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Love Or Hate–May Not Be What You Think??? Bible Ballistics: Vol. 16 No. 16

10 Sunday Jan 2021

Posted by Blanche in All About Jesus!, All Sufficient God!, Deniable Truth? Really?, Discernment, Faithful is He that has Promised!, False Lives, Father of lies, God Who Sees, God's Faithfulness, God's Judgment, Hate, Hearing God, Heaven or Hell, Holy Living, I Know Whom I Have Beleived, Jesus Is Coming!, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Jesus Is Truth, Love

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1 Corinthians 15:33, 1 John 2:1-5, 1 John 3:10-12, 1 John 4:4-11, 1 John 5:3-5, 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17, 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12, Are You Ready, Daniel 1:8, God's Judgment, Hate or Love?, Isaiah 5:18-23, Jeremiah 18:9-12, Jesus Is Coming!, Lies, Lies or Truth?, Proverbs 1:23-33, Psalms 144:15, Psalms 146:5-6, Psalms 33:10-13, Truth, Truth IS Truth--Jesus Is Truth

Bible Ballistics: Vol. 16 No. 16 Love Or Hate–May Not Be What You Think???

 

This is the beginning article of a multi-week series in which I want us to consider the book of Daniel—not necessarily the prophetic emphasis, but rather a look at choices, character, honor, integrity, real courage, and devotion of Daniel (and his friends) to GOD!

“But Daniel purposed in his heart

that he would not defile himself

with the portion of the king’s meat,

nor with the wine which he drank:

therefore he requested

of the prince of the eunuchs

that he might not defile himself.”   Daniel 1:8

Like many of you, I am just plain tired of the noise and clamor that is going on in our country—all the opinions, reports (true and false), and the voices all over the national media as well as social media.  Yet, contrary to popular belief haters may not be “hating” and those who claim to love may not truly “love”.  What I want to do is to lay out some foundational passages of scripture that will define the principles that I believe in and try to live by.  The other thing that must be set out in the beginning, and which I believe we must recognize and acknowledge, is that there IS the force of evil in the world, and it is “alive and well” in our culture, our world, yet there is coming a time of judgment by God’s standard not man’s!  I pray that you will consider these passages as we begin our series from Daniel.

“My little children, these things write I unto you,

that ye sin not.

And if any man sin,

we have an advocate with the Father,

Jesus Christ the righteous:

2 And he is the propitiation

for our sins:

and not for ours only,

but also for the sins

of the whole world.

3 And hereby we do know that we know him,

if we keep his commandments.

4 He that saith,

I know him,

and keepeth not his commandments,

is a liar,

and the truth

is not in him.

5 But whoso keepeth his word,

in him verily is the love of God perfected:

hereby know we that we are in him.”  1 John 2:1-5

“In this the children of God are manifest,

and the children of the devil:

whosoever doeth not righteousness

is not of God,

neither he that loveth not his brother.

11 For this is the message that ye heard

from the beginning,

that we should love one another.

12 Not as Cain,

who was of that wicked one,

 and slew his brother.

And wherefore slew he him?

Because his own works were evil,

and his brother’s righteous.

13 Marvel not, my brethren,

if the world hate you.”  1 John 3:10-12

“Ye are of God, little children,

and have overcome them:

because greater is he that is in you,

than he that is in the world.

5 They are of the world:

therefore speak they of the world,

and the world heareth them.

6 We are of God:

he that knoweth God heareth us;

he that is not of God

 heareth not us.

Hereby know we the spirit of truth,

and the spirit of error.

7 Beloved, let us love one another:

for love is of God;

and every one that loveth

is born of God,

and knoweth God.

8 He that loveth not

knoweth not God;

for God is love.

9 In this was manifested the love of God

toward us,

because that God sent his only begotten Son

into the world,

that we might live

through him.

10 Herein is love,

not that we loved God,

but that he

loved us,

and sent his Son

to be the propitiation for our sins.

11 Beloved, if God so loved us,

we ought also to love one another.”   1 John 4:4-11

“For this is the love of God,

that we keep his commandments:

and his commandments

are not grievous.

