The Five Covenants of God

The following sermons are from Min. David Pawson as he address the five biblical covenants.

The God of the Bible is a covenant-making and a covenant-keeping God.

But what is a covenant and how does it differ from a contract?

How many covenants has God made with humans? How many of these apply to Christians today?

These are crucial questions for the interpretation and application of Scripture. The Bible is divided into two testaments, another word for covenants. Does this mean the Old Testament is only of historical interest to disciples of Jesus ? What about the Ten Commandments? – and the other six hundred and three given to Moses?

Some of the major differences in the Church go back to the different answers given to these questions. For example, whether baptism should be of babies or believers, whether priests, altars, vestments and incense should be used in worship, whether re-marriage is permissable after divorce and whether we should work a six day week.

By His covenants of grace, the Lord has bound Himself to us and bound us to Himself. That is the heart of Biblical revelation and Godly living.

• There is a word which is the key to understanding the Bible and unlocks the whole book: covenant.
• A covenant is a binding agreement between two parties with mutual obligations based upon promised commitments.
• There is a huge difference between a covenant and a contract.
• A contract is an agreement that is bilateral; "I'll do this if you do that."  Each person has something that the other needs, so you negotiate on the terms of the exchange.
• In a contract, if one side breaks it, then the other side is free from the terms of the contract.
• A covenant is unilateral, because the two parties are not on equal footing.  The stronger party determines the terms and the other party can only accept or reject the covenant (they cannot change the terms).  Covenants can be conditional or unconditional. 
• Marriage is a covenant.  The man is the leader of the covenant, which is why men are the ones to propose (Proverbs 18:22).
• A will is a "last will & testament (meaning covenant)".  You are the stronger party and determine the terms for who shall receive your property.  Others can only accept or reject it.
• Our God is a covenant-making God.  The Bible is the story of the covenants which He has voluntarily made to us.  Through such, He has obligated Himself to provide for, bless, and marry us.
• God makes and keeps covenants.  Each covenant is for a particular people, purpose and period.








Additional Resources:

Biblical Covenants and the Christian

For THERE the Lord Commanded the Blessing

Salvation is the Result of Covenant

Was the Abrahamic Covenant Unconditional?

Covenant Responsibilities

God's "Unconditional" Love

Overwhelmed

The lyrics of this song touch my heart deeply every time I hear it.  

"And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me." Matthew 18:2-5

I see the work of Your Hands
Galaxies spin in a Heavenly dance oh God
All that You are is so overwhelming

I hear the sound of Your Voice
All at once it’s a gentle and thundering noise oh God
All that You are is so overwhelming

I delight myself in You
Captivated by Your beauty
I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You

God, I run into Your arms
Unashamed because of mercy
I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You

I know the power of Your Cross
Forgiven and free forever You’ll be my God
All that You’ve done is so overwhelming

I delight myself in You
In the Glory of Your Presence
I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You

God, I run into Your arms
Unashamed because of mercy
I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You

You are Beautiful, You are Beautiful
Oh God, there is no one more Beautiful
You are Beautiful, God you are the most Beautiful

You are Wonderful, You are Wonderful
Oh God, there is no one more Wonderful
You are Wonderful, God You are the most Wonderful

You are Glorious, You are Glorious
Oh God, there is no one more Glorious
You are Glorious, God you are the most Glorious

*Wewe ni mzuri, (You are wonderful)
 Wewe ni wa ajabu (You are amazing)
 Wewe ni mtukufu, (You are exalted)
 Wewe ni mfalme wangu (You are my king)

*Thank you BillowBreaker for the above!  :-)

 

The Call to Obedience

I remember watching this episode when it first aired and laughing so hard!  On The Cosby Show, Alvin was always spouting these archaic, patriarchal ideals; and Claire Huxtable had certainly set him straight (so I thought).

Yet, as I look back on this now through the eyes of Christ (vs. the eyes of flesh), there is only sadness.  This is the type of insidious perversion which a lot of women have to fight tooth & nail to overcome, just to understand what it is to be a wife or even what it means to serve the Lord (because the two roles are parallels).

What Claire is espousing here is the concept of 50/50.  It signifies that everything must be shared (at least conceptually) to make sure that not one person bears too much responsibility for the relationship. With this mindset, I only contribute to the marriage as much (or as little) as I perceive the other person is.  It is a recipe for divorce.  Why? Because it is based in selfishness (what I am getting, what I am giving, how I see things, me, me, me, etc.).

There is no such thing as a 50/50 marriage.  Such is a fantasy.  Better yet, it is a lie.  People in such arrangements deceive themselves into believing that everything is 50/50.  In reality, every single time, what you really have is one person controlling and manipulating the other to get their way.

What was Alvin's big offense in this video?  Implying that Claire was "serving" Cliff.  Why is that assertion so demeaning?  She responds with such vitriol that you would think she hates the man to whom she is married.

Really take a close look at this.  Claire justifies offering a cup of coffee to her husband because he had brought her a cup earlier that morning (50/50).  So why then was she offering coffee to Alvin, who had done nothing for her?  She was willing and happy to serve a visitor to her home, but offended at the suggestion of serving Cliff.  Do you see the dichotomy and insanity here? She didn't have a problem with serving; she had a problem with serving her husband.

"For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Galatians 5:13-14

serve: Greek word douleuō meaning to do service, to be a slave; to obey or submit to; devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests

We are called in Christ to serve one another as a testament of our love.  Why would our spouses be excluded from this service?  According to the Scriptures, both the husband and wife are to serve each other; albeit in different roles (Ephesians 5:22-33).  The problem comes in because the role of the wife calls for her to be in obedience to her husband.

The 50/50 dynamic is not about maintaining equality and fairness in a marriage.  It comes from a position of fear and mistrust; leaving you unable to show your husband the graciousness & common courtesy which you would naturally extend to strangers.

Yes, I understand that this is a television sitcom, but it mirrors what is going on in most homes; and many try to bring that 50/50 mess into Christian homes.  Mention that wives are to be subject to their husbands, and you often get an immediate and agitated response.  "No, no. Now wait a minute.  There is another part to that. The man has to do his part to."

Yet, the command is not, "If your husband does what you think he needs to do, then you are to be subject to him."  God gives direction to both the man and the woman, but we are each called to fulfill those roles - not based on the performance of the other - but based upon our service to the Lord. Even if your impression of your husband is that he is not living up to his responsibilities in the marriage, you are still called to obey him (of course, not in areas of sin).

"Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives." I Peter 3:1

What Does Obedience Look Like?

