Posts Tagged ‘sin’

That’s what God’s word tells us.  But many today aren’t “fleeing” from it, rather for all intents and purposes, the masses are contrarily running madly towards it. For some insane reason people are literally eager to expose and open themselves up to anything and everything sexual, no matter how deviant or abnormal, as if somehow it is going to be the answer to their loneliness, or boredom, or their oppressive sense of rejection and insignificance. It has become so maddening that even some who only call themselves friends are frequently engaging in sexual relations, and some will often make or accept challenges to do the most profane things with as many partners they can, only to see if they can outdo others. This is not only societal madness; this is literally as close as a society can get to committing mass suicide. Yes, you read it right, mass suicide.

But wait you say, that’s not me, I’m not just playing games or sleeping around.  I’m truly attracted to  and interested in the people I sleep with, and I’m looking for a possible life partner, a true soulmate. Well, if that is what you think, you’re going about it completely wrong and will never truly find what you think you want.

Proverbs 18:22 – Whosoever finds a [godly] wife, finds a good thing, and obtains favour of the LORD.

Proverbs 19:14 – Houses and riches are the inheritance of fathers, and a godly wife is from the LORD.

Proverbs 31:10 – Who can find a woman of virtue? For her value is far above rubies. 11 The heart of her husband trusts safely in her.

Maybe it is all simply because the churches have failed to rightly teach God’s word that people are just ignorant, or perhaps they are willfully ignorant, or possibly just insecure, having grown up in such a time in the midst of a self-centered generation where almost everyone seems infatuated with seeking their own gratification, possessing little or no concern of the expense of whoever or whatever. The awareness almost no longer shocks some people that there are people out there who are literally drugging their supposed “dates” and then raping them, as well as allowing others to rape them as well.

These human beasts are literally doing this openly amongst their select group of perverted friends in a celebratory fashion. Packs of humanity, who outwardly look like everyone else, are regularly behaving like wild animals actively preying on others, and we’re not even off the subject of “straight sex!”

There are others who seem far above all this, people in positions with significant power and authority, who are in ministry, big business, law enforcement, or government, who have meticulously sought to establish themselves as decent and respectable in the community. However, the truth is they are so slavishly engrossed in their own sexual decadence that they cannot but run to every opportunity of self-gratification, regardless of the risk to their families and careers. They place everything at risk, all for a brief moment of unrestrained indulgence that only promises to send their world crashing once they are exposed.

Nonetheless, even though we continually witness the damage and shame brought to society, families, and individuals everywhere, all this continues everywhere 24 hours a day and people are behaving none the wiser. It seems even when they have been openly exposed, people have no shame, and that these are truly the days that God said “they  could not blush.”

Jeremiah 6:15 – “Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed, nor could they blush. Therefore, they shall fall among those who fall, for at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down,” says the LORD. 16  So says the LORD, “Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths where the good way is, and walk in it, and there you shall find rest for your souls.” But they said, “We will not walk in it.”

So, I ask, do you really think these people started off this enslaved and wicked? Or were they people just like you who simply experimented or yielded to temptation and their desires. If this is touching you, then please listen, because God’s word reasons with us and ask as plainly as it can, “Can a man carry fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk upon hot coals and his feet not be scorched? So is he who goes into his neighbor’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.” Man cannot indulge in sexual sins and not do serious harm to his own self, physically (STD’s), emotionally and spiritually.

It is alarming to see just how many people, from religious leaders to politicians, close friends, and family members, who thoughtlessly allow their lives to be engulfed by this sin and have their whole family brutally impacted, if not completely destroyed by the certain consequences which always follow. Lives are regularly being forever changed, marriages broken, opportunities lost, and regrets abounding that will be carried to the grave.

Just look at the undeniable damage to society, the incredible unwed mother rate in America, four out of ten children born out of wedlock, up to 72% in some ethnic groups, the staggering growing fifty million-plus aborted lives of innocence all sacrificed on the altars of self-worship, personal convenience and self-gratification. When a society gets to this place of openly rejecting the sanctity of their own bodies, of marriage and human life, blatant worship of the creature instead of their Creator, how can a holy and just God allow such abounding wickedness to continue unpunished? Where is the terror of the Lord? How is it there is no fear? Do they really think God does not see? Oh, He does . . . God does see.

