Do You See What God Sees???     Bible Ballistics: Vol. 19 No. 25

As we look forward to (or even if you’re dreading it) Christmas next week, I couldn’t help but be sad at the state of our nation, our world–a world gone crazy over “self”, man’s opinions, ‘Hellywood’s’ version of love, and our government abandoning truth for lies and deceit!  It also grieves me that I have heard some new “Christian Christmas Songs” that aren’t very biblical but have a worldly spin on them; I heard one purporting something like “we spend more than we’ve got, but so what”?  Really?  “Christ”mas is about the Christ Child, Jesus, and His arrival into our world to “save his people from their sins”!  Oh, my heart aches for God’s people to start acting like God’s people!   But this is nothing new–God in His mercy has put up with us for a long time!

“Woe unto them

that call evil good,

and good evil;

that put darkness

for light,

and light

for darkness;

that put bitter for sweet,

and sweet for bitter!

21 Woe unto them

that are wise

in their own eyes,

and prudent

in their own sight!

22 Woe unto them

that are mighty to drink wine,

and men of strength

to mingle strong drink:

23 Which justify the wicked

for reward,

and take away the righteousness of the righteous

from him!”  Isaiah 5:20-23

We need to heed the words of Paul to the Galatian believers.

“Be not deceived;

God is not mocked:

for whatsoever a man soweth,

that shall he also reap.

8 For he that soweth to his flesh

shall of the flesh reap corruption;

but he that soweth to the Spirit

shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

9 And let us not be weary

in well doing:

for in due season

we shall reap,

if we faint not.

10 As we have therefore opportunity,

let us do good unto all men,

especially unto them

who are of the household of faith.”   Galatians 6:7-10

We live in a world that calls us to see what everyone else sees; yet God calls us to know Him and His Word that we may have life.  We can choose to drink the world’s ‘kool-aid’, or we can choose the way of God’s Word.  To see “what God sees” rather than what the world keeps calling people to see, to speak, to think, to do, and much of it to our shame–especially if we judge it by The Word of God.

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren,

let every man be swift to hear,

slow to speak,

slow to wrath:

20 For the wrath of man

worketh not the righteousness of God.

21 Wherefore lay apart

all filthiness

and superfluity of naughtiness,

and receive with meekness

the engrafted word,

which is able to save your souls.

22 But be ye doers of the word,

and not hearers only,

deceiving your own selves.

23 For if any be a hearer of the word,

and not a doer,

he is like unto a man

beholding his natural face in a glass:

24 For he beholdeth himself,

and goeth his way,

and straightway forgetteth

what manner of man he was.

25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty,

and continueth therein,

he being not a forgetful hearer,

but a doer of the work,

this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26 If any man among you seem to be religious,

and bridleth not his tongue,

but deceiveth his own heart,

this man’s religion

is vain.

27 Pure religion

and undefiled before God and the Father is this,

To visit the fatherless

and widows

in their affliction,

and to keep himself unspotted

from the world.”  James 1:19-27

If I may, I’d like to remind us that “saying so doesn’t make it so” and that’s the truth even as Jesus proclaimed clearly in Matthew 7!

“Wherefore by their fruits

ye shall know them.

21 Not every one that saith unto me,

Lord, Lord,

shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;

but he that doeth

the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day,

Lord, Lord,

have we not prophesied in thy name?

and in thy name have cast out devils?

and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them,

I never knew you:

depart from me,

ye that work iniquity.”  Matthew 7:20-23

This reminder from James should convict our hearts–for our words (our lifestyle) do matter, for they come from the heart and reveal what is in it (See Matthew 12:34-35 & Matthew 15:18-19).  As I’m often heard to remind myself as well as others: ‘watch your words and keep them sweet, you never know which ones you’ll eat’!  And we’ve all eaten a bit of “crow” from time to time!  Here’s James’ take on that, and while it’s a lengthy passage, I think it says what is on my heart better than I could.

“Even so the tongue is a little member,   

and boasteth great things.

Behold, how great a matter

a little fire kindleth!

6 And the tongue

is a fire,

a world of iniquity:

so is the tongue among our members,

that it defileth the whole body,

and setteth on fire the course of nature;

and it is set on fire of hell.

7 For every kind of beasts,

and of birds,

and of serpents,

and of things in the sea,

is tamed,

and hath been tamed of mankind:

8 But the tongue can no man tame;

it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

9 Therewith bless we God,

even the Father;

and therewith curse we men,

which are made after the similitude of God.

10 Out of the same mouth

proceedeth blessing

and cursing.

My brethren,

these things ought not so to be.

11 Doth a fountain

send forth at the same place

sweet water

and bitter?

12 Can the fig tree, my brethren,

bear olive berries?

either a vine,

figs?

so can no fountain both yield

salt water

and fresh.

13 Who is a wise man

and endued with knowledge among you?

let him shew out of a good conversation

his works

with meekness of wisdom.

14 But if ye have

bitter envying

and strife

in your hearts,

glory not,

and lie not against the truth.

15 This wisdom descendeth not from above,

but is earthly,

sensual,

devilish.

16 For where envying and strife is,

there is confusion

and every evil work.

17 But the wisdom that is from above

is first pure,

then peaceable,

gentle,

and easy to be intreated,

full of mercy

and good fruits,

without partiality,

and without hypocrisy.

18 And the fruit of righteousness

is sown in peace

of them that make peace.”  James 3:5-18

So, instead of a song that asks, “do you hear what I hear”, I ask if we “see what God sees”?  Have we settled for the world’s standard instead of pursuing biblical holiness and walking right before God and man?  It’s your choice, but choose wisely, there is a test.

“This is the interpretation of the thing:

MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom,

and finished it. 27 TEKEL;

Thou art weighed in the balances,

and art found wanting.”  Daniel 5:26-27

What will the “balances” reveal about you and me?  “Do you see what God sees?”

Amen and Amen!!!