So, what does obedience look like?  In short it means doing what you are told.  My mother and I had a conversation yesterday about children following the rules.  She stated, "I don't think they are trying not to follow the rules. It is just that they are very analytical.  They are just trying to understand why you are telling them to do something, because it doesn't make sense to them."

Yet, that is not obedience.  Obedience doesn't require their understanding or even their agreement; it requires their submission.  This is certainly the standard the Father has set for us all as His children.

"And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments." I John 2:3

Some may say, "But, I am not a child; I am a grown woman."  Such may be true, but you are called nonetheless to obey your husband.  You may be fully capable of making your own decisions and arriving at logical conclusions, but you are still called to obey your husband.  Does the nature of what obedience is change because it is between a wife and her husband?

In fact, the call to obedience is not really an issue when you agree with your husband.  In such cases, you are only doing what you already think is best anyway.  It is when you do not agree with your husband that your true heart in this area is shown.  Those are the exact times when you are called to obey (submit your will to his).  Remember, the goal for serving others is to be love...and love is not self-seeking (I Corinthians 13:4). Isn't love supposed to be the foundation of your marriage as well?

God has an objective in marriage: making of two one flesh (Genesis 2:24). You have two minds and two personalities which are supernaturally brought into unity together.  They do not become clones of each other, but are complementary.  In order to maintain this harmony and reflect His authority (based upon selflessness), God determined that the man would be the head of this union (Genesis 2:18).  If there is resistance to obey him, then you should ask the Lord where the roots of fear and mistrust still exist in your soul.  Remember, a house divided against itself will fall.

I remember one of my first realizations that I didn't understand obedience to my husband.  I was reading in the Scriptures how Abraham saw the Lord coming and wanted to make preparations. He went back into his tent and told Sarah to bake bread.

"And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth." Genesis 18:6

You know what Sarah did?  She baked bread.  She didn't ask why.  She didn't ask who it was for. She didn't argue.  She didn't delay.  And guess what?  He didn't even say, "Please." Plus, he told her to do it "quickly".    No attitudes, no talking back; she simply did it.  Obedience.

I knew when I first read it that this would not have been me.  I would have been full of questions...and maybe had a bit of an attitude because he expected me to stop what I was doing and do what he stated.  Funny how we can be offended by our husbands telling us what to do, but somehow convince ourselves that we are quick to obey commands from the Lord.

Am I saying that a woman is not permitted to ever ask questions or engage in discussion with her husband?  No, of course not. I am talking about not having a contentious attitude and understanding what obedience really is (Proverbs 21:19; 27:15).  Obedience doesn't mean you cannot think for yourself.  It does not mean that you are devalued, less equal in the marriage, or that you have no voice.  A wise man will consider the input from his wife - as God even instructed Abraham to do - for she is given as a vessel to bless him (Genesis 21:12; Proverbs 18:22).  A wise woman will know when and how to share it (Isaiah 50:4; Proverbs 15:23).

"The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." Titus 2:3-5

The word of God states that the older women are to teach the younger wives "to love their husbands". This does not deal with having an emotional feeling towards them, but of being in obedience to one's husband.  Just as Jesus said, if we love Him, we will obey His commands.  

Ultimately, obedience to your husband is not even about your husband.  It is a sign of your trust in the Lord. May we all trust in the Lord enough to do as He commands, in this and every area.

"For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement." I Peter 3:5


Additional Resources:

Equal

A Head & A Help

Hadassah

An Honest Woman

Do You Hear What I Hear?

"But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." John 10:26-27

I remember a minister once saying that to "hear Jesus' voice" meant to heed the Gospel and come to salvation.  While the Scriptures are certainly an example of God speaking to us, Jesus does literally have a voice (Genesis 3:8). He is alive. He speaks.  He even sings (Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26; Romans 15:9; Hebrews 2:12).

Tell people - even professing believers - that you hear God's voice and they are likely to think you are a looney toon.  Why? Because people don't really believe.   They use a reference to God as a way to validate their own desires.  To such persons, anything which confirms what I want or what I think becomes the voice of God.  The concept of God literally speaking is foreign - and probably frightening - to them.  If it is not real for them, then they assume it is not real for you either.

Because there are many voices in this world, it is very important that we are able to recognize His voice for ourselves.  Consider Saul on the road to Damascus.

"And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me." Acts 22:6-9

The text says that Saul could hear the voice of Jesus, but those with him heard not.  Saul knew this was the voice of the Lord, but he was perplexed by the accusation.  He was starting to realize that he may not fully know the God he sought to serve.  It had to be revealed to Him that Jesus is Lord.  Yet, look at the following:

"And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man." Acts 9:7

The above text says that Saul's companions did hear the voice.  So, which is it?  The difference lies in the word "hear".  It is not just about sound perception, but the ability to understand the meaning of what is heard.

akouō - Greek word meaning to have the ability to hear; to comprehend or learn by hearing.

Those with Saul heard the voice, but were lost as to the meaning of what was said.  They had ears to hear, but heard not (in terms of understanding).  This is the same word Jesus uses when He says that His sheep "hear" His voice.  It speaks not only to the ability to detect that Jesus is speaking, but being able to properly understand what He is saying (II Timothy 2:15).

Saul was a Pharisee of Pharisees (Philippians 3:4-6).  In going on his mission, he would have only taken those on whom he felt he could depend; such was his way (Acts 15:36-40).  Yet, no matter how religious they may have been, Jesus was not calling them (they could not hear); He was only calling Saul.  You too might be among people who seem to be believers, yet Jesus is just calling you (I Samuel 3:3-10).  You must be willing to go on in Christ, not being distracted or hindered by those who are not going where you are.

"And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand." Luke 8:10

The verses in John 10:26-27 give us insight into hearing [understanding] God's words: Hearing is the result of believing, and believing is evidenced by obedience.  If you believe, then you will obey; as such, you will hear (rightfully divide) God's words.  There is a power acting upon faith which enables us to hear (understand) Jesus; that power is the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is only given to those who obey God (Acts 5:32).  Further, the Holy Spirit is the One designated to lead us into all truth (John 16:13).  Apart from the operation of the Holy Spirit in your life, all you will be left with is lies.

This explains how people can claim to represent the Lord, yet advocate that which is contrary to God. It is no great mystery; they are being inspired by another spirit and it causes them to preach another Jesus (II Corinthians 11:4). The missing piece is their will.  They refuse to submit their will to God's, so they live in disobedience to Him.  By default then, they will never have a full revelation of the truth of His words.