The word of God tells us to “Flee!” That means we are to recognize sexual immorality and fornication as a strong enemy that cannot be successfully engaged or defeated by any other means than removing ourselves from temptation’s seductive poison as fast as possible before it defiles our hearts and minds. We must flee before we stupidly believe the lie that we can eat and will not die, lest we imprudently sell ourselves to it as slaves unto death.

America’s morality has fallen so far from virtue and godliness that there appears to be no escaping the voracious nature of sexual immorality today. For if you desire to be celibate, you are then stalked as a prize waiting to be conquered, and seized upon, and then having been morally misused, are then casually discarded as longer desirable. How do people fail to see the devilish scheme to defile the pure and bring shame to the innocent? How is it that people are so blind and unaware of the tragedies that sexual sins are sure to bring into their lives, as well as damage the generations to come?

Perhaps, it is all because it has become so normal and acceptable to reject God and deny Him any place in our homes, schools, courthouses, and personal lives.  Yet even the few who will sheepishly acknowledge a God, often do so only in the most dismissing fashion, as if God is only a concept, or one who really doesn’t hear or actually care. But nothing could be further from the truth.

We have made two major blunders in our families and society. First, we have either forgotten or rejected that we were created in the image of God. Secondly, if and when society acknowledges there is a God, they perceive such a “god” to be like unto their own selves. People, friends, children, please hear me out, God created us in His own image for His own purpose and glory. God cares about us and we exist primarily for fellowship with Him, and not only for fellowship, but also for a glorious union whereby God intended to indwell us with His Spirit, uniting His with our very own.

It seems the entire world is like a drunkard running madly towards sexual immorality as if it were the answer to that void deep within every person, a void which will never be filled by any other than the One who customized its creation for His own indwelling. This is every member of humanity’s purpose for existing, your purpose for existing. How often the cry is heard, “What is my purpose, why am I here?” People, God is not like us, He cannot and will not ignore such sin nor excuse it.

God created us in His own image, but have you ever really tried to wrap your mind around that, or to understand it, “us” in His own image? We must diligently cry out to God if we are to have any hope of laying hold of this glorious truth, and give it opportunity to divinely transform us. You must lay hold of this truth if you wish to truly know God. Because your being made in that “image” transcends having a head, a torso, two arms and two legs; it is your having a soul and an eternal spirit needing to be recreated in holiness as well. For God created man in His own image so that we could have all the means whereby we could be reflections of His glory and understand God’s heart and desire for His people, including the great affection where with He loves us, and oh yes, yes, how He loves us.

God made Adam to be a righteous and holy being, but God also revealed it wasn’t good that man should be alone, so God created woman from the man, for the man. This infinite wisdom and royal design of God for man and woman was flawless for the woman was made the perfect mate for man, so much so that man could literally come into her and impart his seed and miraculously bring forth more life.  This is why men are told to love their wives as Christ loved the Church and women to honor and submit to their husbands.

The design of humanity, as male and female, was created such that as complementing genders capable of intimate union, so that in a proper and righteous relationship with their counterpart, together could adorn the doctrine of God our Savior, that man was created in the image of God to be the glory of God. Likewise, woman was created from substance taken from man, and made to be the glory of the man.

1 Corinthians 11:7 – For this reason a man should not cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man is not from woman, but woman from man. 9 Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man.

Titus 2:1-5, 10 – But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine so that the older men might be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience. Likewise, the older women, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things, so that they may admonish the young women to also love their husbands, to love their children, and to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. …Not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.

It is only when a man and woman are in the holy covenant relationship of marriage with each other that we can see that blessed type whereby we can truly see that blessed relationship God desires, as well as mutually experience the uniqueness of His covenant love. For only in the covenant of holy marriage can we grasp the depth of intimacy God intended through His Son coming to us, and in us, and so imparting His Holy Seed of Life in us (Christ in us), that we can be divinely empowered to live the very life He earnestly desires all to have through Him and with Him, life full of joy and peace.

