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“You’re so judgemental and hurtful!”

I speak out against sin in general – not pointing a finger at a particular person or telling them their final destination/sentence. And then, the very people that love that sin so much that they’ve claimed it as the defining name for themselves take offense as if I’m “judging them”. No, speaking truth about what is and is not sin is not judging.
YOU ARE NOT YOUR SIN.
If I am speaking about your sin, I am talking about something that has hold of you – I’m not talking about you.
 
Sin is not arbitrary, and it is not defined by the masses, it is defined by the Word of God. I do not claim to be sinless, but I do look out for the traps, the tricks, and the temptations of sin. The problem isn’t that people aren’t perfect – that’s true of all of us.
 
The first problem is that people don’t accept that sin is what God calls sin, and that is absolute. I admit that I have sin, but that I try my best to avoid it. Many try to justify to themselves that this isn’t sin or that isn’t sin because they want to believe that they are good people. You see, I acknowledge that I’m not perfect. But I’m not trying to call good bad and bad good in order to feel comfortable with who I am. I accept and acknowledge good as good and bad as bad, as defined by the Word of God.
 
The second problem is that people don’t love God, they love sin. Yes, I understand that many hate the light. Yes, I understand that many hate to hear me mention the name of Jesus Christ. Yes, I understand that many hate to hear anything about sin, repentance, discipleship. Yes, I understand that many hate to hear anything about Christianity that comes with a cost, or a commitment, or a calling, or a purpose for our lives other than to enjoy life today to its fullest. But is that biblical Christianity? Is that what Christ actually calls us to do when we look at His Word and His Commandments?
 
I understand that many people say that “the church has hurt me” and that “religion has hurt me”. I used to say the same thing. But it wasn’t that the people actually were judging me or saying things to hurt me. The truth is that I wasn’t interested in hearing the truth. I was satisfied trying to make my idea of Jesus fit whatever my lifestyle was at the time – instead of trying to make my lifestyle fit what the Word of God tells me about Jesus. I had no interest in knowing or falling in love with a real, alive, righteous and perfect God – I was satisfied loving and serving myself. The church didn’t hurt me – the conviction about truth hurt because I wasn’t willing to lay down my way of life and follow His.
 
Proverbs 9:7-12
7 Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,

and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
9 Give instruction[b] to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
11 For by me your days will be multiplied,
and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;
if you scoff, you alone will bear it.
 
And some will ask, well why do you do it? Why do you throw your pearls before the swine?
 
Matthew 10:26-33
So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

If we refuse to accept the truth about ourselves and about God and about His stance when it comes to sin, how can we realize the true value of this grace?

If I talk about sin, it isn’t for judgement or for measurement and comparison – but it is so that we might wake up and see it for what it is. It isn’t something for us to toy around with. It’s serious business.

And when I realize that, it opens my eyes to not only the value of grace, but the power of His Holy Spirit to come into my life and change me.

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Are you willing?

And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Matthew 8:2-3 NKJV

Over and over in the Bible, I see people asking and pleading for help from the Lord. I see people asking,  “If you are willing, you can”.

But today, I hear many talking about God as if He “has to”. It’s almost an attitude of,  “Okay, God, I did X, so you have to do Y – because you did it back in the day for that other guy in the Bible.” Yes, the narcissism of this world religion everyone what they “deserve” has crept into the religious gatherings to the point that people are told to pray the same lie over and over until God makes it true and that it is their own lack of faith in the life that is making it not true. Seriously? The Father of lies and author of confusion is selling this, and people are buying it up on the best seller last hoping for their best life now.

Can’t we see the issue with this false teaching? Can’t we see that this is the way the false prophets of the false idol Baal were beside the prophet Elijah of the one true God?

And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.”
I Kings 18:27 NKJV

But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord , if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.
Deuteronomy 18:20-22 NKJV

And these same ones who make false promises aren’t even offering people treasures of any value in their empty promises – they are offering worldliness to the masses of worldly, carnal people. They are selling vomit to the dogs and slop to the pigs – but I wonder if they are lying about who it is they serve? Can’t we tell by what it is that they truly seek?

For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 16:26 NKJV

If you have fallen victim to trying to use God as your genie and as your spare tire when you want something – hoping to convince Him into submitting to your will – I encourage you to instead pray as He instructed us. He instructed us to pray that the Father’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Don’t just keep praying the same way, insisting on your will be done – instead of speaking so loudly and demanding, listen for His still quiet voice.