"There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. 

Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. 

 Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.And her prophets have daubed them with untempered morter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord GOD, when the LORD hath not spoken." Ezekiel 22:25-28

Religious people are quick to label anyone a man or woman of God.  Yet, such a designation is not to be thrown around casually.  It is not a matter of being polite, respectful, or even giving someone the benefit of the doubt.  It is about being truthful.  If someone misrepresents God, it is because they do not belong to Him; they do not believe.  Rather, they are using the name of the Lord to rape and pillage the people for their own selfish gain.  We must take this responsibility seriously.

Whether Jesus is speaking to us audibly or speaking to our spirit, we must to be able to hear His voice.  We cannot rely on others to be the standard; we need to know Him for ourselves.

"Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." Proverbs 4:5-7

Additional Resources:

Correctly Hearing the Voice of God

Calling Evil Good

8 Ways People Can Deceive Themselves

I AM Stronger

One thing that has been really difficult for me to do on this blog is talk about my battle with cancer. Initially, it was not very hard at all, because I was speaking from a perspective of having been healed. Yet since the recurrence, it has been hard.  I have taken baby steps - referencing "a situation I have been dealing with" - but it was always done with trepidation.

I believe God has been dealing with me on that lately by emphasizing fear. In a recent comment, a sister in the Lord shared something God had told her, "I AM stronger than your fears!" That phrase took hold of me and wouldn't let me go.  It was as if God was speaking to me directly.

I have been telling myself that my cancer has nothing to do with this blog.  That I don't want to be like Hezekiah, being taken advantage of by the devil for sharing too much at the wrong time (Isaiah 39).  Yet, the truth is that I had reasons for not sharing that had nothing to do with those things: the voice of fear.  "Make the wrong move, do the wrong thing, and the cancer will return. Share that God is healing you too soon, and the cancer will spread."  While I would cast these down and counter them with faith in God, the thoughts only grew dim, but never dissipated.  May God forgive me for giving ear to these lies for even one second.

The following I have shared with those closest to me, but I intentionally did not put it on the blog.  I believe it is now time to share. I write this, not to receive accolades or even sympathy from others. May all glory be to God.  I just desire to be obedient to the Lord and to stand against this spirit of fear which wants me to keep my mouth shut. Hey, I want to be free at all costs, and I don't care what I have to share.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer about 8 years ago.  The doctors told me that if I didn't do chemo and radiation, I would likely be dead in five years.  However, the Lord told me not to, so I didn't. By following the Lord's direction, I remained cancer-free for about 2 years; then the cancer returned.

This past April, I started going to the Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) to see what other treatment options are available. They found that - although cancer has been in my lymph nodes for the past 8 years - it had not spread anywhere else in my body. They couldn't explain that.  I lie to you not when I say that the oncologist seemed somewhat disappointed by the results. Not that he wanted me to be sick, but he was stumped by what he could not explain.

"And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?" Job 38:11

"Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth..." Psalm 104:9a

"Fear ye not me? Saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?" Jeremiah 5:22

Nonetheless, the scare tactics began as they continued the medical feedback I have heard for the past 8 years such as, "Unless we do chemo, radiation, and surgery, the cancer is going to spread throughout your whole body and you will die a horrible death. God did not tell you not to do chemo. You need to have faith and listen to the experts that God has placed before you."  I told them that I would need to pray on it, and I did.  Yet God gave me no additional instruction from what He had said initially, "No chemo and no radiation."

I told the oncologist this summer that I would not do the chemo or radiation, but I wanted to continue to see him so that I could be monitored. He said, "It is going to go very badly for you." I replied, "I don't believe that. I believe that all things work together for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to His purposes." At that, He refused to continue seeing me. He said that if I would not follow his treatments, then there was no point for him to monitor me.

I continued trying to find a CTCA oncologist to monitor me. Not because I felt like I needed a doctor, but because I felt that this is what the Lord wanted me to do. None would. I was told specifically, "We do not need to monitor you because we know what is going to happen. Your cancer tumor marker numbers are going to go up." When I reminded them that my numbers had already gone down by about 100 points in the past month, they dismissed that and attributed the decrease to a recent surgery.

Three months later, an Internist agreed to see me and I met with him and another doctor. Immediately they asked me, "Why are you afraid to do chemo?" I told them that I was not afraid of chemo at all. However, the Lord told me not to do it, so I am not going to.  "What do you mean the Lord told you?", they asked. "How do you know it is not just yourself you are hearing?" I replied, "Because I know His voice."

The entire meeting - which I had thought would be about discussing my cancer numbers - was spent witnessing to these two doctors about the Lord. The biggest obstacle for them was science. You see, their decisions were based upon science and had lots of statistics to back it up. Their decision was based on intelligence and reason. Why would God tell me to ignore the very science and treatments He had put in place to treat people? I shared about how God uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. I shared how Peter defied every natural and scientific law by walking on water. I shared how the Lord is faithful and able to do even the impossible when we believe.

At the end of the meeting, they both gave me a hug. They could only say, "Your faith is so much bigger than ours. If this works for you, it will be amazing." Then they offered to run my cancer tumor markers. Even though they had taken my blood prior to the meeting, they never ordered those tests because they were so sure that my numbers would have increased.

As I waited for the nurse to come draw my blood again, the second doctor came back in, and shut the door behind her. She told me that she was a new believer and was inspired by my testimony. She thanked me and told me she was going to pray about taking me on as a patient. Why did she need to pray? Because she would run the risk of incurring the anger of her medical colleagues if she did. She gave me another hug and left the room. After the nurse took my blood again, she whispered to me before leaving the room, "Keep praying, because prayer works." I smiled and said that I would. She had not even been in the room during the discussion, so I knew the doctors must have been talking about it to others.

Even though the meeting hadn't gone the way I excepted, I was happy when I left because I knew that this meeting had touched a few hearts. Yet I was also sad, because something about the doctors' faith in science was preventing them from having faith in God. In their minds, it was either science or God as truth; and they were choosing Science; the one they could figure out with their own minds.

Finally, I got home and looked on-line to check my numbers. I found that my cancer tumor markers had decreased by about 200 points since June. I am now about 100 points away from there being no detectable cancer in my body. I rejoice in this, not simply because God is healing me of cancer, but because it is a witness to the CTCA doctors that God does exactly what He wants to do. It is hopefully a testimony that prods them to turn away from the false idol they call science and turn to the Living God. I am not against science nor medicine, but God is able to do even what their science says is impossible.

