The Duty of Man
By Watchman | May 17, 2012
Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.–Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
And He said to them, “Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that does not believe shall be damned.” Mark 16:15-16.
Many of us who are believers are looking forward to the soon return of the Lord and to the eternity in His presence that He promised to His followers. We do not know when the day or the hour might be; but we have discerned the signs of the times just as He told us to, and we are looking up, knowing that our redemption draws near. (Luke 21) So where should we be while we are looking up? Should we be at home, so to speak, or in the fields when He comes? Why hasn’t He come already, given the ungodly climate in which we are living? Can we do anything to make Him come more quickly?
Paul tells us that the Jewish people will not turn to Christ entirely until “the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” (Romans 11:25) That means that there is a particular number of people who will accept Christ before the tribulation period is allowed to begin. Jesus does not want even one person to be lost, and so He delays His return until every person who will turn to Him without being caught in the middle of God’s wrath during the time labeled in the Old Testament as “the time of Jacob’s trouble” does so. We cannot make Him change His mind and come before the time appointed; however, what we CAN do is to continue in what Solomon said was our duty as people of God–to fear God and to keep His commandments, and to continue to do as Jesus told us to: to preach the gospel, baptizing unbelievers in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I am afraid that in some cases we are so busy looking up that we’re not paying enough attention to those around us we could be reaching for Christ–and in some cases, so busy defending God that we forget that our greatest priority should be introducing unbelievers to His reality and His goodness.
God is quite capable of defending Himself. At the exact moment He chooses to make it so, all of the heaven and earth will bow down before Him. Whether we argue for Him or not will not change this in the least; however, how many people will hear the truth before that moment may be dependent upon us and how willing we are to openly declare for Him and how fearlessly we may speak up against the powers and sinfulness of this present age. We are in constant attack mode against the powers that be in the government and in the media because we feel that we as Christians are being denigrated and marginalized. It appears to be difficult for us to understand that we are not the main targets; we are merely collateral damage. Christ is the ultimate target, and those who are most harmed by this onslaught of hatred against God’s laws are not believers, but those who are being kept from the presence of the Lord and His saving grace by a deliberate and evil agenda designed to condemn as many people to hell as is possible. Satan leads these attacks through our godless leaders and our godless press because he knows he has but a short time, and he’s determined to drag as many people down as he can because he knows it hurts God’s heart to lose anyone that He has made. Now, more than ever before in history, it is incumbent upon us who love the Lord to speak out against evil: Not because God needs our help, and not because we are afraid our right to freedom of religion will be lost; but because if we do not, some people may lose the only chance they might ever have of hearing the word of the Lord. If we say we love and obey Him, then we must speak–no, we must SHOUT out His commandments for all to hear! And we must not do so in anger or out of any self-serving agenda, but in love and out of a desire for all to obtain salvation and the healing power of Christ which can bind up every broken heart and every wounded soul.
—–We must speak out against the desire to take away the 10 Commandments (at least those that refer to God) from all public arenas. To so tamper with God’s law is a form of blasphemy.
—–We must speak out against gay marriage and homosexual agendas. They have been condemned by God and every kingdom that has allowed it to continue has fallen. We cannot allow those gays and lesbians who do not know the Lord to perish without at least knowing what they are doing and the sinful nature of their lifestyle.
—–We must be honest with the world about the condemnation by God of sexual relationships that take place outside of marriages. Living together is not the same thing as a union which has been sanctioned and blessed by God. (I care little if the government sanctions it, but a ceremony before God is a necessity.)
—–We cannot allow Mohammed or any other false prophet to be on an equal footing with our savior Jesus, nor can Allah or any other demonic false god be allowed to hold the same place in the world as God the Father.
—–We must tell as many people as we can that Jesus is the Christ and that His blood can cleanse them of all their sins if they will only repent and ask Jesus to be the Lord of their lives.
—–We must learn to fear God and keep His commandments instead of fearing what man can do or say to us if we speak out.
—–We must learn to trust God in these last days for protection and stop worrying about the possible outcome for Christians of today’s evil works. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Eph. 6:12) These powers and principalities have entered into our governments and our various media; into our neighborhoods and even some of our churches. Our duty is to fear only God and to shine the light of love and truth into the dark places of the hearts and minds of those with whom we come into contact.
Maranatha!
Topics: According to Scripture, Current Events and the End of the Age, Kingdom Living, Salvation | 1 Comment »
The Language of Love
By Watchman | April 18, 2012
When I say unto the wicked, “You shall surely die,” and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul. (Ezekiel 3:18-21)
…and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. (Acts 5: 40-41)
We have arrived at the day about which we were warned by the prophet Isaiah when he wrote, “Woe to them that call evil good and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20) Don’t believe me? Look around, and take note of what is happening around you. Pay attention to what behaviors and lifestyles are being encouraged; and what types of language are being encouraged as born of love and tolerance, and which are condemned as hate speech. Even many of the mainstream churches have so confused what is right and what is politically correct that they are no longer teaching the inerrant and undiluted word of the Lord, but have replaced Biblical doctrine with a feel-good, inoffensive social gospel that has little to do with the laws and commandments laid down by our righteous and holy God. Brothers and sisters in Christ: it is imperative that we understand the difference between the true language of love and that which is merely the language of pagan indifference to the word of God.
