Wash Your Hands

 

And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.

And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.
Exodus 24:7-8

Here we have an archaic display that reminds us of the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. Jesus’ blood sprinkled on you is a sign of a covenant that you made with God. A covenant that you made to turn from your sins and follow Him, understanding that you are a sinner in need of a saviour, and that He is the only Saviour.

Here is something that a lot of people seem to forget: obedience. Just as the Israelites agreed when they heard the laws of God to obey them, we must in this day be obedient to Christ. The history of the Israelites is supposed to be an example to us – of what NOT to do! They agreed to obey God, but time and time again they became too comfortable and complacent when surrounded by the blessings and protection of God.

They lost their fear of the Holy One of Israel. They decided to chase after foreign gods, to go each his own way and do whatever he wanted, committing spiritual adultery and falling into all kinds of perverse sins. They listened to false prophets who told them that all would be well, and God would keep protecting and blessing them.

When the real prophets came in, warning them of danger and telling them to repent, they mocked, attacked, and by many means persecuted God’s real messengers.

Do you want to know who the real false prophet is? It’s the one who won’t warn you of danger! It’s the one who won’t tell you to repent! It’s the one that preaches smooth things – the one that tells you, it’s okay, keep living like you are, God will keep blessing and protecting us – even increasing our blessings.

Do you want to know who the real prophet is? It’s the one that warns you about your sins! He makes you feel uncomfortable because he’s trying to shake you out of a deep, spiritual sleep. He warns you that you need to repent, because God is holy, and if you refuse to repent, you are choosing judgement rather than mercy.

So will you learn from the Israelites bad choices? Or will you repeat them?

With all the forms of entertainment and distraction in the world today, it’s very easy for people – for Christians – to forget the brevity, and the very gravity of life. How you follow and serve Jesus Christ is not a game. Neither is it a game when you disobey Him.

Christians need to walk in repentance. The attitude that says, “I don’t need to repent, I’m already under the Blood,” is dangerous and at best erroneous. The fact that so many of the people harbouring this attitude are using it to whitewash wilful sins of idolatry makes it a tragedy.

You can call a teacup a plate, but that doesn’t make it so. Likewise, you can call sports idolatry and attachment to secular entertainment innocent fun, but that doesn’t make it so. It’s worldliness. It’s filthy. It’s enmity with God.

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
James 4:4

You can try to excuse it with the ‘we’re only human, God understands’ statement. Yes, you are only human, yes, God -does- understand! He understands perfectly what’s in your heart and knows you don’t want to give up things that He would have you give up! And since you don’t want to give them up, even if they weren’t idols in the first place, they are idols now, because your unwillingness to let go of them is you placing them ahead of God on your priority list.

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Hebrews 4:15

“Yet without sin.” Jesus faced temptation as we do, but did not sin. Jesus has the power to help you overcome any addiction. He has the power to help you be rid of those idols. All you have to do is decide that He’s more important, and then ask Him to show you what to get rid of, and ask Him to help you do it!

He helped me conquer addiction to secular television, movies, books, and music. He helped me defeat videogame addiction. If He can do it for me, He can do it for you! He is more eager to help you, than you are to be helped.

Thank You, Lord

 

Jesus, I could never on my own deserve Your mercy,
I’m so grateful for Your love,
Your goodness overwhelms me,
And I love You because:

Through all my days, both fair and hard,
You are always there,
You have brought me so far,
I trust You, my God, I trust You.

You’ve helped me come this far,
And there’s still far to go,
Just how far, only You know,
And I trust You, my God, I trust You.

Please stay with me on this road,
And keep me on Your path,
Lord keep me on my knees,
Humble at Your feet.

I don’t know what lies in the miles ahead,
Or which breath will be my last,
But I know I’m graven on Your palms,
You hold me in Your hand.

You’ve brought me so far,
And there’s still far to go,
Just how far…only You know,
But I know, Jesus, that You are in control.

You keep me safe,
You’re my Hiding Place,
You are my refuge,
And I run to You.

You are my Father,
You are my King,
You are my Joy, my Song, my Peace,
You are my Everything.

Thank you, Jesus.

Thank You for loving me,
Thank You for showing me,
That you are the Life, the Truth, and the Way.

Thank You for saving me,
Thank You for teaching me,
Thank You for wiping each tear away.

