Author: Deo Padgett

You might be asking yourself, where is my renewed confidence? I haven’t had any emotional surges, blinking lights, or aha moments. That’s ok. Let’s move forward.

What is my purpose of using the scriptures that speak of Satan being a liar, a deceiver, and an accuser? Consider this, what are the characteristics, the tenor, the tone of the verbal rhetoric that we are are plummeted with daily. People are adamant that their words are the truth, and the words of their opposition are full of lies, deceit, and accusations. This wisdom, thought process, evaluation is not from above, but from below. Their words and their thinking is earthly, sensual, and demonic causing confusion and every sort of evil thing just like the scriptures tell us (James 3:15-16).

In James 3:14, we are instructed that this wisdom and these kinds of words proceed from a heart with “bitter envy and self-seeking”. It is referencing the condition of our heart. I asked such a question earlier in one of my blogs, when is the condition of the heart of this nation? [please see an earlier blog entitled, ‘A Nation of POW’s, Part 4, ‘An Elephant in the Room (and it is not the Republican Party)} {go to livingwordsofencouragement.com}

Jeremiah wrote, Jeremiah 17:9,10, NKJV, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately (incurably sick) wicked, who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind (most secret part), even to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doing.” [that’s sowing and reaping; what are we, as a nation, going to reap for our words and works?]

Let me regroup: Is the rhetoric that shouts out lies, deception, or accusations contentious or calming? Are things constantly being stirred up or is there peace? What results do we witness as a result of these inflammatory words? Are we witnessing righteousness or corruption?

Every day, we hear words that incite verbal fighting, bickering, quarreling, and constant accusations of lieing.

A few days ago, I was reading, “Daily Moment” with Pastor Jack Hayford. The devotional was entitled “Power of the Blood”. The devotional was based upon Revelation 12:11. It was this devotional that started me thinking in the direction that I have been pursuing in this current series. [I mentioned this in an earlier blog]

Revelation 12:11 says, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”

Quoting, Dr. Hayford, “Christian believers are involved in a conflict. Our enemy is called “The Serpent”, “The Devil”, “Satan” and the Accuser of our brethren. (Revelation 12:9-10). He began this conflict in the Garden of Eden and will continue until the Lord returns to reign.” The good news is that Satan, our enemy, is a defeated foe! Christ’s attoning death and resurrection accomplished his complete and final defeat. The Blood of Christ causes God’s people to prevail, because it answers all of the enemy”s accusations. Satan controls and defeats humankind through guilt and accusation. He is a blackmailer.”

As I have said many times before, I believe that as a nation, we are hostages of Satan’s rhetoric. I call it ‘Prisoner’s of Words’.

In this moment of being ‘shut in’, ‘shut down’ or whatever you choose to call it, I encourage you to create your own ‘shut in’ with the Lord and His Word. Turn off the television, turn away from the radio, set aside the electronic media, in short, focus on Christ alone. [ ‘Christ alone’, there’s a good Reformation theme] Let us wait in silence.

Let me encourage you to ask the Lord to search your heart. Like King David, ask the Lord (Psalm 139:23-24) to “Search me, O God, and know my heart, Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

We are in trying times. The Lord is reaching out to His people longing for them to open up the doors of their hearts to Him. He wants to come in and fellowship with you. He desires to renew you, establish you, refresh you, and strength you for the times that are before us as believers. Ask the Lord to show you your heart. He wants to free you from the things of this world and realign you with Himself.

I invite you to read and meditate on Hebrews 12:1-28. Yes, it is a long passage of scripture; but I believe that it is the essence of what the Lord is doing in the Body of Christ at this time. We are in a time of preparation. Let us listen carefully to what the Spirit is saying to the Church. Let us tune our ears to the frequency of the Gospel of Grace; let us listen attentively to the Lord’s broadcast; and let us not only be hearers of the Word but doers of the Word.

TBC

For those who have been following my series entitled ‘A Renewed Confidence’, you will remember that our primary verse is Revelation 12:11, “And they (believers in Christ) overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they (believers in Christ) did not love (agape) their lives to the death.” (NKJV) (inserts mine)

Looking at the flow of thought in Revelation 12:11, I believe that it is apparent that there needs to be a fresh alignment of our heart the Lord. Such an alignment is only possible by the power of the blood of the Lamb. As believers, we need to daily posture ourselves before the Lord, confess our sins, and allow the precious blood of the Lamb to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We can never walk away from the work of the cross and the shed blood of the Lamb; because “without the shedding of blood, there is no remission(of sin)”(insert mine) (Hebrews 9:23b, NKJV); and Leviticus 17:11, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” (NKJV)

A cleansed heart comes prior to the word of our testimony enabling us to overcome in midst of trials and temptations. We have considered overcoming by the blood of the Lamb enabling us to renew our confidence in the power of the blood. We have reflected upon the apathy of our heart being only kindly affectionate to the Lord; responding with self-referential service in our commitment following Him. If the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts are not acceptable in His sight, then our words before the world and other believers will be as described in I Corinthians 13:1-3.

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love(agape), I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love(agape) I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love (agape), it profits me nothing.” (NKJV)

[If you have not read my previous three blogs, I encourage you to do so; and if you have not read the series about our nation being a ‘Nation of POW’s, I encourage you to do that too. It will give you a sense of what is my concern for this nation and the Body of Christ.]

I am convinced that “…we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12, NKJV). These are the same one’s that Paul listed in Colossians 2:15 as being disarmed at the cross. It is one thing to recognize this, it’s another to “…withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (Ephesians 6:13b, NKJV); and it is another to embrace Exodus 14:13-14. “And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, shall see no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold (be quiet) [textual insert] your peace.” (NKJV)

Prior to verse 12, Paul writes, Ephesians 6:10, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.” (NKJV) This is not our strength nor our power. It is not our ingenuity or cleverness. Paul is verbally preparing the brethren for the reality of spiritual warfare. And then in verse 11, he tells them to get dressed for battle. He enumerates the whole armor of God. In this same verse Paul tells us why we need the whole armor of God, so that “…you may be able to stand against the wiles (scheming) of the devil.” Skipping over to verse 14- 17, Paul mentions each piece of armor and its spiritual significance. The last piece of armor mentioned is ‘sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God’. It is this piece of armor that MUST (emphasis mine) be wielded daily; especially in the hour that we are living. Verse 18, Paul instructs us what to do. He says, “praying (emphasis mine) always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” (NKJV) Praying is doing spiritual Warfare With Words.