4 For whatsoever is born of God

overcometh the world:

and this is the victory that overcometh the world,

even our faith. ‘

5 Who is he that overcometh the world,

but he that believeth that Jesus

is the Son of God?”  1 John 5:3-5

Do you see how God’s “love” is manifest?  He sent Jesus to be the “propitiation” (payment in full for our sin debt—see Rom. 3:23 & 6:23) for sin.  Love takes a stand for truth and righteousness—love doesn’t compromise the TRUTH, for Jesus IS truth (See John 14:6)!  What ‘truth’ is our culture clinging to, while it professes “love—love—love” yet denies and defies GOD!   Another important passage that defines much of what I have to say is from the prophet Isaiah.

“Woe unto them

that draw iniquity with cords of vanity,

and sin as it were with a cart rope:

19 That say,

Let him make speed,

and hasten his work,

that we may see it:

and let the counsel of the Holy One

of Israel

draw nigh and come,

that we may know it!

20 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 5:18-23

While Isaiah’s words were addressed to the conditions in his day, they are totally apropos to our culture today—and I believe this is the root of the problem in our nation and our world—for men have redefined “evil” and “good”; the result is that we find ourselves with two sides who not only disagree but are diametrically opposed in the basic principles of truth, morality and decency.  How can we have meaningful, productive exchanges if we are speaking two different languages?  Not likely!  So as a follower of Jesus Christ, who has been born again by the blood of the Lamb, how are we to respond?  We MUST respond biblically, and with commitment to “stand fast in the evil day”—and yes there is “evil” afoot, whether you acknowledge and recognize it or not!  What does that look like?  Well, I hope to share my personal understanding of biblical truth and how we can apply it to our lives in these evil days.  I invite you to join me as we peruse and consider what God says, and while I will give my opinion and commentary, I pray that you will hear what God has to say, and study for yourself.  After all, it is God we will answer to, not men!

I would like to make some preliminary observations that are important to me and can hopefully be helpful and thought-provoking for you.

First and foremost, we have abandoned The God of The Word as well as The Word of God!  As a culture we no longer respect, honor or promote godly, biblical living, even within many of our churches.

Secondly, we have abandoned the biblical principle of the family.  What do I mean by “the family”?  I am referring to the God-established home of one man and one woman in marriage for life, to comfort, be companionable to one another, sharing life together, as well as to procreate the human race.  God makes it clear that from the “beginning” (which we have also abandoned—the very foundation of scripture, God, man, and the God-breathed creation of all that exists, we deny not only the Genesis account, but the many other scriptures replete with the truth that God The Father, God The Son, and God The Holy Spirit were present at creation and all things hinge on their creative power and love!) God knew we would fail and sin, yet He created us anyway, and had already made provision for our salvation through the Lamb of God who “takes away the sin of the world”!  But we must recognize and acknowledge that SIN is the issue! (See Genesis 1-3: John 1:1-5: Colossians 1:12-17: Hebrews 1:1-4; Eph. 1:4; 1 Peter 1:20 for more insight!)

In our homes, we have, as a nation, failed our children by teaching (by example if nothing else) our young people that sex is a toy—our young women can (and are almost encouraged to) have babies out of wedlock.  How can I say that?  Well, just look around you, we financially support these young women, yet if they choose to marry and live “moral” lives with the man with whom they are sleeping, they get no “support”, no “medical care” or other help.  But if they just “shack-up” denying the benefits of godly marriage, they will get their “check”!  One reason our country is falling apart with floundering children raised without fathers in the home, with no compunction (look it up) to live morally—yes biblical morality!  Also, we have not only accepted sexual perversion but promoted it, in our educational institutions—taxpayer funded institutions–as well as our churches.  I might also add, we have turned our children loose to the influences of “Hellywood” and in many cases exert no control or interest in what we allow to influence them—often because the parents practice the same things.  We allow (even encourage) our small children, as well as our teenagers, to dress like, act like, pursue and follow people of ungodly character, lude and immodest attire, with outright vulgar and wicked songs, actions, movies and other media influences.  Then we wonder what’s wrong with our culture!  Pardon my French, but “DUH”? Where have we put God?