 

Redeeming the Time

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:15-20

We are living in a day where more than ever, we need to manage our time well. So many people spend great portions of their lives ‘killing time’ with amusements that are of no real value. The sand in the hourglass of history is ever closer to running out, and what are many in the Church doing? Playing with the things of the world. Being amused by the same things that amuse the ungodly, going to the same theatres, sports events, concerts as the unsaved – not as witnesses passing out tracts or preaching the Gospel to the lost, but to partake of their sins.

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18

I can’t convey in words how truly detrimental it is to play with worldly entertainment. Even the things that look harmless truly are, once you are truly awake and can see it for what it is…things that distract you from Christ. Noise that would keep you from hearing Him. Noise that would turn you against Him.

We are told not to touch the unclean thing (what God calls unclean) if we want the Father to receive us. How then can we justify doing the very same things the ungodly do? How, if you do the things the ungodly do, things which separate from Christ – how can you expect them to see Christ when they look at you or I?

They really can’t. What they see is something lukewarm that they can accept and be friends with. And this is the problem. Sin can’t accept and be friends with holiness. It just doesn’t work. The sin must go. Worldliness can not be friends with Jesus, worldliness must go.

And saying, ‘we are supposed to be peacemakers’ does not in any way excuse joining the sinner in his sin. It doesn’t excuse worldliness. It doesn’t excuse continually failing to use opportunities to witness and instead going with the crowd.

We really need to consider how precious time really is. Once it’s gone, you can’t get it back. At the end of your life what will you regret more? Witnessing with love to the lost, or wasting your time partaking of the very things that are part of why they are so lost?

Satan convinced Eve to partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. We all know what the consequences were of that. But that cunning serpent still whispers in ears convincing people that it’s okay to partake of secular music, television, movies, books, games…you won’t die…your eyes will be opened and you shall be as gods. Oh, these things are surely harmless, just a bit of fun, relax, don‘t be so uptight. But no, these things create separation from Christ. To not have Christ, is to be dead while you live.

People can go ahead and consider me brainwashed, or a religious zealot, or whatever. But there is something I know. And that is when the Holy Spirit has wanted me to give something up, and I’ve given it up, there’ve been people who think I’m nuts for doing it. I have lost friends over my choices to follow Christ and obey Him. I’ve had people say they liked me better the way I was before. I just take that as confirmation that I’m doing the right thing, because if the world doesn’t like it, then it’s not of the world!

The fact is the people that are truly brainwashed are the ones that are so attached to their mass media that they will flat out refuse to let it go under any circumstance. Folks, if you -refuse- to let something go, even if you know it’s what God would have for you to do, that thing you cleave to has become an idol in your heart.

Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.
Ephesians 5:3-5 (NLT)

Let’s make a checklist:

-Sexual immorality
-Impurity
-Greed
-Obscene stories
-Foolish talk
-Coarse jokes

Now…we know these are things that we are to let there be NONE of. How many of these things are promoted by secular media?

-Sexual immorality
-Impurity
-Greed
-Obscene stories
-Foolish talk
-Coarse jokes

Oh right…all of them.

Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
1 Corinthians 10:14

Flee from it…don’t bathe in it. Don’t dabble in it. Flee from it. The way many people clamour over their favourite musicians, actors, sports stars, etc should be a warning. The way people dress to imitate their idols should also be a warning. The fact that it’s a commonly used term by the secular world to call celebrities the idols of their fans should be a big warning.

The people in the media even describe it in terms that make it clear that it’s idolatry. Phrases like American Idol, movie star, ‘rock god’, these are terms that scream idolatry. If you’re a Christian they should also tell you to take no part in it, unless that part is to warn others about the dangers of it.

Do You Know Jesus?

This morning I was listening again to a song I made a video for, recently. While listening, and reflecting on this past year and all that’s happened…all the ways God has shown me glimpses of Himself…how deep my love for Him has grown…my heart was overwhelmed by it all, and how much I long to see precious souls come to know my Savior.

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,

and he turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the pit of despair,

out of the mud and the mire.

He set my feet on solid ground

and steadied me as I walked along.

He has given me a new song to sing,

a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see what he has done and be amazed.

They will put their trust in the Lord.

Psalm 40:1-3

He lifted me out of miry clay. He drew me to Himself. He has shown me more love than I ever could deserve. He has given me more love than I thought a heart could hold. Words just can’t convey what burns in my heart, though I wish very much that they could. If you don’t know Jesus…you don’t know what it is to truly live, to truly love. You may think you do…but unless you have Jesus…you don’t.