Here is my concern, Satan is seeking to control this nation, suppress its liberties, oppress God’s people, and dismantle its Constitutional government. This is not new news, it is apparent from watching and listening to what is going on in our nation. Is it possible that there are Christians being buffeted about by the ‘wiles of the devil’? Is it possible that there are Christians that are a law unto themselves, living ungoverned lives? I know those are strong words; but those realities are definitely possible when you listen carefully to what some believers are saying and doing.

This brings me back to my last blog. What is your relationship to the Lord? When Jesus says, ‘Follow Me’, what is your response? Is it one of indifference, based upon a kindly affection for? or is it a growing loving relationship? What are you struggling with during this time of being ‘shut in’? What is the Lord dealing with in your life? What is your attitude regarding what is going on in the world? What spills out of you when some one bumps your cup? (not an original thought of mine; I attribute it to Judson Cornwall, that will date some of us)

Our personal response to this current ‘shut in’ will have profound consequences in our individual lives as the God’s redemptive clock ticks forward to the end of this Age.

TBC

.Revelation 12:11 says , “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” (NKJV) [emphasis mine]

In the previous blog, the blood of Christ was the central thought. It was affirmed that the blood of Christ will never lose its power.

Charles Simpson has penned the following regarding the blood of Christ. in reference to Revelation 12:11. (context Revelation 12:7-12, New Spirit Filled Life Bible, pages 1833-34, The Weapon of the Blood).

“This passage portrays Satan as cast down to the Earth, confronting and accusing the citizens of the kingdom of God. The primary weapon of the people of God against Satan is the blood of the Lamb. The blood of Christ, the Lamb, causes the people of God to prevail because it answers all of the Enemy”s accusations. Satan controls and defeats humankind through guilt and accusations. He is a “blackmailer”. However, the saints know that the blood has satisfied all of the charges against them, joined them to God, and provided them with every necessary provision to defeat Satan. The blood has established an unassailable bond with a sovereign God that prevents Satan from separating the embattled Christian from God’s central and complete resources. God has declared us righteous and victorious through the blood of Christ.”

Praise the Lord, Amen, Hallelujah!

Revelation 12:12 continues, “Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

Quoting again from the Study Bible, regarding Revelation 12:12, it says, “The defeat of the Devil causes rejoicing among God’s people, but woe among people of the world! Note the intensification of evil workings of hell as the Age progresses and the Adversary knows he has a short time.”

We need to remember that there are two kingdoms maturing in these last days, the kingdom of darkness and the Kingdom of God.

Returning our attention to Revelation 12:11, let’s identify the pronouns in the verse: “…and they (those who are saved in Christ) overcame him…” (vs 9:, “that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan).

What does the word ‘overcome’ mean? Simply stated, it means “to get the better of in a struggle or conflict; conguer; defeat” (googled definition). Isn’t that a description of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done through His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension over Satan, death, hell, and the grave?

Paul writing to the Colossian church says of Christ’s redemptive work: Colossians 2:13-15, “And you being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all your trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. and He has taken it our of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made public spectacle of them triumphing over them in it.” (These words come to mind, ‘….victory in Jesus, my Savior forever, He sought me, and bought me with His redeeming blood…”)_

What does overcome mean for us as believers in Christ?

In each letter written to the seven churches in Revelation the Lord gives an admonition. The admonition is addressed “to him who overcomes” or “he who overcomes”. The admonition is followed by a promise that is predicated upon the entire text of the letter sent to each church.(See Revelation 2:1 – 3:22)

“OVERCOMES (notes from Study Bible for Rev. 2:7) is military terminology, suggesting combat against the forces of the Evil One (See Ephesians 6:10-18). All believers are overcomers, but those who remain faithful in the midst of persecution and doctrinal error give proof to their faith. This is the primary emphasis in Revelation…”.

Let’s consider what Jesus said to the Laodicean church? Revelation 3:19-22, “…as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be jealous and repent. Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him, and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My Throne, as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (NKJV)

So, what is the Spirit saying to the Body of Christ (The Church) during this time of being ‘shut in’? Is the Lord standing at the door of our residences? Is the Lord standing at the door of your heart? Is He knocking? Do you hear His voice? Jesus said in John 10:27, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (NKJV) (See John 10:22-30 for context)

[If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, then I want to encourage you to open the door of your heart and invite Him in as your Savior. The scripture says, ( Romans 10:8-13), “But what does it say? “The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. for the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame”. for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For whoever call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”] (NKJV)

Continuing now with what I believe the Spirit is saying to believers in Christ Jesus during this ‘shut in’..

When Jesus addressed the Laodicean church (Revelation 3:14-22) He said in verse 19, “as many as I love”, the word for ‘love’ was ‘phileo’ not ‘agape’. Phileo was the word that Peter used to express his affection for Jesus when Jesus spoke to Peter seeking to restore Peter’s relationship to Himself after Peter had denied Him three times prior to His crucifixion. Jesus hadn’t written Peter off; and neither has the Lord written off the Laodicean church.

(Please take a moment to read John 21:1-19.)

Jesus asked Peter if he had ‘agape’ love for Him (John 21:15). The only thing that Peter could say at that time was that he had ‘phileo’ affection for Him. ( flashback: remember the conversation Jesus had with Peter in the upper room prior to His arrest when Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him three times before the rooster crowed three times? See Luke 22:31-34.) In that dialogue, Jesus tells Peter that He has prayed for him “that your faith should not fail”. At this point on the beach, when Jesus is talking with Peter, I doubt that Peter remembered any of that conversation about Jesus praying for him. I would assume that Peter is steeped in guilt and shame. Jesus is compassionately seeking to restore Peter. Jesus knows the outcome of this moment with Peter. Look at Jesus’ words in John 21:18; what do the words, “Most Assuredly , I say to you…” reveal about the Lord’s prayer for Peter? Peter is going to make it!

Even though Peter can’t fully respond as he needs too at this moment, Jesus accepted Peter’s response knowing that Peter would come to the place of being completely restored because Jesus had prayed for him. In Jesus’ mind, the outcome was sure and secure. He could tell Peter what the future held for him. I doubt that Peter understood what it meant; but Jesus was very clear with His final words when He said, “Follow Me”. [If you go back to Luke 22:33, and look at Peter’s words to the Lord, little did he know at that time, that they would literally become true later in his life; that is what Jesus told him in John 21:18, and I think that the Apostle John bore witness to that in John 21:19, before Jesus said to Peter, “Follow Me”.

Jesus’ life was a testimony of overcoming. Jesus spoke these words to the Laodicean church, in Revelation 3:21, “I also overcame…”. John 16:33 (in the upper room) prior to His betrayal, arrest, and crucifixion, Jesus declares, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation (why, remember Revelation 12:9, the Devil has come down to us); but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. “The Apostle John in I John 5:1-5, assuring us that we too overcome in Christ, writes, “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whoever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (NKJV) Three times, John uses the word overcome. This word, overcome, is being ascribed to those who are ‘born of God’, ‘walking in faith’, ‘believing’ that Jesus is the ‘Son Of God’, who give ‘witness by the word of their testimony’, and ‘love God and keep His commandments’.