“The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen

to nought:

he maketh the devices of the people

of none effect.

11 The counsel of the LORD ‘

standeth for ever,

the thoughts of his heart

to all generations.

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD;

and the people whom he hath chosen

for his own inheritance.

13 The LORD looketh from heaven;

he beholdeth all the sons of men.”   Psalm 33:10-13

“Happy is that people,

that is in such a case: yea,

happy is that people,

whose God is the LORD.”  Psalm 144:15

“Happy is he

that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope

is in the LORD his God:

6 Which made heaven, and earth,

the sea,

and all that therein is:

which keepeth truth

for ever:”  Psalm 146:5-6

“Be not deceived:

evil communications

corrupt good manners.”   1 Corinthians 15:33]

We can choose to honor, worship and obey The God Almighty of creation—The God of the Bible—or we can walk in the world’s ways and devices and reap the consequences.

The Proverbs speak so well to the fate of those who reject God and His ways.

“Turn you at my reproof:

behold,

I will pour out my spirit

unto you,

I will make known my words

unto you.

24 Because I have called,

and ye refused;

I have stretched out my hand,

and no man regarded;

25 But ye have set at nought

all my counsel,

and would none of my reproof:

26 I also will laugh

at your calamity;

I will mock

when your fear cometh;

27 When your fear cometh

as desolation,

and your destruction cometh

as a whirlwind;

when distress and anguish cometh

upon you.

28 Then shall they call upon me,

but I will not answer;

they shall seek me early,

but they shall not find me:

29 For that they hated

knowledge,

and did not choose

the fear of the LORD:

30 They would none of my counsel:

they despised all my reproof.

31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit

of their own way,

and be filled

with their own devices.

32 For the turning away of the simple

shall slay them,

and the prosperity of fools

shall destroy them.

33 But whoso hearkeneth

unto me

shall dwell safely,

and shall be quiet

from fear of evil.”  Proverbs 1:23-33

And Jeremiah’s word to Israel is so fitting for us today.

“And at what instant I shall speak

concerning a nation,

and concerning a kingdom,

to build and to plant it;

10 If it do evil in my sight,

that it obey not my voice,

then I will repent of the good,

wherewith I said

I would benefit them.

11 Now therefore go to,

speak to the men of Judah,

and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem,

saying,

Thus saith the LORD;

Behold, I frame

evil against you,

and devise a device

against you:

return ye now every one

from his evil way,

and make your ways

and your doings

good.

12 And they said,

There is no hope:

but we will walk

 after our own devices,

 and we will every one

do the imagination

of his evil heart.”   Jeremiah 18:9-12

I don’t like to be all doom and gloom, but real love speaks truth; it warns of danger.  If I were to shout at people to not continue down a road where the bridge was out, you wouldn’t call it “hate”, you’d call it “love”; yet we have called “evil good….and good evil” and reject those who warn us of moral danger.  We can’t escape the consequences if we continually fail to recognize our error or turn to Jesus in repentance and faith!

Paul in his letter to the Thessalonian church, advises us that in the last days those who choose wrongly will reap the consequence of their choice—because God is righteous, holy, and just as well as “love”—and if you/I reject truth, He will allow each one who willfully rejects HIM to believe the lie.  Real love will warn you that sin is to your detriment; but you must decide what you will do with real love and truth, and remember, saying you won’t choose, is choosing!

“And then shall that Wicked be revealed,

whom the Lord shall consume

with the spirit of his mouth,

and shall destroy

with the brightness of his coming:   

9 Even him,

whose coming is after the working of Satan

with all power

and signs

and lying wonders,

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 That they all might be damned

who believed not the truth,

but had pleasure

in unrighteousness.”    2 Thessalonians 2:8-12

Yet there is hope, if you will but turn to Jesus, who saves, transforms and delivers us from the penalty of sin, and its power over us!  And HE is coming to deliver us from the very presence of sin!  How about you?  Are you ready?  Will you believe the truth while you have the opportunity, or will you be deceived when the time comes and believe the lie and doom your soul (and probably the souls of those around you!)?  I pray that you will hear the truth from a loving heart, and come to Jesus today.  And if you belong to Jesus, please stop whining (perilous times are here) and “stand fast in the evil day” by keeping your eyes on “the prize”, Jesus, (See Phil. 3:13-15) and digging into HIS Word not the world’s words of deceit and delusion.  Paul gave the Thessalonians a powerful word of encouragement after the grave warning from his loving heart.