Ephesians 5:22 – Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.  23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought husbands to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

It is here in marriage where we uncover and begin to see with illuminated clarity the great love wherewith God so loved the world and the very reason He sent the promised Son, who humbly came down and clothed Himself in the frailty of our humanity with the intention that He would free from sin all those of fallen humanity who  would receive a love in this truth and rejoice in Him. It is also here where we discover the severity for His wrath in rejecting Him, through the choosing of darkness over light, and sin over righteousness.

2 Thess. 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; Because They Received Not the Love of The Truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie, 12 and that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Jesus Christ willingly shed His redemptive blood to satisfy the unrelenting demand of death that our sins brought against us by providing the only acceptable, pure, and holy blood atonement whereby He alone can wash the guiltiest of sinners clean. All this wonderful and necessary atoning and cleansing work of Calvary’s cross was planned in heaven from eternity’s past and executed here on earth through Christ, so the Spirit of the Holy One can come in us and dwell in these fleshly temples made clean again by God alone.

So, look again at God’s word for you,

Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which belong to God. (1 Cor. 6:18-20)

Take heed, for to thoughtlessly give oneself to sexual immorality is not only to sin against God, but against yourself as well. For our bodies were intended to be temples for God’s Spirit, as a place for His dwelling in united harmony with our own spirits. This is why Jesus paid the price of your redemption, so that you can be forgiven, washed clean, indwelt, and thereby empowered to be godly, holy and glorifying to God “in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Please, for the love of God, because of the mercy He is desiring to show unto the repentant, because of the many exceedingly wonderful and great promises He has for those who will come to Him and diligently seek Him, please, please, flee sexual immorality and run to God. All who seek will find and all who call upon Him will He answer . . . while there is still time, turn away from sin and come back to your Father who loves you.

May you find His peace.

There was a time when I honestly thought I was a Christian, meaning, that I was a real “follower of Christ.” But like so many others professing Christ nowadays, I was believing what so many religious teachers out there teach as the Christian’s dilemma, that we will always be stuck in doing those things we hate and many times completely unable to do those right things we want. My question was and still is, just how is that being “free indeed?”

John 8:31 – Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed ;32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 33 They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? 34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Romans 7:19 – For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.  20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.  21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.  22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:  23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.  24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

So, how are we supposed to reconcile those words of the Apostle Paul with the words of Jesus? Are we “wretched men,” or are we “free indeed?” Like so many, I was taught that Bible teaches that sin “dwells in me,” and therefore, evil is always going to present with me. Thus, like Paul himself supposedly admitted, I too was always going to be sinning, and that like it or not, I am therefore incapable of ever becoming the person I pray to become in Christ. That if I want any real peace of mind and heart, I just needed to accept all that as fact and quit being so hard on myself. If I did not simply accept who I was “in Christ,” I would never have any peace.

To this day I am continuing meet believers who wholly accepted it as sound doctrinal fact and therefore teach it as so. Consequently, many of these have absolutely no real motivation to be “perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” To me, that is both alarming and frightening, since without holiness no man shall see God on favorable terms.

(more…)

Black and White.

There is a sharp and blaring contrast that divides the blackness of the deceitfulness of sin from the bright white of truth which alone serves as a sure foundation for virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, kindness, godliness, and charity, or the defining characteristics of true and living righteousness which comes through faith in, and faithfulness to, the living God. For faith without faithfulness is merely a personal deception.

When men fail to see the sharp and distinct line, which is unmistakable to the seeing, it is for one of two reasons. Either they are ignorant or they have allowed their own hearts for self-serving reasons to mingle the two together. Like it or not, only in Truth can men truly be free. But that becomes the defining point of when, where, and why evil in the hearts of men compel them to reject the truth of what freedom is, triggering in them a desperate need to redefine it into something it is not.