My encouragement is for each one of us ask the Lord to reveal to us our heart; specifically asking: if my heart is fondly affectionate (phileo) in following You, Lord ? ; or is it, “…a self-giving love (agape) that gives freely without asking anything in return, and does not consider the worth of its object? Agape is more love by choice, than phileo, which is love by chance, and it refers to the will rather than the emotion. Agape describes the unconditional love God has for the world.” (Study Bible Notes)

How easy is it for ‘phileo’, kindly affection, to become a complacent Christianity? It is very easy if there is no ‘intentionality’ in following the Lord. I believe that this is what the Lord wants to speak to His Church about during our ‘ shut in’. The Lord is asking, ‘What is your ‘intentionality’ in ‘Following Me’?

We are being told to remain ‘shut in’ for our own physical well being. I am not opposed to that. I am in the high risk category. I will be 77 in August.

Picture with me, the Lord standing at the door of your residence. The time has come when the ‘shut in’ is over. You open the door and the Lord says, “Follow Me”. Will you follow Him in the same ‘intentionality’ that you had prior to the ‘shut in’? or has it changed? Some of you may be thinking, what are you saying ? There are three possibilities and a lot of variations surrounding them.

You many be one who has a vibrant ‘agape’ relationship with the Lord and that relationship has been fine tuned during the ‘shut in’ and now you will follow Him with a new depth of understanding and in a deeper loving relationship.

A second possibility is that you have a working ‘phileo’ relationship with the Lord. You are fondly affectionate toward Him and you will resume your walk with the Lord in the same ‘status quo’ intentionality that you had before you were ‘shut in’. I am not questioning your salvation; I am asking you to inquire of the Lord to evaluate your ‘intentionality’ for Him and be willing to make any adjustments that He requests of you. Your intentionality may be one of convenience, beware of it becoming complacent, because as the spiritual tensions ratchet up, it will become more difficult and stressful to follow the Lord.

And finally, you may have a ‘phileo’ relationship with the Lord, that is very sporadic and routinely affectionate, depending upon the religious time of the year. You lean toward those that are characterized in the Laodicean church. Your walk with the Lord is lukewarm at best, and your Christian witness is a religious complacency. You may be one that the Lord is directly speaking to in His letter to the Laodicean church. But, remember His word to you, in Revelation 3:19, “As many as I love..”; the word that He uses to address the Laodicean church is ‘phileo’, the same word that He eventually used speaking to Peter. Just like Peter the Lord loves the Laodicean church, not just with phileo, but with agape. The first time the Lord asked Peter if he loved Him in John 21:15, He said, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these? He used the word agape. Peter could only respond with a phileo intentionality.

The Lord knows the heart of those in the Laodicean church. He spoke to them where there were at spiritually; but the Lord does not want to leave them there. He wants to minister to those in the Laodicean church. He wants to change their relationship from a lukewarm complacent lifestyle characterized as a extremely deficient phileo love to a vibrant agape relationship. I encourage you to seek the Lord; answer His knock on the door of your heart; allow Him to minister to you; ask Him for forgiveness of your lukewarmness; He will forgive you and renew your walk with Him. Jesus loves (agape) you.

Question: Again, when the ‘shut in’ is removed, and you return to your daily routine, will you continue in your status quo ‘intentionality’ with the Lord, or will you have been renewed in your walk with the Lord, and begin to’ Follow Him’ in a renewed agape relationship? [intentionality means the fact of being deliberate or purposive with regards to ones thoughts, beliefs, desires, hopes, directed toward some object or state of affairs-in our case-directed toward the Lord.] (googled definition)

The answer to that question rests in your response to the Lord knocking on the door of your heart while you are ‘shut in’ in the natural. It is time to open the spiritual door of your heart. Jesus wants to have a personal conversation with you like He had with Peter. He wants to ask you if you ‘love Him’.

I believe this is what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church: it is time to respond to the Lord’s knock on the door of your heart, it is time to open the door, to invite Him in, and to fellowship with Him. Allow yourself to be aligned with Him in an ‘agape’ relationship, then you can respond as an overcomer when He says to you, “Follow Me”. You will be able to walk in ‘A Renewed Confidence’.

There are many, I really don’t know the number, that are excited about where God is headed with all that is happening in His world. This is Our Father’s world. Some are believing that there is another ‘Great Awakening’ coming. Wouldn’t that be something? Are you ready to be part of it, if it does happen?

Consider this:

What enabled Peter to change from a ‘phileo’ relationship with the Lord to an ‘agape’ relationship with the Lord? It was Pentecost. The Lord sent the Holy Spirit just like He said He would. The Spirit was poured out in an upper room; people were amazed; and Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, preached Christ crucified; three thousand were saved; and the Church was launched.

Read Acts 2:1-47

It would not surprise me that a ‘rushing mighty wind’ is about to ‘blow’ over the face of Our Father’s world. People will be amazed. Christ crucified will be preached, and many souls will be saved.

Watch out God is coming!

blessings, deo

TBC

I ended the previous blog encouraging us to ask the Lord to forgive us of our sins; especially, our the words of our mouth that involve the sin of political gossip.

The hymn entitled, ‘What Can Wash Away My Sin’, begins with the question, ‘What can wash away my sin? and the answer is sung in the very next line, ‘Nothing but the blood of Jesus’. The hymn continues extolling the power and work of the blood of Christ.

What enables us to continue?

THE BLOOD OF CHRIST !

Andre Couch composed a song at the age of 14 entitled, ‘The Blood Will Never Lose its Power. The text of the song you probably know:

verse 1:

The Blood that Jesus shed for me, way back on calvary;

it’s that blood that gives me strength from day to day,

it will never lose its power.

chorus:

it reaches to the highest mountain.

it flows to the lowest valley,

the Blood that gives me strength from day to day,

it will never lose its power.

verse 2:,

it soothes my doubts and calms my fears, and it dries all, all my tears.

the blood that gives me strength from day to day,

it will never lose its power.

Chorus:

it reaches to the highest mountain.

it flows to the lowest valley.

the Blood that gives me strength from day to day,

it will never lose its power

Tag:

well it will never lose its power.

it will never lose its power.

Let’s stop and reflect about what is being said.. The Blood of Christ will NEVER lose its power, What does that mean? It’s power will never diminish, reduce in its ability to cleanse us from our sin; there will never be anything to take its place, overcome it, or be found to be more important or powerful to accomplish what Christ’s Blood has already accomplished.

