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Is This The Way??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #60

11 Wednesday Jan 2023

Posted by Blanche in A Father's Love, A heart of faith, Abiding IN Jesus or the World?, God's provision, God's ways are not our ways, God's Wisdom, Hearing God, This IS The Day, walk ye in it

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God will direct our steps, Hebrews 12:1-2, Isaiah 30:21, Proverbs 3:5-7, Psalm 46:10-11, This is the Way, Trust in the Lord, Tune in to Jesus, Walk in God's way

Is This The Way???   A Word from THE WORD!!! #60

I have a brief word to share with you this morning, and I hope it will speak to you as it speaks so often to me!  God has a way, and HE will reveal that way to us as we seek HIS face, even as we learned as children, “STOP…LOOK…and LISTEN”!  Such a simple thing, yet so hard to put into practice, to remember, yet God reminds us and is ever at work to direct our steps, hear it?

“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

Simple yet so profound–even as God is our strength from day to day, He will direct our steps just as well–we just have to continually readjust our focus!

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about

with so great a cloud of witnesses,

let us lay aside

every weight,

and the sin which doth so easily beset us,

and let us run

with patience

the race

that is set before us,

2 Looking unto Jesus

the author

and finisher

of our faith;

who for the joy that was set before him

endured the cross,

despising the shame,

and is set down

at the right hand

of the throne of God.”  Hebrews 12:1-2

Are we “looking unto Jesus…”?  Are our lives so busy that we don’t realize that we are being distracted from our “prime directive”, from our Lord who is ever willing to “direct thy paths”?  Oh, we have such a loving and gracious Lord who is ever at our side if we will but “wait on upon the Lord” and tune our hearts to be ever listening for HIS whisper.

“Be still, and know that I am God:

I will be exalted among the heathen,

I will be exalted in the earth.

11 The LORD of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.”  Psalm 46:10-11

We must keep our hearts tuned to God’s voice continually, even as the old hymn by Albert E. Brumley said, “Turn Your Radio ON”!  It takes diligence to see God in the small things as well as the giant ones!  We had an incident happen to us yesterday, and as we got in the car, we were both struck by the clear message that God seemed to be speaking to us in regard to an issue that we had been struggling with; how often we miss God in the things that don’t seem to matter–and yet they may matter greatly!  Isaiah said it better than I can.

“And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying,

This is the way,

walk ye in it,

when ye turn to the right hand,

and when ye turn to the left.”  Isaiah 30:21

“Hear ye the word of the Lord…”.  Amen and Amen!!!

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Come And I Will…??? Bible Ballistics: Vol. 17 No. 06

23 Sunday May 2021

Posted by Blanche in Abiding In Jesus, Abundant Life In Jesus, Are You Ready, Armor of God, Ask God For Wisdom, Be Fruitful And Multiply!, Believe IN Jesus, Choices And Consequences, Choose You This Day!, Clothed In His Righteousness, Compromise, Conviction, Crucified With Christ, Dare To Be Different!, Encouragement, Eyes that SEE HIM, Faithful, Faithful is He that has Promised!, Faithfulness, Father of lies, Fighting With God's Weapons, Follow Jesus, Fruit of the Spirit, God Knows His Own, God's Judgment, God's love, Good News, Holy Living, IN Jesus!, It's Your Choice, Jesus Is Coming!, Jesus Is Truth, Jesus Knows, Jesus Saves!, Knowing God's Word, Lies That Defeat Us, Listening To God, Not Of This World, Only One Way, Persecution, Redeemed By HIS Blood

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1 Corinthians 1:18-25, Acts 2:42, Acts 2:47, Acts 4:10-12, Ephesians 6:10-13, Following Jesus not man, God's way NOT man's, Hebrews 13:8, Jeremiah 17:7-8, Jeremiah 17:9-10, Jesus' Sacrifice, John 15:17-21, Matthew 11:27-30, Matthew 16:24-26, Matthew 28:18-20, Obeying God, Only One Way, Persecution, Proverbs 16:25, Proverbs 3:5-7, Psalm 119:89-90, Psalm 1:1-3

Bible Ballistics: Vol. 17 No. 06 Come And I Will……???

 

I’ve been disturbed lately with so much of what I hear and see around me these days—even things from believers in Jesus.  Things that are so biblically unsound and yet believers jump on the bandwagon because things “sound” good and seems to make sense in our culture gone askew.  Things like “I don’t have to put up with____”, “get rid of _______ kind of people in your life”, “follow your heart”, and I could go on; but the point is believers in, and followers of Jesus are called to walk to the beat of a different drum, not the human heart or human wisdom and ideas.  You can choose to go your own way, but the consequence won’t please you.