You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
James 4:3 NKJV

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Our hearts on display

“Blessed  are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:3-12 NKJV

Many days,  I feel like a dead man walking. I examine myself to show myself approved and I find myself unworthy – I realize where I fall short of bringing glory and honor to God. I look at His perfect, blameless example and in comparison when I examine close enough, there always seems to be a blemish to be found in myself. So if perfection is my goal, I am doomed,  and my life is worth little more than being a warning to others about the wrath of God. Yes, this is the mentality that religion plants in our heads when we only get as far as measuring ourselves.

He searches the world for those poor in spirit, not those standing proud and strong under their own type of “goodness” under their own striving – because our works are filthy rags before a perfect, holy, and righteous God.

What do the proud, perfect, comfortable and secure of this world have to mourn about? But His Saints, we have much to mourn about as we walk this foreign land as strangers trying to swim against the current of a multitude of sinners chasing their passions and addictions and vices and pleasures in this world. I say trying because we too will slip at times when wearied and distracted and caught with our eyes off of the prize.

So we are humbled by our need for mercy,  and in realizing our own need for mercy,  we can keep ourselves level at the foot of the cross with everyone else. We can extend mercy instead of condemnation towards those who are trying, who are trusting God even when they cannot trust themselves.

Yes, it is our hunger and thirst for righteousness – a hunger for it, not the full possession of it – that leads us towards that eventual goal where our hearts might be profited so that we could see the face of God. But we are not discouraged by our constant measuring and examination and finding our shortcomings one after another. We are praying for the refining fires, the trials, the persecutions where we can demonstrate peace, where His Holy Spirit can be manifest in our life in face of the enemy traps.

The world would say, you fool, pray for wealth and success and health and a long life. But that prayer is for those who love their lives and love this world. We long for our Lord, and He is the only portion and prize that will satisfy our hunger and thirst. We have nothing of worth but our testimony about His Good News and our garments washed by the Blood of the Lamb – because this life is of no value to us until we are in His presence where we will be judged for every word and action.

We will be judged by our heart itself – by the source of our true desires – because faith does not exist in our words or even in our works. Faith exists in the truth about our guiding Spirit – and everything hidden in darkness will be brought into the light. Every secret, every hidden thing of our heart will be laid bare upon the altar of the Lord to reveal who we really are that day.

Lord, teach us, change us. Don’t let us remain in those old ways. Kill this old man of flesh that battles us daily, overcome these enemies that attack is from the shadows daily, and feed, nourish, and strengthen our Spirit to be in agreement with your Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Perspective

For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty.
Luke 1:49-53 NKJV

I Fear Him = Receive Mercy
I am Proud = Are scattered
I am Mighty = Brought low
I am lowly = Exalted
I am Hungry = filled with good things
I am rich = sent away empty

This is a picture of world/flesh vs eternal/spirit – a picture of how what the carnal consider valuable is worthless in the eyes of God. The things the carnal person would avoid are the things that he treasures.

It truly comes down to the difference between an eternal perspective and a right now perspective. It truly comes down to either loving and serving God and hating sin – or loving and serving ourselves and rejecting God.

Yes, Lord, you have done mighty and merciful and loving things for us. Help us keep our eyes on this new perspective. Set our eyes on the only prize and portion worth having, Lord. Don’t let us settle for anything of this world that might cost us our soul. Establish our footsteps so that when we examine ourselves you might show us approved. Search our hearts and remove anything that hinders your Holy Spirit from shining in our lives for your honor and glory. Call your people to awake and arise. Breathe new life into all these dead bones. Mold us, equip us, send us, and use us for your Kingdom to be come and your well be done in our lives today. Amen.

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Why do You cast off my soul? Why do You hide Your face from me?

O Lord , God of my salvation,
I have cried out day and night before You.
Let my prayer come before You;
Incline Your ear to my cry.

For my soul is full of troubles,
And my life draws near to the grave.
I am counted with those who go down to the pit;
I am like a man who  has no strength,
Adrift among the dead,
Like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom You remember no more,
And who are cut off from Your hand.
You have laid me in the lowest pit,
In darkness, in the depths.
Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
And You have afflicted me with all Your waves.