You don’t need to wait until whatever you think the ideal circumstances are, to come to Jesus. And you don’t need to wait until all is perfect before you praise Him – in fact it’s important to praise Him when things are tough.

I was listening to a song recently, called Paul and Silas. There was a spoken part in which it was commented:

You know, the funny part, is that when Paul and Silas were in Prison, They didn’t complain to the Lord. They didn’t say, “Hmm, why am I in this predicament? What’s going on” You know what they did? They made music. You know what He did? He broke their chains, and He set them FREE!

And suddenly it hit me. I love how some things are revealed to me by my most Soverign King. It wasn’t when I was questioning God and complaining that my life was changed. It wasn’t when I repented, surrendered myself to Him and contented myself with having Him (though, that was the start, and a very good start). It was when I set my heart on praising God, and a big part of that was making music (singing His praises more and more, instead of only singing along to secular garbage). I know God’s been working on me for as long as I’ve been alive…but that was when He started undeniably breaking my chains one by one and He set me free from so much. And how free I am…if I was much more free I don’t think gravity could hold me.

I can’t even list all the things I’m now free of. Secular media, depression (my husband has it right when he says, depression is the absence of Christ), foul language, hatred, bitterness, emptiness, loniless at times, and so much more, God has helped me to get rid of. I’m not by any means saying I’m perfect now, or that I never slip up. I’m still a work in progress, but I’m a lot better than I used to be.

Oh this love for my Jesus, who set me free and helps me to stand.

“Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.”  -Song of Solomon 2:15

He didn’t say, ‘go fix your problems, then come back and I’ll love you’. He said ‘Take US the foxes’. My precious Jesus, who loved me in spite of the foxes, saw value and beauty in a soul like me, when I didn’t even see it in myself. He didn’t say, come back when you’re problems are gone. He drew me to Him and offered to help me take on those foxes that I couldn’t ward off by myself. He protects and nurtures the tender grapes. Our tender grapes…the fruit of our relationship. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galations 5:22-23). I have more of each of these things than ever before, and it’s only with and through God that I have them.

I have more than enough reason to live now. The biggest reason is Jesus.

Do you know Jesus? Are you free?

The Art of (No) Compromise

Therefore brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.

2 Thessalonians 2:15

Going to the books section of Amazon.com, and entering the word ‘Compromise’ in the search window returns more than 273,000 results. Fortunately, the first book on the list is by noted evangelical theologian Norman Geisler and author Ron Rhodes: Conviction Without Compromise: Standing Strong in the Core Beliefs of the Christian Faith.

Is it possible to be a Christian without compromising? One has only to read the New Testament to see that neither Jesus nor Paul ever compromised on matters of theological truth. And when Peter did, he received a stinging rebuke from Paul. (Galations 2:11)

Yes, there is room for concession at times on practical matters. But when it comes to giving in to critics of Christianity in order to spare their feelings, the Bible knows no such strategy. Christ and His gospel are a “stone of stumbling and a rock of offense” (1 Peter 2:8) to those who choose to disagree.

When your faith or stand for Christ is challenged, ask yourself who’s disappointment you’ll regret most, the critics of Christ, or Christ Himself.

It is better to die for a conviction then to live with a compromise.

-Vance Havner

(The above text was taken from Pathways by David Jeremiah)

- – - – -

Compromise is not something that should be in the church or in a Christian home. Compromise is what says, “Okay, do things the way the world does them, it’ll make our faith more cool and approachable”. Compromise makes allowances for pet sins that should, according to an uncompromised Word of God, be repented of, and purged, turning away from them completely.

Compromise is what raises generations of young people that have had the lines of what is right, what is wrong, and what is acceptable, so blurred that what should be viewed as wrong is accepted, and even lauded! With such an environment, at times it becomes difficult, without help, to distinguish what is okay and what isn’t…until one steps back and with a nudge in the right direction, sees things for what they really are.

Compromise is the enemy of Christianity. Compromise desensitizes us to things that ought to offend us. Compromise is one of Satan’s ways of infiltrating the church with the filthy things of the world, painting them as innocent, desirable, harmless. The same way he tempted Eve with the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, he tempts the saints of God with the lure of things that feed the flesh, starve the soul, and rob it of the desire to be in pursuit of holiness with the same basic whisper: “Did God say you shouldn’t? Oh, He’s wrong, it’s okay, it doesn’t hurt anyone.” When these things DO hurt people, whether it is realized or not, there are consequences to choices that involve feeding the flesh over feeding the soul.