“The heart is deceitful

above all things,

and desperately wicked:

who can know it?

10 I the LORD

search the heart,

I try the reins,

even to give every man

according

to his ways,

and according

to the fruit of his doings.”  Jeremiah 17:9-10

Paul makes it clear to the Galatian believers as well as to us, that we have the freedom to choose, but there is a consequence to every choice; and while we are free to choose our own way, we are not free to set the consequences of our choices.  God has made HIS way clear in His Word, and if we will but seek HIS face through HIS WORD, we will find the wisdom to live godly and discerning lives.  Let’s see what Jeremiah has to say.

“Blessed is the man

that trusteth in the LORD,

and whose hope

the LORD is.

8 For he shall be as a tree

planted by the waters,

and that spreadeth out

her roots by the river,

and shall not see

when heat cometh,

but her leaf

shall be green;

and shall not be careful

in the year of drought,

neither shall cease

from yielding fruit.”   Jeremiah 17:7-8

Living in Oklahoma, this passage is so picturesque—for we see droughts and heat and, what I call ‘brown outs’ when the vegetation all turns brown from the heat and lack of water.  God had Jeremiah remind us that when we walk in God’s ways, and trust to HIS care and HIS ways, we will be like that “tree planted by the waters”!  Being originally from Alabama, where trees are abundant and droughts rare, I learned pretty quickly that if you see trees in southwest Oklahoma, you can know there is water nearby.  Even the Psalmist used this same example of the godly.  Will you be one that spreads out and grows in grace and truth and ceases not “from yielding fruit”, or will you cave to the pressures of the evil day around us?

“Blessed is the man

that walketh not in the counsel

of the ungodly,

nor standeth

in the way of sinners,

nor sitteth

in the seat of the scornful.

2 But his delight

is in the law of the LORD;

and in his law

doth he meditate day and night.

3 And he shall be like a tree

planted by the rivers of water,

that bringeth forth his fruit

in his season;

his leaf also

shall not wither;

and whatsoever he doeth

shall prosper.”  Psalm 1:1-3

We have the freedom to choose, but we must decide whom we want to please and be aligned with?  Do we want to dwell in the presence of The Lord Jesus and our Father God (by the power of His Holy Spirit), or will we settle for the lies of the enemy and live in the “pig pen”?  Jesus is so often misrepresented today, He is passed off as a “genie” who will grant all your ‘wishes’ and make your life a ‘garden party’; rather than as The Redeemer of men, women, boys and girls who will receive HIS substitutionary, atoning sacrifice by repentance and faith.  Jesus came to die for my sin—how could I repay Him with any less than total devotion and allegiance to Him and His Word!

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples,

If any man will come after me,

let him deny himself,

and take up his cross,

and follow me.

25 For whosoever will save his life

shall lose it:

and whosoever will

lose his life for my sake

shall find it.

26 For what is a man profited,

if he shall gain the whole world,

and lose his own soul?

or what shall a man give in exchange

for his soul?”   Matthew 16:24-26

We must stop measuring things by what the world thinks is good, and measure instead by God’s Word. (Period!). Satan has always been a master of deceit and we need to be aware of this truth—it is so serious that Paul mentions it twice in just a few verses of Ephesians 6.

“Put on the whole armour of God,

that ye may be able to stand

against the wiles of the devil..

…. 13 Wherefore take unto you

the whole armour of God,

that ye may be able to withstand

in the evil day,

and having done all,

to stand.”  Ephesians 6:10 & 13

And with all my heart, I believe we are in “the evil day” and we must prepare to stand!  Jesus also warned us that we would face what HE faced—opposition, ridicule, spite and rejection; what will you do when righteousness brings the despite of others?

“These things I command you,

that ye love one another.

18 If the world hate you,

ye know that it hated me

before it hated you.

19 If ye were of the world,

the world would love his own:

but because ye are not of the world,

but I have chosen you

out of the world,

therefore the world hateth you.

20 Remember the word that I said unto you,

The servant is not greater

than his lord.

If they have persecuted me,

they will also persecute you;

if they have kept my saying,

they will keep yours also.