“But we are bound to give thanks

alway to God

for you,

brethren beloved of the Lord,

because God hath from the beginning chosen you

to salvation

through sanctification of the Spirit

and belief of the truth:

14 Whereunto he called you

by our gospel,

to the obtaining of the glory

of our Lord Jesus Christ.

15 Therefore, brethren,

stand fast,

and hold the traditions

which ye have been taught,

whether by word, or our epistle.

16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself,

and God, even our Father,

which hath loved us,

and hath given us

everlasting consolation

and good hope through grace,

17 Comfort your hearts,

and stablish you

in every good word

and work.”  2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

Amen and Amen!!!

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Are You Hearing What You’re Seeing??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #574

31 Wednesday Jul 2019

Posted by Blanche in Abundant Life In Jesus, Born Again, Changed Lives, Choices And Consequences, Compromise, Confidence, Consider Your ways, Crucified With Christ, Father of lies, Follow Jesus, For Such A Time As This, Gospel, Have You Heard?, Hearing God, Holy Living, Idolatry, If not now? When?, It's Your Choice, JESUS, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Knowing God's Word, Liars, Listening To God, Plumbline?, Polluted by the world?, Seeing Truth, SIN, The Crucified Life, The Father of Lies!, The Mind Of Christ, The Word Or The World?, Trendy Or Truth

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1 Corinthians 2:1-16, Choose Wisely, Deceived, Galatians 2:20, Galatians 6:7-9, Good Or Bad?, Hearing Truth, Idolatry, Isaiah 6:9-10, Philippians 2:5-8, Psalm 135:15-18, Seeing Truth, Social Media

Bible Ballistics: BBs #574 Are You Hearing What You’re Seeing???

 

I know that seems like a ludicrous question, but we live in a world that is ready to accept and believe any ‘cutsey’ meme, video, artsy word picture, social media claim, or celebrity tirade; so I would like us to consider bringing “into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (See 2 Cor. 10:3-5)?  Are we willing to measure with God’s plumb-line?  Or have we become accustomed to just measuring by our own/the world’s judgment, without regard to the real truth of what God has said? Who/what is influencing your perceptions and actions?

“The idols of the heathen

are silver and gold,

the work of men’s hands.

16 They have mouths,

but they speak not;

eyes have they,

but they see not;

17 They have ears,

but they hear not;

neither is there any breath

in their mouths.

18 They that make them

are like unto them:

so is every one

that trusteth in them.”  Psalm 135:15-18

While we may not bow down to ‘statues’ of gold and silver, we do have modern idols (as well as the old-fashioned statues and figures that are worshipped by some) that the enemy uses to draw us from God—to distract us from the truth, by feeding us half-truths—pretty, sweet-sounding platitudes!  And when I looked up the word, platitudes, I almost laughed out loud!  It’s the perfect description of most of the ‘media’ we are enamored with!

Platitudes: a flat, dull or trite remark, especially one uttered

as if it were fresh or profound; the quality or state of being flat, dull or trite.

Isaiah received a message from The Lord about the blindness of mankind.

“And he said,

Go,

and tell this people,

Hear ye indeed,

but understand not;

and see ye indeed,

but perceive not.