Black and White Gradient

Freedom is not the liberty to do whatsoever one may want, for in a world where two or more motivations exist, strife and contention would abound and anarchy would rule. No, true freedom exists in the knowledge and ability to do what pleases the Creator who established harmony and not chaos, by defining righteousness as opposed to the unrighteousness of sin. Thus freedom is the “white” power of knowledge and understanding that clearly exposes the “black” deception that kills through sin. It is an understanding that empowers one to walk in righteousness, living by and through oneness with God. But this freedom, true freedom, is only obtainable through a surrendered heart to Jesus who redeems men from sin.

Jesus warned us, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” That narrow path can only be navigated when one sees the sharp contrast that divides the blackness of the deceitfulness of sin from the bright white of truth, for when they are allowed to be mingled in a doubled minded heart, man will always walk in the grey thickness of fog and lose their ability to see whether the ground upon which they stand is surefooting or not.

Therefore, let him who thinks he is safe where he stands take heed lest he fall. For in Christ, everything falls to one side or the other, into the white or the black. There is nothing neutral, nothing, where things of God and the things of the world have merged together into agreement and harmony.  Such is why we pray, “Lead me not into temptation” and “Deliver us from evil,” for unless He guides us by His Spirit of Truth we will surely fall.

This is why we are warned, “There is a way that seems right to man, but the end of it is death.” If you have to ask, or make feeble attempts to defend things in your life with the age old argument of “What is wrong with…?” Then you probably are already deep into the grey fog and should stop and pray that God might graciously restore you to the path of righteousness. For only there can you answer with conviction of truth “What is right with” what you are saying and doing.

Does this offend you? If so you need to ask yourself why.

Fog

.“The one who is not with Me is against Me, and the one who does not gather with Me scatters.”

There was a time when I honestly thought I was a Christian, meaning, that I was a real “follower of Christ.” But like so many others professing Christ nowadays, I believed what so many religious leaders nowadays teach as the Christian’s dilemma, that we will always be stuck in doing those things we hate and many times completely unable to do those right things we want. My question was and still is, just how is that being “free indeed?”

John 8:31 – Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed ;32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 33 They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? 34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Romans 7:19 – For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.  20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.  21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.  22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:  23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.  24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

So, how are we supposed to reconcile those words of the Apostle Paul with the words of Jesus? Are we “wretched men,” or are we “free indeed?” Like so many, I was taught that Bible states sin was in me, and therefore, evil was always going to present with me. Thus, like Paul himself supposedly admitted, I too was always going to be sinning, and that like it or not, I am therefore incapable of ever becoming the person I pray to in Christ. That if I want any real peace of mind and heart, I just needed to accept all that as fact and quit being so hard on myself’ I simply need to just accept who I was “in Christ,” otherwise I would never have any peace. To this day I am continuing meet believers who wholly accepted it as sound doctrinal fact  and therefore teach it as so. Consequently, many of these have absolutely no real motivation to be “perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” To me, that is both alarming and frightening, since without holiness no man shall see God on favorable terms.

(more…)

That’s what God’s word tells us.  But many today aren’t “fleeing” from it, rather they for all intents and purposes are running madly to it and embracing all sorts of sexual perversion. Nowadays, for some insane reason people are literally racing to expose and open themselves up to anything and everything sexual, as if somehow it is going to be the answer to their loneliness or boredom or their oppressive sense of rejection and insignificance. It has become so maddening that even so-called “friends” now frequently engage in sexual immorality and openly make and accept challenges to do the most profane things with as many partners to see who can outperform the other. This is not only madness; this is as close as a society can get to mass suicide. Yes, you read it right, mass suicide.

Perhaps it is because people are just so willfully ignorant of God’s word, or maybe so insecure after having grown up in such a self-centered generation. It seems almost everyone is infatuated with seeking their own gratification regardless the expense of whoever and/or whatever. The thought of it almost no longer shocks some people that there are those who are literally drugging their supposed “dates” and raping them and then allowing others to rape them as well. These human beasts are literally doing this openly among their select group of perverted friends in a celebratory fashion. Packs of humanity who outwardly look like everyone else yet actively prey sexually upon others, and we’re not even off the subject of “straight sex!” All the while there are others in more acceptable positions that have established themselves as “respectable” in the community that are literally so slavishly engrossed in their own sexual decadence that they cannot stop themselves from running into every opportunity of fornication, regardless the risk to their families and careers. All for a brief moment of unbridled indulgence that promises nothing more than to send their world crashing to the ground all around them while the whole world sees and continues to be none the wiser. Do you really think these people started off this enslaved and wicked?