21 But all these things

will they do unto you

for my name’s sake,

because they know not him

that sent me.”  John 15:17-21

The question is simple (but not easy), do you want to please Jesus and be in HIS Kingdom, or would you rather join the world and “know not him that sent me”?  And those of us who belong to Jesus need to remember that we are called to do things God’s way—not men’s!  And in my heart and mind I truly believe that Jesus has made that plain!

“For the preaching of the cross

is to them that perish foolishness;

but unto us which are saved

it is the power of God…

… 20 Where is the wise?

where is the scribe?

where is the disputer of this world?

 hath not God made foolish

the wisdom of this world?

21 For after that in the wisdom of God

the world by wisdom

knew not God,

it pleased God

by the foolishness of preaching

to save them that believe…

…. 23 But we preach Christ crucified,

unto the Jews a stumblingblock,

and unto the Greeks foolishness;

24 But unto them which are called,

both Jews and Greeks,

Christ the power of God,

and the wisdom of God.

25 Because the foolishness of God

is wiser than men;

and the weakness of God

is stronger than men.”  Portions of 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying,

All power is given unto me

in heaven

and in earth.

19 Go ye therefore,

and teach all nations,

baptizing them

in the name of the Father,

and of the Son,

and of the Holy Ghost:

20 Teaching them to observe all things

whatsoever I have commanded you:

and, lo,

I am with you alway,

even unto the end of the world.

Amen.”  Matthew 28:18-20

“There is a way

that seemeth right unto a man,

but the end thereof

are the ways of death.”  Proverbs 16:25

Consider these things and what we learn from them:

God chose the “foolishness of preaching”—

To save souls and change lives—

Not plans—

Not programs—

Not marketing strategies—

Not worldly entertainment–

Not circuses—

Not parades—

Not activity—

Nor ease—or excuses—or compromise–

Jesus said, “All power is given unto me” —

And because of HIS power, He told us to:

GO—or literally “as you go”—

TEACH—share HIS truth from HIS truth—

 Who—all nations–

BAPTIZE—bring others to identify with HIM—

 TEACH— (the second mention)—instruct—

What—to observe HIS commands—

HIS WORD—

IN HIS POWER—

For HE would be “with you always”!

The Psalmist reminds us, and may we let it resound over and over again in our hearts, that there is a way that “seemeth right unto a man” but it will never end well!  We must decide if we want to go God’s way, our own way, or the way of the world; the Proverbs say it best, in one of my favorite passages.

“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

There’s that “evil” again—oh how much we have been misled and often outright deceived into using the plans of man to operate the church as a business or organization, rather than an organism—The body of Christ!  I believe God makes it clear that HIS Word settles it all—not popular vote!

“For ever, O LORD,

thy word is settled in heaven.

90 Thy faithfulness

is unto all generations:

thou hast established the earth,

and it abideth.”  Psalm 119:89-90

“Jesus Christ

the same yesterday,

and to day,

and for ever.”  Hebrews 13:8

Even when Peter and John were brought before the religious leaders of Israel, they proclaimed the truth of the Gospel of Jesus—no more, no less. Only Jesus—He saves, He secures, He sends, He supplies, He sustains!  He anoints, He adds, He orders the steps of HIS own! But it must be HIS way not our own!

“Be it known unto you all,

and to all the people of Israel,

that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,

whom ye crucified,

whom God raised from the dead,

even by him doth this man stand here

before you whole.

11 This is the stone

which was set at nought of you builders,

which is become the head of the corner.

12 Neither is there salvation in any other:

for there is none other name under heaven

given among men,

whereby we must be saved.”  Acts 4:10-12

“Praising God,

and having favour with all the people.

And the Lord added to the church daily

such as should be saved.”  Acts 2:47

As we bring these thoughts to a close, I share another message of Jesus’—we must each decide if we will hear, heed and obey.

“All things are delivered unto me

of my Father:

and no man knoweth the Son,

but the Father;

neither knoweth any man the Father,

save the Son,

and he to whomsoever

the Son will reveal him.

28 Come unto me,

all ye that labour

and are heavy laden,

and I will give you rest.

29 Take my yoke upon you,

and learn of me;

for I am meek and lowly in heart:

and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30 For my yoke is easy,

and my burden is light.”  Matthew 11:27-30

Even as Jesus said earlier, we are to “Come unto me”, but to come to Jesus we must let go of self and receive HIS rest—not our own sufficiency; for it’s all about Jesus—not man’s ways, man’s philosophy, nor man’s programs but God’s gospel—God’s way—for God’s glory and the transformation of lives today!  I pray that you hear my heart for Jesus!  He is coming soon, and I pray that you are ready!  Jesus still saves and changes lives today—by HIS substitutionary, atoning sacrifice at Calvary!  May we be found faithfully proclaiming HIS truth—HIS way!