Today’s definition of love requires us to accept as right the sins of homosexuality, promiscuity, abortion and blasphemy. It requires that all people acknowledge, not just that some people live with different belief systems or lifestyles from ours and have a Constitutional right to do so, but that these different belief systems are all equal in terms of morality and righteousness. Those amongst us who speak out against these practices are labelled as “haters.” Naturally, I cannot speak for everyone in the Christian community, but I can answer some of the questions involved from my own perspective. Do I hate the sins of homosexuality, promiscuity, abortion and blasphemy? Absolutely. Do I hate those who practice homosexuality or are promiscuous, or have had an abortion or commit the sin of blasphemy? I do not; indeed, I love them so much that I desire, just as my heavenly Father does, that they repent of their sins, be forgiven for them, and spend eternity in the presence of Christ! I love them so much that I do not wish to see them spend an eternity in hell regretting their life’s decisions and wishing someone had cared enough about them to tell them the truth about what God expects of us and what Jesus did for us that we might receive a redemption we cannot deserve or earn. When I speak out against sexual sin, I am not exhibiting a desire for others to be shunned or harmed, but for those engaging in behaviors that God abhors to come to know the saving grace of our Lord Jesus. When I speak out against abortion, I am not condemning women who have undergone one to a lifetime of shame and self-loathing, but showing them their sin so that they might get back onto the path of righteousness. When I condemn blasphemy, I am pointing the way toward glorifying the Father.
No chastisement that Christians offer to the unbeliever or to the back-slidden should be undertaken in anger or bitterness. Christians must never use demeaning or degrading language when they are trying to convict the sinner of his/her sin. As I have pointed out numerous times, unkindness is also a sin. What we speak forth must be spoken in love and out of concern for those we are trying to reach. This gets harder as our time to spread the gospel grows shorter: the enemy, speaking through the unbelievers and those fearful of offending anyone with their beliefs, has no such restraint when attacking our point of view. The language (which is now considered the language of tolerance and love) of those who oppose the spread of the laws of God tends to be aggressive, angry, sarcastic and humiliating. To answer truthfully, mildly and lovingly is not easy, but we have the example of the apostles of Christ to follow. When humiliated for the name of Christ, they rejoiced “that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.” They were beaten, martyred, imprisoned, stoned and hated. We too have to “count it for joy” when we suffer for righteousness’ sake. We are true lovers when we tell others that when we were yet in our sins, Christ died for us. We are true lovers when we attempt to show others that we can die to sin and have victory over unrighteousness through Jesus. We are most truly loving when we declare to the atheist, to the Muslim, to the heathen, that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life: the only means of approach to God the Father. When my son was a little boy, I fed him good food–even when he wanted all sweets. I didn’t give him what he wanted always, because it would have resulted in his ill-health, making me a bad parent. By giving him what he needed rather than what he wanted, I was showing him love. We show our love to others by introducing them to God–what they need, rather than what they might want. Many times (maybe most times) it will make no difference–but at least the ones we have tried to influence for good will have been given a choice for salvation. If they choose not to accept it, that is on them. If we do not offer the choice, the result is on us as well.
Maranatha!
Topics: A Special Word for Today, Current Events and the End of the Age | 1 Comment »
Petition to Save Asia Bibi
By Watchman | March 27, 2012
This is the first time I’ve posted a request of this sort, but it is truly important that as many of us as possible sign a petition that has been posted online by the Voice of the Martyrs. Asia Bibi of Pakistan has been sentenced to death for her conversion to Christianity. She has not said anything derogatory about Islam; she has merely proclaimed the name of our blessed Lord Jesus as her savior. Voice of the Martyrs has begun a petition requesting that Asia Bibi be set free and the death sentence rescinded. If you are interested in signing it, you will find the petition at www.CallForMercy.com.
Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »
A Light Unto Our Paths
By Watchman | March 26, 2012
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Tim. 3:16)
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, extort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” ( 2 Tim. 4:2-4)
Several studies have recently been posted which suggest that American Christians are scripturally illiterate. Surveyor Rhodes indicates that 35% of all born-again Christians admit to not reading the Bible at all, while a Rasmussen poll claims that 44% of Catholics rarely if ever read the scriptures. Further, other studies show that of the Protestants who read the Bible, only 25% do so daily, with a majority reading it only during Sunday morning services. Naturally, this begs the question of whether or not Bible-reading is a strict necessity for the believer. I contend that it is, and that the current trend against scripture reading is posing a serious and dangerous threat to the spiritual well-being of those who like to think of themselves as Christians.