"And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." Mark 10:27

The Internist has told me that he is "impressed" with my results, but all I can do is say, "Thank you Jesus!"  It is truly not my doing.  I have watched this summer as God has taken a breast that was stone hard, painful, bleeding, puckered, and without feeling and turned it back into pliable tissue and skin that is without pain and no longer an open wound. Experiencing this is humbling as you see the awesome power of God and His hand at work. It literally encourages you to not only believe in the impossible, but to expect it!

I EXPECT to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living as He uses us to bring in those who are lost. If you will, please pray for these doctors, that they will come to know the Lord. The prayers of the righteous still avail much.

God is causing this cancerous tumor to dry up and die, praise God!  God is faithful, and I appreciate the sisters and brothers that He has placed in my path as a reminder.  Will I rejoice prior to the victory is manifested or wait until afterwards? I will rejoice now, because I know the Lord in whom I trust.

Additional Resources:

The Joy of the Lord

Why Should You Back Down When God is Backing You Up?

Do You Still Believe?

The Fruit of Your Own Way

"Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near." Isaiah 55:6

Many times, there need not be any more said than what the Lord Himself has already declared. People like to paint a picture of God as this great big Santa Claus in the sky who is never offended and always willing to receive us when we get good and ready to hear Him.  All I can say is, "Please read the Scriptures."  You had better get ready to hear Him now.

God desires every singe person to be saved, but He does not take the despising of the sacrifice of His Son lightly (Hebrews 6:4-6, 10:29-30).  Don't assume that when you are finished playing church, God will take you in.

"And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:" Acts 17:30

The world will tell you that whenever you decide to repent, God will be there to receive you.  I have spoken to many who did not know that there is a "place" and "space" for repentance (Revelation 2:21). They did not realize that there can come a time when God's hand is no longer extended to you (II Thessalonians 2:11-12).

space: Greek word chronos meaning a designated time, either long or short.

place: Greek word topos meaning a place or space marked off; an opportunity or occasion for acting

"Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears." Hebrews 12:16-17

Don't delay responding to the prodding of the Lord.  God will not plead with man always (Genesis 6:3).  There can come a time when He gives you up to the fruit of our own way.

"How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? And the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. 

Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 

Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 

Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil." Proverbs 1:22-33

Additional Resources:

Redeem the Times

Self-Destruction

That Which I Feared Most

"For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me." Job 3:25

We all know that we are to fear the Lord; not in terms of being afraid of Him, but in reverencing Him (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 9:10).  We reverence God when we understand who He truly is, and it makes us walk circumspect before Him. We appreciate His might, power, sovereignty, omnipotence, and mercy; and this knowledge commands our respect.

yir'ah - Hebrew word meaning awesome or terrifying, fearing, revered, piety.

Yet, if the truth is to be known, there are often things that we fear more than God.  How do I know?  Because these are the things which rob us of our peace.  These are the things for which we compromise on the word of God.  It always comes down to us sacrificing that which is eternal for that which is temporal.

"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Matthew 10:28

Jesus knew that we are prone to fear the temporal more than the eternal, which is why He gives us the warning above.  He knows that the things we fear most are usually that which deals with our lives in this world: loss of reputation, loss of finances, loss of health, loss of family, etc.

How many are serving God out of fear of some calamity; hoping and praying that God will keep it from you?  You can never truly serve God like that.  Let me repeat that.  If part of your serving God is based upon you avoiding some negative situation, then you have not yet learned Christ as you ought.

Some may ask, "What about Hell?  Shouldn't we serve God so that we won't go to Hell?"  While a recognition of your sinful state and the judgment due to sinners is certainly a part of us waking out of a delusion and coming to truth, the heart of true worshipers are not serving God because they are afraid to go to Hell.  Those who are serving God out of that type of fear actually really hate God deep down inside...no matter what they profess verbally.  Carlton Pearson put it best when discussing how he came to realize that he hated God:

"I resented God. If you fear God the way we are taught to fear Him, you'll serve Him, you'll believe in Him, you'll worship Him, but you probably will never really love Him."

God does not give us a spirit of fear, so then how can that type of fear be a factor in our serving Him (II Timothy 1:7)?  It isn't.

deilia - Greek word meaning timidity, fearfulness, cowardice.

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." I John 4:18

Love must be the foundation upon which we are reconciled with God or else we are in idolatry. Idols can not only be what we like, but what we fear.  And do you know what God does with idols? He smashes them to pieces.

If there is something we fear more than God, then He must remove that fear from our lives so that we may be perfected.  How does He remove that fear?  By making us face it.  I want you to understand that when the thing you have feared most comes upon you, it is not evidence that God has forsaken you.  He is smashing your idol to draw you closer to Him.

Look at Job.  God told Satan that Job was a righteous man, such that there was none other like him. And indeed, we see that Job was faithful in his service of the Lord, being a Godly example to his children and making sacrifices continually.  Yet, there was a motivation in his heart that was not quite right.  Part of his service to God was based in fear, so God let him face it (Job 3:25).

See, God knows our hearts, even when we lie to ourselves.  God didn't give Satan permission to inflict Job just because He wanted to prove Satan wrong.  God wanted to get rid of that fear in Job, and the only way for that to happen was for Job to go through it.  Yet remember, God was with Job the entire time and had limited Satan's actions against Job.

I experienced this firsthand almost two years ago when I was hospitalized for a blood infection.  I had been battling cancer for several years and my tumor had become infected.  My body was in septic shock, but I didn't want to go to the hospital. Why not?  I didn't want anyone to see my deformity. The tumor had broken through the skin and was - to put it lightly - an open, oozing, awful mess.  I didn't want to feel like a science experiment as people gawked at me and asked more or less, "Where is this God in whom you claimed to have faith? If your God has given you direction about what to do to treat this, then why would He do this to you? Are you sure you really heard God at all?"  That was another fear I had.  Maybe I hadn't heard from God at all and He was just going to let me die.  No, it was better that I not be around these doctors, who had only served in the past to try and chip away at my faith.  Please God, don't let me have to go to the hospital.

So you know what happened; God made me face these fears.  I was hospitalized and - just as I feared - a constant stream of doctors, technicians, specialists, nurses, interns and the like all came asking to see the tumor.  It was so difficult being laid bare before these people as they took turns examining me.  They would all look at me with the same incredulous expression and question again why I was not seeking chemo or radiation.  Time and time again, I explained that the Lord told me not to and they simply looked at me as if I had lost my mind.  I felt foolish initially, telling them about my faith in the Lord while sitting there with my body riddled with disease which seemed out of control.  Yet, at the end of it all, do you know what happened?  I survived.  I walked out of that hospital; maybe a little humbled, but I walked out nonetheless.  Going through that experience hadn't killed me, as I had imagined that it would.