10 Make the heart of this people fat,

and make their ears heavy,

and shut their eyes;

lest they see with their eyes,

and hear with their ears,

and understand with their heart,

and convert,

and be healed.”  Isaiah 6:9-10

We live in a culture that ‘marches’ for or against so many things that you can’t keep up with it; but the issue isn’t will we ‘march’, but will we return to God.  We want to stop violence, but we don’t want God and His ways.  We want to stop ‘disease’, but we aren’t willing to make God first in our lives rather than our flesh.  We want to stop ‘abuse’ of various kinds, but we aren’t willing to seek God’ face and call ‘sin’ sin!  We want our own way, and we want to have the abundant blessings of God, but we aren’t willing to accept HIS principles, hear His Gospel, recognize our sin, repent and be saved—we want our way NOT HIS! That will always bring consequences.  Only Jesus changes hearts! God makes it clear:

“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.”    Galatians 6:7-9

Let’s get ‘back to basics’ by delving into His Word and learning to recognize and discern ‘good from bad’ (See 1 Kings 3:9)!  Only God sets the true moral compass—and yes there still is one, but we must ‘seek’ Him!  We won’t ‘fall into it’ by chance; and the devil will never tell you the truth (See John 8:44)!

Paul gave the Corinthian believers a caution regarding the difference between the spiritual things of God (God’s way) and the natural man (without God), and I think we can gain great insight from it, for, as Solomon put it, “there is no new thing under the sun” (See Ecclesiastes 1:9). While this is a lengthy passage, I want us to consider these truths and take them to heart, so I’ll just print it out here and pray that you will ponder, with me, what we are doing with what we see!  Are we willing to judge what we hear (and see) by what we ‘find’ in God’s Word, and live accordingly, or are we living by the world’s ‘platitudes’?

“And I, brethren, when I came to you,

came not with excellency of speech

 or of wisdom,

declaring unto you the testimony of God.

2 For I determined not to know any thing among you,

save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

3 And I was with you in weakness,

and in fear,

and in much trembling.

4 And my speech and my preaching

was not with enticing words

of man’s wisdom,

but in demonstration

of the Spirit

and of power:

5 That your faith should not stand

in the wisdom of men,

but in the power of God.

6 Howbeit we speak wisdom

among them that are perfect:

yet not the wisdom of this world,

nor of the princes of this world,

that come to nought:

7 But we speak the wisdom of God

in a mystery,

even the hidden wisdom,

which God ordained before the world

unto our glory:

8 Which none of the princes of this world knew:

for had they known it,

they would not have crucified

the Lord of glory.

9 But as it is written,

Eye hath not seen,

nor ear heard,

neither have entered into the heart of man,

the things which God hath prepared

for them that love him.

10 But God hath revealed them unto us

by his Spirit:

for the Spirit searcheth all things,

yea, the deep things of God.

11 For what man knoweth the things of a man,

save the spirit of man which is in him?

even so the things of God knoweth no man,

but the Spirit of God.

12 Now we have received,

not the spirit of the world,

but the spirit which is of God;

that we might know the things

that are freely given to us

of God.

13 Which things also we speak,

not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth,

but which the Holy Ghost teacheth;

comparing spiritual things

with spiritual.

14 But the natural man receiveth not

the things of the Spirit of God:

for they are foolishness unto him:

neither can he know them,

because they are spiritually discerned.

15 But he that is spiritual

judgeth all things,

yet he himself is judged of no man.

16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord,

that he may instruct him?

But we have the mind of Christ.”  1 Corinthians 2:1-16

And for good measure, Paul told us what “the mind of Christ” looks like!  Are we reflecting HIS mind in us, or the world’s?

“Let this mind be in you,

which was also in Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in the form of God,

thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7 But made himself of no reputation,

and took upon him the form of a servant,

and was made in the likeness of men:

8 And being found in fashion as a man,

he humbled himself,

and became obedient unto death,

even the death of the cross.”    Philippians 2:5-8

Am I “crucified with Christ”?  (See Galatians 2:20). Amen!!!

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Ice Cube Philosophy??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #551

24 Wednesday Apr 2019

Posted by Blanche in Consider Your ways, Faithful is He that has Promised!, Father of lies, IN Jesus!, JESUS, Lies, What's The Word?

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Deuteronomy 6:5-24, Galatians 2:20, God's Plan, Godly Parenting, Ice Cube Philosophy, Not Of This World, Parenting, Romans 12:1-2

Bible Ballistics: BBs #551  Ice Cube Philosophy???