Without knowing the scriptures, we cannot know the mind and heart of God. Throughout the scriptures lie His commandments, His judgments, His loves and His hates. When we refuse to follow His will or submit to His judgments, then we are committing the sin of rebellion. Because He has given us this Book of knowledge of that which He requires of us, we will have no excuse with which to defend ourselves when we stand before Him to answer for our sins. Ignorance is no excuse when the means of education are within one’s grasp. God has told us clearly that promiscuity and homosexuality are abominable sins, yet many Christians refuse to condemn the behaviors. Why? I have heard many say something akin to “But I just feel in my heart that since Jesus is love, He would approve of all expressions of love.” Is this a scriptural thought? Not at all. Love is indeed a gift given to us by our Father in heaven, but certain acts or expressions of love are perversions of that gift and have been initiated by our demonic adversary. The idea that our thoughts and emotions can replace the word of God as revealed to us through the scriptures is at best self-delusional. That we can attribute our flawed and narrow emotional biases to our Lord is a lie that originates in the pit of hell itself. Our God is a holy God. He is just, merciful, kind and forgiving, but He loathes sin and will not allow it into His presence.
Without knowing the scriptures, we cannot properly spread the love of God to the unbeliever. When we choose to create “converts” by asking sinners to embrace Jesus because He loves them and will make them happy or when we offer up Jesus as a means to prosperity or self-actualization, we are not offering unbelievers what they really need: the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. We are not calling sinners to salvation but to a nonexistent God who chooses not to punish evil or call sinners to repentance. Under this banner, some churches are merging with and/or finding common ground with the Islamic church since, they claim, we both worship the same God. We emphatically do NOT worship the same God and in telling Muslims that their way of worship is valid, we condemn them to an eternity in hell. When we do not tell Buddhists, or Wiccans or Zoroastrians or whatever other demonic religion (or no religion at all) that people may belong to about the fact that they need to Jesus to save their souls from damnation and to unite them to God, we condemn them to an eternity in hell. Although in our politically-correct society many consider that to be hate-speech, it is actually the truest language of love. If someone for whom I wished to show love was in the street about to be hit by a car, I would be a poor friend or lover indeed if I stood by and watched without yelling a word of warning. If someone for whom I wished to show love was drowning in a pool and I stood there feeling badly for him or her and didn’t even try tossing in a lifesaver lying at hand, I might well be considered at least partially at fault for the resulting death. Yet many of us who are Christians do not know that God holds us partially responsible for the death of the souls of the unbelievers (Ezekiel 33).
Without knowing the scriptures, we can never receive the fullness of the promises that God has made us. Just as by not reading the Bible we cannot know His commandments and what He wants us to know about our behavior and our relationship with Him; we cannot experience the saving grace, the comfort, the depth of the love He has for us, the fellowship and the oneness He desires with us! Within the pages of the scriptures lie the answers to all of the questions we have about whether or not He pays attention to our lives on a daily basis; whether or not He approves of the actions we take and the lives we live; whether or not we can truly count on an eternity in His presence!
And yet, knowing all of this, and with access to countless versions of the Bible on the shelves in bookstores and in home libraries and on-line sites, only 25% of Protestants and 7% of Catholics read their Bibles daily, and many do not read them at all. Scriptural illiteracy leads to spiritual darkness. Some of the fault lies undoubtedly with the churches, many of which are not properly encouraging their flocks to read scripture for themselves and some of the fault lies in our own laziness and disinclination to apply ourselves to study that is not mandatory. However, Paul rightly told Timothy that study of the scriptures is necessary in order to teach and to encourage our brothers and sisters in the faith, and to keep ourselves and others from following false doctrines that sound good to our “itching ears.” We can be certain, as was both Paul and the great king and Psalmist David, that His word will always be a lamp unto our feet and light unto our paths!
Maranatha!
Topics: A Special Word for Today | 2 Comments »
A Final Chance Election
By Watchman | February 14, 2012
“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.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
“But if you turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you and go and serve other gods, and worship them, then I will uproot them from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.” 2 Chronicles 7:19-20
“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28
There is a popular notion amongst many mainstream churches that we have misinterpreted the word “fear” in reading of the fear of the Lord in scripture. Most would now have us interpret the word always as “to be in awe of.” And yes, in many instances in the Bible that would be correctly interpreted; it is not, however, the only legitimate usage of the word in connection with the Lord. While the soft gospel prevalent today teaches that God would never want us to be afraid of Him and is too loving to inspire fear, I suggest to you now that it is time to regain a healthy and real fear of the One who Jesus told us “is able to destroy both body and soul in hell.” God is love, but He is also our holy and righteous Judge who has no tolerance for the deliberate sins of a nation.
Most Christians in America are praying for revival and for the healing of our land. The question is: are we doing our best to elect leaders who will prepare the ground for that healing and revival? Like many people, I have been closely watching the campaigns of those who are trying to be nominated to stand in the next Presidential election. My fear is that too few people (including believers) understand that this election may be our final chance to convince the Lord that we are worthy of a stay of His judgment upon the United States. If we believe that the most important thing is to nominate a candidate who can edge out the current President, then we will fail to win God’s favor. If we cast our votes only for those whom we feel have a better understanding of the economic crises in which the world finds itself, then we will fail to win God’s favor. The coming elections are not primarily about the economy, our first and second Amendment rights, terrorism, illegal aliens or social welfare–although all of these things are important. The coming election will determine whether we have chosen to fear the Lord or whether we have chosen instead to abolish Him as the head of this nation and to permanently entrust it instead to the hands of fallen men. This may well be our last chance to turn the country back into the nation it was created to be–united under God to establish His glory and to be a beacon of light to the poor in spirit of all lands. The nation is not prospering because we have offended the Lord.
