I will be unable to publish anything to my WordPress account until I return from work abroad in June. We will be wrapping things up here and preparing to leave and expect to be back in the U.S. by early to mid-June.
Thank you all, for your prayers, and I pray that you will all abide in the Spirit of grace and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ as you seek His face and walk humbly before Him.
Good morning, brethren!
Today I wanted to share a Psalm.
1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 When I kept silent, my bones grew old
Through my groaning all the day long.
4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah
5 I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I have not hidden.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”
And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
6 For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You
In a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters
They shall not come near him.
7 You are my hiding place;
You shall preserve me from trouble;
You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye.
9 Do not be like the horse or like the mule,
Which have no understanding,
Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle,
Else they will not come near you.
10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked;
But he who trusts in the LORD, mercy shall surround him.
11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous;
And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
May you all be blessed with grace and peace as you meditate on the depths of this Psalm in the Holy Spirit.
I just read an article from the Christian Post that reported Obama’s return of 5% of his salary to the Treasury; I was initially encouraged by this because I think it is a good gesture by the President, one which I pray the other members of government leadership will follow, but my initial encouragement was soon discouraged, not because of anything Obama did, but by the comment lines of the post. From this purportedly “Christian” website flowed lines of vitriolic assault on the President; there were no prayers for him, nor any spiritual exhortations for the brethren.
It is as if some had not heard, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God” (Romans 13:1); is it acceptable to spew hatred for the authority of God? At this moment, I’m just asking myself “where did all this hate come from?” Though it’s still not justified, it is easier to understand angry comments on a post reporting some wrong-doing of the president, but on a post reporting an honorable gesture, one that leaders of many other countries never would care to make, my mind is blown.
So I want to set forth the question: “do you love Obama?”
Would your thoughts and comments towards him demonstrate this love? This isn’t something that can be judged on the outside because no one else knows your thoughts or prayers, but you can judge yourself on it. Do we actually pray for Obama?
I don’t even really know how to write this post.
I know that I am not suggesting that anyone support Obama’s errors or his efforts to advance wicked and sinful agendas, but I also know that there just seems to be something utterly unworthy of the gospel calling that we’ve received in the behavior and vitriolic rhetoric I hear spewed at Obama so often.
Sometimes I think it is because the behavior I see from Christians seems to ignore the scriptures teaching that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rules of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:10-13). So much of what I see is carnal and fleshly, and it comes from the strategies and tactics of the world. Where are the prayer meetings for Obama? Where are the prayer meetings to rebuke the sinful powers of darkness that are overtaking the people of this nation? And where is the wielding of the Word of God by faith to stand against the principalities? Where is the church overcoming evil with good? Where do we see the church taking care of the needs of the poor and suffering instead of blaming them for voting for Obama? Where is our faith in the Word of God as demonstrated by faithful preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ as opposed to our allegiance to political dogmas as demonstrated by our incessant preaching of political ideologies?
President Obama and the leaders of our country have an extremely heavy burden on their shoulders—they are facing challenges not faced by other leaders, but do we care about them, or are we just eager to see them go down in flames?
I was rebuked once for Praying for Obama by a lady because she said Obama will never convert and praying for him is a waste of time; perhaps she is right— the church is so ravaged right now by people like her that there is little chance Obama will ever see what Agrippa saw in Paul when he said, “you almost persuade me to become a Christian.” To which Paul replied, “I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.” (Acts 26:28-29). On the above referenced post, the sentiment many Christians seem to have is that they wish worse for Obama than their own current economic situations. Rather than wishing Obama could be in the Lord what they are, except for their own current sufferings, as Paul wished for Agrippa (a wicked man who persecuted the church), they wish for worse upon Obama than what they have received, and they are jealous that he is not as they are.
So I hope we each search our own hearts; are the remarks we make towards Obama at least grounded in Truth, and, hopefully, in love, or are they out of envy and jealousy? Do we rebuke him for his salary because of the Truth and love, or because of envy and jealousy?
Let us make sure our conduct and speech toward our leaders is blameless and holy, having no unfit thing adorning our speech towards him, and let us exhort one another in this purpose, that our leaders may see the love of Christ in the Church and hear from our lips the anointed truth of God’s word by which they may be saved! Amen!
How is it possible for us to walk the way if we do not know and follow the voice of the Lord?
1“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.