Compromise is something I recently fell victim to, and so I speak from personal experience when I say that it’s as deceptive as the devil who uses it against you. There’s a whisper that tries to convince you that “it’s harmless” but in reality, it isn’t. But I thank God that like Peter, my poor choice was quickly seen and rebuked!

I saw what I had, regretfully, missed before and I repented of it with tears to Almighty God, who used this incident as a reminder to me that it is so important not only to stay on guard, but to continue to lean on Him for sight, because the things that tickle the flesh grieve and starve the soul, and they grieve God! Not only this, but it was used to show me that what the world considers trivial, can very easily be a very serious thing that offends God much. And what offends God should not in any way be entertaining to Christians. It can and will hinder your growth in Christ – be rid of it!

“14 Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? 15 What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? 16 And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said:

“I will live in them

and walk among them.

I will be their God,

and they will be my people.

17Therefore, come out from among unbelievers,

and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.

Don’t touch their filthy things,

and I will welcome you.

18And I will be your Father,

and you will be my sons and daughters,

says the Lord Almighty.”

1 Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.”

2 Corinthians 6:14 – 7:1

So it boils down to a choice: Do we want to serve only our flesh, and by doing so, serve Satan, or do we want to serve Jesus Christ?

Serving Jesus Christ means following Him, which means by extension an uncompromised Word of God, and not compromising on His teachings and doctrines. It means choosing to be set apart from the world, because you cannot serve two masters. (Luke 16:13) It means putting pride aside and accepting proper correction and chastenings if and when you start to stray from your chosen path. It means repenting…not just once when you get saved, but any and every time that you become aware of something that you did that was wrong in the eyes of God. It means obeying God’s commandments out of love for Him and striving for holiness, knowing that his opinion matters infinitely more than the opinions of men.

To serve Satan…all you have to do is nothing. You may think you can sit on the fence and serve neither God nor Satan, but Satan owns the fence. He is pleased if you try to stay neutral, because if you’re neutral, you’re not serving God. And if you’re not serving God…that only leaves one other that you can be serving.

My choice is Jesus…and to let Him lead me like a little child, for I am His child. And though I may be relatively small in years, and in widsom, though I am small in strength, what I do have is His, because He has given it to me. The best possible use for all of His gifts, are to use them for Him!

Loyalty to God is Imperative

• “No servant 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.”
• Luke 16:13 (KJV)

This should be a very familiar verse to Christians. These words were spoken by Jesus Himself. This statement states very clearly an important spiritual truth; there’s only two masters you can serve, and if you serve one, you -cannot- be serving the other, no matter how much you try to convince yourself, or others. And there is -no- convincing God – He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He judges rightly.

Make no mistake. You -are- a servant. Either to God, or to Satan. If you are not actively, seriously, serving Jesus Christ and seeking His face, if you wilfully sin, then you are not a servant of God. If you serve your flesh, by indulging in sinful behaviour, putting other things ahead of God in your priorities, failing to keep your thoughts captive, then you do not serve God. Instead, you’re a slave to sin (John 8:34), and as a slave to sin, are a servant of Satan.

However, as Jesus Himself said, ‘a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.’ (John 8:35-36). I love how the King James version puts it: “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” Free indeed and a child of God! But this doesn’t mean that, if we’re children of God, that we don’t need to -serve- God. We serve God because we love Him, and after all the things He’s done for us, and all the things He will do, wouldn’t it be incredibly selfish of us to assume that we need do nothing for the Lord of this Universe?

Now, returning to Jesus’ words in Luke 16:13. He says ‘Ye cannot serve God and mammon’. What exactly is mammon? Mammon is according to some translations, money itself, but I think it’s more specifically the love of money, in other words, greed. As we know, the love of money is the root of all evil. Mammon is also a false god. So in other words, if your pocketbook is your biggest priority, if your worldly gain means more to you than God, than you’re not serving God.

Anything in this world that takes more priority in your mind and heart than Jesus becomes an idol in your heart. Whether its music, movies, video games, material possessions, people…anything. But more than this, when you change God to fit what you think God should be, instead of taking Him at His word, you’re fashioning yourself an idol in your heart. When you say things like ‘my God wouldn’t let people go to Hell’, for example. Jesus talks about a Rich man who ends up in Hell in Luke chapter 16.

