What Proceeds From The Heart - Proverbs 4:23

 

Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. - Proverbs 4:23

Scripture tells us many things about the human heart, both good and bad. But it’s the neutral comments that seem to speak loudest. Our title passage is one that does so. We are told to be vigilant with our hearts. We must be careful what we allow into it, but most important, we need to control what comes out of it in our thoughts, words, and deeds.

Our hearts were given to us to hold our emotions; our brains were given to us to hold our emotions in check. A quick perusal of mankind’s history assures us that all emotions are not necessarily designed for our benefit. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” - Jeremiah 17:9.

Our hearts often define us. Our mannerisms, our joys, our concerns, our values, our morals depict to others what we hold in our hearts. We can be humanists at heart, believing in the infallibility of mankind, his imaginations, and his ability to make things right, or our hearts can display our desires for a Godly life under God’s own terms. Biblical counselor, Jeff Forrey, has said, “Both ways of describing the heart’s role presupposes some kind of relationship with God, whether it is intimate or distant.” He says that the heart influences our thinking patterns, our behavior patterns, and our feeling patterns. Truer words have never been spoken.

So how can we direct our hearts to achieve the best likely outcome of thought, word, and deed. Jesus had very specific directions when it came to our hearts. “And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” - Matthew 22:37-39. When we read this command from Christ, we must be careful to note that while we are to love our neighbors as ourselves, it is secondary to the supreme command that we love God with all our heart, soul, and mind! God and His ways come first. And in perfect honesty, we cannot possibly love our neighbors the way we should unless we first love God.

Once we give to God what is God’s. Our emotional life should come into focus so that we can see the overblown sentimentality that so often parades as brotherly love in this day and age. If we’re not as passionate in our defense of our love for God as we are for the impoverished or oppressed, then we are merely virtue signaling and hoping that people see us as having the moral high ground, which is impossible. It is impossible because man can not shape his thoughts, words, and deeds, let alone his feelings, based upon the shifting morality of humanist beliefs, which change with each succeeding generation and within each individual culture. Human based morality often changes by the hour.

True, Godly morality is unchanging because God is unchanging. “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.” - Psalm 33:11. Therefore, we wage war with God. His statutes are unchanging and they truly are ‘written in stone.’ They don’t change with next passing wind. They don’t change like the weather. They don’t change like our tastes do. They are here with us forever. And what of those who deny these truths? God made it clear many, many years ago. “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” - Proverbs 19:21.

We can resist, reject, and refuse the Word of God if we so choose. But we can never thwart it.

Are we in a constant battle with ourselves and others? Are our emotions literally hijacking our thoughts, words, and deeds - our very lives? As long as we remain recalcitrant toward God and His very specific plan for our lives, we will remain unhappy, unfulfilled, and incomplete. If we cannot guard our heart, we will muddy the springs of life that flow from it. We must seek intimacy with God Almighty and close the distance between ourselves and God’s designs for us if we are ever to be truly in line with our emotion-driven thoughts, words, and deeds. Only God’s Word has the power to clear the water.

Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room - Psalm 139:23-24

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! - Psalm 139:23-24

    The song ‘Joy To the World,’ expresses our duty to the newborn Savior in no uncertain terms: let every heart prepare Him room. It’s quite easy to see what we are to do in preparing for Christ. We should be about the business of cleaning up our hearts as we would clean up a room for someone we love.
    It begins with gratitude to God for choosing us from the beginning. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.” - Ephesians 1:3-4. The very least we can do is to ready our hearts for the Savior’s arrival not just on Christmas day, but every day.
    Many of us will say that our hearts are truly ready for Jesus to enter, but are they? Think about the last twenty-four hours. Have we had evil or selfish thoughts? Have we been self-indulgent? Have we exhibited worldly pride in our attitudes and actions? Have we been unloving to our neighbors and even to members of our own families? Have we been unthankful or expressed self-entitled attitudes to those around us? The detrimental effects of our sinful thoughts, words, and deeds are ever present when we refuse to take stock and repent of such evil inclinations. As I said before, we need to clean our hearts up and ‘prepare Him room,’not just on Christmas day but every day! “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” - Psalm 51:10.
    What should we be seeking if we truly want to display our love of God and fellow man? We should seek a change of heart and mind; only then will our souls progress in the right direction. Only then will we be living the life God has designed for us. “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” - 2 Timothy 2:22-23. This is God’s plan for us.
    And pray! We should pray for those less fortunate than ourselves, in both the spiritual and the material sense. While there will always be those with less than we have, there will always those who have more than we do. It is for these individuals and ourselves that we should be praying. Wealth and worldly possessions only bind us to the world, the flesh, and the devil. Pray that we might repent of our ungodly ways and that we will seek the Lord when and where He may be found. “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” - Isaiah 55:6-7.
    This is what it means to ‘let every heart prepare Him room.’ As we celebrate Christmas Day, let us all take stock of our inner thoughts, words, and deeds. By the Holy Spirit of God, let us get ourselves in order that He may bless us to say, “Yes, yes! There is room at the inn.” Let us welcome Him into hearts prepared for our King. Today, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is born! Prepare Him room.

Merry Christmas

For A Limited Time Only - Luke 13:22-24

Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. - Luke 13:22-24

    How often have we seen an advertisement that said in big bold letters, “For A limited Time Only!” The ad elicits a quick and certain response from us. We are to drop what we’re doing at the moment and run down to see the great deal. Be it a car, a TV set, stereo, or even a great price on a T-bone steak, we stop what we’re doing and go see if we too can share in the limited-time offer. Or, we may simply ignore it and if we wait long enough, the offer will usually come around again in a few months.
    The big deal is always a tangible commodity and is subject to the possibility of breaking down, spoiling, or being stolen from us. By now, we should know that this is the way of the world. In worldly issues, we can afford to wait, but what of spiritual issues? “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal-” - Matthew 6:19.
    There is, however, a spiritual offer that we should not ignore. This offer should prompt us to stop everything else in our lives and respond immediately, as it truly is for a limited time only. It will not come around again after we have passed from this world.
     The time limit is easily discernible: it is limited to our life-time. Once we are gone, the offer no longer stands. We may choose to wait until we are on our death-beds to accept the offer, assuming, of course, that we know the time and the place of our passing. The atheist, George Carlin, once alluded to a ‘two-minute warning’ before death. But we neither know the day nor the hour. Mind you, as far as I know, Carlin never got his two-minute warning and died an atheist.
    “Well, maybe non-believers go to another wonderful eternity,” they say. The world seems to believe that there are many roads to salvation. The world is wrong. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” - John 14:6. We can never lose the gift of great value Jesus provides for us. Christ’s most valuable offer comes to us at a great cost, a cost that we could never have paid with any worldly currency. No good work, no prayer to the universe, and no humanitarian or patriotic deed will cover the cost that only Christ’s precious blood does. Jesus has paid the price of our eternal salvation. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 6:23.
    This offer of salvation is good for the lifetime of the man and woman for whom it was paid. For the lifetime, but not a moment longer! To continue to ignore or put off God’s eternal design for mankind is to flirt with eternal damnation, guaranteed damnation. “Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’” - Hebrews 3:10-11.
    Christ will not be sacrificed again for the fickleness and indecisiveness of man. Therefore, we are highly advised to accept the salvation that has been bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ. “For he says, ‘In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” - 2 Corinthians 6:2.
    Yes, the offer of eternal salvation truly is for a limited time only. The time is running out fast for the many who have not accepted Christ’s offer, Let it come as no surprise to those who ignored the offer - “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” - John 5:28-29.