7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” ~John 10:1-18
Oh Father, I pray that Your children will hear these words and believe them to become acquainted with the voice of the Good-Shepherd. For Your Son is the good-Shepherd, and He will come and bring them in and open the gate to them who hear with faith. Amen!
Jesus said, “He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest (reveal) myself to him” (John 14:21). Our Lord reveals Himself to those who love Him; He isn’t hiding Himself from us, nor is He far off, but in those who keep His commands He dwells (John 14:23). Though we no longer know Jesus according to the flesh (2nd Cor. 5:16), we know Him because the Helper comes to glorify Jesus and take of what is His and declare it unto us (John 16:14). Jesus does reveal Himself to those who love Him; and to everyone who “diligently seeks after God shall find Him” (Hebrews 11:6; Proverbs 8:17).
There are so many that want to enter the sheep fold, but they do not enter through the gate; the cost is too much, for they loved life, or husband, or wife, or brother, sister, father, mother, farm, land, property, or all the other things of this world too much to enter. For Jesus walks by way of the cross and the resurrection, though the resurrection sounds nice to some, the cross is a gruesome thing which those who love the things of this world always seek to avoid; therefore they seek to climb over the sheepfold. These did not follow in the difficult way to diligently seek Him, but took to paths not trodden by our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thus the hymn goes,
“I can hear my Savior calling,
I can hear my Savior calling,
I can hear my Savior calling,
‘Take thy cross and follow, follow Me.’
Where He leads me I will follow,
Where He leads me I will follow,
Where He leads me I will follow,
I’ll go with Him, with Him all the way.”
Listen to the Word of the Lord;
“And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” (vv. 4-5).
The point of this post is to deliver a word of the Lord today: “acquaint thyself with the Holy Spirit; know the voice of the Lord, your Good-Shepherd. For He, the Helper, will take of what is the Sons, and declare it unto you. And all that the Father has is also the Sons.”
Do you know the voice of the Lord? Are you following where the Lord leads you?
Circumstances lie, signs can be deceiving, and the human intellect is very frail. But the voice of the Lord is sure and He does not waver.
There is but one Gate, and through Him you must enter; you cannot escape the cross. So many have tried to climb over the fence and walk the path of the Lord while in their flesh, but this was to their own demise. For those who walk by the flesh will gratify the lusts of the flesh and soon be led astray and go after the desires of the flesh down paths that the Lord has not led. But those who enter by the Gate, the flesh crucified, now walk by the Spirit and gratify the things of the Spirit. The Shepherd knows them by name and looks after them. He and the Father dwell with them and keep them.
Therefore the Spirit has already bore witness, saying,
“those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:5-9, 14, 16).
And this is something you cannot do for yourself; for, as the Spirit bears witness, those who climb over the fence and enter by any other means than the gate, these are powerless to set their mind on the things of the Spirit, for they are not born of Him.
He is our Shepherd, my brethren. All who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God, and He Himself will bear witness that we are the children of God. Therefore it says that we no longer walk in the flesh, because we no longer know Jesus according to the flesh, but, instead, we walk in the Spirit by faith!
Therefore, “acquaint thyself with the Holy Spirit; know the voice of the Lord, your Good-Shepherd. For He, the Helper, will take of what is the Sons, and declare it unto you. And all that the Father has is also the Sons.”
Back in May of 2012, I felt compelled to address “The issue of homosexuality”, and I said that, “it’s of utmost importance that we understand the spiritual warfare going on here: this front has been carefully planned for by the enemy, Satan. His attack is going to focus on our feeble faith in the Word of God and how willing or unwilling we are to stand in our faith”. This is one of the frontlines through which the faith of Christians will be put through trial, and the test will be simple: welcome the flood of dissipation and perversion and escape the trials to come, or suffer the trials to come and take a stand in faith by God’s Word which declares His wrath to be poured out on all sexual immorality and sexual perversions.
And this is merely one of the frontlines by which Christians will be tested; we will see who is born of the Seed of Christ, who is compelled by His love, and who walks by faith by the guidance and witness of the Holy Spirit. Those who are not born of the Seed of Christ will be consumed by their bonds to the flesh; they will not be willing to pay the price and give up the things that hold them in slavery to sin already. Those who are not compelled by the love of Christ will be consumed by bitterness and hatred for those who are opposing their political and social ideologies; their stand against homosexuality will not be out of faith in God, rather, it will be out of loyalty to a world view. I believe Christians should be warned that Christianity is not a “world view”. That is a humanist label that has weakened the faith of many Christians. Christianity is a way of life in which a born again believer follows Jesus Christ. Finally, those who do not walk by faith by the guidance and witness of the Holy Spirit will be consumed by doubt and crumble under the heavy winds and waves that will batter the unstable and double-minded.