Why? What does the scripture say?

Leviticus 17:11 says, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.” (NKJV)

Hebrew 9:20-22, says, “…This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you. Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no remission.” (NKJV)

Quoting from my New Spirit Filled Life Bible, it says, regarding verses 21-22, “The ancient tabernacle needed to be sanctified by the sprinkling of the blood. Nothing was considered as purified without the mark of the blood of the shed blood. The writer sees here a type of spiritual life. Apart from the shedding of Jesus Christ’s blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” (Page 1739)

In Hebrews 9:23-26, the (same) commentary continues, ” The OT sacrifices were only earthly copies of heavenly realities, which necessitated better sacrifices than the blood of animals. The complete adequacy of the sacrifice of Jesus offered is seen by the fact that it needed to be offered only ONCE.“

Hebrews 9: 11-15, says, “But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own precious blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” (NKJV) [boldness my emphasis]

The Apostle Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:17-19, “And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear, knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (NKJV) [boldness my emphasis]

I do not know if you saw it; but I saw something that I had never seen before, and I do not believe I have ever heard a preacher or teacher mention/preach it about the blood of Christ. The writer to the Hebrews and the Apostle Peter both said the blood of Christ was ‘precious’. [boldness my emphasis]

Guess what? I would need to do a Greek word study; and that is not something that I am used to doing. But I can look up the word and copy some things down for our understanding.

I found a website, greekwordstudies.blogspot.com.

This is what I gleaned.

1. the key verse using the word is 1 Peter 1:18-19 (which I quoted earlier).

2. the word precious in the Greek is, timios, it comes from a verb that means “to set an estimate on”.

3. the noun and adjective derivations mean honor, respect, and reverence for a worthy object or people and of being precious, dear or costly.

4. in the New Testament, the adjective timios has a two-fold meaning “costly” in sense of value, and “highly esteemed”.

5. it is translated as honored, dear, or precious, and is frequently used of things such as stone, wood, or fruit.

6. In Acts 5:34, Gamaliel was honored by all.

7. In Acts 20:24, Paul said of himself, “I do not consider my life dear to myself.

8. In Hebrews 13:4, it says that marriage is to be held in honor.

It is interesting that in Peter’s writings four things are described “of great value deserving highest honor and respect”

1. The promises are precious (2 Peter 1:4).

2. Our faith is precious (1 Peter 1:7).

3. The Son is precious (1 Peter 2:4,6).

4. The blood is precious (1 Peter 1:19).

“The blood of Christ is costly and precious because it is God’s blood (Acts 20:28), for Deity became incarnate in humanity; therefore, it is highly honored by God the Father. It was not silver that and gold coins (1 Peter 1:7) that set the Christians free from sin, but the blood of Christ.”

As the words of an old hymn says, “O precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow; no other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus”

I commend to you the following scriptures:

Ephesians 1:7, Ephesians 2:13, Colossians 1:20, Hebrews 9:14, I John 1:7, Revelation 1:5,;6, and

Revelation 5:9-10.

The Blood of Christ is without sin. It is pure, it has no defect, it is Holy. That is why the Christ Blood will never lose its power. It is the Blood of the Son of God, who is God, Himself. It is the Blood of the Perfect Lamb of God. This is the one, John the Baptist, declared, (John 1:29 NKJV) “…”Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

As I was working through his blog, it occurred to me that Christianity as a whole might have forgotten about the preciousness and the power of the Blood of Christ. As we follow the Lord, we cannot forget the power of Christ, the Lamb of God, Blood; and that it will never lose it’s power.

In a recent devotion by Jack Hayford, he reminded me of the power of the blood. His devotional was centered in the text found in Revelation 12:11. I would like to close this blog with that verse.

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” (NKJV)

The Blood of the Lamb will give you ‘A Renewed Confidence’ because the Blood will NEVER lose its power.

blessings, a brother in Christ, deo

TBC

The title for this blog is not of my own originality. I read these words during a devotional time. Christine and I are currently reading the Book of Isaiah. We are using Ray Ortlund’s commentary as we study the text. ‘A reknewed confidence’ were words that he used in one of his sections.

If you have read my previous blog series about our nation being ‘A Nation of P.O.W.’s’, then you will understand the backround for my following thoughts.

Our nation is being subjected to a constant barrage of verbal rhetoric that has been dismantling the confidence in our governmental system as a nation, destroying our way of life, slowly taking away our freedoms, and delegitimizing our Constitution.

I strongly believe that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Those were the Apostle Paul’s words in Ephesians 6:12. (NKJV). It is one thing to say this; it is another thing to “…withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (Ephesians 6: 13b, NKJV) That is why we need to pray for those in authority over us and that is why we need to prayerfully push back against the forces of darkness in the Name of the Lord.

But before we stand and speak words in prayer against the forces of darkness, we need to ask God to forgive us of our sin regarding how we speak and the words that we use.

The place of our beginning is repentance.

The scriptures have a lot to say about the words that we speak and how we use our tongue. The Book of Proverbs, the Psalms and the Book of James probably contain the most direct teaching about our use of words; however, we cannot overlook or minimize the words of Jesus about the responsibility of the words we speak and the source of our words. Consider Matthew 12:34-37 where Jesus speaks directly to the Pharisees regarding their insinuation that He performed His signs “by Beelzebub, the ruler of demons.” Jesus systematically and categorically dismantles their premise and castigates them, saying in verses 34-37, “Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it, in the day of judgment. For by your words you will condemned.”

In another incident involving the Pharisees and their questioning of Jesus about His disciples not following the “tradition of the elders” regarding the washing of their hands and the eating of food, Jesus, upon His completion of dialoguing with the Pharisees, speaks first to the multitudes to explain what He was saying to the Pharisees; and then He is asked by Peter to explain the parable that He used teaching the people. Jesus says to His disciples, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach an is eliminated? But those things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things that defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”

The Apostle Paul, writing to the Church in Ephesus, says in chapter 5: 11-12, “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 darkness.”

As Christians we need to watch what we say. We need to pay attention to the conversations we become engaged in with other people. Let me point out that it is easy to get involved in political gossip. Consider the words of the psalmist, David, who prayed, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice works with men who work iniquity; and do not let me eat of their delicacies.” (Psalms 141:3,4 NKJV)

Also, let us consider these words of David, who said to the Lord, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart , Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” (Psalms 19:14, NKJV)

In consideration of 2 Chronicles 7:14, that says, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” [ Let me insert here that in Isaiah 58 God’s people were going through the motions seeking God, fasting, and calling upon His name and He was not paying attention. Isaiah explains why?] Have you had anyone tell us what specific sin(s), what ‘wicked ways’, the Church needs to ‘turn from’? May I suggest that we need to turn away from political g.o.s.s.i.p. (gossip only shares speech injuring people).