 

MST & Sweet Imagination - 2 Timothy 4:3-4

 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. - 2 Timothy 4:3-4

    There is currently a form of pseudo-faith that has been referred to as Moral Deistic Theology or MDT. It is in no way Christian regardless of the delusional position held by such cultists. The five main tenets of MDT are as follows:
   1)  Belief in a God who remains distant from people's lives.
   2)  People are supposed to be good to each other (i.e., moral)
   3)  The universal purpose of life is being happy and feeling good about oneself.
   4)  There are no absolute moral truths.
   5)  God allows “good people” into Heaven.
    Let me refute these lies one by one -
    1) God is not distant - “O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.” - Psalm 139:1-2.
    2) It is God’s intention that we treat others as we treat ourselves - “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” - Matthew 7:12.
    3) Our purpose in life is to glorify God - “I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart and I will glorify your name forever.” - Psalm 86:12.
    4) There is absolute truth - “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.” - Psalm 119:160.
    5) There are no ‘good’ people - “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.” - Romans 3:10-11. God only allows those who have faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, into heaven.
    In this diabolic contortion of faith, the entire focus on God has been skewed by Satan himself. The Bible is clear about who God is and how we are to see Him - “You shall have no other gods before me.” - Exodus 20:3.
    God foresaw the nature of sinful man and his desire to find a god who met our expectations. The entire idea is ridiculous! It is so absurd that I don’t think the acronym MDT does the foolishness justice. It should be referred to as MST for Maudlin Sentimental Theology: a theology that has as both its origin and manifestation in syrupy sweet imagination, rather that the doctrinal truths of our Biblical God. It’s major fallacy is rooted in the erroneous belief of universal salvation by a ‘god’ who could never send anyone to hell, regardless of their sinfulness. It believes that God will judge and grade us all on a ‘curve,’ as though none of us are accountable or responsible for our thoughts, words, and deeds. This is the antithesis of what the Bible tells us. “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.” - Revelation 20:12.
    God will not only judge the living and the dead, He has declared what He will do with them - “He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.” - Romans 2:6-8.
    These are the plans of the one true God. There will be anger and wrath; there will not be a sliding scale that He uses to judge us. As seekers of the one true God we must keep in the forefront of our hearts and minds that we can no more mold or design God than we can realistically expect our own self-image to be what others see when they look at us.
    What God expects of us has been made clear - “You shall follow my rules and keep my statutes and walk in them. I am the Lord your God.” - Leviticus 18:4. There is no room for invention, design, imagination, or fantasy, God doesn’t use smoke and mirrors - “Everything God says is true— and it’s a shield for all who come to him for safety. Don’t change what God has said! He will correct you and show that you are a liar.” - Proverbs 30:5-6.
    As sinful men and women, we would all love to envision a god who is ever-loving and ever-forgiving, a god who approves of our sins. No such god exists, and to even suggest such a thing is spiritually poisonous, regardless how the devil sweetens our imaginations.

Deeply Disappointed - Matthew 10:34-3

 

 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.” - Matthew 10:34-36


    Often, in our lives, we experience deep disappointment in our loved ones. It may come as a result of criminal activity, drug or alcohol abuse, questionable associations, or life-style sins. It is their unacceptable behavior that cleaves a family in two. While hurting us usually isn’t their primary motivation, their poor choices inevitably wound and torment us. As they spiral down the road to perdition, their objectionable conduct pains and often outrages us. These occasions are difficult within the Christian family when the prodigal member seems willing to do anything to gain and preserve their autonomy. “Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death.” - Matthew 10:21. While our children, in this case, would hopefully not actively seek our physical deaths, they don’t care how badly they can hurt us emotionally and spiritually by their choices in this life. In these cases, ‘unacceptable choices’ are defined as any behavior that directly ignores or deliberately transgresses our wants and wishes as determined by God’s will. AS DETERMINED BY GOD'S WILL!
    What makes the whole sordid disruption in our lives so utterly painful is that despite their heinous decisions, we still love them. Therefore, the experience is soul wrenching for us. We still see our children as infants and toddlers that we loved with all our hearts; despite their failings, they will always be our children. When sibling relationships go wrong, we recall the bonds of brotherly and sisterly love we had growing up; despite our differences, they are still our siblings. When it is a parent who slips from their child’s pedestal, we yearn for the mother or father we recall from our childhood who nurtured us and protected us; despite their failings, they are still our parents. The tribulation can is agonizing for all involved. The disjunct between such people and God’s will is obvious to all, including themselves. They cannot claim ignorance. It is willful disregard for both their families and God. “For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” - 2 Timothy 3:2-4.
    So what are the bereaved family members supposed to do? First, we must always seek to reconcile with the prodigal family member. We must approach the situation with love and a determination to set things aright in a godly manner, with care, understanding, and grace. “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” - Proverbs 15:1.
    Second, if the offending family member seeks forgiveness, we are duty bound to forgive them, remembering that we are all sinners in the eyes of God. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” - Romans 3:23.
    Third, we should be patient with them. It is rare that a person ‘goes bad’ in a single day and just as rare for one to turn back in a single day. “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” - 2 Peter 3:9.
    Finally, we must be prepared to accept the possibility that the errant family member just will not return to the fold. Therefore, Jesus said, “... a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.” We don’t stop loving them. We don’t stop praying for them. And unless they prove to be a physical danger to us or to others, we don’t lock them out of our lives.
    God’s Word instructs both children and parents in the way of righteousness - “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise),’ that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” - Ephesians 6:1-4.
    It is only through mutual respect and honor that godly families show the unbelieving world what such love looks like. But God must be front and center in all our lives.