 

I’m sure you’re wondering what “Ice Cube” philosophy is all about, and I’ll be glad to share it with you this morning! I saw a phrase the other day that struck my heart, it said something like, “We can’t raise our children like we were raised, because we live in a different world!”  I must tell you that when I read that it just broke my heart—we have bought the lies of the enemy and have become so entrenched in the culture and philosophy of the world that we are convinced that the “world” we live in is what dictates our life, our belief, and our actions!  That is totally not true, and it surely isn’t a biblical way to look at things and isn’t how we are to order our lives!

This is the very thing that Paul warned the Romans about—and it is what “Ice Cube” philosophy is all about.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren,

by the mercies of God,

that ye present your bodies

a living sacrifice,

holy,

acceptable unto God,

which is your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed

to this world:

but be ye transformed

by the renewing of your mind,

that ye may prove

what is that good,

and acceptable,

and perfect,

will of God.”  Romans 12:1-2

Paul calls believers in Jesus to give ourselves to God as a living sacrifice—Jesus wants us to live for Him, not just to be willing to die for HIM!  He calls us to know the same things that Paul called the Galatians to remember:

“I am crucified with Christ:

nevertheless I live;

yet not I,

but Christ liveth in me:

and the life which I now live

in the flesh

I live by the faith of the Son of God,

who loved me,

and gave himself for me.”   Galatians 2:20

This takes us right back to Paul’s call to the Roman believers: “be not conformed to this world”! We are not to let the world “squeeze us into its image”, or to fit our post—we aren’t to be like “ice cubes”! Water is poured into any form and frozen in that form, it takes on the form of the mold—regardless of what that mold is.  You can make square cubes, round cubes, animal shaped cubes, or virtually any shape that you can imagine.  But followers of Jesus are clearly called to NOT be ‘frozen’ into the world’s mold! We must never say that our life style, our parenting skills, or our beliefs are “conformed to this world”!!! We are to “withstand in the evil day”!!! And friends, that is where we live– “in the evil day”—; but may we never, never, never give up to that which is trying to prevail over us! Jesus has promised us that the enemy will not prevail against us when we walk with Him, live for Him and obey HIS principles.

But there is a price!  We will be ridiculed, called names and laughed at when we stand for God’s Word and His ways.  Yet HE promises us that His plan will work—it has worked– for God never fails!  Deuteronomy chapter 6 is the most profound outline for parenting ever given (in my humble opinion!).  I will share it with you here, but I’d encourage you to read the entire chapter.   I’ll simply make a few comments on it, and let it speak for itself.  God gave His people a few simple (not easy, but simple) steps to faithful parenting and passing the baton of truth and faith to the next generation.

Love God—first and foremost in all things yourself—

Live, speak, share and proclaim His Word in all—

Do these things before your children at every turn—

Use teachable moments to share YOUR trust in God—

       (Simply put—practice what you preach!)

Then, when time has passed, and you have lived a life

different from the world

your children will ask WHY?—

And then—you have the wonderful opportunity

to share your personal testimony

of what God has done

and is doing

IN you—NOW!

We are NOT to conform to the world, but we are to share truth with our children in a world that is running amuck with the lies of Satan!  Ponder God’s antidote to the world’s lies!

“And thou shalt love the LORD thy God

with all thine heart,

and with all thy soul,

and with all thy might.

6 And these words,

which I command thee this day,

shall be in thine heart:

7 And thou shalt teach them

diligently

unto thy children,

and shalt talk of them

when thou sittest in thine house,

 and when thou walkest by the way,

and when thou liest down,

and when thou risest up.

8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign

upon thine hand,

and they shall be as frontlets

between thine eyes.

9 And thou shalt write them

upon the posts of thy house,

and on thy gates…

…17 Ye shall diligently keep

the commandments of the LORD

your God,

and his testimonies,

and his statutes,

which he hath commanded thee.

18 And thou shalt do that

which is right

and good

in the sight of the LORD:

that it may be well with thee,

and that thou mayest go in

and possess the good land

which the LORD sware unto thy fathers,

19 To cast out all thine enemies from before thee,

as the LORD hath spoken.

20 And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying,

What mean the testimonies,

and the statutes,

and the judgments,

which the LORD our God

hath commanded you?