That is the thing with fear.  It often seems so much bigger in our minds than it is in reality.  God wants us to trust Him completely, through any circumstance.  We can only do that when we face our fears; not try to use God to shield us from them.

Likewise, Job facing what he feared most didn't kill him either.  Yes, there was pain.  There was loss. There was sorrow.  There was suffering.  But God brought him through it all...and He will do the same for you.

God is a jealous God and He wants us to love Him completely and serve Him from a pure heart.  In order for this to happen, we may need to face those things which scare us the most.  He needs us to know that He is with us, even in the fiery trials.  Praise God that He cares enough for us not to leave us in fear, but to take us through these things so that we can be made stronger in Him.  Leaving us with those fears would be to leave us crippled.

When there is nothing we fear more than God, then we can have peace in any situation.  When there is nothing we fear more than God, then we can stand boldly and proclaim His word, no matter the response.  When there is nothing we fear more than God, then we can know that we are walking in His perfect love.

Additional Resources:

The Road to Hell

Sin is Like an Infectious Disease

The following message is from Pastor Zac Poonen.

The Bible speaks in Hebrews 12:15 about a root of bitterness that can cause trouble. You don't have to wait till it becomes fruit. You know what a root is. When a tree has started taking root, it's probably not even come up above the surface of the ground. Nothing is visible. When you plant a seed in the ground, it first of all takes root before it comes up.

And bitterness is like that. You sowed something in your heart; it is beginning to take root. If you don't pull it out, it's taking root and it will cause a lot of trouble and not only that, a lot of trouble to you first of all and many people can be defiled. Many people can get that infection, because the person who's got his bitterness in his heart will go around telling other people. It's like a person who has got chicken pox who goes around spreading it to others or a person who has got tuberculosis who goes around spreading it to others, a person who has got a cold goes around giving it to others or the flu. It's very easy to transmit this sickness. It's highly infectious. And you find people who are bitter everywhere in the world. You'll find Christendom is full of it. When a man comes to you with a complaint against another, a gossiper who is talking evil of others, what does he have in his heart? He's got bitterness against that person.


If you want to save yourself from infection, be careful about whom you listen to. Would you like to get AIDS from somebody? How careful you are! Well, this is more serious. It can destroy you more than AIDS. Would you like to embrace a man with leprosy? Well, this is more serious. Why do you welcome and embrace a gossiper in your home, a backbiter? The Bible speaks in 1 Timothy 5:13 about women who go from house to house, gossiping. There are lots of women like that in many of our churches. I have no hesitation in saying that each of those women are agents of Satan. You not only welcome them, you give them a cup of tea, biscuits and sit and listen to whatever Satan wants to tell you through them and you get defiled yourself. And then she goes to the next house with her tale and you also go to somebody else's house with this tale that you've heard. And Satan is multiplying his agents by the hundreds everyday. Believers are doing his work for him in the church. Satan is called the accuser of the brethren. Revelation 12:10, the accuser of the brethren has been cast down. The one you're listening to, he/she who has come to your house, is an accuser of the brethren. Are you an accuser of the brethren of believers?

The point is not whether what you say is right or wrong. The Bible says here in Revelation 12:10 that "Satan accuses the brothers before God". Now Satan may tell us human beings many, many lies. He is a liar. But he will not dare to go and tell a lie to God. When Satan accuses you before God, what do you think he accuses you about? Do you think he cooks up some story about something you never did and tries to bluff God with it? Satan is not such a fool. What he will tell God about you is what you've actually done, which was wrong. And he's watching your life pretty carefully. And when you've done something wrong, he goes to God and says, "See, that's what this fellow did and it's not a lie. It is 100% true." And the same thing he says about somebody else, "See, what that fellow did over there and it's 100% true." So we see that the accusations that Satan makes before God are all 100% true, not 90% but a 100% truth.

So from that we learn another thing, that when somebody comes in and tells you a tale, even if there is no exaggeration in it and it is 100% true, that person can still be an accuser of the brethren. He is 100% in fellowship with Satan, who is the great accuser of the brethren. And it says here that Satan does this day and night. He's a full-time worker, full-time accusing the brethren. He needs agents on earth. He's got multitude of agents among the unbelievers who are his children and his servants, but he's got a lot of agents among God's children too. People who got some bitterness against somebody, people who haven't forgiven someone, who got a complaint against someone and who go around telling tales about that person. That's why the Bible says in Colossians 3:13, "…If anybody has a complaint against anyone, as the Lord forgave you, you should also forgive him." Anyone! Do you have a complaint against someone? Has someone done something wrong to you? Forgive. If you don't forgive, you'll become an agent of Satan. Very, very easy. You may think, "No, no, no, I have forgiven," but deep down, the very fact that you go to someone and tell your tale of woe and make that person feel sorry for you, is an indication that you haven't really forgiven that person at all. And who are you destroying? You may think you're destroying that person's reputation by spreading stories about him. Do you know that if that person loves God and is whole-hearted, God will make even the evil that you do to him work for his good and sanctify him? The one who will be destroyed will be you. So get rid of that. Jesus prays for his children, for his brothers and sisters who failed. Satan accuses them. You can have a choice. Either fellowship with Jesus and pray for them or fellowship with Satan and accuse them. I hope we'll make the right choice at least from today.

No More Conscience of Sins

In the early days of my salvation, I remember talking once with my pastor and his wife as she did my hair.  I shared with them how weird it was that - when I first started listening to tapes from their ministry - I would have recurring thoughts about seducing him.  I had never met him nor her before, but it was a very strong urge.  As I listened to the tapes, I would hear, "He should be your husband.  His wife probably doesn't appreciate him like you would." Now keep in mind the insanity of this because I too was married at that time.

I was troubled by those thoughts because they were so atypical for me, but they kept coming.  I would ask myself, "Where is this coming from?  Why am I sitting here thinking about some other woman's husband that I have never even met when I myself am married?  And when listening to Bible tapes no less???  This is crazy!"  It made no sense to me because I did not yet understand spiritual things.  Yet, we need to understand the battle we face when we come to Christ.