We have promoted the notion that marriage is not really necessary in order to have children. As a result, nearly half of all children are now born out of wedlock and will grow up without the necessary fatherly guidance that has strengthened the family since the beginning of time. Many of these children are living in poverty and are growing up to believe that sexual promiscuity is a natural human condition and so the cycle will continue. Few are being taught the 10 Commandments or any respect for the dictates of the Lord–they are not taught to pray or to hold fast to any sense of morality. We have no fear of the Lord.
Adultery is commonplace now, yet God thought that the marriage covenant was so sacred that He included the law against adultery in His commandments. Jesus Himself believed it to be so sacred that He added that even to look upon another other than one’s spouse with lust was to commit adultery in the eyes of God. Yet we have no fear of His judgment. We fill our spirits with movies and TV programs that promote blasphemy, sex, deception, lying and cheating and believe it has no effect on us as people and no effect on our relationship with Him. No fear of the Lord.
More and more states are allowing the marriage of homosexuals, and those who speak out against the sin of homosexuality are now being accused of “hate speech.” Yet God specifically states in His word that homosexuality is an abomination in His eyes. We have no fear of the Lord.
As Christians, we are now being encouraged to embrace Islam and incorporate some of that demonic religion into our worldviews because, after all, “there are many roads to God.” However, Christ told us that “narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it,” (Matt. 7:14) and that He was “the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) We are asked to believe that Allah and God are the same being, but any study of the laws laid down by God and those laid down by Allah through Mohammed will instantly prove that they have nothing in common. Our God has spoken to many prophets, and His word has proven sure and true throughout the ages. He will never allow us to give His glory to another. (Exodus 34:14) In a misguided desire to placate the growing radical Muslim population, we have ceased to love them. If we loved them, we would be gently but urgently showing them that the Holy Spirit of God and the demonic spirit Allah can never reside in the same temple. We would be far more inclined to follow the commandment of Jesus to “go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Our current administration is no longer properly supportive of Israel; instead it is attempting to gain the trust and admiration of the Muslim majority in the Middle East. Israel is the nation on which God has written His name, and He early on promised to “bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you.” (Genesis 12) One of the reasons the US has been so greatly blessed in the past has been its staunch support and love for the nation of Israel. When we begin to draw away from that support of God’s chosen nation, then we receive His curse instead of His blessing. We no longer appear to have a proper fear of the Lord.
So what does all this have to do with the upcoming elections? A great deal. If we can nominate and then elect candidates who exhibit some real and substantive intent to govern in a way that is pleasing to God, who will encourage the nation to return to its godly and righteous roots, then the hand of the Almighty may well be with us once again. If we, the voters, demonstrate that we understand that God is on the throne and that we need to grant Him the honor and duty that He both deserves and commands, the devastation that is facing the country may be averted. If we do not, then He will uproot us as He has said, and will cast us out of His sight, and will make us a proverb and a byword among all people. (2 Chronicles 7:20)
Show fear–awe- at the wondrous ways of the Lord and praise His name! For He has sent His Son to cover us in the redemptive power of His shed blood! He has made a way for us to be snatched from the fires of hell to which our own actions and sins condemned us and to be made whole, healed and sinless in His sight. Show also the true fear ( in the usual sense of the word) of Him who can destroy the body and soul of the wicked in hell.
Maranatha
Topics: A Special Word for Today, Current Events and the End of the Age, Kingdom Living | 2 Comments »
Rejoicing in the Word of God
By Watchman | February 2, 2012
Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law….And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground… and the Levites helped the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place. So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading. And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” …And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them. (Nehemiah 8:1-3, 6-10, 12)
The book of Nehemiah recounts the story of the return of some of the Jews to Jerusalem after the first diaspora and the rebuilding of the wall surrounding Jerusalem; the above passage takes place after the building of the wall, the hanging of the gates, and the registering of the people by genealogy. The first action of the governor (Nehemiah) and the Levite priest Ezra was to gather the people together in order to reacquaint them with the Law of Moses. The people stood quietly for hours listening to the Word of God and to the explanations of the passages given by the Levites, then wept and lifted their hands in praise and supplication and worship. They then went home and celebrated with great feasts because they had heard and understood the laws and goodness of God. How different from today’s reaction to the Word!