Selah

You have put away my acquaintances far from me;
You have made me an abomination to them;
I  am shut up, and I cannot get out;
My eye wastes away because of affliction.

Lord , I have called daily upon You;
I have stretched out my hands to You.
Will You work wonders for the dead?
Shall the dead arise and praise You?

Selah

Shall Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave?
Or Your faithfulness in the place of destruction?
Shall Your wonders be known in the dark?
And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
But to You I have cried out, O Lord ,
And in the morning my prayer comes before You.

Lord , why do You cast off my soul?
Why do You hide Your face from me?
I have  been afflicted and ready to die from my youth;
I suffer Your terrors; I am distraught.
Your fierce wrath has gone over me;
Your terrors have cut me off.
They came around me all day long like water;
They engulfed me altogether.
Loved one and friend You have put far from me,
And my acquaintances into darkness.
Psalms 88:1-18 NKJV

To those who would foolishly point their fingers at another that is in trouble or sickness or oppression, and like those “friends of Job”, would tell a praying and trusting man of God that it is his lack of faith –

To those who would foolishly align a man’s prosperity and health and positive mental attitude as a yardstick of the hand of God upon His life –

To those who have not received the sweet lashes of His correction and who have not shared in the sufferings, trials, and tribulations of a cross bearing life –

Knowing and walking this very Psalm or personally in their own lives might be the very best lesson about the hand of God and His ways being higher than ours.

Or if they are headed off into destruction and death and eternal separation from God, maybe it is merciful that they at least get to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh, since they have refused the eternal treasures of God.

If you have not yet lived this Psalm, I pray that you might, friend. It will take you to a place of closeness that the milk and cereal of “sugar coated, buddy Jesus” just doesn’t measure up to. Don’t remain satisfied by milk forever. There is work to be done, friend. Eat your bread, and work through this meat,  so that you will stand strong and firm for what faces us today – and so that you will be equipped and shown worthy of this upward call to Christ.

Amen.

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Are you a contender?

ἐπαγωνίζομαι
epagōnizomai

– to struggle for, to earnestly contend for

“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”
– Jude 1:3 NKJV

Paul tells us in the short, but critically important book of Jude that while he has been diligent writing about salvation in so many of his letters, that it is also necessary that he “exhort” us – strongly encourage and urge us. And the point of this strong encouragement is that we would “contend” – struggle, grapple with, take on – for the faith.

This is not a sideline faith. This is not an arm chair quarterback faith. This is not a faith of complacency and absence of power or conviction because “Jesus has already won the victory.”

This is an active faith. This is a faith not resting and fattening ourselves up in prosperity as if we were resting in peace alone. No, this is a faith of action, or purpose, of mission.

And he warns us of those who have crept in who “turn the grace of God into lewdness” – calling good what the Word of God calls evil. They deny the Word of God because they are liars just like their father, in whom there is no truth at all. They contradict the Word of God because they want their own will to be done instead of His will. They come up with many excuses to justify their continued disobedience and their false teaching. They add to or subtract from the Word of God to their own pleasing and their own accord – not to further His glory and honor.

Their hearts are seared from their hypocrisy, empty religious practices, and continued rebellion. They have found themselves spiritless and powerless, and have declared an public and damning denial of themselves by their unleashing all kinds of immorality and ungodliness into their gatherings. They do not love God enough to enter into the gate themselves, and they do not love others enough to sound a clear warning of the coming destruction. So they will party on until the end, just as it was in the days of Noah. These liars are selling tickets to hell and making merchandise of the ignorant because they chase after ease and profit and a full belly and have no interest in serving God – they want to be served by God.

They flatter people with their sugary sweet words in order to gain their trust and their loyalty. They are sensual and carnal people – chasing after the things of this world. Even in their prayers, they ask for things of the world that will root and rust and decay, instead of eternal treasures, instead of the fruit of your Holy Spirit, instead of for a surrendered life shining as salt and light here and now.

Yes, on some we show compassion because they seek compassion – because they are already humble and ready to hear truth. But for so many of these hard hearted, proud, defiant, rebellious people – they need the fear of God and it is the only thing that will pull them or of the fire – because they are still in love with their filthy ways and do not hate sin as we do.

If you do not hate sin, how can you say you are His?

We will love one master and hate the other.