I didn't think such thoughts were typical of me, but neither was I aware of all that Satan had placed within me (Jeremiah 17:9).  Satan saw me being drawn by the Father and he was pulling out all the stops.  I wasn't aware that there was a spirit of whoredoms in my soul, but when I started coming to the Lord, Satan revealed his hand.  Not only did he want to stop me from coming to the Lord, he figured he could use me - a vessel he had prepared - to bring down this pastor.  In doing so, Satan thought he could keep me as his own, but the Lord was intent on saving my soul.

So as I shared this with both my pastor and his wife that day, my pastor said, "That is not unusual.  a lot of women have felt that way; they just would never admit it."  He was not talking about himself being some sort of magnet for women.  He was talking about the spiritual war every Christian has to face within themselves in order to come to the truth.  I want you to know two things:

1. If you decide to give your life to the Lord, then you had better know that Satan is going to raise up within you every snare he has planted (a fifth column) to try and stop you...even things you did not know were there.  You are going to have to wage a war against these imaginations, thoughts, fears, and unGodly desires in order to be set free (II Corinthians 10:5).   
2. If you are going to preach the Gospel, then you had better know that Satan is working within many of the those to whom you minister in order to keep them bound and to simultaneously bring you down. Satan wants to keep what is his, but he also wants to destroy the light of your ministry in trying to set others free.  You must pray for spiritual discernment not to fall prey to these snares and to have eyes to see the spirits with which you are dealing.

As I pondered my pastor's statement, I thought, "Why did I admit it?  Why was I not ashamed to tell them both the type of thoughts that had gone through my mind?"  The answer is because I was no longer that person; I had been changed.  I had been set free and cleansed from that bondage.

"For since the Law has merely a rude outline (foreshadowing) of the good things to come—instead of fully expressing those things—it can never by offering the same sacrifices continually year after year make perfect those who approach [its altars]. 

For if it were otherwise, would [these sacrifices] not have stopped being offered? Since the worshipers had once for all been cleansed, they would no longer have any guilt or consciousness of sin." Hebrews 10:1-2

In this text, the cleansing we receive from the blood of Jesus is directly tied to the dismissal of the guilt from sin.  We not only need forgiveness from the Lord; we need cleansing.  The blood of Jesus cleanses us from sin (I John 1:7-9); even to the point where we no longer have consciousness or guilt of that sin.  You can then be truly free - free to move on from it and even free to share it as a testimony to others.

After speaking with some women once about my experiences with abortion, a woman came up to me privately sharing how she and her husband had an abortion many years ago.  They just didn't have the money, she said, to have another child.  "I could never tell anyone else that." she said.  "Well, maybe over time God will heal you and enable you to share."  "No!", she said, "I will never tell."

When I first got married, my mother and I used to lend each other money when our finances were short. Now, there is nothing sinful about that, but the way we handled it made it sinful. It became a secret, something that was just between the two of us to the exclusion of our husbands. By trying to keep our activities under the cover of darkness, we had made a covenant, and that is what made it sin.  The Lord always brings the hidden things of darkness to light (I Corinthians 4:5; II Corinthians 4:2).

God tells us to confess our sins because that is our avenue to getting free from them (James 5:16).  As long as we keep them bottled up inside, then Satan can use them to condemn and bind us.  If Christ has taken our guilt and our shame, then why are we holding on to them?   Pride, rejection, and fear wants us to hold on to sin, but your stepping beyond that and letting it go will not only free you, but others also.

This is why it is such a stumbling block to hold on to the law.  It can never free you from sin; only the blood of Jesus can.  The law is only a shadow of the covenant which was to come (Galatians 3:19).

Why then do people choose to hide in the shadows (Genesis 3:8)?  Sin.  People cling to the law because they have not been made free in Christ Jesus.  Since the sin is still present, they must find a way to keep offering sacrifices for that sin.  The simple answer is to just let the sin go and move on in the liberty of the Spirit (Romans 7:6, 8:2; Galatians 3:1-5, 5:18; II Corinthians 3:17).

T.D. Jakes has a sermon out now entitled "From Guilt to Gratitude", where he claims, "It is not sin which torments, but the guilt of sin."  Our problem is not sin, he claims; our problem is that we feel guilty about sin.  Proceeding then with this logic, if we could just get rid of the guilt of sin (which is the conviction of the Holy Spirit), then we can be fine...even while in sin.  Yet the Scriptures say that it is sin which causes us to be in torment (Matthew 18:23-35).

Guess what?  If you break out of covenant with sin then you will have nothing to feel guilty about. Do you see how foolish this is?  Instead of trying to free yourself from the guilt of sin, why not get free from sin altogether?  We can never repay the debt of our sins, so why not just let Jesus take them?  This is why He died.  Yet, the problem is that people often like the sin, so they are always looking for ways to stay in covenant with it.

Remember, Jesus desires to free you completely so that you don't have to carry any of the baggage from sin: not guilt, not shame, no "what ifs" and "if onlys".  Stop looking backwards and keep pressing in to Christ until you have laid every burden down.

"For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" Hebrews 9:13-14

Bubble Bubble Boil and Trouble

There is a saying that if you put a frog in boiling water, he will jump out of the pot.  However, if you turn the heat of gradually enough, you can actually boil him to death as he will never know he is being killed.

Like this frog, the world is being boiled to its death in perversion, and most are none the wiser.  Satan has ratcheted up the witchcraft to such a degree that the conscience of man has been almost irreparably seared (I Timothy 4:2).

We are in the last of the last days.  While no man knows the day or the hour, the Lord does give us signs to note so that we are not caught unawares.

"Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near: So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done." Mark 13 21:28-30

In the eyes of our Lord, the nation of Israel is as a fig tree.  The springing forth of the fig tree above describes the rebirth of the nation of Israel.

"I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved." Hosea 9:10

The nation of Israel was eventually destroyed due to the stiff-necked rebellion of God's people.  They went to Baalpeor and separated themselves from God because they preferred this shame to His glory. As it was then, so it is now.

Yet, Israel would be reborn according to the word of The Lord.  In fact it is the only nation historically which had been lost for several hundred years, but came back into being.

“Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good. For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up.” Jeremiah 24:5-6

By this prophecy, we can understand what the Lord tells His disciples about the end times: The generation which sees Israel reborn again as a nation would not perish before the end had come. Israel became a nation state again on May 14, 1948 and the generation born at that time would now be approaching 70 years old.

Just consider the difference between our society in 1948 and now.  Back then, there was still at least the appearance of morality; and things which now seem commonplace were taboo.

Take fornication for example.  In the 1940's, it was not mainstream to promote fornication as a natural path to love.  Yet today, people sleeping together before marriage - or trying out multiple partners - is considered normal.  It is simply no big deal; the only surprise is if you don't do these things.