Let me pose a question, based upon the words that you hear being thrown about in our nation daily, what would you conclude is the condition of the ‘heart’ of this nation?

Are we a nation of political gossip? Have, we as believers in Christ, allowed ourselves to get caught up in that political gossip, and thereby become ‘prisoners of words’?

At this time I would like to encourage you to reflect upon the passages of scripture that have been presented. Obviously, I need to apply them carefully and appropriately to my own life, and ask the Lord to forgive me of speaking words that are wrong as a believer in Jesus Christ. I need to ask the Lord to cleanse my heart. I need to set a guard over my mouth and not become engaged in political gossip.

Then, I would like for you to consider praying for our nation and asking God to forgive us for the shameful use of words that are spoken daily in our nation, and to cleanse the ‘heart’ of our nation.

Please pray.

TBC

In John 4, Jesus (the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Lewis’ lion, Aslan) is sitting next to a well (Lewis’ stream) at midday (Lewis’, in the sun). A woman ( Lewis’ Jill) comes from a nearby city (Lewis’ forest) to draw water from the well (Lewis’, drink from the stream).

Jesus engages the woman in a conversation requesting her to give him a drink of water. This startles her because she is a Samaritan woman, and He is a Jew. The social climate between the Samaritans and the Jews is very strained. One issue is that they did not use the same drinking and eating vessels.

The woman says, (vs. 9), “How is it that you being a Jew, ask a drink from me a Samaritan woman? For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.” Jesus answers her but His explanation goes beyond her inquiry.

Jesus answered and said to her, (vs. 10), “If you knew the gift of God, and who it was who says to you, give me a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

The woman becomes confused about what Jesus is saying, in the same way that Lewis’s Jill didn’t understand what the Lion was saying about there being only ONE (emphasis mine) stream.

The woman says to Jesus, ( vs 11), ” Sir you have nothing to draw with, and the well is very deep. Where then do you get that living water?

The woman continues. She knows the history behind the existence of the well and she explains it to Jesus; recounting, that this well was given to us by our forefathers, Jacob and his sons, and his livestock drank from it.

I wonder if this woman is thirsty. It is midday. She has walked from a nearby city to the well and she hasn’t had a drink to quench her thirst; but Jesus has piqued her interest in a different kind of water, something He called (vs. 10) living water.

Jesus says to her (vss. 13,14), “Whoever drinks of this well will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

What is the woman’s response? Is it similar to Jill’s response to the Lion, ” I suppose I must go and look for another stream then”; no, the woman said (vs. 15) “Sir give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” In essence, she is asking for directions to the well where she can draw the water that Jesus is talking about.

Like Jill who ‘stepped closer’ to the stream as she conversed with the Lion, this woman is being drawn closer to the ‘water’ that Jesus is offering her.

Jesus is now going to reveal that He knows the ‘well of water’ that she has been drawing from all her life and has never experienced a quenching of her thirst. Like Jill, she is ‘dying of thirst’. I suggest that she is hurting in her heart, soul, mind and strength. Why? because she has history of broken marriages.

The well inside her is not the well that she has come to today to draw water. Her well is a ‘well of broken marital relationships’. Her thirst for life has never been satisfied. Why? because she has been drinking from a well that did not satisfy the longings of her heart; she has not experienced a meaningful loving relationship.

Jesus, looking inside this woman, saw the hurt, and brought it to the surface through conversation (vss. 17,18). Jesus understands that if this woman continues in her current lifestyle she will continue to thirst again. Jesus is offering an alternative, living water, and has told her that she can “never thirst’.

The revelation of her failed marriages elicits an incredible statement from her (vs. 19). “Sir I perceive that You are a prophet.”

This conversation, that began quietly with a seemingly benign request by Jesus of this woman of “Give Me a drink” now becomes a conversation about worship.

The woman continues (vs 20), “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.” [ Let me interject, there are two streams (places) of worship, you Jew’s have one; and we Samaritan’s have one; which one is the ‘stream’ (place) of true worship?]

In verses 21-24, Jesus explains to her “what matters is not where one worships but the attitude of heart and mind. True worship is not mere form and ceremony but spiritual reality which is in harmony with the nature of God, who is Spirit. Worship must also be in truth, that is, transparent, sincere, and according to biblical mandates.” [New Spirit Filled Life Bible, copyright 2002,, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.; notes page 1449, 4:21-24.]

Jesus’s response to the woman is like the Lion’s response to Jill, there is only ONE stream.

All of this dialogue, going back and forth, results in another astounding statement by the woman. In vs. 25, she says to Jesus, (I assume face to face), “I know that the Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ) “when He comes, He will tell us all things.”

Jesus doesn’t flinch (He never does; I assume that He is speaking to her face to face), and He says, “I who speak to you am He.” There was probably silence. I can envision this woman soaking in the words that she just heard. I wonder what the expression was on her face?

Isn’t it interesting that many of the wells which mankind usually drinks from to quench their thirst have gone dry. What are you thirsting for? What is hungering in you to be satisfied? Are you ‘dying of thirst’ like Jill ? Do you have a well that has gone dry that you are longing for it to flow again so that your thirst may be satisfied?

Are there Christians, true believers in Christ, who are experiencing thirst because their well which they have depended upon has gone dry?

Isn’t interesting that many of the wells from which humanity has freely drank from on a daily basis to quench their thirst have gone dry?

Has the Lord dried up our wells, allowing mankind to become thirsty, so that we will turn to Him, the fountain of Living Waters, and be refreshed and satisfied?

Remember what the Lion said to Jill, who wanted to go and find other streams to quench her thirst, there is only ONE stream. Jesus called it Living Water.

{Some, at this time, may want to say to me: you are ignoring what is happening in world. Don’t you understand that we are in a serious situation? I most certainly do. I would encourage you to read my post regarding, Have we Forgotten God, and/or my posts regarding the Sovereignty of God. What we are experiencing is multi-faceted. God is at work in so many ways today in our lives. He is God, and He does not have to explain what He is doing. We need to remember that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life..” All of what we are experiencing is part of His Redemptive plan that will usher in His Eternal Kingdom, when Christ returns.}

God in His Grace and Mercy is awakening a darkened world to a HOPE that can only be realized in Him. That hope is found in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Please read Romans 5:1-11.

Back in the 1970’s, I received a teaching about Psalms 42/43. It was entitled the Unsatisfied Life. Many of us know how Psalm 42 begins. We used to sing a chorus using its words. Do you remember: “As the deer panteth for the water, So my soul longeth after Thee, You alone are my heart’s desire, and I long to worship Thee.”