When I wrote this first article, I felt the Holy Spirit bear witness that, “it is now time for the Children of God to take their stand in faith and be obedient to His word”. We have so many Christians that are sleeping, and so many that are not preparing themselves to endure things to come—they are living as though they do not believe that Jesus is going to be returning, and before His return, a time of great trial, as the Holy Scriptures overwhelming affirm and testify. If I could just open my heart to you and empty myself out before so that you would understand what urgency there is for Christians to truly be sanctified and to cease to walk in the carnality of their ways, I would! The time is quickly running short, a time when you will one day wake up and find that “your lamp has no oil” and you will seek to go and get some, but the door will be shut! But I find that there are many mockers, even many in the Church, that say this will not happen and they act as though things will continue on as they always have! Is this not the very thing we are warned of in 2nd Peter 3:3-4?
This is the time for you to affirm in your heart your faith and devote yourself to the following of Christ, that you may teach your children in the ways they ought to go, and live Godly lives in this dark generation, that when He, our precious God and Savior will return, whether in our time, or in the time of our children, we shall be prepared and can stand with confidence before the throne of grace, not having trampled underfoot the sacrifice of Christ!
For some time I’ve been praying, and have asked the brethren to pray with me, that the Church would receive and outpouring of the revelation of Jesus Christ (in accordance with the revealed Word of God and the witness of the Holy Spirit). To be prepared, we need a body equipped in the Spirit and built up in the full measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
I believe that many Christians are deceived about this issue; this is not a political or social issue. It is a spiritual issue which I believe has been crafted by Satan for an attack on the Church which resides in America. It entered America during a time when the political and social agendas were still opposed to it, and it has manifested itself with great sweeping force in spite of those political and social agendas.
Hillary Clinton has declared her support for homosexuality on the basis of faith. She is merely one in a long line of high-profile names to do this. Many believers have been deceived and laid blame at the feet of politicians like Hillary Clinton or President Obama, but they have failed to see that there is a whole generation wholly unprepared in their faith to take a stand for the things that entered this country separate and apart from “popular political or social norms” and have taken over with great force in spite of the then popular political and social norms.
Christians don’t seem to get this, but those who are perpetrating these wicked ideologies understand it perfectly, as they are touting with great praise “the [breathtaking] speed of which LGBT have gained acceptance in society compared to the women’s rights and civil rights movements”. This breathtaking speed has come because I believe we have been sleeping!
Rob Bell’s recent statements are most telling of the situation at hand; in a post aptly entitled “first hell, now marriage”, Rob Bell is quoted saying “I am for marriage. I am for fidelity. I am for love, whether it’s a man and woman, a woman and a woman, a man and a man. I think the ship has sailed and I think … we need to affirm people wherever they are”. He went on to criticize “the evangelical perspective” as, “narrow, politically intertwined, [and] culturally ghettoized. Evangelicals [need to] reject concepts about God that don’t actually shape people into more loving … people, and cease supporting destructive policies”. And most pointedly, Rob Bell reveals the end of this when he said, “we’ve done it in the name of God and we need to repent. Evangelicals [will] have to either die or adapt”.
Rob Bell, a wolf who seeks to affirm people “wherever they are”, who devours the souls of those who are weighed down with sin, has spoken with pin-point accuracy where I believe this, and many snares of the devil are headed: “either die or adapt”. Bell likely meant that figuratively, though, Satan likely does not.
Homosexuality is not affirmed on the basis of faith, it is affirmed in spite of faith on the basis of fear and carnal rebellion against God in defiance of even God’s natural design itself.
