“For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy.  Mercy triumphs over judgment.  What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?  Can faith save him?  If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?  Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.  But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works….For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”  (James 2:13-18, 26)

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

     Many of those who choose to dismiss scriptural accuracy on the basis of what they call “contradictions” in the Bible often point to the above two references in order to illustrate that the Bible contains only man’s opinions.   How, they ask, can both writers (James and Paul) write such differing accounts of the means of salvation?  This misreading of the intent behind these scriptures is an easy mistake to make if we forget Isaiah’s words that “precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.”  When read as a totality, we find that there is indeed no contradiction between the two views; rather, Paul and James were addressing two completely different issues:  Paul was addressing salvation by grace while James was writing of the actions by which true believers may be identified. 

      In Paul’s epistle to the church in Ephesus, he rightly points out that salvation is by grace; “the gift of God, not of works.”  Nowhere does he suggest that we are in no way obligated to live after our salvation in a way that is worthy of this great and sacrificial gift.  We are saved through our faith by the grace of God, but if we refuse to walk with Him and do those things He requires of us, then it certainly begins to look as though our salvation was a transitory one; accepted possibly with a great deal of emotion and thanksgiving and then somewhat regretted when it is discovered that the Christian walk involves some discipline and sacrificing of the self.  Paul cautioned his followers frequently against allowing themselves to slip back into the sinful ways of the “old man” and gave constant encouragement to them to “let us do good to all…” (Galations 6:10) 

     When James proclaimed that “faith without works is dead“, he was not negating Paul’s words that salvation was the grace of God by faith alone, as has been suggested along with the notion that he was saying that works are needed to obtain that salvation;  but rather he was pointing out that faith that does not manifest itself  after  salvation in good works might not be a true faith to begin with.  In Matthew 22: 37-40, Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”  Can anyone one legitimately claim to love the Lord  and yet remain unmoved by the needs of those whom He loves for both physical and spiritual sustenance?   Consider this:  most of us have seen marriages or relationships in which one spouse or the other is neglected or abused either physically or emotionally by the other.  Usually, the abusive spouse claims to “love” the victimized partner.  Most of us, myself included, usually sarcastically think when we hear this,  ”Yeah, right!”  Because, of course, true love is not about selfishness and self-aggrandizement, but about giving and building up one another.  Loving God works the same way.  Remember, our relationships here in this life are supposed to reflect our relationship with the Father.   If we show no mercy on those whom the Father loves, He will show no mercy to us.  If we refuse to help those whom He would have us help, we are showing Him neither love nor obedience, no matter how strongly we claim to love Him, which equals rebellion against His word.  In fact, if we say we have faith but show it not in our works, then we are exhibiting only a dead faith.  Of course, this is one of the places in our lives where the “judge not” commandment comes into play, because only God knows the truth behind our actions.  There are, no doubt, many people who loudly proclaim the Lord and do good works ostensibly in His name, yet have very little real faith in God and refuse to obey Him in their private lives, preferring the kingdom of self-consequence to God’s.  On the other hand, there are many believers who remain unknown in the world but quietly go through their lives doing all that God has laid upon them to do; without fanfare or thanks they continue to bless those that they come into contact with by easing their burdens, by prayer and by their silent witness.

     Both Paul and James are explicit about the fact that the good works follow faith and salvation.  “Love your neighbor as yourself”  is secondary to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”  Many in today’s mainline churches are choosing to believe that the relief of poverty should be the main goal of the Christian community.  While it is undoubtedly the obligation of the Christian to provide relief for others insofar as he is able, we must never lose sight of the fact that our first obligation is to feed the spiritually hungry with the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Some in what are called the “emergent churches” feel that Jesus needs to be “repackaged” to be acceptable to those of other faiths, or to the unbelievers.  While a helping hand should certainly be extended to those in need regardless as to their faith background,  it is our duty and our priviledge to make clear that all help comes from the Hand of our Father God and from His Son, Jesus.  We help no one if we fill their stomachs but leave them to die in the sin of worshiping a pagan god.  Naturally, believers are not the only people who can do good works, but the works themselves are not the goal: the glorification of God is. Jesus wasn’t just a good man who told us to be nice to one another.  He came to bring us new life in God’s presence, and it is this that we must most share, which the false religions cannot:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