21 Then thou shalt say unto thy son,

We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt;

and the LORD brought us out of Egypt

with a mighty hand:

22 And the LORD shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes:

23 And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in,

to give us the land which he sware

unto our fathers.

24 And the LORD commanded us

to do all these statutes,

to fear the LORD our God,

for our good always,

that he might preserve us alive,

as it is at this day.”  Portions of Deuteronomy 6:5-24

Amen and Amen!

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Subtle Dependence??? Bible Ballistics: BBs #545

03 Wednesday Apr 2019

Posted by Blanche in Father of lies, Subtle Dependence

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

2 Corinthians 11:13-15, Biblical Worldview, Deception, Ecclesiastes 1:9-10, Galatians 6:7-9, Genesis 3:1-6, Hebrews 4:12-13, Lies, Philippians 4:11-13, Philippians 4:13-19, Proverbs 3:5-7, Subtle Dependence, Truth

Bible Ballistics: BBs #545  Subtle Dependence???

 

“Not that I speak in respect of want:

for I have learned,

in whatsoever state I am,

therewith to be content.

12 I know both how to be abased,

and I know how to abound:

every where

and in all things

I am instructed

both to be full

and to be hungry,

both to abound

and to suffer need.

13 I can do all things

through Christ

which strengtheneth me.”    Philippians 4:11-13

We are living in a day and time when people, even good godly people, are falling into the trap of placing our trust and dependence on things other than God—namely the government.  We live in an age of ‘entitlement’—I am entitled to _____!  You fill in the blank!  We are being led by our culture—through the media, TV, movies, music, political banter, and a “subtle” encroachment into our hearts and minds, causing us to accept things that we once would have questioned.  And even if we question them now, we hear the reasoned arguments that confirm our “entitlement” to a specific provision.  But I want to share a few thoughts that might help us all (me included) to reconsider some of our current ideology.

“Now the serpent was more subtil

than any beast of the field

which the LORD God had made.

And he said unto the woman,

Yea, hath God said,

Ye shall not eat of every tree

of the garden?

2 And the woman said unto the serpent,

We may eat of the fruit of the trees

of the garden:

3 But of the fruit of the tree

which is in the midst of the garden,

God hath said,

Ye shall not eat of it,

 neither shall ye touch it,

 lest ye die.

 4 And the serpent said unto the woman,

Ye shall not surely die:

5 For God doth know

that in the day ye eat thereof,

then your eyes shall be opened,

and ye shall be as gods,

knowing good and evil.

6 And when the woman

saw

that the tree was good for food,

and that it was pleasant to the eyes,

and a tree to be desired

to make one wise,

she took of the fruit thereof,

and did eat,

and gave also unto her husband

with her;

and he did eat.”   Genesis 3:1-6

Here we find the ‘great deceiver’ encountering Eve in the Garden of Eden, (and yes, I believe in a literal 6 day creation, a man and a woman who were created in perfection, and the fall of man and woman into sin—requiring a Redeemer to save and deliver them from the penalty of sin—death—through JESUS!) appearing to her in the form of a serpent, leading her to disregard God’s commands for the “more” that she would have if she acted on her own!  The same tempter who comes to us today, with the same lies—tempting us to doubt God, His goodness, and His integrity!  And He is a ‘liar’ extraordinaire!  Yet his tactics haven’t changed—he is always trying to convince us that God is not sufficient.  And while he even appears to us as a purveyor of truth and provision—he IS a liar.

Satan’s tactics are to distract us from truth, with things that sound good, causing us to doubt and misrepresent God.  Even Eve added to what God had told Adam, when she said they couldn’t “touch” the tree!  (See Genesis 2:16-17)

We must be careful to believe God and His Word, yet to do that we must know HIM and HIS Word in its contextual truth!  Satan is an expert at twisting God’s words!  If you’ll remember he used God’s Word when he was tempting our Lord, but Jesus always came back with the truthful context of The Word, not isolated snippets of truth (which is what we often hear and do ourselves sometimes!). Be aware of what you are listening to and believing.

“For such are false apostles,

 deceitful workers,

transforming themselves

into the apostles of Christ.