Can you imagine, dear brothers and sisters, calling together all your friends and family and neighbors together and reading them Scripture for hours; telling them about the way to salvation and the wondrous and awesome authority of our omnipotent and holy God? Can you imagine them being so overcome with repentance that they begin to weep in sorrow for their sins, and then to lift their arms in praise and celebrate heartily because they now understand the redeeming power of the love of the living God? Probably not. To our twenty-first century ears, this sounds like a fairy tale which has nothing to do with our reality today. Yet these people, sinful and unlearned as many of them must have been, were the chosen people of God, a fact that they had deep down never been able to forget. They had sinned against God and, as a result, had been dispersed amongst the nations, but God in His appointed time brought them back to the land He had given them, and they were now remembering their position as the wife espoused by Jehovah God. Why does that same rejoicing not take place in the world today?
God is once more in the process of calling His chosen people out of the nations to which they were sent at the time of the second diaspora and has re-established the nation of Israel, just as He said He would thousands of years ago; many are grateful for the chance to return to the land on which God has set His name, but still have not admitted the power of God to rule His nation. We who are believers in Jesus as our Lord and our King may be grateful for His salvation and redemptive power, but are we truly rejoicing in His Laws and His Word in the same way the original returnees to Israel did? Are we, who until recently were assumed to be a Christian people, ready to turn our country over to the authority of God? It would appear that we are not. Though most people in the US still identify themselves as Christians, it would seem to me that most mean simply that they believe in some sort of Creator, and are not Muslims, Buddhists or active atheists. It is far more important in this world to not offend those who don’t believe in our God and His Son Jesus than to offend God Himself. Scripture, even in many of our churches, is being so diluted that it is no longer recognizable for what it is: the inerrant word of our righteous and holy Father. Instead of rejoicing because God gave us a way–in the Scriptures–to know His will, His mind, His heart and His laws, we are instead choosing to elevate to the point of idolatry the will of fallen men. A warning here: God will not allow this to stand. He is just and mighty and He will not give His glory to another.
In one way, we are far luckier than those long-ago Jewish worshipers: we have the Word. We do not have to wait for a gathering in which God’s word can be read and explained to us; we may pick up our Bibles daily and hear His voice speaking to us through the pens of Moses and the Prophets and the Apostles of Christ. We can give the word to others as well; we can lift up our hands and bow our faces to the ground, and rejoice for the Word of God is as alive today as it was when whispered into the hearts and minds of the prophets! We can celebrate with music and feasting and thankful hearts that we can hear and receive the eternal word of God; and we should rejoice, for the kingdom of God is at hand!
Maranatha!
Topics: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Who Is Your Father?
By Watchman | January 19, 2012
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.”–(Matthew 23:15
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it….He who is of God hears God’s words, therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” (John 8:42-44, 47)
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. (Romans 8:14-17)
A dear friend and sister in Christ was recently disturbed by a relative’s assertion that God would not condemn the sinful lifestyle of a mutual acquaintance because, after all, “we are all God’s children.” Until she mentioned this to me and asked my opinion, I had considered neither the phrase nor its accuracy, but I immediately recalled all the times I have heard it from the lips of other Christians. Along with that recollection came certain scriptures to my mind which give the lie to the idea that all people are children of God. Are we, in our desire to spread the love of God, sometimes guilty of condemning friends or family members to never receiving the redemptive forgiveness of God by refusing to show them that being a creation of God is not the same as being a child of God?
We are indeed all creations of God, and we know that He hates nothing that He has made. God does not want to see any person go to hell–not one–so He sent His sinless Son to bear our sins and die on Calvary’s cross so that we might be spared eternal damnation and be washed in His shed blood, able to stand in righteousness in His presence. This was Jesus’ supreme sacrifice for us, and He proved the truth of all He taught in His time on earth by His glorious resurrection and His ascension to the right hand of God. Jesus provided the way for us to stop being a condemned and sinful people and to become children of the Most High God. We are born in sin, but we are adopted into the family of God ( Romans 8 ) by our faith in Jesus Christ upon our profession of repentance and upon our asking for God’s forgiveness.
Jesus Himself called the Pharisees of His day “children of hell.” Is it possible to be at one and the same time a child of God and a child of hell? I think not: as I’ve said before, the Holy Spirit and a demonic spirit cannot live in the same room. He spoke of those who are “of your father, the devil.” Can one be both a child of God and a child of the devil? Never. Those who never hear the truth and believe the lies of those who are against the Son of God will never be allowed in the kingdom of God. We do no favors for those who are dying in their sins if we sugar-coat the reality of the consequences of refusing to acknowledge and accept the commandments of God. By speaking only of His love (which is very real and very powerful), we do not encourage those who are lost to repent and be saved–and salvation can come only with repentance. Love is not God’s ONLY attribute. God is Love, but He is also just, mighty, holy and righteous. He hates sin. He will never allow sin into His presence in heaven. We are not born children of God, but He has provided the Way for us to be adopted into His family and to become His sons and daughters. Does that mean that we will never sin once we have become His adopted children? Of course not. But we are to be constantly aware of our sin nature and to eschew those thoughts, acts and words that are displeasing to Him. “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) This is a continuous process, praise God!