Is that the longing of your heart? Are you thirsty for God? Are you experiencing an unsatisfied life?

Question: has the church been quenching its thirst from wells that have ‘quenched the Spirit’ and affected its worship? Is our worship self-centered or God-centered?

Jesus said, (vs.24), “God is Spirit, and those that worship Him MUST (emphasis mine) worship Him in spirit and truth.”

Psalms 42:2 says, “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”

The woman at the well told Jesus, there were two places to worship.

I submit to you that the two places of worship were idolatrous and religious.

Jesus said (vs.23) “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshiper will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.”

There will be no mixture. There will be a pure altar of worship.

I find it interesting that churches are closed for worship because of the virus. Is it possible that the church has become more interested in the place of worship instead of the Person of worship? Is God making a course correction in His Church? Look back at what Jesus said. What did Jesus say the Father was looking for? I need to ask myself, am I worshipping the Father in spirit and in truth? Are you? Is the Father pleased with the worship that His people if offering up to Him? or is their mixture? Is our worship self-centered or Christ-centered?

Let me close with a bold statement. This is what I believe the Spirit is saying to the Church.

The Lord has allowed the wells from which we drink the waters of worldliness .to dry up People are experiencing a ‘dying of thirst’. Question: What well of water will the Church start drinking from to quench its thirst once the wells are flowing again? Will the Church satisfy their thirst from the wells of the world or will they satisfy their thirst with Living Waters from the well of salvation?

Remember there is only ONE stream. A pure stream of Living Water.

I submit to you that the well you drink from directly affects your worship. If we are to worship Him in spirit and in truth, then you need to drink from His well of salvation and not drink from the wells of worldliness.

Jesus said, Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.”

Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, ” No one can serve two masters (drink from two wells, my emphasis); for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve (worship, my emphasis) God and mammon.”

Can the Church drink from the wells of worldliness and worship God in spirit and in truth?

I think NOT!, ask the prophets, especially Isaiah.

I commend to you Isaiah 12 for reading, study, and uplifting.

Be strengthened in Lord, a brother in Christ, deo

In Ray Ortland’s commentary on the Book of Isaiah, He shared a portion from C.S. Lewis’ book, The Silver Chair, to illustrate a point the prophet Isaiah was making to the nation of Judah.

I am going to use the material that Ortland used and apply it to the meeting that Jesus had with the woman at the well recorded in John 4.

First, I want to expand and paraphrase Ortland’s entry and incorporate quotes from both Ortland (O) and Lewis (L).

Picture a young girl, named Jill, coming into a clearing in a forest. In this clearing, there is clear, stream of water flowing with a ‘refreshing current’ (O). Jill sees the stream and wants to desperately get a drink of water. Jill is thirsty. She starts to rush forward and quench her thirst; but her progress is brought to an abrupt halt, …”she freezes in fear because a lion is resting in the sun right beside the stream.” (L)

Those familiar with Lewis’ series, The Chronicles of Narnia , know that the Lion’s name is Aslan and he represents Jesus Christ, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

The Lion engages Jill with a question. “Are you thirsty?” Jill replies, “I’m dying of thirst.” To emphasize the point, she repeats her words. “I’m dying of thirst.” ( L)

The Lion calmly replies, “then drink.” (L)

Jill wants too; but her fear immobilizes her. She hesitantly asks the Lion to leave. The Lion doesn’t budge.

“The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl.” (L)

She engages the Lion again and says, “will you promise not to – do anything to me, if I do come? (L)

The Lion answers resolutely, ” I make no promise.” (L)

Jill, then asks the Lion, “do you eat little girls ?” (L)

The Lion responds, “I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms.” (L)

Lewis interjects, the Lion “didn’t say this as if he were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.”

The Lion’s answer frightened Jill.

Jill responds, “I daren’t come and drink.” (L)

“Then you will die of thirst”, said the Lion. (L)

“Oh, dear!”, said Jill, coming another step closer. I suppose I must go and look for another stream then.” (L)

“THERE IS NO OTHER STREAM,” said the Lion (emphasis mine) (L)

We live in a world that is dying of thirst. Humanity seeks to quench its thirst from the many different streams that exist in this world. As the Lion said to Jill, there is only ONE (emphasis mine) stream that will quench her thirst.

Please read John 4:1-26.

Today (October 26,2019), I read that Kamala Harris made the statement “President Trump is a lawless President”. She continued, “Not only does he circumvent the laws of our country and the principles of our Constitution, but there is nothing in his career that is about justice, or in celebration of justice.” She was critical of President Trump receiving a “reward Friday for his work on criminal justice reform with the First Step Act, which allowed thousands of nonviolent offenders to gain early release from federal prison.”

I choose not to pursue the political right or wrong of her assessment. However, what perked my attention was the word that she used to characterize him. The word that she chose was ‘lawless’. That is a very strong word. Her choice to use this word activated my thinking to reflect on just how much ‘lawlessness’ there is in politics. Politically, acts of lawlessness, both in word and deed, are found in both political parties.

The definition of the word lawless says, “not regulated by or based on law”; “not restrained or controlled by law”; “unruly”; “illegal”.

It seems to me that much of what is done in our political system seeks to circumvent the law, ignore the Constitution, or pursue one’s own personal agenda. Therefore, any such action, that is not in keeping with a political party’s philosophical agenda is characterized as an act of lawlessness.

Is that rational? Is it tolerant? What kind of political atmosphere is set by such thinking?

I find it also interesting how selective individuals are with their word choices to imply the characteristic of ‘lawlessness’ regarding other people’s words and actions. They might not use the word ‘lawless’; but they certainly suggest it by their rhetoric.

However, ‘lawlessness’ implies recognizable moral standards, absolutes, and/or accepted guidelines for conduct. To imply one is lawless means that the person making an accusation of ‘lawlessness’ recognizes the conduct of another individual being in violation of, or is not measuring up to, an agreed upon standard.

The irony, that I perceive, is that one’s conduct or behavior that has been labeled as’ lawless’ may be, in reality, in keeping with an accepted standard; but has been judged as ‘lawless’ because the person making the claim of ‘lawlessness’ has no moral standard of their own. They have ignored the accepted standard, or they have misinterpreted the accepted standard to benefit themselves so that when comparing their personal interpretation to another’s ethical behavior, they view the other individual as ‘lawless’ to their own way of thinking.

Do you realize that Christianity is a ‘lawless’ lifestyle in the eyes of the world when it is compared to the standards of the world?

Christ is Christianity’s standard. We are being conformed to the image of Christ. Apart from Christ, we are a ‘lawless’ people.