Syncretism’s Sin - Deuteronomy 12:32

  
“Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.” - Deuteronomy 12:32

    Many nominal Christians today (and for the past two-thousand years) have made it their habit to compartmentalize their faith. This is nothing new to the faith. In the blessing of wisdom given to Solomon, even he recognized this fact nearly three-thousand years ago. “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.” - Ecclesiastes 1:9.
    The greatest problem Christians face when they surrender only a portion of their lives to God is that we find ourselves constantly seeking extra-biblical (aside from the Bible) ways to strengthen His providence by our own human accouterments. And this has been expressly forbidden by the Word of God. “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.” - 2 John 1:10-11.
    The sin being committed by this arbitrary adding to or subtracting from Holy Scripture is called ‘syncretism,’ the merging or assimilation of errant mythologies with true Christian faith. This sin creates a false narrative wherever it is found and practiced. There is no circumstance or occurrence of syncretism in the Christian faith that does not deliberately alter the true and verifiable Word of God, not one!  The Word of God is eternal and unchangeable - “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation.” 2 Peter 1:19-20. We are bound by the Word of God, not our own unbiblical interpretation of it.
    We must acknowledge that such meanderings from God’s truth are nothing but the machinations of Satan, who rules this world with confusion. His object is to sow doubt among believers as well as among the unbelieving. The devil will never miss an opportunity to capitalize on the doubts of men. It is one of his greatest strengths. “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.” - 2 Corinthians 11:3-4.
    Syncretism has been and remains one of the greatest threats to our faith. It is rooted in satanic corruption and poisons anyone who finds an unbiblical appeal in it. It is nothing but a human attempt to circumvent, alter, or strengthen our sovereign God’s works of providence. Within its demonic proclivities, men of the same sinful thoughts huddle together in darkness like our cave dwelling ancestors did, fearing the thunderstorm. To believe such things is the same as unbelief because we reject the promises of God and seek our blessings through humanistic mythology. And we have been warned about such dark associations. “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” - 2 Corinthians 6:14.
    This sin finds its expression in many Christian religions, pseudo-Christian religions, and all pagan religions. It is never found in the one true Christian faith! If we have fallen into such belief we are instructed by Christ Himself as to our only recourse -“But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.”  - Revelation 2:4-5. Our job is to repent from such madness and seek the faith that was first delivered to us by Jesus Christ alone. Solus Christus!

The Way Of Thanksgiving - James 2:15-17

 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. - James 2:15-17

    As we approach Thanksgiving it is important for Christians to extend the cause for thankfulness to all people in our sphere of influence. It is not enough that we are thankful for our own blessings. We must help those with less to see that despite their shortcomings they still have much to be thankful for. The first way we can do so is to remind them (and ourselves) that everything we have God has provided for us. “John answered, ‘A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.’” - John 3:27. Even the poor in Christ have much to be grateful for.
    With this in mind, we now take our blessings to the next step in Christian love: to share our blessings with others in need. We always share our good gifts with others among our family and friends at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and throughout the year but what about those around us who don’t have that advantage? What about the poor, the homeless, and the hungry? We are called by the Gospel to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.” - 1 Peter 4:10. This passage specifically regards the gifts of the Holy Spirit but it can easily be extended to all the graces we have received from God, including temporal blessings such as clothing, food, and housing.
    It does no one any good to merely chant blessings to someone in dire need of physical necessities. We must go from merely praying for others to saying, ‘what can I do for others’ in addition to our prayers? The hungry must eat. The naked must be clothed. The homeless must be sheltered. The sick must be attended to. Helping them with their bodily needs as well as their spiritual needs lightens the burdens of these souls. We must see to the corporeal provisions of those who are without. This is something for which Christ commands us - “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’” - Matthew 25:34-36. Jesus tells us that the result of our treating the needs of others will result in our inheritance in His kingdom, prepared for us from the foundation of the world!
    Let us all put forth the Christian effort to help those in need not just as the holidays approach, but everyday of every week, month, and every year. Let us cultivate the habits that show our Christian love so God’s glory may be known to all.
    As we go forward, we must remember that God sees every action taken by man. But more important: He sees every motivation as well. Making sure we ‘get a receipt’ for our generosity sucks the spiritual fruit away from the tree of our heavenly reward. The fruit withers on the tree when our giving away becomes a veiled way of ‘getting back.’ Forget the receipt! Is it not a gift we are giving? Do we require a receipt when we give birthday gifts and Christmas gifts? Think of how ridiculous the idea of a receipt for a gift is. The gift is no longer from our hearts; it’s now all about our wallets.
    Let us all go beyond the earthly honor that the world associates with giving. “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. . . But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” - Matthew 6:1, 3-4. God loves the motives and the gifts of our humble hearts. This is God’s will for us. Let us seek how and who we may help this holiday season and throughout the years ahead.

God’s Answer To PTSD - Psalm 34:4

 
I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. - Psalm 34:4

    Pick up any newspaper or turn to any news channel and you’ll probably find some mention of the ongoing suffering of people who are exposed to some form of trauma in their lives. You may even know someone who is suffering. Whether it is our noble and patriotic soldiers coming home from war or victims of violent crime, these suffering souls need reassurance, intestinal fortitude, and peace in their lives. They survived a trauma which has thrown a deep dark shadow over their lives, and they still need help from those around them and those charged with their healing. Though there is help and counseling for these victims of trauma, more often than not, they need more. They need the help that springs eternal: the assurance of God Almighty. “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” - 2 Timothy 1:7.
    God has promised that those of us who trust in Him will not trust in vain. It takes truth, commitment, and faith in Him, without which we are boats without rudders, and the first strong wind we encounter will send us into a hazardous port. Alcoholism and drug addiction greedily await hungry souls looking for relief, looking for a place to rest their weary hearts. But God has a better plan. “For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.”- Psalm 91:3-6.
    How does a soul that has experienced the saving grace of God then react to the pressure and insecurity of PTSD? They fall back on the hope He has surely provided for them. They hope in God, not in man, as man has too often been the source of their trauma. “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” - Lamentations 3:21-24.
    God’s position is apparent, as it has been since the dawn of time. It has never and will never change. That is why the suffering can rely on the truth of His promises. Those who ignore Him and avoid Him have carved out a grave of their own making, but the ones who listen to God find relief and security in His Words. “For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.” - Proverbs 1:32-33.
    We know what God has given us; how He will deliver us; what hope will provide for us; and where our security lies. But how can one access our great and loving God’s strength in the face of trauma? We are called to pray. Our prayers and supplications to God must start from a baseline of reasonable faith. And from there, the flower of God’s peace will bloom for us. “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:6-7.
    The road to peace from the trauma of PTSD is not an easy journey. It is often wrought with setbacks, stumbles, and falls, but God is here for them and for their families, especially in their times of need. God never abandons the faithful, never! “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” - Psalm 34:18-19.
    Let us surrender all our pains and insecurities to God Almighty, as ultimately, He is the source of our renewal of mind, body, and soul. He is the source of our healing.“O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.” - Psalm 30:2.
    We must seek the Lord and He will both answer us and deliver us from all our fears, doubts, and worries. He has promised to do so.