“16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” Romans 8:16
“12 And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; 13 being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the dregs of all things until now.” 1 Cor. 4:12-13
“29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,” Philippians 1:29
“12 If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.” 2nd Timothy 2:12
The testimony that you are Christ’s is the witness of the Holy Spirit Himself, who bears witness with our spirit and testifies of it by righteous fruit in accordance with the holiness of God; and if He testifies that we are the children of God, then we are also heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
Brethren, it is time to “strengthen the arms that are weak and the knees that are feeble”. It is time that we labor, being reviled we bless, being persecuted we endure, being defamed, we entreat, even being made the filth of the world, we shall endure! And if we endure, we shall also reign with Him; but know, if we deny Him, He also will deny us.
Again, my brethren, it is time. Many have become fat and lazy, but it is time to wake up and prepare in Christ.
May our Holy Father in Heaven answer those who diligently seek Him above, Amen!
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. ~Ephesians 4:1-6
Paul has given us an exhortation and described the traits with which we meet that exhortation, and has given us an admonition, and an endeavor. The exhortation is to walk worthy of the calling with which we are called and the traits of this exhortation are in all lowliness, gentleness, and longsuffering. We’re admonished to bear with one another in love and given the endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Having the grace of God made manifest to the world as His free gift in Jesus Christ by which we crucify the flesh and are given resurrection in the Holy Spirit, who also quickens and gives life to even our perishing mortal bodies, we are now given the exhortation to walk worthy of our calling in Jesus Christ our Lord God and Savior.
There are many thieves who would seek to steal the gift of God by trampling underfoot the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. But in this day the Lord has made known, just as He has in every generation past by His prophets, that He will not tolerate men trampling underfoot the sacrifice of Christ, but is storing up woeful wrath that He will pour out in just retribution in the day and hour of His visitation upon all who sought to steal the gift of God and trample underfoot His precious sacrifice!
But, my brethren, if you love Jesus Christ, rather, walk worthy of your calling by the power and quickening of the Holy Spirit in all lowliness and gentleness, with great longsuffering, knowing that our Father in Heaven bears with us also in magnificent longsuffering, being Himself patient because He does not will that anyone should perish.
I saw a post online in which a form of mild racism was actually commended as a positive influence that fostered healthy “competition”; this blogger defended his position by saying that pride in one’s culture, identity, and history can be beneficial and are for our own good. He said that “a man without culture is a man without a land” (quoting a kind of African proverb). But I would seek to remind the brethren that we are as yet still sojourners and strangers in a land that is not our home, for we are waiting for the King of the Kingdom of Light which we have been transferred into. Even more, I would remind that we have been commanded to walk in all lowliness and gentleness, remaining as in all things present, meek, and as in all things of the Spirit, zealously bold!
Therefore the Word says,
“15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” ~1st John 2:15–17
We must understand that all the things of the world are either of the “lust of the flesh”, “the lust of the eyes”, or “the pride of life”, and they are all passing away, but they who do the will of the Father in Heaven will abide forever, Amen!
Those who walk worthy of their calling, therefore, must put these things off, having crucified all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking, malice, fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, filthiness, foolish talking, coarse jesting, and idolatry, of which, all these things the wrath of God will fall upon and be consumed by the fierceness of His judgment!
Being girded with humility, gentleness, and longsuffering, let us bear with one another in love, knowing that whoever keeps the word of the Father, truly the love of God is perfected in Him, therefore, He who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness and is blind (1st John 2:5, 9-11). Rather, putting off all un-forgiveness, we know that he who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him (1st John 2:10).
But woe unto the one through whom temptation to sin comes to his brother (Luke 17:1)! For would it not have been better that he had died a traitors death before he laid a stumbling block before the children than that he should become a temptation to sin and fall under the wrath of God?
Again, therefore, put off all sin and uncleanness, which are unbefitting of the children of God, lest you bring temptation to your brother and make him a partner to your sin!
Abiding sin, my brethren, is the farthest thing from love. Yes, let all our love be clothed in meekness and gentleness (listen especially us young men), but abide not sin, for surely you cannot abide it in the day of His visitation and judgment!
You are no longer held by the bonds of sin, therefore, endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace!
There are few endeavors more awesome, more challenging, and more tremendous than that we should endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit. But we must make this endeavor, for there is only one body and, likewise, only one Spirit. We cannot be of the same Spirit but not of the same body, can we? Certainly not, for then Christ would be divided and there would be two inheritances and two covenants, but we are of the Seed of Christ (not seeds).
If the bonds of peace and broken and the unity of the Spirit is lost, then there can be no fellowship in the Light with the brethren who likewise seek fellowship with each other. This is why we are told to guard so carefully against dissensions and divisive persons because they are tools which the enemy comes with to steal, kill, and destroy.