Current wisdom (or ungodliness, depending on your point of view) tells us that to condemn certain behaviors as “sinful” or “of the devil” is wrong: intolerant and offensive. We who are believers, however, as children of God, answer to One who is all good and all knowledgeable. He has told us to sound the alarm to warn the lost of their sin and their need of repentance and salvation. When we tell those whom we know to be lost that they are children of God, we are allowing them to continue on the path to their own destruction. God must be served, whether or not to do so is politically correct. He has told us that a day of judgment is coming upon the earth, and that we may be held accountable for some who fall because we did not sound a warning.
A little aside here for some of my female readers: Some versions of the Bible have changed the words “sons of God” into “children of God” or “sons and daughters of God” because many women object to being left out. I have a belief that this may have been deliberate on the part of God. Understand, this is not church doctrine, merely my own opinion. In the days in which the scriptures were written, women had very few rights personally, religiously or socially. Jesus was definitely speaking to both men and women when He addressed crowds–I believe that He was conferring all the male rights of “sonship” -which women were denied in society- on women who accepted Christ as their Savior. In those days, the rights of the sons were more important than the rights of daughters–in Christ, they gained equality!
For those of you who are already children of God–be blessed and joyful in the Lord your God. Stay uplifted in spirit knowing that Jesus loves you and is coming soon to renew and redeem all that belongs to Him.
For those of you who are not yet children of God, remember that Jesus said that “He that is not with Me is against Me.” (Matthew 12:30) If you are not a child of God, then you are of your father the devil and you are lost. It is not too late, though, to change your mind and your heart. Jesus died for your sins as well as mine–repent of all evil and turn to the One who offers you everlasting life, and become a true child of God!
Maranatha!
Topics: According to Scripture, Just A Thought | 2 Comments »
Imagine…
By Watchman | January 9, 2012
“Imagine there’s no heaven; it’s easy if you try. No hell below us; above us only sky. Imagine all the people living for today…Imagine there’s no countries; it isn’t hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for and no religion too…”–John Lennon
The late John Lennon once boastfully asserted that the Beatles were more important to today’s young people than God. Whether he was correct or not I cannot say (though I doubt it), but I do know that his popular song “Imagine“ caught the attention of millions of people, and caused many young persons to believe that only God and patriotism stood between us and a perfect earth. It probably will not surprise anyone that I have a different view of what we should imagine: Imagine what would happen if we followed the example of our Lord as well as we should.
Imagine if we were to abide by the Ten Commandments. Copies of these have been removed from our public schools, our courtrooms and our government offices as being violations of the separation between church and state. But let us pretend that none of the foundations for the freedom from religion existed, and that the commandments remained as a daily reminder of what is right to our legislators, our judges, and our children. Imagine what the results would be to our families and communities if we eschewed blasphemy, disrespect and dishonor, theft, violence, covetousness (greed) and adultery. Only then could the brotherhood that Lennon claimed to have wanted be an actuality.
Imagine if we were to truly fulfill the Great Commission–to go and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. If each of us who are believers were to proclaim the goodness of God to our neighbors and to the world, inciting others to follow the blessed teachings of our almighty God and to worship Him alone, what a powerful force for good we would become! Would it end the threat of attack from other nations and ideologies? Probably not–the wars begun because of the evil perpetrated by the demonic forces we know as false gods will continue until they are permanently stopped by the return of our Lord. Nevertheless, what a difference we could make in our own world!
Imagine we do as Jesus would do! Jesus told us to “love one another as I have loved you.” If we could only take that love and shine its light into the darkness of wayward and broken hearts and minds, how many souls might be saved who are now treading the path to hell? Imagine that, instead of reacting in anger to those who have harmed us or who are living in the grossest sins, we prayed for them always as Jesus did–”Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.” Imagine blessing those who are angry with us for our love of God instead of cursing them. Imagine that, instead of debating for years over how many and what kinds of people should receive food stamps or other government aid, we heeded Jesus call to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, clothe the poor, visit the friendless and love the unlovable. Imagine if, instead of paying for extra cars or televisions or unnecessary wardrobes, we spent our extra dollars buying food for those in our neighborhoods who are most in want, clothes for those who are trying to find jobs but haven’t decent clothes in which to go to interviews, help for those addicts who want treatment but don’t know where to go to get it. Imagine a time when the healthcare controversy could gain no momentum, because families, friends and communities would rally around to help during times of illness. Imagine a suicide rate that declined to nothing because no person had to go alone, heartsick, friendless and frightened of the future–when those who are desperate could be introduced to the saving grace of God!
Yes, Lennon was wrong, as I’m certain he now knows. Imagine if we all kept heaven and hell in our sights every day and in everything that we did! Imagine the result if the world were to “love your enemies, do good to them which hate you. Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you” ; if we were to “lend, hoping for nothing in return“; to “be merciful, as your Father is merciful“. (Luke 6) Imagine looking upward to heaven each day for strength and wisdom and goodness, knowing that the heavenly Father’s reward is for eternity, and bringing that knowledge to others–as well as taking to them the knowledge of the reality of hell. Imagining no heaven and no hell and no God can never bring peace and brotherhood, for love exists only where God is. Where God is lies salvation, kindness, eternal life, friendship, joy, abundance, peace, forgiveness, glory and justice. Imagine that!