Strength And Confidence - Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. - Psalm 119:105

Sometimes, in all our lives, we face a moment of indecision. “What should I do?” has been a question we’ve all asked ourselves at one point or another. Whether it is deciding if we should share bad news with someone or if we should tell them the truth, even though it may hurt them, we have all had to question ourselves prior to committing ourselves to action. And it should be a concern for us.

There are only two choices we can make: the right choice or the wrong choice. Some will suggest that a third choice is to do nothing, but that’s just faulty logic. To do nothing is a choice and most often the wrong one. Procrastination and indecision lead to soul crushing doubt, and doubt leads us nowhere. “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”- James 1:6-8.

As Christians, we are told succinctly how we are to make decisions- ‘with the fear and knowledge of the Lord.’ It’s not rocket science; it’s actually self-explanatory. We are to see every situation through the light of God’s Word. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” - Proverbs 3:5-6. We are instructed to take all our misgivings and reservations to God for an answer. We cannot remain frozen in time like the Tin Man because if we don’t make our own decisions, someone else will surely make them for us.

In many situations, something already made our decisions for us. To list such things is unneeded, since we’re all pretty familiar with the rules of government, society, and culture. However, we are daily faced with decisions that need weighing for their ethical propriety, decorum, morality, and most times for their Christian virtue. We must take it to the Lord. “The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” - Proverbs 16:1-3.

Many of us seek advice from others in times of decision. And without a doubt, godly advice from a Christian brother or sister is always a blessing. But there are going to be times when we have no one to ask, times when fervent prayer is our only recourse. We should establish right now that prayer should be our first resort, not our last. “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” - Philippians 4:6.

God has given us a plan to follow when we have our doubts: the Ten Commandments. If the decisions we make cannot don’t come to us by seeing the question through the light of the Commandments, we’re going to wind up making the wrong decision. Seeking advice from anyone outside the parameters of God’s will inevitably steers us off the course He has set for us. Most often, men give advice with an expedience and pragmatic out-come in mind, rather than the will of God. “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.” - Psalm 118:8.

Simply deciding on a set course doesn’t make it the right choice. It just means that we have decided. We will still have to deal with the repercussions and consequences that come from making such decisions, but we can achieve strength and confidence in our decisions when we make those decisions as God has intended, not the government, society, or the culture. “And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, ‘We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.’ But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’” - Acts 5:27-29.

Making Godly decisions provides strength and confidence for the Christian. The culture of man is fleeting at best and hellish at worst. Only God’s way is straight and narrow.

One Christ, One Church - John 17:22-23

    The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. - John 17:22-23

    “A Roman Catholic, a Baptist, and a Presbyterian were sitting on a park bench. . . .” you’ve heard at least one version of the story. But there is no joke to be told. As John’s Gospel tells us, we are all one in Christ, regardless of our Christian denomination. Remember that prior to the Reformation, there were only two Christian sects - the Western or Roman tradition and the Eastern or Orthodox tradition. This ‘Great Schism’ occurred in 1054 AD. Prior to this ‘East-West Schism’, there was one holy, apostolic, catholic church. The split in 1054 and in the years following the Reformation were internecine battles over doctrine and, in many cases, politics. Over the years, Christians allowed many adiaphoristic (inconsequential) issues to rise to the rank of critical importance to determine the primacy of one denomination’s faith over that of another. While truthful doctrine always matters, there are irrelevant issues that separate otherwise bona fide believers in Christ and His holy and apostolic church. That church is also ‘catholic’ in the genuine sense of the word, meaning ‘universal,’ not necessarily Roman.  
    The defining of ‘the church’ resolutely depends on one central person - Jesus Christ. “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” - Matthew 16:18.
    Christ never once says He will build His churches. His claim is not pluralistic; it is singular - His church. So who will make up Christ’s congregation? Everyone who believes that Christ is the Son of God, Redeemer, and Savior. “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” - 1 Corinthians 12:13. Our membership in God’s church transcends race, color, and ethnicity. It is in Christ’s name alone that we are the church.
    The ecumenical movement does not include Buddhism, Islam, Mormonism, Wicca, or any other non- Christo-centric religion. It is all in Christ alone. Solo Christo! There is only one criterion that Jesus Himself pointed to during His earthly ministry - “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” - Matthew 18:20. This is where we find Christ.We do not find Him in the meandering imaginations of unbiblical people.
    Ecumenically, we respect each other despite our denominational differences. As Paul taught - “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” - Ephesians 4:1-6. This is Christ’s church!
    We must stop bickering with one another about the trite differences between our denominations so long as what we are referring to does not specifically deny ‘Christ is the head of the church.’ Is the ‘believer’s baptism’ more lawful than paedo-baptism? Should a woman cover her head upon entering a church? Should a man? Does drinking alcohol violate the sanctity of God’s Word? Is one liturgical form more acceptable to God than another? Do human institutions trump the Word of God under any circumstance? These issues, and many more like them, often divide Christians and keep us from the unity that God demands of us.
    In closing, we must keep I mind it is God who calls us together and not one pastor or  another.“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” - 1 John 1:1-5.