The Church living like the world is ‘lawless’ when compared to the standard of Jesus Christ, who is God’s Word.

None of us are exempt from ‘lawlessness’. I John 3:4 says, “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.”

Because of Adam’s original sin, all mankind has a sin nature; and the fruit of our sin nature is to commit sin, which is ‘lawlessness’. Romans 3:23, says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”.

The notes in my New Spirit Filled Life Study Bible says regarding I John 3:4, “Sin is the spirit of rebellion against God’s law.

That was Adam’s choice when he chose to disobey the commandment given to him by God. His disobedience was rebellion against God’s Word. God had given to him a standard. God spoke it to Adam. Adam disobeyed the standard; therefore he was ‘lawless’ in God’s eyes (sin is lawlessness).

I will say it again,’ lawlessness’ implies there is a standard to obey.

The standard is Jesus Christ who is the Word of God.

Our disobedience is against God’s Word. We disobey because our sin nature can only choose to disobey. We are incapable of obeying God’s commands.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ, however, is good news.

G.R.A.C.E. says, God’s Redemptive Activity Changes Everything.

For He (God the Father) made Him (Jesus the Son) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (emphasis mine) 2 Corinthians 5:21

The incarnate Son of God (Jesus) is the Lamb of God (John 1:29) who takes away the sin of the world. It is because of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection that we can be born again (John 3:3-21) and receive new life in Christ. Christ’s shed His blood for the forgiveness of our sins, His death broke the power of death that governed our lives, and His resurrection assures us of our heavenly hope of living eternally in the presence of God.

Jesus committed no ‘lawlessness’. He lived a perfect life of obedience as the Son of Man. Acts 4:12 tells us, “Nor is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” – [And that name is JESUS. (emphasis mine)]

Romans 5: 12-21, compares the first Adam to the Second Adam, Jesus Christ. Romans 5; 17, says, “For if by the one man’s (Adam) offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”

The issue of the universe is obedience. Unregenerate mankind is ‘lawless’. By the grace of God, a man can accept the Lord Jesus Christ, and be freed from the bondage of ‘lawlessness’. A regenerate man/woman is a new creature in Christ Jesus. The Lord Jesus Christ lives in that person by the Spirit of the Living God. That person is redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, and a citizen of the Kingdom of God. Christ is the King of the Kingdom, now. Our life is governed by the Word of God and guided by the Spirit of God.

I made the statement earlier, that the Church is ‘lawless’ in the eyes of the world when compared to the standards of the world. Let me say, too, that Jesus, because He lived to obey and please His Father, was a ‘lawless’ person in the eyes of the Jewish religious leaders [read that statement carefully again]. He did not abide by their standards of religion. The Jewish religious leaders believed that they set the standards regarding the keeping of the law. Therefore, Jesus was ‘lawless’ in their eyes because He did not live according to their interpretation of the law and their traditions. But He did come to fulfill the law; and He fulfilled the Law perfectly. In short, that infuriated them because He didn’t do it their way.

Let me remind you, if you are going to be a follower of Jesus Christ, and walk uprightly before Him, and seek to obey His Word, then you will be a ‘lawless’ person in the sight of the world. Your obedience to the Lord is in direct conflict with the’ lawlessness’ of the world. That will get you into trouble. Jesus said. in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that you may have peace (what things? John 13,14,15,16). In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (Amen)

Why the conflict? The world is made up of unregenerate sinners; we are born sinners; we are unregenerate; however, in Christ, we are saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-10). Romans 12: 1,2 exhorts us, “I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service, And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Do you see that as you put off conformity to this world and put on Christ your personal standards change. You are conformed to the person of Jesus Christ according to the Word of God. Therefore, I submit, your lifestyle, conduct, behavior and thinking that is ‘lawless’ in the eyes of the world by contrast is ‘obedience’ to your Heavenly Father because you are in Christ.

As Paul explained in 2 Corinthians 6:11-7:1, “O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us, you are restricted by your own affections. Now in return for the same (I speak as to children), you also be open . Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said, I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God and they shall be My people. Therefore, “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.”

Remember the world is ‘lawless’ to God’s standard. Unregenerate mankind can only be ‘lawless’ before God. It is impossible for them to be obedient to God (See Romans 8:1-11). That is why God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever would believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

Question: How much of the world’s standard is found in the church today? I will put forth another question. How far removed from God’s standard of the Word has the church digressed? Or maybe, it would be better to ask, how much of the world’s standard do I struggle with in my own personal lifestyle?

I would like to close reflecting on Jesus’ words to His disciples found in Matthew 24.

Jesus said in Matthew 24 three things that stand out to me; and these three things I believe are extremely important in the hour in which we live and relative to what I have been sharing. The first is His response to the disciples question about when the end time events will occur. The first thing He said was, (vs.4), “Take heed that no one deceives you.” The second is found in verse 12, “And because lawlessness will abound, the love (agape) of many will grow cold.” And the third is found in verses 13,14, “But he who endures to end shall be saved, and this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come.”

Three important words, ‘deception’; ‘lawlessness’; ‘endures’.

The importance of understanding these three words impact the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom. That is what Jesus said.

Think about it, in the midst of increasing deception and lawlessness, we are told to endure. Endure to do what? Preach the gospel; how? by how we live our lives.

This is the task of the true Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

What standards do you live by? Are you a ‘lawless’ person in the sight of the world? Sending out His disciples to minister, Jesus pointed this out in Matthew 10:22, “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.” By the grace of God, we shall endure and overcome.

May our love (agape) for one another, and shown to the world, not grow cold as ‘lawlessness’ abounds. (Matthew 24:12)

a brother in Christ, deo

There is an active agenda that has been unleashed on the general public of this nation. At Dictionary.com, POP CULTURE is defined as “cultural activities or commercial products reflecting or suited to, or aimed at the general public.” That agenda is personally bashing another person. This seems to be the norm when one disagrees with another person. With that said, I would like to suggest that many in our nation are participating in a POP CULTURE that is engaged in bashing one person in particular. They are bent on Pressuring Our President.
This has almost become a national pastime. I find it ironic that the origin of this ‘POP CULTURE’ phenomena is Washington D.C., home to the Washington Nationals baseball team who won our nation’s national pastime championship.
So, what is the point that I am thinking about? Our nation is reveling in a P.O.P. culture (Pressuring Our President) that seeks to undermine him as a person, and consequently as the President of the United States. How? Let me made this P.O.I.N.T. They are doing this by the Pursuit Of Impeachment Nullifying Trump’s Presidency. This has become the national pastime of many politicians in our nation’s capitol. This is the game that they are playing.