14 And no marvel;

for Satan himself is transformed

into an angel of light.

15 Therefore it is no great thing

if his ministers also

be transformed

as the ministers of righteousness;

whose end shall be

according to their works.”  2 Corinthians 11:13-15

God knows truth because He is truth, and all things will be judged according to HIS Word—both the spoken/written Word and the living Word—Jesus!

“For the word of God is

quick,

and powerful,

and sharper than any twoedged sword,

piercing even to the dividing asunder

of soul and spirit,

and of the joints and marrow,

 and is a discerner

of the thoughts

and intents

of the heart.

13 Neither is there any creature

that is not manifest

in his sight:

but all things

are naked

and opened

unto the eyes of him

with whom we have to do.”   Hebrews 4:12-13

We will all give an account before God, and when we do, will our defense be the devices of men or The Word of God and the truth by which we have chosen to live, trusting in Jesus?  Even as Solomon told us many years ago:

“The thing that hath been,

it is that which shall be;

and that which is done

is that which shall be done:

and there is no new thing

under the sun.

10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said,

See, this is new?

it hath been already of old time,

 which was before us.”  Ecclesiastes 1:9-10

There certainly is “no new thing under the sun”, so we must learn to recognize the difference between God’s truth and the subtle lies of the enemy of our souls!  I’ll share a couple of examples of what I’m talking about.  Many years ago I was in a conversation with some friends, some younger and some older, and the topic came up regarding the widowed marrying again, and one lady said (half-jokingly, then but it has become reality today), “I won’t give up my $$$ pension to marry, I’d just ‘shack-up’ and keep my money!”  Well we’ve come to see that to be the mindset of many ‘seniors’—even those who claim the name of Jesus, who now refuse to ‘marry’ because it would cost them a ‘pension’, so they ‘shack-up’ instead.  Well, I simply ask, where is our confidence?  Is it in the government or our God, who calls that adultery?

Another example is from a recent conversation about caring for elderly parents, and the options of government benefits.  The subject turned to the elderly and Medicare/Medicaid, and how to ‘shelter’ their money so the government will pay for their care, instead of using their own money to care for them.  The conversation led to some statements to the end that ‘they’ needed to ‘shelter’ their money by giving it to their children so the government couldn’t take it to care for them; claiming that they had ‘worked hard’ to earn that money, land….etc.!  Well, I ask, what did they earn that money for if not to care for themselves? Instead we have often allowed ourselves to fall into the mindset that I ought to keep what’s ‘mine’ and let the government care for my parents!  I know that’s dangerous ground to walk on, and I’ve walked that path, and not always made the right choices.  But it’s something that we need to examine in our own hearts (and God knows our hearts and what our circumstances are!).  And while I agree that there are great inconsistencies in how our government uses the resources that our tax dollars provide, we must make sure that our personal vision, our ‘biblical worldview’, has not been skewed by the greed of our government, and the injustice of how it often spends the ‘public largess’!  The care of those in our family is something that Jesus said was not to be relegated to others (See Mark 7:10-12).  And while we often need help to accomplish ‘care-giving’, we must not allow greed a foothold into our hears, with the defense that ‘everyone else is doing it’ or ‘they owe it to them/me’ (See Luke 12:13-21)! Our confidence must be in God not man!

I pray that this will spark in each of us the desire to seek God’s face and His will in our own choices and ‘world-view’!  For it is God who provides for His own! And because HE does—“I can do all” things rightly!

“I can do all things

through Christ

which strengtheneth me….

19 But my God shall supply

all your need

according to his riches in glory

by Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:13 & 19

And the verse that sustains and calls me to that “higher plain”!

“Trust in the LORD

with all thine heart;

and lean not

unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways

acknowledge him,

 and he shall direct thy paths.

7 Be not wise

 in thine own eyes:

fear the LORD,

and depart from evil.”  Proverbs 3:5-7

May we truly be purveyors of truth and confidence in JESUS, not deceived by the subtle lies of the enemy of truth, nor misplacing our confidence!

“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.” Galatians 6:7-9

Amen and Amen!

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