Our Most Pressing Need - Mark 1:40-41

    
And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” - Mark 1:40-41

    If we were ill with a terminal disease, is there anything we wouldn’t do to be cured? This question assumes that we are ill and that we are aware of our illness. But what of those who are both sick and dying but do not know it? This, of course, brings us to the truth that we must recognize our great need for restoration to begin with. Our blindness as sinners often keeps us from admitting both our sins and our need for the cure.
    There are many who know they are sinners and simply don’t care. They don’t have the least concern about offending God. They see no great requirement of repentance or contrition because they don’t see that they have done anything wrong. There are the very people who claim that they are basically good people. They are wrong.  “as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’” - Romans 3:10-12.
    Of course, there will always be a dying soul who asks about all the fine things he or she has done in their lives. “Do they count for nothing?” They ask. Again, the Scriptures are clear - “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.” - Isaiah 64:6. The KJV refers to our ‘righteous deeds’ as ‘filthy rags.’ So we clearly have not recognized our need for forgiveness. As long as we go about our lives believing God grades us all on a curve after we die, He will not forgive or redeem us from an eternity in hell. But there are many who complain and say “That’s not fair!” Unfortunately, we have all become like the culture we live in. We no longer believe in the equality of opportunity. We demand equality of outcome. Hint: God makes the rules, not us, and complain as we might, until we recognize our need for forgiveness, we are all headed for hell. We must know our salvation is not accessible by anything we can possibly do. We must rely on God’s grace to find our redemption. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” - Ephesians 2:8-9.
    We must put away our human pride and recognize that our greatest need cannot be emphasized enough. We first have to come to conclude that we are sinners. On our own, we will never come to that understanding. That is the job of the Holy Spirit. With His illumination of our thoughts, words, and deeds, He convicts us of our sins. If His conviction of our sins does not lead us to regeneration and faith, we are left in a world without truth, without promise, without hope! “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” - 1 Corinthians 2:14.  
    What all of us must do if we don’t want to end up in hell is listen to and heed the words of Jesus Christ. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” - Matthew 7:21-23.
    No valiant human virtue will accomplish for us what only God can do. Neither all the charitable works, nor all the generosity, nor all the mercy we show to others will do what only God can do. Only He can save us in eternity.
     Each of us is running out of time. Acknowledging our sinful natures and being regenerated by the Holy Spirit is our only hope of being washed clean in the blood of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. This is our most pressing need!

Our God, A Consuming Fire - Hebrews 12:28-29

 

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. - Hebrews 12:28-29

The writer of Hebrews draws a conclusion based on the previous texts. And that text provides a theology that is exclusive to Christianity alone. “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” - Hebrews 12:22-24.

According to Holy Scripture, first we are called to be grateful for this ‘heavenly Jerusalem,’ this kingdom, that we have been granted access to, through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Because it is through Christ it cannot now or ever be shaken. It is rock solid for those who believe. We have been assured of this by Christ himself. “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” - John 5:24. Our guaranteed salvation awaits us all in the shadow of the Cross.

Gratitude should be of paramount importance to the Christian. Our gratitude should be observable in our worship to God. Thus, we are called to offer Him ‘acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.’ Those three criteria should be apparent in the way we worship God. Starting with acceptable worship we are instructed, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” - Romans 12:1. We cannot come before God with flippant attitudes and casual convenience. We are WORSHIPING GOD!

We must show our Lord both reverence and awe. Reverence should be obvious in the very way we approach our worship. “You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.” - Leviticus 26:2. We can define reverence as ‘deep respect’ tendered in solemnity and severity. I fear most people today lost the ability to respect very much. It shows in both their attitudes and behavior. God has said He will not accept such profane worship. “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” - Hosea 6:6. All the worldly things that we might do to please God injure our worship rather than enhance it. We must revere God in our hearts, our minds, and our actions. A proper heart toward God is not a mere suggestion. It is a command.

Next, we must worship with awe. The King James version, as well as many other versions, replaces awe with fear. It is most appropriate when one considers that awe is simply a synonym of the word ‘amazement.’ It does not mean the type of fear that requires recoiling in stark terror, although it could be so. Awe in this usage means wonder or astonishment. Both words often lead to fear. When we refuse to comply with God’s edicts, we should be filled with reverential fear.

Finally, we recognize that ‘our God is a consuming fire.’ If we cannot perceive this or recognize it as an offshoot of God’s holy wrath, we don’t know God. And Holy Scripture reminds frequently “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!” - Psalm 111:10.

The knowledge of God is reserved for those who ‘offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe’. After all, our God IS a consuming fire.

Hardened Hearts

 But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you. - Exodus 7:3-4

    One of the first objections ‘non-biblicals’ (a person unfamiliar with the Bible) make concerning God’s treatment of Pharaoh in Exodus is that God told Moses that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart. He would ordain it so Pharaoh would reject the request to let the people of Israel ‘go.’ So how could it possibly be Pharaoh’s fault if God made him do so?
    People also often incorrectly blame God for Judas’ betrayal of Jesus. They surmise that since Judas was one of Christ’s twelve Apostles why would God allow him to betray His Son? Once again it is either stark disbelief in the Lord’s Word or ignorance of it entirely that leads to their error. Because we are clearly told in Paul’s letter to the Romans -“And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.” - Romans 1:28.
    Could God also have prevented Adam and Eve from disobeying His command? Could God have prevented Joseph’s brothers from selling him into slavery? Could God also have prevented the Gerasene demoniac from becoming possessed in the first place? The answer to these questions and thousands more like them is an unequivocal ‘YES!’ God can do as He pleases with anyone, anytime and anyplace. So why does God allow such unpredictable irregularities to happen?
    Let me start by saying that the things that people do are neither unpredictable nor irregular. A person’s character is often betrayed by his or her behavior. Did it come as a surprise to anyone that the imbalanced mind in a megalomaniac like Adolf Hitler would lead to atrocities beyond belief?
    When personal choices, both good or bad, lead to habitual behavior in a person, it most often leads to the development of that individual’s character. The formula isn’t rocket science. Consistently good behavior leads to good character building. The inverse is also true.
    Why then does God allow us to make bad choices? The answer shouldn’t come as any surprise - free will. We are not God’s robots. That is why God ‘gives us up’ to our constant inclinations and proclivities. If we choose to shoot heroin on a consistent basis, it is not God’s fault that we become addicts! If we consistently berate, belittle, and abuse our spouses, it is not God’s fault that we become abusers, both domestic and in general. The things we fill our minds and hearts with are good indicators of what kind of people we have become or will become. And quite possibly the very worst thing that can happen to us is that despite warnings, opportunities to change, and even signs from God Almighty, our necks can become hardened against any kind of repentance because we have deliberately chosen to ‘be this way.’ “They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them” - Romans 1:29-32.
    We should all heed the words of the Apostle Paul when he tells us - “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me - practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” - Philippians 4:8-9. The choice really is up to us.