  He was and is the Son of the living God, and He has said that “he who is not with Me is against Me.”    His choice is clear.  We may either accept His free gift of salvation and live our lives in Him, or we can reject Him.  There is no in-between.  Are you willing to choose Him now?  Are you willing to walk in obedience to Him; to show your faith through your works and your love?

Maranatha!

Melissa 

“He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.  When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”  (Luke 11:23-26)

“For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.  For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.”  (2 Peter 3:20-21)

          Over the years I have heard several opinions on what constitutes the unforgivable  blasphemy against the Holy Spirit mentioned by Jesus in Mark 3:18 and Matthew 12:30-35.  Because these verses follow the accusation by the scribes that Jesus cast out demons by the prince of demons, many scholars believe that this sin belonged exclusively to the religious leaders in Jesus’ day and cannot be committed in the present day.  If these words were only directed toward those who accused Him of casting out demons using satanic power then that is a reasonable assumption, but I am not at all convinced that this warning was for them alone.  Jesus’ words recorded in chapter 11 of the Gospel of Luke warn us quite clearly that we need to be vigilant regarding our actions following our salvation.  His parable of the wicked spirit returning to the swept house tells us that merely cleaning our spiritual houses initially by receiving Christ is not enough–if we allow Satan back into our lives and homes after this, we would have been better off never to have stepped foot into God’s kingdom.  This, confirmed again in the third chapter of  Peter’s second epistle, would appear to be the sin against the Holy Spirit:  to have accepted the truth and love of Christ revealed to us by the Holy Spirit, and to prefer the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of the Light.  Further, Jesus again spoke similar words later in Luke’s Gospel: “And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him: but to him that blasphemes against the Holy Spirit it shall not be forgiven.”  This does not appear to be addressed only to the leaders, but to all who were listening.

     I don’t mean to turn this post into an argument about whether or not one can lose one’s salvation.  That judgment belongs to God and to God alone.  However, it cannot be denied that Jesus spoke several times of people who call themselves by His name but refuse to do what Scripture says is right.  In Luke chapter 6  He asks, “And why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do the things which I say?”  He also says that not all who call Him Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but those who do the will of the Father (Matthew 7:21-22).    Does that sound too harsh?  Does it sound to you like something that could not possibly have been said by the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world?  Sorry, but it was indeed Jesus speaking.  He is the Lamb of God and the Lion of the tribe of Judah: His  love is great and merciful and His sense of justice is always founded upon righteousness.  He knows our hearts; our innermost thoughts.  He knows the difference between when we truly love Him and when we love only the benefits we think will be bestowed upon us if we pay lip-service to Him. 

     Are we really with Him?  Are we willing to suffer for Him as well as to prosper through Him?  Are we willing to give up the evil deeds committed in darkness in order to walk with Him in the light?  If we have asked Jesus to dwell in our hearts and then choose to live in the darkness of our sins, trusting that Jesus will be so grateful to us for praying a prayer of salvation that He will overlook a continued walk in the presence of Satan, we are fooling ourselves into an eternity of hell.  An evil spirit and the Holy Spirit cannot be roommates within our hearts.  We can follow only one master.  Who or what will that master be?  Jesus said we are either with Him or against Him.   To tell God that we love Him but to refuse to follow what the Holy Spirit tells us is the path to truth is to offend Him.  Once we have truly met Jesus, which we can only do by revelation from the Holy Spirit,  to turn away in order to follow “the devices and desires of our own hearts” will bring our condition to a worse end than that to which we were headed before we learned the truth.’