 

Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.
“Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and his soul went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.
“The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’
“But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’
“Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’
“But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’
“The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’
“But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Luke 16:19-31

What I find interesting is the end of this parable, where Abraham says, “If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.” Someone -did- rise from the dead – Jesus – and sadly, many people won’t listen to Him. Returning to the point though, we should take God as He is, and at His word. When we try to mold Him into what we think God should be, we’re making for ourselves an idol, and stop believing in the True God.God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. He doesn’t change.

• And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?
• Matthew 16:26 (NLT)

Earthly wealth and goods pass away, they’re temporal and in the end, worthless. But Jesus Christ is worth more than all the wealth in all the Earth. He is greater than the entire Universe! Oh what sorrow awaits for those souls that fail to recognize Him as Lord. How much is your soul worth? It’s worth enough that the God of this Universe took on human flesh, suffered a most horrible death, and rose again, to wash away the sins that stain the soul for those who would call on Him, believe in Him, and then -follow- Him by dying to self and -obeying- His commandments.

Nowhere in those commandments does it say “pray a sinner’s prayer then go on as you did before”. No – we are to be set apart from the World. We are to forsake the things of the flesh. Forsake the secular media. Forsake addictions and lusts of the flesh. Keep your thoughts captive – it may not be sin to be tempted but it’s sin to wilfully entertain the thoughts those temptations bring, as much as it is sin to pursue those thoughts into deeds. Bring these things to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to help you overcome the things of the flesh that bind you and keep you distracted from Him.

• Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
• Romans 12:2  (NLT)

• Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.
• 2 Corinthians 6:17

We shouldn’t bear an attitude of ‘what can God do for me’. Rather, our attitude should be, ‘What can I do for God’? With humility, remember the reality of the fact that we can do -nothing- for God by our own strength and power. Anything we do that’ll fulfill God’s purpose can only be done with God’s mercy and strength. Our human frailty will fail in times when we should be bold for Christ.

I want to finish this post by saying something to those who feel like God isn’t answering their prayers: bear in mind that God answers, but the answer to many prayers may be ‘no’. We shouldn’t expect God to give us everything we ask for. We are His servants, not His master. But remember that God will give His children what is best for them, and will make sure their needs are provided for – their needs, not their wants.

God has answered an uncountable number of prayers for me, and I’ve noticed something. When your heart is right, and your motives are right, mountains can be moved. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the sovereign hand of God working in my life. In His amazing love He’s blessed me by putting me in a place where I am not only loved by Him, but I have it in my heart to love Him back, a heart that’s hungry for Him and seeking Him constantly.

He’s blessed me with great gifts…being raised with the knowledge of Him, having family members who love me and living in a country where there’s freedom to love the Lord. He’s blessed me with a wonderful, loving husband that I cherish. Only God could be responsible for all of this. The God who did all this for me, is the God I serve. His name is Jesus Christ, the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings.

Whether it seems like your prayers are answered or not, God heard you.

• And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.
• Romans 8:28 (KJV)

So if your heart is right with God and you truly love Him, just trust Him. Commit everything to Him, your life can be in no better hands, and rest assured He hears you, He cares for you.

• Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?
• Luke 12:24 (KJV)

If your heart isn’t right with God, there’s no better time to make it right. He can meet you anywhere you are – just call out to Him and repent for not living the way He’d have you to live. Ask Him to help you be the person He’d have you to be, and make efforts to become that person out of your love for Him – do as he commands. Ask Him for His grace and strength when things get tough, and remember, there’s nothing in the world that you can suffer that is more than what Jesus suffered for your sake because of His great love for your soul.

The Master’s Radio

The Master’s Radio is something my husband has been working on for some time, and has been planning even longer. At the website, you can find links to not only listen to the 24/7 stream of 100% Christian content (barring a power outage), and find links to other useful pages, including Bible.cc, his YouTube channel, my YouTube channel, his personal testimony website, and this blog. You can also find his Facebook through there, as well.

The entire goal of the website is the glory of our God, Jesus Christ, through music and other media. He alone is worthy of our praise!

The stream is commercial free, so you won’t be interrupted while worshiping. The stream contains many genres and styles, -all- for God’s glory.

You can listen to the stream absolutely free of charge, but you will need a program that can play streamed media, such as iTunes or Winamp. There are also links to download programs that can play the stream on the website.

The URL is http://TheMastersRadio.com , I hope you’ll take some time to check it out, and be blessed by it.

The Bible

This is rather a long post, I’m aware. It deals with something troubling, and my soul won’t rest unless I write this all out. I don’t write this to spark debate. I know in whom I have believed, and I know what I believe. I did write this, so that if you read this, and happen to come across one of the misguided individuals who believes this falsehood, you’ll have been forwarned.