Our Deliverance -Matthew 23:37

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” - Matthew 23:37

    As poignant as Jesus’ words were, we still to this day refuse to be gathered to Him. In this 21st Century, we are now nearing the greatest time of apostasy among many professing Christians as well as the hateful and deliberate rejection of faith in Christ, His forgiveness, and His perfect atonement for our sins. “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” - Hebrews 11:6.
    Taking great liberties with the word ‘prophets,’ we can infer the term ‘teachers.’ These teachers in many lands are routinely persecuted, tortured, and executed. So yes, in a sense today’s prophets are still being killed. Using the term persecute in place of the word ‘stones,’ we can easily see quite a bit of stone-throwing in America and other Western nations today by many governments, media sources, and people of notoriety. True Biblical Christianity is frequently lambasted as intolerable and narrow-minded, even among many professing evangelicals. “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” - 2 Timothy 3:12-13.
    Our tribulations grow worse by the day as faith in God and His righteousness are scrutinized for not being inclusive enough. For Christians to be received with open arms by the world, the flesh, and the devil we must cave in and genuflect at the altars they have erected in the place of God. Be it abortion, homosexuality, gender politics, or atheism, to name but a few, we must accept them, encourage them, and endorse such sinful behavior and abandon God’s laws which have stood for His righteousness since Moses walked down from Mt. Sinai. But God will neither be ignored nor mocked. “Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing disaster upon this people, the fruit of their devices, because they have not paid attention to my words; and as for my law, they have rejected it.” - Jeremiah 6:19.
    As our cities begin to crumble and our infrastructure collapses around us be mindful that it is only a reflection of how we have disintegrated morally. Food prices increase as it becomes scarce, Potable water is disappearing at an ever-increasing rate. Be sure that the god of technology will not save us. It cannot save us. Pestilence and famine creep across our land as thousands die with not enough hospital beds to go around. Hunger slithers through many of our largest cities like a snake coiling around its victims. Murder sweeps through our land without compunction as we, like rabid animals, kill for the sheer thrill of it. And we cry out and wonder, “Where is God in all this?” The very ones demanding to know where God is don’t even believe in Him. There is only One who can save us and we have turned our backs on Him! AS we have done, so will He. “But whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 10:33'
    There is no hope for our nation nor for our world short of returning to our beliefs in the one true God. And if we never had such belief it is time we believe now! God promises a new life, an eternal life for those who come to Him in faith but we must return to Him. “And when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you, and return to the Lord your God, you and your children, and obey his voice in all that I command you today, with all your heart and with all your soul, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have mercy on you, and he will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. “ - Deuteronomy 30:1-3. The words of Moses continue to offer the promise of God’s deliverance to this day. We have but to return to the Lord to see our deliverance.

The One And Only Way - John 14:6

 

 
 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” - John 14:6

      It is so acceptable among many people to quote the first half of this verse and completely ignore the last half. But any argument against the Christian claim that Jesus is the only way to heaven comes from either false religion or no religion at all. In fact, Christians who hold securely to this belief are most often disparaged by religious opponents and unbelievers, sometimes even by their own families and friends. They would probably like to see a big red ‘prohibited sign’ over the very idea. Scripture, however, is very clear on this point - “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” - Acts 4:12.
    We Christians are often condemned as being exclusivist for holding such an opinion. What ‘the world’ doesn’t seem to understand is that it is not an opinion. Faith in God and faith in His holy World assure us that what we believe is in fact the truth just as God is truth.
    Time and again Scripture confirms the nature of our belief. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” - John 3:36. It is through our saving faith in Jesus that mankind is saved. Not all mankind but only those who have come to believe in Christ as Savior. “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.” - 1 Timothy 2:5-6. Christian, what more proof do you need to believe in the one way to heaven? In Christ’s own words, He declares He is the way, the truth, and the life!
    Upon speaking to Mary, the sister of Lazarus upon the day he was raised to life again by Christ, He said - “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” - John 11:25-26. And Mary believed in Him. And to all Christ’s faithful today, we believe in Him also.
    Does it sound exclusivist? You bet it is because it’s the truth to all who believe and denied to those who don’t. More important is that it is still the truth whether we believe it or not! You may not believe that the sun can do great damage to your skin because it doesn’t illustrate it immediately. But just lie out in it without protection and in a short time you can see - and feel - the damage that the sun did to your exposed flesh.
    Refusing to believe in the primacy and singularity of Christ’s claim as Savior to mankind will result not only in the eventual destruction of our bodies but also of our everlasting souls. Many will not believe these Scriptural claims but Jesus spoke to these unbelievers too. “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” John 3:17. Still not convinced? Read the words of Jesus to His own disciples - “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” - Matthew 10:28.
    Decorum and courtesy are righteous traits but they will never give us eternal life if we have no faith in Jesus. Holy Scripture speaks often and strongly about the need to have faith in Him who is both Lord and Savior. Those who do will reap great rewards and eternity in heaven. Those who don’t will find themselves confined eternally to ‘the pit’ where  ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ - Mark 9:48.