If this is touching you then please listen, God’s word tells us as plainly as it can, “Can a man carry fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk upon hot coals and his feet not be scorched? So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; none who touches her will go unpunished.” Man cannot indulge in sexual sins and not do serious harm to his own self, physically (STD’s), emotionally and spiritually.

(more…)

There was a time when I honestly thought I was a Christian, meaning, that I was a real “follower of Christ.” But like so many others professing Christ nowadays, I was believing what so many religious teachers out there teach as the Christian’s dilemma, that we will always be stuck in doing those things we hate and many times completely unable to do those right things we want. My question was and still is, just how is that being “free indeed?”

John 8:31 – Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed ;32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 33 They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? 34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Romans 7:19 – For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.  20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.  21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.  22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:  23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.  24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

So, how are we supposed to reconcile those words of the Apostle Paul with the words of Jesus? Are we “wretched men,” or are we “free indeed?” Like so many, I was taught that Bible teaches that sin “dwells in me,” and therefore, evil is always going to present with me. Thus, like Paul himself supposedly admitted, I too was always going to be sinning, and that like it or not, I am therefore incapable of ever becoming the person I pray to become in Christ. That if I want any real peace of mind and heart, I just needed to accept all that as fact and quit being so hard on myself. If I did not simply accept who I was “in Christ,” I would never have any peace.

To this day I am continuing meet believers who wholly accepted it as sound doctrinal fact and therefore teach it as so. Consequently, many of these have absolutely no real motivation to be “perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” To me, that is both alarming and frightening, since without holiness no man shall see God on favorable terms.

(more…)

Black and White.

There is a sharp and blaring contrast that divides the blackness of the deceitfulness of sin from the bright white of truth which alone serves as a sure foundation for virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, kindness, godliness, and charity, or the defining characteristics of true and living righteousness which comes through faith in, and faithfulness to, the living God. For faith without faithfulness is merely a personal deception.

When men fail to see the sharp and distinct line, which is unmistakable to the seeing, it is for one of two reasons. Either they are ignorant or they have allowed their own hearts for self-serving reasons to mingle the two together. Like it or not, only in Truth can men truly be free. But that becomes the defining point of when, where, and why evil in the hearts of men compel them to reject the truth of what freedom is, triggering in them a desperate need to redefine it into something it is not. (more…)

That’s what God’s word tells us.  But many today aren’t “fleeing” from it, rather they are for all intents and purposes running madly to it. For some insane reason people are literally racing to expose and open themselves up to everything and anything sexual, as if somehow it is going to be the answer to their loneliness or boredom or their oppressive sense of rejection and insignificance. It has become so maddening that even some so called friends frequently engage in sexual immorality and openly make and accept challenges to do the most profane things with as many partners to see who can outperform the other. This is not only madness; this is as close as a society can get to mass suicide. Yes, you read it right, mass suicide.

Perhaps it is because people are just so willfully ignorant of God’s word or so insecure having grown up in such a self-centered generation where almost everyone seems infatuated with seeking their own gratification at the expense of whoever and/or whatever. The thought of it almost no longer shocks some people that there are those who are literally drugging their supposed “dates” and then raping them and then allowing others to rape them as well. These human beasts are literally doing this openly amongst their select group of perverted friends in a celebratory fashion. Packs of humanity who outwardly look like everyone else while actively preying sexually on others, and we’re not even off the subject of “straight sex!” All the while there are others in more acceptable positions that have established themselves as “respectable” in the community who are so slavishly engrossed in their own sexual decadence that they cannot but run to every opportunity of fornication regardless the risk to their families and careers . . . all for a moment of unbridled indulgence that promises only to send their world crashing to the ground all around them while the whole world sees and continues to be none the wiser. Do you really think these people started off this enslaved and wicked?