God bless you all, my faithful brothers and sisters in Christ!
Maranatha!
Topics: Just A Thought | 2 Comments »
A Season of Gifts
By Watchman | December 18, 2011
She brought forth her first-born Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. “ (Luke 2:7-12)
The early Hebrews were much more likely to record the date of a person’s death than the date of his birth, so naturally we are uncertain as to in what month our Lord Jesus was born. It is, in fact, unlikely to have been in December since the weather would not have permitted shepherds to be living out in the fields. Although I have addressed this in these pages nearly every year, I think it is important to be able to satisfactorily respond to those who accuse us of creating a holiday that shows either our ignorance of the Bible (since His birth probably did not occur on December 25) or our desire to perpetuate the pagan winter solstice celebrations under the false guise of Christianity. I’ve noticed on Facebook that several Christians have posted some extremely harsh judgments on those who celebrate Christmas, declaring that since the Lord never told us His birthdate or directed us to honor it, then we are under condemnation of sin for doing so. On the other hand, the now-yearly war has begun between those who insist each retailer direct their employees to say “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays” and those who refuse to entertain any acknowledgment of Christ in respect to Christmas in any public venue. How we have managed to introduce controversy and intolerance to what should indeed be one of the two most blessed seasons of our year!
To begin with, I suppose I should announce right away that I love Christmas. I love the lights, I love decorating the Christmas tree, I love the carols and the Christmas movies and, yes, I love the gifts. Most of all, I love remembering each year the miraculous gift of a loving God–our God who sent His Son, begotten before all the world, to the earth as an infant to bring light and salvation to a dark and fallen world. God Himself (as Jesus is one with God, by His own words –John 10:30) became incarnate to live the pure life none on earth could so that He could present Himself as a spotless sacrifice in payment for our sins and so bridge the chasm we had erected between God and us, and enable us to live in eternity with Him. How could we not love, commemorate and celebrate this awesome event? How could we not want to give gifts to those we love to remind them of the one true gift of God that He gave us: a Saviour born in a stable so long ago? Yes, the date on which we celebrate Christmas was set by the early church deliberately to be close to the winter pagan rituals–to shine a Light that no amount of time or hardship could dim, and to expose to the Light the evil that had crept into the world! Jesus is the Light of the world, and He shines as brightly today as He did two thousand years ago, and His word will light our paths until the end of time. Surely this is something to celebrate!
Some of our traditions and customs have come over the years from various parts of the world, but that does not make them pagan in origin. Our beautifully decorated Christmas trees represent the death and resurrection of our Lord, and the new life to be found in Him. Our candy canes proclaim Him the Good Shepherd who spilled His blood for our redemption. Our Christmas carols and our creches proclaim the nativity story to those who may not have a chance to hear it otherwise.
Like many of you, I am offended by the current administration’s refusal to refer to Christmas. The United States was founded as a Christian nation on Judeo-Christian principles, and when we elect a government that will not acknowledge the supreme right of God to rule our nation, then we begin to fail as a nation. This is happening now, as political correctness has seized the nation and the White House and instituted the intolerance of allowing God into our public squares and our public policies. As I have mentioned before, this is not a war against Christmas; it is a war against Christ. However, how we choose to respond to the growing secular nature of Christmas goes to the heart of what Jesus has said we are to do as His followers. Yes, we are bound to make known our beliefs to those in power–respectfully–whether or not they will hear us. But when it comes to how we deal with it in the private sector, it is important to remember that our first duty is to introduce Jesus’ love for us to those who need to hear the Good News. How I wish that all the energy expended in boycotts of stores that advertise “Holiday Sales” would be directed toward spreading the love of God to those who are tired and overworked in these stores as they struggle to support their families! I believe much more good could be accomplished by using the time taken to distribute petitions demanding that businesses all use the word “Christmas” to instead walk into these establishments and wish the employees a blessed Christmas, or even to see if there is something you can do to aid someone there in the name of Christ. Inviting a lonely unbeliever to spend Christmas with you in an environment in which they can, without pressure, experience the presence of the Holy Spirit may do more to bring someone to Jesus than all the protests all rolled up into one could have done.
What a wonderful time of the year this is! God has given us the greatest gift of all, and Jesus is our Lord! God cannot be diminished, no matter how far into rebellion our nation goes–He is in control, now and forevermore. What a great reason to celebrate! No anti-Christian sentiments, no lack of money, no politician or political system can change the fact of our loving God. What will you offer to Jesus this year on the day on which we commemorate His birthday? What He wants is your heart and your life turned over to Him. That’s right! Invite Him to spend this holiday with you, and He will give you eternal life and a place in His kingdom. All He wants in return is your sinful, broken self! Out of whatever sinful life you may have led, out of the pain and loneliness you may be feeling, He will begin to mold and remake you into the person He knows you can be: righteous, and in His own image. He will forgive you for your rebellion, love you, guide you, make you whole again. He will be your Father, and will see you as His beloved child. What a gift, and what a beautiful season it is in which to accept it!