If you love sin, you are of your father, the devil. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

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Arise, Awake, Don’t just dream light, Be light.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16 NKJV

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.  For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”
Ephesians 5:8-14 NKJV

Being a follower of Christ is not about just having an enlightened understanding of Christ or of His teachings – yes,  this is how we come to the knowledge of truth – by hearing the  Word of God. But being a follower must be more than just head knowledge – it must be active and alive in our hearts and actions and daily lives.

We are to walk in the light. We aren’t to fear or hide from the darkness. We aren’t to participate in the darkness,  we are to expose it. Jesus didn’t spend time amongst sinners so that He could sin, but so that He could bring them to God. We should do the same. Jesus didn’t use love and mercy as an excuse to break the law, He demonstrated how God’s instruction is built upon loving God’s ways and character and nature instead of our own carnal desires. He doesn’t call us to add to our subtract from the Word of God to fit our own comfortable lifestyles or opinions,  He calls us to pick up our cross and follow in His footsteps – in His example, in His truth, in His life – even if it leads to a similar end to His with people hating us and persecuting us because they hate Him.

He never instructs folks to “say a sinners prayer and then get in a good church” – He calls us to lay down our old lives and follow Him. He calls us to die to ourselves and to love Him completely. He calls us to walk in light and to be the church, to be the body,  the vessel,  that is willing to carry His truth, His love, His message out to the world – even to those who hate it. He doesn’t call us into a life of guaranteed comfort and prosperity in this world. He doesn’t call us into a life of complacency towards godliness, holiness, righteousness, repentance, and sin.

He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”

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The “AND” really does matter

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
– Hebrews 12:14 ESV

Peace and Holiness.
Christ as Savior and Lord.
Forgiveness received and Repentance lived.

Do we see the AND?

Many will fall to one side or the other, interested in one but not the other,  because that is the goal of the enemy – that there would be those that fail to receive grace. Yes, the very next verse warns us of this great danger.

See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears. – Hebrews 12:15-17 ESV

If we want peace, but have no interest in holiness, the enemy can falsify peace by giving us a life of wealth, comfort, false security or worldly pleasures in this life so that we might ignore and avoid any interest or urgings towards being holy. He will speaks lies of all kinds to keep people on this carnal path of lasciviousness and worldliness – even letting them call themselves Christians and participate in religious ceremonies and practices as long as they keep God at a distance from their actual lives.

If we want holiness,  but have no interest in peace,  the enemy can falsify this by encouraging an air of spiritual pride, offering us works and honor amongst men and the ability to sew and point out the specks in others eyes without seeing the log in our own – so that we might know about law and scripture but know little about love and peace amongst our brothers and sisters. He will speak lies of all kinds to keep people on this prideful path of legalism and loveless religious practice and bitterness towards the lost, the hurting, and the afflicted – even Leyva them call themselves Christians and be leaders as long as they keep others at a distance from the forgiveness and love that they have to offer.

Yes, the path of the AND is critical,  because without it, “no one will see the Lord”. And that path is narrow and few will find it,  but will be satisfied with those broad ways that go to destruction.

Which gutter is the enemy trying to drag you into today? Which of the two would you rather avoid and instead cling to the other? God seeks a greater righteousness be born and grow in us than that of the lawless sinners or the loveless religious hypocrites. This is the Law of Christ. And when strived for as peace with everyone AND with holiness towards God – we understand His commandment:

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
– Matthew 22:36-40 ESV

Just like the churches in Revelation needed to examine themselves to recognize their strengths and their weaknesses and then act – we need to examine ourselves and then act.

The life of a Christian is not passive – it is not a powerless mentality of “once saved always saved because I’ve baptized” and “I’m just a sinner saved by grace that will continue to sin every day” – with people existing their remaining a slave to sin when Christ doesn’t just set us free from the consequences of sin – He sets us free indeed to walk as a new creation!

The life of a Christian is not war against flesh and blood or building a tower of works to get to heaven either. It is nothing that would have us standing in front of others, proud of what we have done. If something is commendable in our lives,  He must receive the praise and honor and I must humble myself with the realization that it was Him who lives in me and not me.

Whichever of these two you are most comfortable accepting is not the one that you need to work more on – and that is our tendency – to fall into one ditch and keep digging deeper.

We must climb out. We must get back on the narrow path.