If this is touching you then please listen, God’s word tells us as plainly as it can, “Can a man carry fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk upon hot coals and his feet not be scorched? So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; none who touches her will go unpunished.” Man cannot indulge in sexual sins and not do serious harm to his own self, physically (STD’s), emotionally and spiritually.

(more…)

There was a time in my life as a believer where my walk was very far removed from the Lord. I had found myself more than entangled in several sins. I remembered one night being so overwhelmed and burdened to the point of utter despair, literally fearing that I could die in my sleep and would be forever lost. I cried out to what seemed to be heavens of brass, my prayer barely out of my lips only to be falling to the ground. All this after only a couple of years  after having been promoted through a local church fellowship to be a deacon, then elder-ship and then shortly before leaving the church I was made assistant pastor.

My last message I shared with the church before I left (to the surprise of many) was about Paul’s exhortation in Galatians to those who are spiritual to restore those who were overtaken by a fault. However, at the time I wasn’t preaching to the congregation, rather I was crying out against my fellow leadership. My emphasis wasn’t about restoring the one overtaken, but rather whether those who were leaders were “spiritual” enough to even discern when a brother was over taken. There I was discourage, oppressed by the adversary, walking with sin in my life and about to begin what was to be a dark journey that almost ended in my destruction . . . and they didn’t even know it.

(more…)

In Luke chapter 16 Jesus tells His disciples about a certain rich man who had a steward who had wasted his goods. The setting for this discourse is that He was speaking to His disciples, but not only to them, for Luke also says in verse 14 that “the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided Him.” Now Luke doesn’t share what exactly the Pharisees were saying, but the Greek word translated “deride” was only used twice in the NT, with the second place being in Luke as well when Jesus was on the cross.-

Lu 23:35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided Him, saying, He saved others; let Him save Himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.

In both places it is noteworthy that such was the response towards Jesus. There wasn’t any dignified attempt to reason or refute Jesus; it was an eruption out of the abundance of their hearts of iniquity as they spoke, a blatant display of arrogance by corrupt religious leaders against the greatest Rabbi of eternity. Their outburst of unashamed scoffing and ridicule was meant to convey their total rejection of Him. What makes this even more shameful is they were doing it in a vain attempt to justify their own selves. I am sad to say I have witnessed this type of behavior with the same motive among those professing to be Christian, leaders included.

Lu 16:15 And He said unto them, “You are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knows your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.”

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Sometimes I think people had more fear and reverence for Comet Elenin then they did for God. It seemed so many people sat up and started paying attention to all the noise about the comet, everywhere there sermons available, youtube videos and articles (just like mine) that grabbed the attention of people all across the world. I too was caught by the fury of claims and uncertainty around it. But if we truly believe God’s word, the ultimate certainty, the sure word of prophecy, then why isn’t the Gospel of Jesus Christ having the same effect around the globe? Is it because it has become powerless in so many places? Has it become incapable of living up to its claims? Or have we become powerless and lost our sight of where our faith is to be?

It was really unbelievable the incredible rousing Comet Elenin was having in every corner of the earth. I even had my post about it translated into Korean, German and at least one other language I cannot immediately recall. My initial reaction was extreme disappointment which I thoroughly articulated to my cherished friend Sister Rhonda who shares this blog with me. I sorrowfully shared how there were several other more valuable posts I have written that I felt would truly benefit earnest seekers of Christ, but except for a few readers many of those posts have been completely ignored by the masses. Why so many are caught up about the end of things and yet for the most part neglect that which matters here and now still amazes me today as much as it did when I lived the very same way myself . . . back when I was “a wretched man” myself.

There was a time when I thought I was a Christian, a follower of Christ. But like so many others, I too believed what so many religious teachers out there are teaching as the Christian dilemma, that we will always be somewhat stuck in those things we hate and many times unable to do the right things we want.