Speaking of gifts, I want to thank all of you who have been faithful in reading the Watchman on the Wall for the last few years. Your words, whether comments after postings or e-mails, have been such a blessing and a delight to me, and have encouraged me to keep going when I became uncertain whether this blog was helpful enough to continue. You have truly gifted me, and I thank God for you all.
Merry Christmas!
Topics: Special Seasons of Worship | 2 Comments »
“I Have Been Told by the Word of the Lord”
By Watchman | December 3, 2011
So they saddled the donkey for him; and he rode on it, and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak. Then he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.” Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.” And he (the man of God) said, “I cannot return with you nor go in with you; neither can I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place. For I have been told by the word of the Lord, ‘ You shall not eat bread nor drink any water there, nor return by going the way you came.’” He said to (the man of God), “I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’” (He was lying to him.) So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water. Now it happened, as they sat at the table that the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back; and he cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord, and have not kept the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you, but you came back, ate bread, and drank water in the place of which the Lord said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water,” your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.’” So it was, after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, the prophet whom he had brought back. When he was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road… (1 Kings 13:13-24)
The above excerpt from the book of 1 Kings was nothing more than an aside written into the story of King Jeroboam’s wicked reign over Israel, but it is nonetheless one of the harshest stories of God’s judgment to be found in the Old Testament. A prophet of God was struck down for his disobedience against God’s word after he was misled by another (lying) prophet. The story sits uneasily upon those who prefer to thing of God as a gentle and loving God who would never act against someone who believed in Him. Why, since it really is not a necessary part of the history of Jeroboam, would this even be included in the Scriptures? I believe that God has a particular purpose for everything that is included in Scripture, and I believe that one purpose is to demonstrate an object lesson for people throughout all the ages of man; not just those being addressed or chronicled at the time. In the case of the story of the man of God, I think God has given a warning: not, this time, to the unbeliever; I believe He instructed this story to be included as a specific warning to those of us who call ourselves men and women of God.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we know (at least in part) the mind and the heart of God. His mind is revealed to us through the Scriptures; we know what He finds good and we know what He deems to be evil; what is acceptable to Him and what is an abomination. The love and righteousness of His heart was brought to us through His only begotten Son, and His words have been whispered into our spirits and written on our hearts by His Holy Spirit. Yet how often we become confused, even to the point of active disobedience, by the words given us by others who claim to be speaking for Him!
A dear friend of mine was talking to me the other day about the duties of those of us who have been called in these last days to be watchmen on the wall for “such a time as this.” Like Esther, we need to start preparing ourselves to go before possibly antagonistic beings in order to properly proclaim the name of the living God. We are running out of time. More and more people are dying in their sins for lack of knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus our Savior, and we are helping to turn their itching ears to false doctrines and doctrines of devils because we are afraid to listen to the truth of what God tells us. Many of our dominant mainstream churches are afraid to speak boldly about sin and the need for redemption because they are afraid of losing their tax-free status if they condemn immorality. They are afraid if they condemn sin, their congregations will dwindle and the tithes and offerings will lessen. Many who call themselves evangelists are aware that people prefer to hear sermons explaining how God wants all of His people to be wealthy and happy to those that teach that God hates sin and will punish the sinner. So many of us can say “Jesus loves you” but have been influenced by politically-correct thought into believing that trying to convict people of their sins is hateful and counter-productive. Is this the word of God? No, but many Christians believe and follow these false doctrines because they take what spiritual leaders say without consulting either God’s commandments or Jesus’ words, nor do they “try the spirits” before they change their stance. Often there is enough half-truth to some of the lies that only studying the word of God can bring the real truth to light. Liberal clergy have eliminated the concept of “capital S” sin by focusing only on the general “small S” sins of humanity without realizing that making people play nicely together without repentance for the sin nature and individual evil with which we are born and for which Jesus died does not save the soul or renew the spirit. Some fundamentalist believers spew fervent hatred of those who do not believe or who commit sins without showing the loving spirit which Christ demonstrated in wanting people to turn away from their evil and be granted eternal life in Him. Both the liberals and the meaner-spirited of the fundamentalists can point to a few Biblical passages that seem to prove their points, but both mislead their flocks and cause them to believe lies. For those of us who lead or teach others, we must diligently study so that we are certain that we know the heart and mind of God. If we fail those who listen to us by teaching lies and becoming false prophets, God will not hold us blameless when the time comes to judge those souls. We have been told by the Word of the Lord.
Yes, the story of the judgment on the man of God from the book of Kings was harsh, but it speaks to us today as clearly as if the Holy Spirit had whispered it to our hearts this morning: we have been told by the Word of the Lord, and we are not to turn away from His spoken word. Not for any reason; not out of fear, or tolerance, or being mislead by another person posing as a prophet. We listen to Him, and to Him and His word alone.
Maranatha!
Topics: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
« Previous Entries