     Jesus loves us.  He knows that even those who love Him in return will sometimes “sin and come short of the glory of God,” but He will lift us back up if we come to Him with repentent hearts.  Satan and his minions may try to tempt and attract us, but they are never allowed to overcome those who put their trust in the Lord.  The choice is ours; the victory is His!

Maranatha!

“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.”—The Third Commandment, Exodus 20:7

     What part of “You shall not” do we as Christians not quite understand when it comes to the third of the Ten Commandments?  The word God has given this particular sin is blasphemy.  Blasphemy, as the word is used in the Scriptures, is speaking evilly of our Lord; defaming His name either by word or deed.  It is to deliberately demean what is the holiest name in all of the universe.  That unbelievers take the name of the Lord in vain constantly is not all that surprising; that Christians often do so without compunction is both inexplicable and inexcusable.

     Some of the blame for the casual use of God’s name as a swear word may rest upon those in charge of many of our churches.  Even some preachers and priests use God’s name irreverently with frequency, and it is a subject rarely addressed from the pulpit although it is probably the most commonly-broken commandment.  To many, nowadays, I suspect the pervasiveness of violence, anger and mean-spiritedness has thrust the misuse of God’s name into a background of sins they consider to be of lesser importance.  God tells us clearly, however, that He “will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” 

     Doubtless also is the fact that the use of the names of God or Jesus merely as swear words in movies and on television has blunted our sensitivity toward blasphemy.  It is the rare television show indeed that avoids the phrases, “My God!” or “Christ!” although many shows carefully avoid the depiction of good Christians praying earnestly or any mention of Jesus in a worshipful manner.  When I was a child (right after we stepped off the ark), even the liberally-inclined Hollywood producers hesitated to allow even the bad guys to swear using God’s name.  Now it is so common that Christians rarely notice it unless the blasphemy against God is so egregious it is impossible to ignore, like comedienne Kathy Griffon’s offensive shout of “Screw you, Jesus! This is my idol now!” as she accepted her cable award.  The rationale behind this Christian acceptance of blasphemy seems to be a philosophical, “Well, it could be worse words they’re saying.”  I am not convinced that that is true.  While I know that we are to reject all uncleanness of language, blasphemy against God was considered by the Father to be of such importance that He placed it high upon the list of “You shall nots.” 

     When we first come to the Lord, it can take a very long time for the Holy Spirit to convict us of all those bad habits and sins that we continue to commit.  It may take years of work on the part of God to teach us what we need to change, and an extraordinary amount of self-discipline.  Sadly, since blasphemy is no longer considered taboo, many Christians may never even consider that each time they yell “Oh my God!” or forget to teach their children not to use the “OMG!” when texting they are abusing the name of God (taking it in vain) and are hurting the One who has granted us our salvation.  Will we be sent to hell if we slip up and break the third commandment?  No.  God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to take this sin along with all others upon Himself on the cross so that we might be saved,  but we can still wound the One who loves us and whom we love in return. Surely putting a watch upon our mouths and our hearts is an appropriate response to His great gift of mercy and grace.

Maranatha!

If we say that we have fellowship with  Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.  But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”  (I John 1:6-10)

He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in him.  But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him.  By this we know that we are in Him.  He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.  (1 John 2:4-6)

Whoever abides in Him does not sin.  Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.  Little children, let no one deceive you.  He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.  He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning.  For this purpose was the Son of God manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.  Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” (1 John 3:6-9)

     To one who has not yet been born again, this message from the first of John’s three letters must sound so contradictory as to be foolish.  In one breath John tells the church that Jesus has cleansed us from our sins and we are to live righteous lives; in the next he says that if we say we have no sin then we are without truth.  If sin is “of the devil” does that mean that if we sin we have forfeited our right to call ourselves by the name of Christ?  The charge of Christian hypocrisy keeps many people away from the truth of God’s word and has become almost a mantra of those who wish to remove God’s word from the public arena.  John was not fooled: he knew he was a sinner, which is why, in both instances, he used the pronoun “we”.  John was privy to the real truth: that Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin–continually.  It is not a one-step deal: Jesus cleanses us from all sin and we never sin again; but a continuing process of forgiveness for those who try hard to live in the light and love of God and to do His will.