Therefore, let the bond of peace guard you as we are bound together in one hope of our calling; knowing that there is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism, for we are baptized into whom else but the Lord? If we have faith in the Lord than there can be but one faith that saves. Thus there is one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in us all (and this is not to say in all unbelievers, rather, through the Holy Spirit, which is One, He is in us all who are the Body, which is also One).
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. ~Ephesians 4:11-16
According to the work of every part, whether apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher, the whole body receives growth and the edification of itself in love; these have been given to the equipping of the saints for the edification of the body of Christ until we all come to the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
These are all vessels upon which the anointing of God rests so that it is by the perfection of the Holy Spirit that the body is to be built up. If one begins to receive nourishment from a source that is not flowing from the everlasting spring of Jesus Christ then that one becomes poisoned and dull, becoming weak and feeble and in dire need of strengthening.
God has anointed His servants to be vessels of His work, to do His will. When the body of Christ is whole, joined and knit together in unity and maturity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, then the body is no longer battered and moved by every wind and wave of deceitful doctrine that comes with the trickery and cunning of man.
I’m deeply concerned because there is one Head, from whom we all derive, but there seem to be many limbs paralyzed because they are not learning from the Head, who is Christ.
There is One teacher, even as there is One Spirit who does not speak of His own will, but rather, that which He hears and will glorify the Son and take that which is His, and declare it unto us (John 16:13-14)!!! This is how we know the Spirit, that He confesses Christ as come in the flesh and glorifies Him because He will take of what is His and declare it unto us!
All other spirits, if they come to glorify another, or blaspheme Christ by making Him a minister of sin, are not of the Father, but of the enemy the Devil. For Christ is no minister of sin, for if we take what was destroyed for us and rebuild it, then we make ourselves out to be transgressors!
Here are a couple Hymns of Refreshing:
“4One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.” ~Psalm 27:4
Give me one pure and holy passion
Give me one magnificent obsession
Give me one glorious ambition for my life
To know and follow hard after You
Give me one pure and holy passion
Give me one magnificent obsession
Give me one glorious ambition for my life
To know and follow hard after You
To know and follow hard after you
To grow as your disciple in your truth
This world is empty, pale, and poor
Compared to knowing you, my Lord
Lead me on and I will run after you
Lead me on and I will run after you
Give me one pure and holy passion
Give me one magnificent obsession
Give me one glorious ambition for my life
To know and follow hard after you
To know and follow hard after you
To grow as your disciple in the truth
This world is empty, pale, and poor
Compared to knowing you my Lord
Lead me on and I will run after you
Lord to know and follow hard after you
And to grow as your disciple in your truth
This world is empty, pale, and poor
Compared to knowing you my Lord
Lead me on and I will run after you
Lead me on and I will run after you
Lead me on and I will run after you
This is the final post in this series on the wolves spoken of in Matthew 7 (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5). I have felt urged to give attention to what the scripture says about these wolves because of how serious their threat is to the church.
We’ve now come to the 2nd chapter of the 2nd Peter; this whole chapter is given to the topic of false teachers and the damage they will do to churches that they sneak into when left uncontested.
1But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.
The Spirit testifies in Peter the same warning as we have received from Jesus and the same warning as we have received from Paul regarding the falling away; these wolves are already among us, but they are guaranteed to come in greater force and will lead a great many into their destructive way.
We see that they will secretly introduce destructive heresies to the church. These wolves bring in the doctrines that teach the children of God to walk contrary to His word and holy calling. By their deception sin is accepted, lawlessness abounds, and the true self-less love of Christ will grow cold in the hearts of many.
They cause the way of truth to be distorted and even hated and it is because of these false teachers that we see many people spewing hatred against the call to walk holy before God (1st Thess. 4:1-8). Though God has commanded His children not to love the world or the things of the world (1st John 2:15), false teachers entice unstable souls through the lusts of the flesh to once again love the world and the things of the world.
And the Holy Spirit bears witness that false teachers will exploit and deceive through covetousness; with covetousness in their heart they will take advantage of the covetousness that rests in the hearts of those who listen to them and their deceptive words.
4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; 6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; 7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— 9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, 11 whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.