Am I saying that we should go back to the 1940's?  No.  There was still evil present then, even if it was under a cover of morality.  What I am saying is look how far Satan has boiled the pot?  In very short order, Satan has taken what would have been considered an abomination and made it not only acceptable, but preferable.  He is certainly changing times and laws (Daniel 7:25).  He is doing the same now with homosexuality.

There are now graphic illustrations of homosexual activity in the media...not in some remote porn setting, but on mainstream television during prime time hours.  And if you say anything about it, the response is volatile.  What is Satan doing? Heating up the pot.

Chick-fil-A stood for the institution of marriage and people were enraged, even saying how Chick-fil-A businesses were not welcome in certain cities.  The problem - many stated - was that Dan Cathy should keep his personal views to himself and separate from the company.  Yet, Starbucks on the other hand implies that shareholders disagreeing with its very public stance on gay marriage sell their stock, and you could hear crickets chirping.  What is happening?  Satan is turning up the pot.

What we are seeing are the effects of witchcraft. As Satan continues to boil the minds of men with perversion, he conducts checkpoints every now and then to see how reprobate man's mind has become. Remember, Satan is the King of Sodom and when he is revealed in the figure of the Anti-Christ, the whole world will wonder after him (Revelation 17:8).  He is molding a world of sodomites to prepare the way for his own manifestation.

This is why the City of Houston's efforts to subpeona church sermons for anti-gay sentiment was recently dropped.  Such was not a victory for Christians.  Satan was simply testing the waters, saying "OK, I cannot go there just yet. I need to indoctrinate and infiltrate the minds a little more."  Satan is gradually taking man's mind into reprobation...from which there is no recourse (Romans Chapter 1).

Folks, this is ALL game.  Democrat vs. Republican, Liberal vs. Conservative, none of this stuff matters. Why?  Because it is all of the world.  Whatever group you get your identity from, it is all on the same train. The god of this world is driving his people into the abomination of Baalpeor, no matter the caboose in which you ride.  Unless we get our identity in Christ Jesus, we will also be led astray (Acts 17:28).

The voices of perversion grow louder and more bold while the voices of righteousness grow more dim.  Why?  Because people are afraid.  Why are people afraid?  Because there is some part of them that is still tied to this present evil world...even just a little bit.

"Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?" I Corinthians 5:6

There is something in this world people enjoy more than Christ, and it is a yoke of bondage no matter how slight.  It is like professing Christians who justify watching some of these filthy television shows:  "Oh, I don't like those parts either.  I turn my head or turn the channel during those times." Yet it is all produced by the same perverse spirit. Do we really believe that we can take fire unto our bosom and not be burned (Proverbs 6:27)?  As long as we continue to engage in - and be entertained by - the world, we remain in the boiling pot.

Things in the world are moving exponentially towards the days of Noah and the days of Lot (Matthew 24:27; Luke 17:28-30).  The answer for us is to extract ourselves from the world.  It is time for the church to jump out of the comfort zone of the "pot" and into the purifying fire.

"And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:27-29

As we do, things will move beyond the realm of mere talk and into action as we go forth in power to save souls.

"Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me." John 14:30

Fear Not

"Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things." Joel 2:21

If you watch the news lately, you will see plenty of reports which could incite fear.  From worldwide plagues to civil unrest, from violent crime to economic uncertainty, from terrorism to global warming, etc.  Satan is doing his best to instill fear in the masses.  The world wants you to operate in fear, because then you remain controllable.  This is why it is so critical that we take everything to the Lord in prayer.

Even those in the world can pick up the changes in the atmosphere and are feeling the need to make preparations.  The issue is that - in spite of the physical manifestations of trouble - the problem at its core is spiritual.  In order to endure the times which are coming, we must find our refuge in the Lord.  In all of this, we must remember in Whom our hope lies (Psalm 39:7; Psalm 62:5-8).

Some might look at these things and say, "Oh no, the end must be near!"  I say, "Rejoice!  The end must be near!"

How do you maintain peace in a whirlwind?  How do you remain steadfast when the very fabric of the world seems to be disintegrating around you?  You die now.  Of course, I am not speaking about suicide; I am talking about cold-blooded murder (Romans 6:6; Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5).

Don't be misguided like Peter was, presuming that you will be able to stand because you are not fully aware of what is in your own heart.  This is the time to pray for cleansing, purging, and strengthening so that He enables you to stand.  I can only imagine how Peter felt when the words of the Lord came true and he found himself cursing to deny Jesus Christ.  Yet, there was one command that Jesus later gave him to get him back on track, "Feed my sheep."

Our focus now must be on doing the will of the Father.  Many of us have spent a large portion of our lives living for ourselves - even if we called it living for God.  It is the mercy of God which has been longsuffering with us and given us the time to finally get our priorities in order.  Jesus let us know about these things to come precisely so that we could be prepared.

"And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."  Matthew 24:6-14

Even though Jesus told us that these things would be, many people will be unprepared.  There are those preaching a "Kingdom Now" with people trying to reclaim the world for Christ before He returns.  This will never happen and is not Scriptural.  There are those who have been taught that they will be long gone, having been whisked away in a Pre-tribulation Rapture.  Scripture does not support this idea either.  Still more are so focused on trying to obtain prosperity in the world that they have no idea of the times and seasons in which we live.  Let not such things be said of you.

"And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares." Luke 21:34

"But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief." I Thessalonians 5:4

The truth is that the world will become increasingly more evil - to unimaginable heights - prior to Jesus' return.  Just as with Sodom and Gomorrah, the cry of the world's grievous sin is great and will have reached up to Heaven (Genesis Chapter 18).

What an everlasting shame it would be to read all of these warnings in Scripture, see all of these signs around us, and yet do nothing.  What lamenting there would be to know that God's mercy and grace gave you time, but you were unable to rouse yourself from a spiritual stupor.  I don't want to be one who knew the truth, but was unable to be transformed into the truth because I loved darkness more than light (John 3:19).

Jesus is coming back in judgment, yet it is only the sinners who have reason to fear.  Die to self now so that you can live eternally with the Father.  The Lord is prepared to do great things through those who are His - and that distinction soon will become undeniable (Daniel 11:32).