Romans 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.  20) Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.  21) I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.  22) For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:  23) But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.  24) O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

I was told that sin was in me and evil was always going to present with me and therefore (like Paul himself admitted) I was always going to be sinning and unable to be the person I wanted to in Christ. I just needed to accept that as fact and quit being so hard on myself and accept that was who I was “in Christ” or I would never have any peace. To this day I continually meet believers who teach this and have wholly accepted it as sound doctrinal fact and consequently have absolutely no real motivation to be “perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” That is scary, since without holiness no man shall see God on favorable terms.

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Watching the news today in regards to the Mississippi flooding there was considerable concern mentioned regarding “sand boils.” For those who don’t know what those are, according to Wikipedia these “occur when water under pressure wells up through a bed of sand. The water looks like it is “boiling” up from the bed of sand, hence the name.” As I watched them addressing the seriousness of these occurrences I was strongly impressed that this phenomenon actually has a equivalent that similarly takes place in both the moral and spiritual realm as well. I say moral as well as spiritual because there are many people who are not godly who really believe they are “good people.” They have consistently lived their lives by a defined level of morality and have therefore kept themselves in their minds distinct from those they consider to be a more abase manner of people.

However, as is life, there are times when circumstances get out of our control and these external pressures steadily build up. When this happens, the moralities of these individuals are invaded by the same pollutions they had thought themselves to be greater than. If challenged regarding their moral change or outburst of behavior it is quickly explained that it was only because of  the extenuating circumstances; there is a defensible justification for their apparent change of conduct. If it had not been for the forces beyond their control they never would have reacted the way they did, therefore (they argue) their behavior should be considered “justifiable” and would be debated so if the matter were to make into a court of law.

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If God can’t deliver you today, it isn’t because He isn’t able. It is because you aren’t willing to let Him be God. Today is the day of salvation and as long as it is called “today,” Jesus Christ is able to save the utmost those who surrender and entrust the absolute control of their lives into His hands.

That’s what God’s word tells us.  But many today aren’t “fleeing” from it, rather they are for all intents and purposes running madly to it. For some insane reason people are literally racing to expose and open themselves up to everything and anything sexual, as if somehow it is going to be the answer to their loneliness or boredom or their oppressive sense of rejection and insignificance. It has become so maddening that even some so called friends frequently engage in sexual immorality and openly make and accept challenges to do the most profane things with as many partners to see who can outperform the other. This is not only madness; this is as close as a society can get to mass suicide. Yes, you read it right, mass suicide.

Perhaps it is because people are just so willfully ignorant of God’s word or so insecure having grown up in such a self-centered generation where almost everyone seems infatuated with seeking their own gratification at the expense of whoever and/or whatever. The thought of it almost no longer shocks some people that there are those who are literally drugging their supposed “dates” and then raping them and then allowing others to rape them as well. These human beasts are literally doing this openly amongst their select group of perverted friends in a celebratory fashion. Packs of humanity who outwardly look like everyone else while actively preying sexually on others, and we’re not even off the subject of “straight sex!” All the while there are others in more acceptable positions that have established themselves as “respectable” in the community who are so slavishly engrossed in their own sexual decadence that they cannot but run to every opportunity of fornication regardless the risk to their families and careers . . . all for a moment of unbridled indulgence that promises only to send their world crashing to the ground all around them while the whole world sees and continues to be none the wiser. Do you really think these people started off this enslaved and wicked?

If this is touching you then please listen, God’s word tells us as plainly as it can, “Can a man carry fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk upon hot coals and his feet not be scorched? So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; none who touches her will go unpunished.” Man cannot indulge in sexual sins and not do serious harm to his own self, physically (STD’s), emotionally and spiritually.

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AWAKE! The Bridegroom Coming!

Posted: December 12, 2010 in Wake Up!
Tags: , , , , , ,

Awake, you sleeper! Awake! Arise and make yourself ready! It’s time to put aside those childish pursuits and your endless musing with vanities. Awake, I say! Do you not realize the time in which you are privileged to live? Now more than ever can the sound of the bridegroom’s coming be heard. Surely He draws near. The need to purify yourself has grown greater, for the time allotted has grown shorter. The dark of night has already conquered the eastern horizon as the sun glow fades in the west. The king had long ago sent out His invitation. He proclaimed to all, “COME!”

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