The Evil Around Us - Mark 5:9

And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” - Mark 5:9

    In something I read recently the question was asked, “Why do such terrible things happen in the world?” The respondent answered by saying that the first thing we need to remember before we ask such a question is that ‘we live in a fallen world.’ We have to remember that the entire universe suffers from the fall and seeks deliverance. “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.” - Romans 8:22. As simple as that answer seems it is the truth and although it doesn’t assuage our feelings of sadness or hopelessness it does make the grasp of our plight in this fallen world a bit easier to understand but only on one condition. And that condition is our faith in God.
    We also need to remember that God has given this sinful world over to the devil as a kingdom and in his kingdom are his slaves and minions - “In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” - 2 Corinthians 4:4. Is it any wonder that we see and experience such pain and suffering in this world?
    The daily anguish and misery we face here on this earth is indicative of the vast number of natural evils we are vulnerable to such as plagues, hurricanes, fires, and floods to mention but a few. Then we are subjected to the sinful thoughts, words, and deeds of Satan’s disciples. As we look about us - they are everywhere. Truly, they are ‘legion.’
    So it should come as no surprise to us that in this world we will have suffering but Christ has promised us that it will not always be so for His followers. “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33. How? You ask. Through faith in the one triune God of the Bible.
    Knowing that we are constantly surrounded by sin - both our own and that of others - we must comes to terms with the fact that there is no worldly remedy for our circumstances. Because the devil rules the world there can be no relief through the methods of this world. Only our faith in God can pierce the darkness. Without faith we are certainly a pitiful lot. “We grope for the wall like the blind; we grope like those who have no eyes; we stumble at noon as in the twilight, among those in full vigor we are like dead men.” - Isaiah 59:10. This is one of the primary symptoms of sin in our lives. This is the mark of those who, without faith, are slaves to sin.
    It should not astound us when we see or experience evil in our lives. It is all around us. We should not be perplexed over the disasters and truly horrific events that threaten our world on a daily basis. Jesus even warned us that these things would ultimately happen but He also said that He prevails over it all. “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33. Jesus promised that few would enter the Kingdom of Heaven. “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” - Matthew 7:13-14.
    Truly, is there any doubt that Legion is many?

Simply Follow The Directions - Genesis 19:15-16

As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.” But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. - Genesis 19:15-16

    For me, the first question that arose in my mind was why? Why, after knowing it was angels who spoke to him, why did Lot linger? Perhaps a clearer understanding of the word ‘linger’ is due. One of the most common synonyms for linger is the word ‘remain; as in “he remained (lingered) seated.” So again - why would Lot linger when he knew that Sodom was about to be destroyed?
    If we profess to be Christians; if we claim to have faith in our Triune God, why would we ever hesitate to do what He asks and commands of us? A quick and faulty excuse on our part would be that we want to know such requests and commands are indeed from God Himself and not simply some trick of the devil.  There is always a sure sign of God’s genuine authority in our lives. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” - 1 John 4:1. The way to test the spirits is to refer to our Bibles. The Word of God never lies. And while we may not always understand why we are instructed as to a particular course of action, we must never pose questions to things the Scripture doesn’t address. To do so indicates our unwillingness to abide in God. And opposition to God is a sure sign of faithlessness. Such faithlessness is evidence that we don’t even believe we are salvageable in eternity. We are not at liberty to choose whether or not we will listen to the Lord. Even Judas did what Jesus told him to do - “Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, ‘What you are going to do, do quickly.’” “So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.” John 13: 27, 29.
    God takes a very dim view of people not listening to Him. “. . . do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, when your fathers put me to the test and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. For forty years I loathed that generation and said, ‘They are a people who go astray in their heart, and they have not known my ways.’ Therefore I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’” - Psalm 95:8-11.
    Truly, ignoring God’s commands or even lingering before following them can cost us dearly. Lot’s wife is evidence of God’s response to taking His commands lightly. “And as they brought them out, one said, ‘Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.’” - Genesis 19:17. What did Lot’s wife do? “And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But Lot's wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” Genesis 19:25-26.    
    No one is suggesting that disobedience toward God will turn us into pillars of salt but when we deliberately fail to obey God’s commands there is a reckoning awaiting us. We may learn from it or we may wish we had simply followed the directions.

Called To Boldness - Acts 4:26

 

“‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed.” - Acts 4:26

There’s probably not a better description of how the unbelievers and authorities in our present day treat Christians and our world view. They rage at us and are constantly plotting more ways to shut down our worship and the spreading of the Gospel. They take every opportunity to stop any public discourse about God, His laws, and His righteous judgment. In these difficult times of the ever-encroaching constraints on the free practice of our faith, we must remember that despite their best efforts God has it all under control. “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” - Proverbs 16:9.
The ‘statists’ have mistakenly determined that the proper separation between church and state means the state must deny the very existence of God, rather than simply deny that the state supports one faith over all others. Predictively, much of the population has contorted the doctrine to say that God has no place in the public forum. God is not to be trifled with and denying Him results in catastrophic judgment - “And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.” - Romans 1:28. The result is the world we live in today. All the horror and sinfulness in our world can be traced back to our foolish denial of God. “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.” - Psalm 14:1.
What then is the recourse of the Christian in today’s world? Would it not be the same for us as in any other time in our history? Even the Apostles were faced with censure by the legal authorities of their time. “And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, ‘We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.’ But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’” - Acts 5:27-29. And so this is what we Christians must ultimately do: preach Christ and preach Him boldly regardless of the opposition! To do so requires much prayer in a world where faith in the one true God is too often aligned with hate speech by those who would deny God and His Commandments. “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness . . .” - Acts 4:29.
We must never allow our fear of the opposition to pare down our witness to the Gospel. To do so would indicate that we fear man more than we do God. Jesus was very explicit on who we owe such fear. “But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!” - Luke 12:5.
Our true witness has been commanded of us by Christ Himself in no uncertain terms and we must never shirk from our duty to spread the Gospel in boldness as we were commissioned.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”- Matthew 28:19-20. We have the promise of Jesus Himself that He will be with us always.

Deliberately Choosing The Lie - 2 Kings 22:17-18

  Then Micaiah answered, ‘I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the Lord said, ‘These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.’” The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ‘Didn’t I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?’”- 2 Kings 22:17-18