Recently my spirit was grieved deeply to see a certain gentleman on YouTube, proclaiming a bold-faced heresy. This man’s entire focus is dedicated on spreading the false doctrine that the Bible, the Holy Scriptures given to us by God Himself through the authors, is itself, the Mark of the Beast. Further, he declares that God is the one who showed him this, and is convinced that this heresy is accurate.

Sir, if you’re reading this, I hope and I desperately pray that you’ll see your error and repent of this insult to God’s Holy Word.

It’s bad enough to spread such falsehood, which will confuse many, and be gladly accepted by those poor souls looking for any excuse to not read the scriptures. But to say that God gave you this ‘illumination’ – that’s an abomination. This kind of message is purely demonic.

Can you honestly tell me, that Almighty God will allow this slander of His Word to go unpunished? That the God of this Universe, would allow His precious scriptures to become corrupted, as is the suggestion? It is God’s Word – He has always protected His word. If it were able to be corrupted or snuffed out, it would have by now, but it has not.

Why? Because God’s Word is a sacred thing. God has kept it, preserving it so that believers everywhere may have access to His true word, untainted. I cannot believe that my Sovereign God would allow His word to be corrupted, and then while still corrupt, be spread to billions of souls searching for Him.

I cannot accept the statement that, since the Bible contains 66 books, it must be the Mark of the Beast. This teaching is Satanic!

To quote from his channel:

“The bible is the greatest deception that has ever been. It is the spirit of blasphemy that has always been since the beginning robed in covers with pages in between. When you except it as the word of God then you have openly said that you love the spirit of Satan which he has had since the beginning. All flesh is controlled by the mark of the beast. The only way out is to tear up your bible in Jesus name (with the spirit of Jesus), Hollow words wont do it. You have to tear it up and love the Holy ghost. Then you will be free and not have taken the mark of the beast.”

Sir, this above paragraph is the blasphemy. Mixing a little truth with a little heresy doesn’t make this heresy less evil. It makes it more disturbing to see. God’s Holy Word is given to us by God! To call it blasphemy is to blaspheme God Himself! Your suggestion that it’s the mark of the beast implies that God must be the Beast. Your suggestion to ‘tear up your Bible in Jesus name’ is a complete and utter insult. Words cannot convey how utterly wrong this is. This is straight from Hell.

You seem to think that people who appreciate the Bible think it will save them. Of course the scriptures themselves don’t save, only Jesus saves, but the scriptures are here for a purpose, and that is to educate us, God speaks to us through them.

To truly love Jesus is to want to know all about Him, and the best source for that is the Bible itself. To look for reasons why the Bible can’t be the infallible word of God is purely demonic and can only come from a heart that isn’t truly right with the Lord. A heart that -is- truly right with the Lord will hunger not only for God’s presence, not only for time in prayer, but for time in study of His Word!

To quote his channel again:

“Jesus is the word of God, he was and is and always will be. He is coming back with the name the word of God. He came to fulfill the letter and send the spirit. The letter kills and the spirit gives life. Satan took the letter and made it an image and caused the exact thing that Jesus came to do away with to be worshiped above God. The bible you hold as the word of God is blasphemy. You have denied all that the father sent the son to do.”

Yes, Jesus is the Word. We know that. ‘The Word became flesh’ is a very familiar statement. He IS coming back with the name the Word of God. But these facts don’t diminish the Bible. They don’t disprove the Bible. The rest of the above paragraph makes my insides churn.

Do you know what really makes any part of scripture a dead letter? Dead preachers trying to give a message from it without prayer. An atheist with a hardened heart looking at it without an open mind. A false prophet using verses out of context to back up heretical theories that are not of God. These things make it a dead letter. But a person filled with the Holy Spirit and burdened with a message truly from God, who draws upon scripture, this gives life, because this can lead hearts hungering for Christ to Him.

How, by holding a Bible, is someone automatically worshipping it above God? If they are, they’re misguided, certainly. Once again, how can scriptures be blasphemy when the contents were God-given to the writers? How is the bible an ‘image’? Especially when it’s of God himself, not some pagan idol? If you ask me, the one who denies the Bible, especially the New Testament, is the one denying Jesus, by wilfully ignoring the record of His teachings.

To quote yet again:

“without the bible all you would have is called, drawn, and filled Holy ghost people of God. They would love him, hear him and be led by him. Instead you have a book so everyone for the cost of only five dollars can act like they know Jesus.”

