts.

 

When in The Stillness  

 

An Original Work / September 26, 2011

 

When in the stillness of this moment,

Speak to me, Lord, I humbly pray.

Be my desire, set me on fire,

Teach me to love always.

Help me to walk in fellowship with You,

Listening to You; sit at Your feet.

Whisper Your words to me,

Oh, how gently, guiding me in Your truth.

 

While we are waiting for Your blessing,

Lord, in our hearts be King today.

Help us to live for you ev’ry moment,

List’ning to what You say.

May we not stray from your word within us,

Help us obey You, Lord, in all things,

Walking each moment, Lord, in Your presence,

Our offerings to You bring.

 

Help us to love You, Lord, our master;

Be an example of Your love,

Helping the hurting, lift up the fallen,

Showing them Your great love.

Teach them to love You, follow You always,

Bearing their cross and turning from sin;

Walking in daily fellowship with You,

Making You Lord and King.

 

https://vimeo.com/126984144  

Plausible Arguments

A Great Struggle

Colossians 2:1-3 ESV

 

“For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

 

I feel with Paul here. I have that same concern for the people in my life and for those I have not yet met face to face. I want them to be encouraged, too, but not in the ways of the world and of the flesh, but in the ways of God’s Spirit, and in the ways of the teachings of God’s word.

 

I desire for them that they be knit together in love, too, but not in fleshly or worldly love, but in godlike love which obeys the Lord’s commands and which looks not only to our own concerns but also to the concerns (cares, welfare) of others.

 

I also long for them to know Jesus Christ in truth, and to understand with full assurance the whole counsel of God and the fullness of the gospel of our salvation. And I yearn to see them be in intimate relationship with our Lord Jesus in the way he desires and that he requires of his followers.

 

For, there are many people today who are convinced they know Jesus, but they do not know him intimately. They are not in relationship with him. They believe in a concept of Jesus, largely which is distorted, but they have not surrendered their lives to him. He is not their Lord.

 

They have acknowledged his existence and what they have been taught that he did for us on that cross, but they have not denied self and died with Christ to sin, so they are not continuing to die with Christ to sin daily. Thus, they are also not following the Lord in obedience. So, they don’t have eternal life with God (Lu 9:23-26; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn 2:3-6).

 

A Plausible Argument

Colossians 2:4-5 ESV

 

"I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.”

 

What kind of plausible (believable) arguments are deluding (deceiving) people today? I believe the primary one, the one that is permeating the church today, is the cheap grace gospel.

 

This is not saying that God’s grace is cheap. It isn’t! This is talking about a cheapened (false substitute) version of God’s true grace. And this teaching is supplanting the true gospel of God’s true grace. And people are buying into it in droves because it tells them what their itching ears want to hear.

 

This plausible argument is twisting the Scriptures to gratify the sinful cravings of the flesh. For, it centers on Paul’s teachings whereby he talks about how we are saved by grace through faith, which is not of ourselves, but which is a gift of God, not of works lest any should boast (Eph 2:8-9).

 

But then they teach that submission to Christ as Lord, repentance, and walks of obedience to our Lord and to his commands are works which they say do not save us, and thus they teach they are to be discarded. So, they teach a faith which does nothing, but which continues living for the flesh.

 

And many people are accepting this plausible argument for it sounds good to their ears. It seems reasonable to them. For they see Jesus’ death on a cross merely as forgiveness of sin, freedom from the penalty of sin, and a guarantee that heaven is secured for them when they die.

 

But That’s Not All!

 

But that’s not all there is to Jesus’ death and resurrection. And that is not the totality of what the Scriptures teach regarding salvation from sin and eternal life with God, either. So, we can’t cherry pick the Scriptures we like, remove them from their context, and build our doctrine around them.

 

Yes, it is true that in our flesh we can do nothing to earn or to deserve our own salvation. Our good works will never outweigh our bad works. It truly is only by God’s grace through God-given faith in Jesus Christ that any of us can be saved from our sins and have eternal life with God.

 

But, and this is important that we understand this, not one of us can come to faith in Jesus Christ unless the Father draws us to him. And this is what faith is. It is divine persuasion. And God the Father is not going to persuade us to ignore him, to treat him with contempt, to disobey him, to not honor him as Lord, and to continue on living in sin without guilt.

 

That is totally ludicrous to think God would persuade us to continue living in sin while treating him with contempt. It goes totally against his divine nature and will for our lives, as well as it is directly opposed to his righteousness and holiness. And the whole of the New Testament does not support such a ridiculous concept, either, though that does not hinder people from teaching it or from people believing it.

 

So, we have to look at the whole of the New Testament teachings on salvation and on eternal life with God, and when we do, we soon see that the cheap grace gospel is a false gospel which twists Scriptures which are removed from their context in order to appease the flesh of man.

 

So, Walk in Him

Colossians 2:6-7 ESV

 

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

 

So, the truth that is in Christ Jesus is that we aren’t supposed to live like we did before. We are to forsake our former lives of living for sin and self, be transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God, and we are to now walk (conduct our lives) in agreement with God’s Spirit in holiness, purity, faithfulness, and in his righteousness.

 

Jesus died on that cross not just to forgive us our sins, and not just so we can escape hell and go to heaven when we die. He died 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.

 

So, we must walk according to the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh if we want salvation from sin and eternal life with God. For, if we continue living in sin, and if we are not obeying the Lord’s commands, we will die in our sins. We will not inherit eternal life with God.

 

[Lu 9:23-26; Eph 4:17-24; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-17; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6; Tit 2:11-14; Gal 2:20; 1 Pet 2:24; 2 Co 5:15, 21; 1 Co 6:19-20]

 

The Lord’s Anointed 

 

An Original Work / December 16, 2011

Based off Isaiah 61

 

The Spirit of the Sov’reign Lord on me;

Anointed to preach the Good News;

Sent me to bind up the brokenhearted;

Proclaim freedom for the captives.

He sent me to preach release for pris’ners

Who are walking in sin’s darkness;

Proclaim God’s grace to all men who’ll listen;

And tell them about God’s judgments;

Comfort all who mourn;

Give crowns of beauty;

Oil of gladness and thanksgiving.

 

They will be called oaks of God’s righteousness,

A planting of our Savior, God,

For the display of our Lord’s splendor, and

They will rebuild God’s holy church.

God will renew them, and will restore them,

And you’ll be called priests of the Lord.

You will be ministers of our God, and

You will rejoice in salvation.

The Lord loves justice;

He is faithful to

Reward those who are seeking Him.

 

I delight greatly in the Lord;

My soul rejoices in my Savior, God.

He has clothed me with His salvation,

And in a robe of His righteousness.

He has given me priestly garments to wear,

As the bride of Jesus Christ.

As the garden of our Lord and Savior,

He causes us to grow in Him.

He makes righteousness,

Praise, and thanksgiving

Spring up before all the nations.

 

https://vimeo.com/114836524