Turning our attention away from this national pastime in Washington, I ask, what can I do as an individual? Or better yet, what should the Church be doing? How about if we make our own P.O.I.N.T.? Can I, can the Church make a counter-cultural point? Yes, How? pray. The P.O.I.N.T. of our prayers is to offer, Prayers Of Intercession Negating Turmoil. Remember, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness in heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12) We are in a battle of words.
We need to empower our own P.O.P culture, the Power Of Prayer. The Church is called to intercede for its leaders.( I Timothy 2:1-3) Prayer does change things. The Church needs to make its voice heard. The Church needs to make its petition to Our Lord Jesus Christ, The King of Kings, and The Lord of Lords. Let us beseech the Lord to make His will known and done on earth as it is in heaven.

Hebrews 4:16, instructs us and encourages us saying, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need.” (NKJV)
be blessed, a brother in Christ, deo

My premise is that this nation is a POW. By that I mean that we are Prisoners of Words. Just this past night (November 15, 2019) I reacted to an article that I was reading that I definitely opposed and found my self concerned over what I was reading strongly taking the opposite view. The next day, it occurred to me that I had fallen into the mental trap that I had been talking about in my posts. Duh! I had not separated myself from the verbal political assessment that was being espoused and assessing what I was reading in a rational manner. I had overreacted. I needed to back off, quiet myself, and pray.

As I have mentioned repeatedly, this nation is bombarded daily with words seeking to persuade us through constant repetition to conform us to a certain way of thinking that they purport to be the truth.

Have these words made us ‘whiners’ or ‘warriors’?

Do we have a voice? How do we respond? Do we even have a response?

I remind us again of 1 Timothy 2:1. This is a Biblical imperative. We are instructed to pray for our leaders so “that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”

This nation is not at peace, nor quiet, godly or dignified. this nation is in constant turmoil because of the clamorous words spewed forth, for and against, everything and everybody.

This is no surprise. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (ESV) says, “But know this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, unappeasable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power, avoid such people.” All those words speak volumes about our national condition and they only scratch the surface of our problems.

Why? We are at WAR. What kind of war? A verbal war.

I want to focus our attention on this significant battle that we are engaged in and one that many in our nation are not even aware of that is being waged. We are in a titanic spiritual battle.

The Apostle Paul (Ephesians 6:10-12 ESV) writes, “Finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of god, that you may be able to stand against schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

Using an acronym for the word, W.A.R., we are Wrestling Against Rulers.

The Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (ESV) “though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and bring every thought captive to obey Christ…”

How do we accomplish this? With words, not whiney words, but with the words of a warrior.

What are the words of a warrior? Words of Prayer.

{In the remainder of the post, comments in [ ] are my inserts}

The September edition of the Decision Magazine (September 2019, BGEA) is about prayer [how timely]. If you can obtain a copy, I recommend that you read it. There are three articles in this edition from which I would like to quote to help us understand the importance of prayer at this time for our nation. They are:

1. Franklin Graham, The Mighty Weapon of Prayer

2. Erwin W. Lutzer, Praying in a Pagan Land

3. John Piper, Life is War-Why So Many Christians do Not Pray As They Ought

I would like to begin quoting Lutzer. “Let us not be intimidated by a culture that wants to prohibit our obedience to God and worshipping Him.” “Let us not back off when laws are made that compel us to compromise our conscience or SILENCE [emphasis mine] our witness.” Lutzer writes in the headline of his article, Praying in a Pagan Land, “behind enemy lines, our mightiest weapon is wielded from a position of fervent prayer.”

The emphasis of Lutzer’s article is, “This is not a time for us to pray prayers of blessing without prayers of deep repentance. We have to call on God on behalf of His church, and yes, our nation and God’s witness in the world.”

Lutzer directs our attention to Daniel in the Old Testament (Daniel 10:1-21). Lutzer writes, “Daniel learned that earnest prayer also attracts the opposition of the spirit world. For weeks, he mourned, fasted and prayed without visible results.” [then Daniel received a visible result he wasn’t expecting] “…then in a terrifying vision, he heard a voice that assured him that his prayer had been heard as soon as it had been uttered [how many of us believe that about our prayers?], but the answer was delayed because “the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood the messenger until the angel Michael came to rescue him (Daniel 10:13).”

‘Words of Prayer’ bring spiritual opposition, Count on that! Let us not try to analyze why there was the delay, but let us concentrate on the fact that Daniel persevered in prayer. That is what is of foremost importance. What we learn from this episode in Daniel’s life is that he was in a spiritual battle for his nation. Daniel was a warrior with his words and his battle was real, difficult, and exhausting. That is what warrior/soldiers face in battle. This is what we will face going to prayer for our nation. And remember, Daniel’s battle was not against flesh and blood but against principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness in heavenly places.

John Piper writes, “The No. 1 reason why prayer malfunctions in the hands of believers is that they try to turn a wartime walkie-talkie into a domestic intercom.” He continues, “until you believe that life is war, you cannot know what prayer is for. Prayer is for the accomplishment of a wartime mission…we have so domesticated prayer that is no longer in many of our lives and churches, what is was created to be-a wartime walkie-talkie for the accomplishment of mission commands.”

Piper asks the question, “What have millions of Christians done? They have stopped believing that we are in a war. No urgency, not watching, no vigilance, no strategic planning. Just easy peace time prosperity.” [this sounds like what I am told many believers hear across our nation every week from the pulpit].

In his article, The Mighty Weapon of Prayer, Franklin Graham related that this past summer [ 2019], he “called on believers across our country to unite in prayer for President Donald Trump.” He shares that “It wasn’t really a remarkable request. The Bible specifically commands-not suggests-us to pray for our leaders.” (1 Timothy 2:1-3). Graham continues, “Prayer is most definitely a weapon-a mighty weapon wielded by believers in Jesus Christ against our most powerful adversary, the Devil.”

Such statements found in these three articles do not sound like words for whiners but words for warriors. Words for believers who are willing to go into spiritual battle for our nation. Read Daniel’s prayer in Daniel 9 petitioning the Lord for His people. Two years latter, Daniel found himself engulfed in a spiritual battle for nation recorded in Daniel 10. I believe the Lord is looking for people who will ‘stand in the gap’ and pray for this nation.

Let’s connect the dots:

1. Lutzer: Praying in a Pagan Land, our mightiest weapon is fervent prayer.

2. Piper: Life is War, until you believe that Life is War, you cannot know what prayer is for.

3. Graham: Prayer is most definitely a weapon-a mighty weapon wielded by believers.

I ask you [me included] to examine our prayer life. Are you a whiner or a warrior?

Are you, am I, willing to be serious with the Lord, regarding prayer at this hour in our nation?

The Body of Christ needs to Awaken to Pray.

a brother in Christ, deo