    And with those words King Ahab decided not to listen to the truth that the prophet, Micaiah, was bound by God to tell. Four hundred of Ahab’s ‘yes men prophets’ had virtually assured Ahab’s victory against the Arameans but still he was not satisfied with their prophecies. Ahab wanted more; he wanted the assurance of the one true prophet, Micaiah to add his confidence to the four hundred’s false prediction. Micaiah, however, was bound by God’s truth in all his prophecies. “But Micaiah said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, I can tell him only what the Lord tells me.’”- 2 Kings 22:14.
    Ahab, like so many of us today, had the distinct disadvantage of choosing only to believe what he wanted to hear. As a result of Ahab’s truth issues he was killed in battle at Ramoth Gilead. Even though he went into battle disguised as a common soldier, God’s providence and a random enemy arrow found its way between the sections of his armor and killed him.
    The question that begs for an answer then is ‘why would anyone deliberately choose a lie over the truth?’The answer may surprise us. Man seeks the lie rather than the truth because he is a product of this fallen world. Ever since Adam and Eve ventured forth from the pristine beauty and comfort of the Garden of Eden they have stumbled through the briars and thorns of the world created by sin. Now think about it for just a moment: which of us looks forward to bad news? It’s only natural in our sinful state to seek those things which appease and satisfy us. The fact that they are sinful doesn’t matter to us in ‘the moment.’ It is only after we have been made to feel the pain of attrition that we regret our choices and only then because we experience the burn and the torment of such poor choices.
    On the occasion when truth does rear it’s noble sword to vanquish a lie, the world despises it. Truth paralyzes the lie in the blinding light of ‘the facts.’ To deny it or try to twist it is the stuff of demons and God has given us all fair warning. “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish.” - Proverbs 19:9.
    There are basically one reason a person lies: because it is our nature. All things being equal, humans will always attempt to skew, slant, misrepresent, or twist the reality rather than simply face it. Man will always try to declare the hill he is willing to die upon, even if it is a trash heap.
    Claiming a personal relationship with Jesus is no guarantee of salvation. “Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him . . .”- 1 John 2:4. God is no fool nor will He be mocked. One cannot simply say he or she is ‘a Christian’ and reap heavenly rewards. One’s actions and words need to be the fruit of that change of heart. But it is His commandments that we must keep, not our own, ‘nor any proximity thereof.’ We dare not devise our own version of what we believe God would do. His very Words are as clear as a mountain brook. If our idea of proper Christian life doesn’t match God’s, ‘jott for jot and tittle for tittle,’we might as well be worshiping the devil. Our ‘gods of whole cloth’ will only bring destruction upon those of us who invoke them. The lies and the demons who inspire them will only draw the wrath of God. Have we not heard His words often enough? “I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” - Exodus 20:2-3.
 

Toeing The Line In The Sand - Hebrews 12:14

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. - Hebrews 12:14

    It is true that God’s way for us precludes any notion of intentionally being contentious with others, and this includes the sworn enemies of the faithful. It is also true that we must not seek conflict or belligerent combat with such people. In fact, the Book of Titus is distinct in its message to us - “Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.” - Titus 3:1-2. To be clear: we are to pay heed as Paul speaks tersely and convincingly: “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” - Romans 12:18. But what are we to do when it is no longer possible to live in peace with our antagonists?
    For the answer to this we must return to Hebrews 12 again: “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal.” - Hebrews 12:15-16.  Based upon this passage we are instructed to “see to it,” to make sure . . . as far as it is possible for us, to avoid engaging in hostilities simply for the sake of hostility. For a season we may be charged with correcting the actions or words of another. But we are to do so in a Christian manner. “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:29.
    Nowhere in the Bible and in context are we ever instructed or commanded to break into open warfare for the simple sake of war. We are told in our titular passage that without holiness . . . “no one will see the Lord.” And holiness is not defined by a pugnacious attitude. “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.”- 1 Peter 1:14-16.
    Our previous lives (before God) were based upon hard worldly positions. Any affront was to be dealt with swiftly and without prejudice. Meaning that along with our primary target, collateral damage would not only be possible but almost guaranteed. Certainly, any sound- minded individual can see the error in this worldly way of thinking. We often confuse a victory of the Word of God with our own personal victory. The two are not the same. “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”- Romans 8:6.
    So how then are we to conduct ourselves in holiness when confronted by the world, the flesh, and the devil? To begin with, we must seek to control our mouths when engaging with the opposition. Yes, the world hates the very notion of filtering our words or ‘reeling it in.’ But that is the way of the world. God’s way is different as we see from the Book of James. “but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.” - James 3:8-12. No matter how our opponents speak to us we cannot respond in kind. We must speak to them in a way that will allow them to soften their approach to us even if they choose not to. “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” - Colossians 4:6.  It has been said that the shrill histrionics displayed in the opponent’s tantrum is evidence that they recognize the error in their way of thinking; that is why they react so belligerently. Let us be sure that we aren’t reacting that way. We must remember that we are constantly to be speaking  in a way that draws them to us rather than pitting them against us.  “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” - Ephesians 4:31-32.
    Our words must be heard as a godly way to edify others, not get them to toe the line in the sand.

When God Says ‘No’ - 2 Corinthians 12:7-9

 
So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  - 2 Corinthians 12:7-9

    As we read the passage we see that despite Paul’s insistent prayers, God said “No” to his supplications for relief. How often have we prayed, seeking what we felt was an unanswered need ? How many homes, job promotions, passing grades, successful medical procedures? How many ‘yeses’ have we diligently sought, only to be denied? How does God’s answer ‘no’ impact our view of life?
    For many, the collapse of a need, want, or dream spells an immediate darkening in our moods and our lives. The sunshine of hope then turns into a storm cloud of despondency. We just need to know that despite our dreams and plans, God has a better answer. “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” - Proverbs 19:21
Many of us experience great emotional loss through what we feel are the untimely deaths of those whom we love. ‘How could God do such a thing to me?’ Those who object strongest to such a seemingly untimely event see God only as a sugar bowl whose prime directive in our lives should be to sweeten them. So soon we forget the words of Job. “But he said to her, ‘You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” - Job 2:10.
    Many an ostensibly reverent man and woman have succumbed to the human grief that most often accompanies great physical or emotional loss. But nowhere in the Bible will we see a God who divinely promises to feather our beds in this lifetime. He has never once assured us that our every wish will be His command. In fact, Jesus tells us what our lives will be like if we follow Him. “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” - Matthew 16:24. Even the greatest saints have experienced tribulation in their lives.
    My dear sister passed from this world when she was only 51 years old. She was a good woman and prayed to Jesus Christ every day of her life. Yet the cancer came and brought death with it. There was no instant heavenly cure. There was only sickness and death. God said ‘No’ to my prayers. And while she may have experienced her trauma as a result of her actions we cannot know for certain that this was the case. People who’ve never smoked get cancer and die from it. Sometimes, no matter the intensity or the need or desire behind the prayer . . . God just says ‘No.’
    So why do some basically decent and good human beings suffer by the will of God? Jesus answers this question best. “Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” - Luke 13:4-5.
    Jesus was simply stating that just because a person suffers egregious loss or a prayer is not answered in the affirmative, that still doesn’t mean God wishes evil upon us. And how often in our lives have we been blessed by God? Can we even count them?
    Sometimes God uses our tribulations to make us stronger. No matter how many problems we face, God remains a force with us if we remain faithful. Sometimes His answer is ‘yes,’ sometimes it is ‘No.’ thou we cannot see them or understand them they are still for our own good. Even in our greatest tribulations, God works for the best. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” - Romans 8:28. We cannot know His reasons; we can only know His decision.