“And they continued

stedfastly

in the apostles’ doctrine

and fellowship,

and in breaking of bread,

and in prayers.”  Acts 2:42

May we be found faithful!

Amen and Amen!!!

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Is My Life Pleasing To My Lord??? Bible Ballistics: Vol. 14 No. 25

16 Sunday Feb 2020

Posted by Blanche in Abiding In Jesus, Approved Unto God, Bibe Study, Born Again, Choices And Consequences, Commitment Or Convenience, Consider Your ways, Encouragement, Faithfulness, Fearlessness, God's provision, Growing in Jesus!, It's Your Choice, JESUS, Jesus' Sacrifice, Knowing God's Word, Only One Way, Righteousness, Salvation, SIN, Study to Show Yourself Approved Unto God, The Only Way, The Word, The Word Or The World?, Trust God, Victorious Living, Walking With Jesus

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1 John 3:22, 1 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 2 Timothy 2:15-16, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Born of Jesus, Colossians 1:9-14, Colossians 3:17-24, Holiness, Joshua 24:14-15, Matthew 6:24-34, Matthew 7:21-27, Pleasing God, Pleasing God Or Man?, Proverbs 3:5-7

Bible Ballistics: Vol. 14 No. 25   Is My Life Pleasing To My Lord???

 

I’d like to focus our attention upward, in a way that I pray will be an encouragement to us all.  We live in a culture that is so “me” focused (even the church has bought into the “me” ideology) that all is based on what will “please” the masses, make them comfortable, contented and confused—for compromise will only produce confusion.  Yet God has called us to know HIM and His Word, and when we will commit ourselves to know Him through His Word, we will begin to focus on our Lord not ourselves!

I would like us to consider Paul’s prayer for the Colossians, a passage that I have used often, and pray that we can learn from today.

“For this cause we also,

since the day we heard it,

do not cease to pray for you,

and to desire that ye might be filled

with the knowledge

of his will

in all wisdom

and spiritual understanding;

10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord

unto all pleasing,

being fruitful

in every good work,

and increasing

in the knowledge of God;

11 Strengthened with all might,

according to his glorious power,

unto all patience

and longsuffering

with joyfulness;

12 Giving thanks unto the Father,

which hath made us meet

to be partakers of the inheritance

of the saints

in light:

13 Who hath delivered us

from the power of darkness,

and hath translated us

into the kingdom of his dear Son:

14 In whom we have redemption

through his blood,

even the forgiveness of sins:”   Colossians 1:9-14

Paul reminded the believers in Colossae twice in this brief prayer that they needed to grow and increase in the “knowledge” of God!  We can’t live faithful and productive lives for Jesus, without knowing Him personally as well as knowing what His Word says.  We can’t march in the Army of The King, without knowing what our marching orders are!  We are to walk “worthy” of our Lord, His Word, His calling and His purposes.  Yet so many today think we simply receive a ticket to heaven, with no commitment to Jesus who died for our sin, or any allegiance to HIS kingdom.  We have forgotten the admonition of the Lord Jesus as well as of Joshua. (For many have changed to gospel to a “get out of hell free card” rather than a recognition of our sin, and repentance and faith in the substitutionary, atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ our Lord!).

“Now therefore fear the LORD,

and serve him

in sincerity

and in truth:

and put away the gods

which your fathers served

on the other side of the flood,

and in Egypt;

and serve ye the LORD.

15 And if it seem evil unto you

to serve the LORD,

choose you this day

whom ye will serve;

whether the gods

which your fathers served

that were on the other side

of the flood

or the gods of the Amorites,

in whose land ye dwell:

but as for me

and my house,

we will serve the LORD.”   Joshua 24:14-15

And Jesus’ own warning to all:

“No man can serve two masters:

for either he will hate the one,

and love the other;

or else he will hold to the one,

and despise the other.

Ye cannot serve God

and mammon.

25 Therefore I say unto you,

Take no thought for your life,

what ye shall eat,

or what ye shall drink;

nor yet for your body,

what ye shall put on.

Is not the life more than meat,

and the body than raiment? …

… 31 Therefore take no thought, saying,

What shall we eat?

or, What shall we drink?

or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:)

for your heavenly Father knoweth

that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first

the kingdom of God,

and his righteousness;

and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought

for the morrow:

for the morrow shall take thought

for the things of itself.