"The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" Isaiah 33:14

Standard of Care

As I have interacted with the medical community in recent years, there is one phrase I have repeatedly heard, "standard of care".  What they are offering me is the "standard of care".  All the statistics prove that this is the "standard of care". Why don't I want to proceed with the "standard of care"?

standard of care: A diagnostic and treatment process that a clinician should follow for a certain type of patient, illness, or clinical circumstance. In legal terms, the level at which the average, prudent provider in a given community would practice.

The implication behind these statements is that it doesn't get any better than what they are offering.  I am getting the best the world has to give and should accept it gratefully.  I have even been told that following the "standard of care" is a demonstration of faith, while not doing so is an illustration of fear.

Yet, here is the thing.  I am not a statistic...and neither are you.  As a child of God, He not only knows our names, but He is concerned with everything pertaining to us; even to knowing the exact number of hairs on our heads.  Man's best is not always God's best...and neither you nor I should settle for anything less.

"I am concerned for you and will look on you with favor..." Ezekiel 36:9a

The standard of care in this world will not only let you die, but hasten your death. The standard of care in this world will watch you mutilate yourself and call you a champion.  The standard of care in this world will watch you kill yourself and applaud you.  By no means do I intend to mock those who are faced with life and death decisions or the many people who give their all in caring for others.  I merely want to point out that this world can only offer you options based upon hopelessness. According to the world, there is no hope for your life beyond the world.  Yet there is a God in Heaven who has a higher standard, and He wants to give you life.

"For with God nothing shall be impossible." Luke 1:37

The Lord God can do even what the world says is impossible, if we would just believe Him.  There is no situation you face which He cannot turn around.  Never walk in the spirit of fear because you have a God who loves you more than His own life.  We are not limited by the logic, systems, or answers of this world, but in Christ all things are truly possible.  Never forget to take your cares to Him and leave them there.

"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." I Peter 5:6-7

By Their Fruit

"For every tree is known by his own fruit..." Luke 6:44a

Not to state the obvious, but "knowing Christians by their fruit" does not mean that everyone who does something "nice" is a Christian.  It does not mean that God is pleased with someone just because they give to the poor, attend church regularly, or sing in the choir.  It doesn't mean that everyone you think is a good person is saved.

Fruit here refers to the natural attestations of the life one possesses within; it is the fruit of the Spirit.  Apple trees naturally produce apples.  Orange trees naturally produce oranges. They don't have to try to do this or work at it.  In fact, they cannot help it.  Even if they tried to produce some other fruit, they do not possess the genetic make-up to do it.  Each must and does produce after its own kind.

So it is with the Spirit.  To identify those who belong to Him, God has denoted the one thing which cannot be faked: life.

Prior to salvation, we were by "nature" children of God's wrath (Ephesians 2:3).  After salvation we can become partakers of the divine "nature" of God (II Peter 1:4).

nature: Greek word physis; it means the nature of things, the force, laws, order of nature; birth, physical origin; the sum of innate properties and powers by which one person differs from others, distinctive native peculiarities, natural characteristics

When we speak of our "nature" we are talking about the very essence of who we are...and whose we are.  Do we belong to the Lord or do we belong to Satan?  How do we know?  It is not about what we say or even what we do.  It is not even who we think we are.  It's about the nature we possess, and each nature has its own fruit.

"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." Galatians 5:19-23

An insightful example of the old nature is seen in the Apostle Peter.  During the Last Supper, Jesus attempts to prepare His apostles for what is to come,

"Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee. 

Peter answered and said unto him, Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. 

Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. 

Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples." Matthew 26:31-35

The first thing to notice about Peter is that he did not believe Jesus' words.  He understood completely what Jesus was saying, but he did not believe Jesus.  Even though Peter knew that Jesus was the Messiah - the Son of God - and that He had the "words of eternal life" (Matthew 16:16-17; John 6:68).

Because he did not believe Jesus, he made proclamations to contradict what Jesus said...twice!  And Peter was not alone.  All of the disciples disagreed with Jesus, in essence proclaiming that their own words were true and Jesus' words were false.  Yet, we know that Jesus words were, of course, true.

"Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. 

And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. 

And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. 

And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly." Matthew 26:69-75

Peter not only denies knowing Jesus, he swears that he doesn't and goes so far as to speak profanities so as to convince others of his lies.  Deep down - and in spite of what he declared earlier - Peter was still a liar, still selfish, still filled with wrath & profanity, etc.  He did not have it in him to live the life he had sworn he would.  Why not?  Because Peter had not yet been converted.  In an account in the book of Luke, it says:

"And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." Luke 22:31-32

Satan desired to "have" Peter.  Yet, what Satan meant for evil, the Lord uses for Peter's good. The Lord let's Satan sift Peter so that he would learn that will power and religious posturing is not enough to live the life to which he was being called.  The flesh will fail him every time and he should not be deceived by it.  He needed something greater than, and outside of, himself to follow Christ.  He needed the Holy Spirit.

"Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts." Zechariah 4:6

The Holy Spirit is the power which changes us from one nature or type of life to another.  Without the Holy Spirit, all you have is the old nature on display as it tries unsuccessfully to mimic the life of Christ within.  From this text about Peter, we can see various truths about the old nature:

1. Head knowledge is not belief.  Knowing truth is not enough for the old nature to walk in it. You can acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God and still not believe his words.
2. Unbelief in Jesus' words will cause your own proclamations to be the opposite of what Jesus says.  Your preaching will contradict the Scriptures.
3. Such persons are prone to deceive themselves, stoically believing that they are some place spiritually where they are not.
4. While the old nature may be able to blend into a religious environment for a time, it is all just emulations.  No matter what they proclaim or believe to be true, there is nothing the old nature can do to actually live as a believer.  
5. When push comes to shove, the real fruit of that fallen nature will reveal itself.  

There is a saying, "When someone shows you who they really are, believe them."  The problem with the Church today is that it has become filled with a bunch of play actors - or as Scriptures calls them, hypocrites.  They are in the pulpits, in the pews, in the choir.  These are unconverted individuals proclaiming to be Christians while espousing that which is directly opposed to God's word.  It doesn't even take any great discernment to see it; just look at the fruit.

How do you develop Godly fruit?  Look back again to Galatians 5.

"And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." Galatians 5:24

The answer again is the cross.  Without the cross, the old man is trying; with the cross, the old man is dying and God resurrects a new man who is empowered to live for Him by the Spirit.

It is not too late.  If you know that you have been playing church - trying to suppress/ignore/forget the natural lusts of the old man within - all you have to do is turn your whole heart to the Lord. Forsake all to obtain Christ and offer back to Him the body & life He died to save (Luke 14:27; Romans 12:1).

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord." Acts 3:19