Is this suggesting that no one who reads the Bible is called? What a baseless and ill-educated statement. There are many people who love Jesus, hear Him, are led by Him – who read scriptures and give them the respect they deserve. People filled with the Holy Spirit, who led God lead their lives. Without any scripture, what you rely on is word of mouth alone to spread the Gospel, and all it would take is one person who misunderstood something, to warp the Gospel and mislead countless people.

Without any scripture, passing the Gospel through the generations would be like a thousands of years long game of ‘telephone’ in which fact after fact is twisted, misrepresented, and soiled. How do we keep this from happening? Simple! A written record of the scriptures, that must be reverenced and carefully translated, fact checked, and treated with care as it is handed down through generations.

I won’t even address the rest of what he says except this one thing: he states essentially, that “Satan wont let Holy ghost filled people live in this world.” Well, sorry but that’s incorrect. Of course, many Holy Spirit filled men and women have been in situations where they ended up becoming martyrs for Christ. But not all. The Holy Spirit came down at Pentecost, and it hasn’t left. God preserves many Holy Spirit filled people, He wouldn’t allow them to just all die, until none remained. Then who would reach the lost?

To conclude, I’m deeply saddened by this gentleman. I’ll be praying for him, that he’d see his error. We should be leading souls to Christ if we truly love him. Not pushing false gospels on them. Not causing divides in the body of Christ. Not claiming God gave us a message when the message is so contrary to -everything- that has been preached by Holy Spirit led people to this point.

I am by no means calling Constantine, the Popes, or King James saved, or Holy Spirit filled. Only God knows their secret selves and where they abide now, whether it be in Heaven or Hell. But I know God used them, whether they intended to be used or not.

In my humble opinion, if you’re calling yourself Christian, love Jesus, and are literate, you’ll read the Bible out of your love for God.

Come Out From Among The Unbelievers

I can’t pretend to be pious and claim to be the best Christian out there. I’m not, I’m far from any kind of perfection in my faith, or my walk. But I am not where I was, nor do I intend to go back. God has shown me more of Himself in the last several months than I imagined I’d ever see. He’s blessed me in ways I thought impossible – but with God, all things are possible.

I’ve laid aside the idols of secular television, movies and music as my ‘entertainment’. God made me inescapably aware, through His word, His urging my spirit, and through my husband that I needed to part with the satanic poison that the secular media hypnotises the masses with. At first I didn’t want to do it, but I did it in faith and as an act of submission. I do not regret it.

The secular media itself is a powerful tool of the enemy. It’s dangerous to underestimate it’s potency. It entices both the conscious and the subconscious mind into sin. It creates separation from God by dually feeding the flesh and starving the soul of the food it really needs – which is Jesus Christ.

Instead of praising the God who made you, as you’re meant to do, Satan has you lured cleverly into worshipping false idols – worshipping the devil himself – by singing along to demonic, godless rubbish!

These athletes, musicians, actors, whatever other celebrity that people are fans of, they’re nothing more than human beings like the rest of us, souls that need Christ. Misguided individuals with God given talents that are being sadly misused. Moreover, by ‘idolising’ these individuals, you are indeed, turning them into idols. What is an idol? It’s a false god. And as the first commandment demands: “Thou shalt have no other god before Me.”

There are many calling themselves Christians today that are convinced secular entertainment isn’t bad, and consume it as much as non-Christians. When did this become okay? We are called to be set apart, we’re not to be of the world, so why play with it’s trash?

Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.

2 Corinthians 6:17 (NLT)

What good can you draw from secular material? The music industry promotes just about every anti-Christian value known to man. Drug abuse, alcoholism, homosexuality, sexual promiscuity and perversion, coarse language, innuendo, violence and murder are all so common place in the lyrics of secular music, and in the accompanying music videos, that it’s no longer shocking to us.

If listening to these kinds of things, which offend God, ‘entertains’ you, how much of a Christian are you?

We are told in scripture to think on good things, how can secular entertainment fit into that with what it promotes?

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Philippians 4:8 (NLT)

Secular music, television and movies, do not fit into this. The statement ‘Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise’, to me, says clearly – fix your thoughts upon Jesus!

To those Christians who partake of secular entertainment, thinking there’s nothing wrong with it: how long will you harden your heart against the God you claim to serve? How long will you continue on paying Him lip service while worshipping television and music idols in your heart? The filthy worldly entertainment you cling to can cost you your soul if you continue to prioritize it over God. It’s a matter of spiritual life and death – how long will you ignore it?