The promise is that God, who did not spare the fallen angels, will not spare these false teachers, but will deliver them over into chains of darkness to be reserved for judgment; God will spare the righteous and deliver them from His impending wrath as He consumes all those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and who despise authority.
We’re reminded that these false teachers presume what they do not know and are arrogantly self-willed, even speaking evil of dignitaries. A lesson to the wise to warn us should the seed of despising authority begin to be planted in our hearts!
12 But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, 13 and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, 14 having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. 15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.
17 These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.
The Spirit reveals something to us when it speaks of their carousing in the daytime; these false teachers have no shame for many of their sins. Many of them do not seek to hide or cover up their shameful deceptions and destructive ways, but run openly in them. As the wolves in our time begin to move about more freely, we are seeing how they are no longer ashamed or afraid to deny sound doctrines and teach lies or even to deny Christ Himself as the One and only way.
Instead of being without spot and blameless, as Christ presents the Church (Eph. 5:27), they are spots and blemishes running freely about in their deceptions as they fellowship with you. Their eyes are full of harlotry as they have denied faithfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ and welcomed in the spirits of error and sin. Because of this they cannot cease from sin and they entice unstable souls who do not know sound doctrines nor stand firmly on the foundation of Truth.
The Spirit again reveals through Peter that they have hearts trained in covetous practices as they are consumed by all kinds of greed (for sin, money and wealth, power, fame and glory, etc).
18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. 19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. 20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”
Again the Spirit reveals that these false teachers speak many beautiful but empty words; their words being devoid of truth will instead allure their victims through the lusts of the flesh and lewdness.
And we receive a warning from the Spirit; it is revealed that they will allure even the ones who have actually already escaped from those who live in error. We should take very seriously with a sober mind the warning that these false teachers will deceive Christians (the only ones who have escaped from error) and cause them to err through the lusts and lewdness of the flesh.
This is one of the reasons why I am do deeply grieved by how lewd and sensual pastors have become because I see wolves enticing away y brethren into all kinds of lusts of the flesh (whether sensual or of greed and wealth).
This condition, having once escaped the corruption of this world and again becoming entangled in them again, is far worse than if we had never escaped them in the first place.
Who among us can say that they did not need the warning of the Holy Spirit but were wise enough in their own understanding to resist the deceptive ways of the false teachers? Their way is hidden in secrecy and craftiness under the veil of darkness, but, we are not left as blind children groping in the darkness, rather, because of the mercy of God and the Holy Spirit who now dwells in us, we are the children of Light, even now capable of exposing the deeds of darkness (Eph. 5:11).
When I first read these warnings in 2nd Peter 2, I was startled and deeply troubled as I feared that I was beginning at that early time in my life to go astray; I want to encourage and exhort my brethren to first turn these things we have seen from the scriptures inward and put to death any seed of the flesh by which Satan may be given place to deceive you in your own life. Having done this, then to take of these scriptures as a sword with which you can defend yourself from the onslaught of the enemy.
We are in a day when sensuality rules, even having blinded many, and the way of truth is hated for its purity.
Consider your ways and test the spirits; do not be deceived by anyone, rather, in understanding, gird up your mind and be sober! May the grace and peace of Christ be with all the brethren, Amen!
The Lord has touched my heart with a need that I want to ask the brethren to join with me in praying over; while recently reading a news article written by a columnist and pastor I was touched by something that deeply grieves my spirit. And I want to say up front that I do not fault this man for his honesty on this subject, only that the condition that he is accurately revealing is one of deep concern.
This author described how he feels that the Lord’s prayer is one of the most dangerous prayers a pastor can pray. Now, he was in no way suggesting that we shouldn’t pray this prayer, rather, that he felt that he could not honestly pray this prayer without some degree of hesitation. He described how he struggles to pray “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven” because he knows that there are things on this earth that he wants done his way, in his timing, and in his taste.
His description reveals how there exists a measure of fear towards the kingdom of God; instead of a longing for the Kingdom, he has a wariness of the Kingdom, and instead of a great desire for the will of God, he describes how there is an attachment to His own will.
Again, I find no fault for his honesty. When I read this the only thing I was filled with was a deep grief and desire to petition God and make supplication on behalf of the pastors of the Church.
So I want to ask the brethren to join in praying with me for the pastors of the Lord’s Church:
Please join me and pray as the Spirit leads you to pray for the pastors of the Lord’s church, Amen!