     I wish I could say that I live a sinless life, but I cannot do so with any honesty at all.  I love God with all my heart, mind, soul and spirit, yet I frequently do or say things that directly contradict what God has said in Scripture that He demands of me.  Does that make me a hypocrite?  I don’t think so.  When I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit began to work immediately on my sensitivity to my own evil nature.  He never destroyed my capacity to sin, nor did He remove my free will to do so; He did put within me the ability to identify quickly those areas of my life, personality and spirit that needed to change.  He honed my conscience so that I become aware of, and therefore can repent of, sinful behavior when I commit it.  Each day I must offer up my sinful self to the Father and ask for His forgiveness and for His help in correcting my nature.  I have a tendency towards anger (hence all the posts I’ve written on anger, resentment and forgiveness!), and I’ve been known, when in a tantrum, to turn the air around me blue with language that should never come out of a Christian mouth.  Current psychological thought calls this being human and puts it down to childhood traumas, environmental stimulations and the stress of daily life; God calls it sin and says I must have no part of it.  I have a T-shirt which says “Lord, keep Your arm across my shoulder and Your hand over my mouth.”  It should also read “Wash out my brain with soap.”  Though the Lord has been working on me so long that I have more or less learned to keep my temper in check and to grant forgiveness much more freely than I ever would have before, my thoughts still tend at times to follow a path He does not want me to walk.  Remember, what is inside your head and your heart is just as important as what comes out of your mouth.   Jesus condemned adultery, but He also said that he who looks with lust on another has already committed adultery in his heart; those who hate or are angry without cause are committing spiritual murder.  I was told of a bishop who said that he had a member of his church with a beautiful wife, and he idly wondered what it would be like if neither of them were married and could see each other.  The Holy Spirit brought him up short, showing him that he had just “idly” sown the seeds of adultery and murder.   Taken to their logical conclusion,  Jesus’ words show us that theft, blasphemy, the dishonoring of parents, and all the other sins contained in the Ten Commandments can be conditions of the heart as well as sins of commission.

     Is it possible for Christians to be hypocrites?  Absolutely.  Any Christian who condemns sin in others and refuses to acknowledge his own sin is a hypocrite.  Although there are many pastors on television who are good and righteous men, there are others who preach more for the fame and fortune it brings than for the salvation of souls.  Don’t even get me started on churches that preach that God hates sinners.  God loves sinners.  He hates sin, but he loves sinners and sent His only Son to die a horrible death on a cross to pay for the sins of all who will accept His sacrifice and His grace.  He will follow the sinner all the way to the gates of hell in order to try to get him to choose life over death, heaven over hell.  A person who loudly proclaims the word of God in order to convict others of sin and then fails to repent of his own adulteries, abuse of others or pettiness of spirit is a hypocrite.  A person who claims to love God but refuses to try to love those whom He loves is a hypocrite.  (Note that I said “try” to love.  None of us have reached that pinnacle where we can freely love in the same measure as God does.)  He who says he is without sin is a liar and a hypocrite.  John asks the question (1 John 3:17): “But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?”  The Christian who says he loves God but refuses to help his fellow man is a hypocrite.

     There used to be a popular bumper-sticker: Christians Aren’t Perfect, Just Forgiven.   I don’t really care for Christian slogans as they tend to sound a bit smug, but it actually is true.  Paul said (Romans 3:23) that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  Like Paul, I have sinned and could be considered amongst the chief of sinners!  Praise God, for my Savior who continually cleanses me of all sin, and for my Father who promises to remember my sins no more!