Sufficient unto the day

is the evil thereof.”  Portions of Matthew 6:24-34

Jesus gives us our marching orders, “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness”!  What are you/I seeking?  Are we pursuing God’s kingdom or our own?  Jesus makes it very clear that we can’t serve GOD and self at the same time (mammon simply means that which is of the world—be it money, fame, popularity, power, or simply self-reliance!).  But our churches are full of those who claim the name of Jesus yet continue to live life on their own terms not God’s!  It grieves me that we have so blatantly disregarded The Word of God and its clear teachings and with wholesale disregard have chosen the ways of the world and invited them into the church.  The church is the Body of Christ (the Bride of our soon coming King) and should never rely on the resources of the world to do God’s work!  Jesus also made it clear that “saying so doesn’t make it so”!

“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 7:21-23

And then Jesus goes on to give one of the simplest, yet profound pictures of truefaith ever given—yet so many count it only as a children’s song!  So, the question is “What are you building on—HIS will or your own?”—the Rock or the sand?

“Therefore whosoever heareth

these sayings of mine,

and doeth them,

I will liken him unto a wise man,

which built his house

upon a rock:

25 And the rain descended,

and the floods came,

and the winds blew,

and beat upon that house;

and it fell not:

for it was founded upon a rock.

26 And every one that heareth

these sayings of mine,

and doeth them not,

shall be likened unto a foolish man,

which built his house

upon the sand:

27 And the rain descended,

and the floods came,

and the winds blew,

and beat upon that house;

and it fell:

and great was the fall of it.”   Matthew 7:24-27

To be pleasing unto the Lord requires knowing and having Jesus as your Lord and Savior!  Knowing it is never our righteousness that saves, but the sacrifice of Jesus which imparts to us His righteousness and eternal life “in him”.

“For he hath made him

to be sin

for us,

who knew no sin;

that we might be made

the righteousness of God

in him.”  2 Corinthians 5:21. Amen and Amen!

When we possess the ‘righteousness of God in him”; when our foundation is anchored on Jesus, there is no storm that can fell us!  But when our foundation is built on the sand (even if we paint it up to look like a “Jesus” house) it will fail.  In fact, the example implies that both houses looked alike on the outside, but one was on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ, the other on sinking sand.   What about you?  What are you doing to please God?  Or are you so busy pleasing self and the world that you’ve missed the foundation of Jesus?

I would like to close with some passages that speak to that which pleases God in the lives of His own; and why we need to diligently pursue Him through His Word!

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;

but of power,

and of love,  

and of a sound mind.”  2 Timothy 1:7

“Study to shew thyself

approved unto God,

a workman

that needeth not to be ashamed,

rightly dividing the word of truth.

16 But shun

profane and vain babblings:

for they will increase

unto more ungodliness.”    2 Timothy 2:15-16

“All scripture

is given by inspiration

of God,

and is profitable

for doctrine,

for reproof,

for correction,

for instruction in righteousness:      

17 That the man of God

may be perfect,  (mature)

throughly furnished  (equipped)

unto all good works.”    2 Timothy 3:16-17

And more of Paul’s teaching to the churches at Colossae and Thessalonica.

“And whatsoever ye do

in word

or deed,

do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to God and the Father

by him.

18 Wives,

submit yourselves unto your own husbands,

as it is fit in the Lord.

19 Husbands,

love your wives,

and be not bitter against them.

20 Children,

obey your parents

in all things:

for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.

21 Fathers, provoke not your children to anger,

lest they be discouraged.

22 Servants,

obey in all things

your masters according to the flesh;

not with eyeservice,

as menpleasers;

but in singleness of heart,

fearing God:

23 And whatsoever ye do,

do it heartily,

as to the Lord,

and not unto men;

24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward

of the inheritance:

for ye serve the Lord Christ.”  Colossians 3:17-24

“For our exhortation was not of deceit,

nor of uncleanness,

nor in guile:

4 But as we were allowed of God

to be put in trust with the gospel,

even so we speak;

not as pleasing men,

but God,

which trieth our hearts.”  1 Thessalonians 2:3-4

“And whatsoever we ask,

we receive of him,

because we keep his commandments,

and do those things

that are pleasing in his sight.”   1 John 3:22

And some of my favorite words of encouragement and hope:

“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.”  Proverbs 3:5-7

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

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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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