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I ended up making a video about this post, there’s some extra information in the video not included in the original post.

Take it to Heart

I implore you, when you hear sound Biblical teaching – don’t just say ‘amen’ or clap your hands to it, or say, ‘Brother, preach it’. Examine your heart and life against the preaching you are hearing, and if you find yourself lacking in one or more things – repent and take care to fix those things with God’s help. Your heart’s goal should be to please the Lord in every area of your life. Not to simply pay lip service to Him on Sunday and act as a Christian during the service to make your peers think you a Christian. No, not at all – I feel that’s an insult to God, actually.

Going to church is good, and I support it, but I think it’s more important that you go with the right heart, then the simple act of going. I would also say that not attending church does not mean a person is backslidden, or some kind of heathen. To judge your brother who doesn’t attend church in these kinds of lights without knowing their heart, isn’t right. Only God can make that judgement with complete accuracy.

Likewise, attending church does not make you a Christian, nor does it save you. It’s completely foolish to think that by simply attending church you’re somehow earning your way to Heaven. Repenting of sin with a genuine heart and asking Jesus to save you, to wash you of your sin, and to lead your life saves you. Loving Christ as your Lord, and trying your best to live like Him, makes you more a Christian than walking into a Church on Sundays. There are people who attend church regularly for years, that never fully surrender to God, that never accept Jesus into their hearts, regardless of how many invitations are given, no matter how many times a loving minister pleads for their soul. And there are people who do not attend church for any of a plethora of reasons, yet they seek the face of God earnestly. They feed their souls through scripture, and worship the Lord their God with authentic adoration.

There has to come a point when you accept that doctrine applies to you as much as anyone else. Yes, it’s easier to spot someone else’s flaws than your own on times, but when those flaws are pointed out to you, your responsibility is not to scoff but to seriously consider what’s been addressed. Seriously think about your ways and actions and prayerfully ask God to not only search your heart but reveal to you what things you need to change. Then further, your responsibility is to work on those things and strive to change for the better.

It would be even better to examine yourself this way without the prompting of another brother or sister. It would be better if your heart were so set upon the things of God, that your desire to please Him is so strong, that you vigilantly guard your heart against ungodly things.

The attitude that says ‘this message is meant for someone else’ whenever sin is being rebuked is dangerous. Let us look internally and search ourselves. There needs to be an attitude in us that takes sound doctrine to heart. There needs to be an effort from us to put sound teachings into practice on a day to day basis, that decides to live for Christ and not for the fleeting pleasures of this filthy world.

Christ’s death on the cross was not so that we could continue to live as the world. It was so that you could be free from the absolute bondage of this world. And if you think you were never in bondage to this world – well – there’s a term for that, it’s called Stockholm Syndrome. You’ve been captive to Satan for so long that you’ve come to relate to him and no longer see him as any threat to you.

If you’ve come to Jesus and have grown in Christ even a little, you will have come to realize, at least partly, what the bondage really is. A mental and spiritual slavery in which you once searched for anything and everything to fill the hole in your soul that only Jesus Christ Himself can fill. Music, movies, sports, drugs, alcohol, sexual immorality – Satan uses these temptations and more to distract people into a self-indulgent, godless life.

Jesus can free you from this bondage if you ask him to. Does it mean one prayer will end all the temptations? No, not in the least. Satan will still try to tempt you in an effort to separate you from Christ. However, as you grow in Christ, you should fall into these traps less and less. When temptations arise, you can choose to call on Jesus for strength to deny the temptation, should it feel to difficult to overcome on human strength.

To get back to the point – if you’ve been calling yourself a Christian but haven’t recognized the things of the world as bondage, I urge you to prayerfully re-examine that opinion. Search scriptures instead of simply listening to the words of men, which are so easily corrupted by opinion.

Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.

2 Corinthians 6:17 (NLT)

This scripture succinctly encapsulates the main point of what’s on my heart. It says it with clarity. If you truly love God, don’t be playing around with the filthy things of this world. Don’t be dabbling in fortune telling and horoscopes. Don’t be idolizing celebrities and sports stars. Don’t live in such a way that the only ‘Christian’ activity you do is to go to church. We are supposed to be lights unto the world – how can we ever do that if we live in the same darkness that the world does?

Listening to correct teaching is well and good…but so much better to take it to heart, and put it into practice, too.