     What is the best way to avoid hypocrisy?  As is the case with most questions pertaining to the will of God, the first step is to be knowledgeable about the word of God–in other words, read the Bible often and store up His words in your spirit.  Try daily to “put off the body  the sins of the flesh”,  remembering that you were buried with Christ in baptism and risen with Him through faith in the working of God.  Seek those things which are of God; put on the “new man” and strive to put off all anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language; replace the bad with tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering , forgiveness and love.  (Colossians 2 and 3)  Pray without ceasing.

God be with you all, my dear friends, and may He grant you an ever-deepening knowledge and love of Him.

Maranatha!

Melissa

“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.  As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.  Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.  The servant fell on his knees before him.  ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’  The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.  But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.  He grabbed him and began to choke him.  ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.  His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me; and I will pay you back.’ But he refused.  Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt.  When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.  Then the master called the servant in.  ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to.  Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’  In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.  This how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”        (Matthew 18:23-33)

     I’ve heard the comment recently from many people that everyone seems remarkably angry nowadays.  In general, I tend to agree.  Incidences of road rage are up; violent crime is rampant; filthy language masquerading as free speech is common; discontent with the government and disagreements  between political ideologies have led to extremely uncontrolled public confrontations.  Add to this mix the newish belief that “we have a RIGHT to be this angry” and the volatility of our society becomes more complete.  The world’s economic crisis being what it is and the moral neutrality we insist upon infecting even the Christian community, this situation is not particularly surprising.    What we who call ourselves believers must ask ourselves is this: do we indeed have the right to be this angry?  Is there a time when civility must be put aside in order to gain our advantage?

     There is such a thing as righteous anger.  Jesus Himself displayed it when He cast out the money-changers and merchants from the temple in Jerusalem. (See Matthew 21:12-13.)   He did not resort  to anger when He was arrested, nor when He appeared before Pilate and Herod, nor when He was nailed to the cross.  His anger was reserved for those who blasphemed by word or deed the holy name of God.  His anger did not manifest itself against those who were dying unknowingly in their sins–for them He showed compassion, mercy and the Way to eternal life.  He never showed anger towards those who could not accept Him, only sadness at their unrepentant condition.  He told His disciples (and therefore us) that “whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of judgment” (Matt. 5:22).  Now, I realise that “without a cause” may be a relative phrase, but it is important that we learn the difference between the world’s definition of sufficient cause and God’s definition of sufficient cause.  I am certain that the Lord becomes angry when we allow the abuse of children and those who are unable to care for themselves to go unchecked;  I believe He becomes angry when we allow our nations to turn their backs on His words regarding what is right and what is wrong in His sight, and when we bestow legitimacy upon the slaughter of our unborn or upon lifestyles He has condemned.   His anger is always righteous anger.  Is ours?  Or are we just reacting negatively to those with opinions that we do not share?  Are we allowing that anger to fester in our hearts until we can no longer feel love or compassion for those who have not yet come to a knowledge of the truth?  If so, then we also will come under the condemnation of Christ.  Further, what we do with that anger will make a huge difference to whether it will be acceptable to the Almighty or whether we will be condemned for it.  If our anger over the declining Godliness of our nations leads us to more boldly proclaim the Gospel of the risen Christ and to shine the light of His love more frequently into the dark places we encounter, then we are responding properly to the evil we wish to combat.  If we sound the alarm as watchmen on the wall and warn our fellow servants of the wrath to come , showing them at the same time that we are doing so out of love for them and concern for their eternal souls, we are channeling our anger properly.  If our language is bitter and as spiteful as that of the growing number of those who oppose the word of God, then we become worse than useless–we begin to work for the enemy. 

     There is, which is a great difficulty for many believers, sometimes a fine line between forgiveness and acceptance of evil.  Those who embrace the universalist point of view and believe that God, through Jesus, forgives all men of all sins whether they believe in Him or not, have crossed this line.  They refuse to believe in the God of scripture Who actively condemns evil and evildoers.  Even many well-meaning believers have come to the conclusion that there is virtue in bestowing their blessing on actions and behavior that God has forbidden.  We must never do this.  As Christians we are called upon to treat all people with respect and love, knowing that God loves us all and wishes for all to be saved.  We are also called upon to hate evil and to speak out against it wherever we may find it.  It is not always easy to reconcile the two duties.  We are to hate the sin, but love the sinner.  We are not to encourage the sinner to die in his state of sin.

     Let us say that we can show mercy and compassion towards those groups who oppose us in our walk with Christ, or towards those who we feel are leading our nation into ungodly ways.  Can we show that same mercy and compassion toward that person who hurt our feelings last night?  Toward that person who cheated us out of something we had considered ours by right?  Toward that person who behaved so unfairly or meanly  to us  that our hearts may be sore or even broken?  Jesus told Peter in Matthew 18:22 that we must forgive someone who acts against us “seventy times seven” times (490 times for those of us–like me–who have to work that out on paper).  Jesus knew how hard forgiveness comes for humanity.  Forgiving others is a choice we make, but it is not always an easy one, and it is likely to have to be repeated “seventy times seven” times before we get it through our heads that the forgiveness must be complete.  God said that He would forgive our sins and remember them no more, and that is how we are to forgive others.  We are to forgive them, and remember their sin no more.  Of course, we do not have the completely holy nature yet that God intended us to have at the time of our creation, and so we cannot truly forgive and forget as He does, but we can show compassion to our fellow servants in all situations, so that at Jesus soon return He will show compassion towards us.

Maranatha, my dear brothers-and-sisters-in-Christ!

Melissa

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in touble.

Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried

into the midst of the sea;

Though its waters roar and be troubled , though the mountains shake with its swelling.

There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.

God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her,just at the break of dawn.

The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Come, behold the works of the Lord, who has made desolations in the earth.

He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;

He burns the chariot in the fire.

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.    (Psalm 46)

     I’m writing this from a library computer.  At the moment I am living in a motel, homeless and jobless, and I am waiting upon He who is my “very present help in times of trouble.”   I am waiting upon His will and upon His word, and though I am (quite humanly and naturally) concerned, I am uplifted through the knowledge that God is still in control of everything that is taking place in my life.  I know that these vicissitudes are not judgments that He has placed upon me, for His mercy is good and His grace is unlimited.  I do believe, however, that the enemy is strongly at work in my life.  Now it is time for me to ask, “How did Jesus answer Satan’s attacks?”

     The first thing that came to my mind when I was trying to formulate a plan for spiritual warfare was Jesus’ confrontation with Satan in the wilderness right after His baptism.  When Satan tempted Him, suggesting that He turn stones into bread, Jesus answered “IT IS WRITTEN, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”  (Emphasis mine.)  When Satan suggested He throw Himself from the mountain because angels would come to save Him, He answered that IT IS WRITTEN that man should not tempt the Lord God.  In other words, Jesus answered Satan’s lies with the truths written in scripture.  He answered not with His own words, but with the eternal words of His heavenly Father.  I am certain that in this lies the answer to how I should approach my own spiritual battle.  For those of you facing your own battles, I believe this may be just as efficacious for you.

     First, remember that the battle belongs to the Lord.  He has won; He has overcome; He is the ultimate victor.  In His victory will we be victorious. 

     Second, I will speak the word of God in answer to every evil obstruction Satan throws into my path.  I will speak His word directly into every situation.  When the evil one tells me God is not listening to me or is refusing to help me, I will speak back to him:  “IT IS WRITTEN that when I ask any thing in His name, it will be granted to me.”  When he tells me that I will fail and starve, I will answer him:  “IT IS WRITTEN that the Lord shall supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”  When he tells me that all of this is happening because of the old sins I committed, I will tell him:  “IT IS WRITTEN that God has said He has taken my sin and cast it as far from me as the east is from the west and will remember it no more!”   When satan tells me that God will not help me because I have not done enough for Him, I will answer him:  “IT IS WRITTEN  that because I have set my love upon Him He will deliver me and grant me His salvation.”

     Oh, how wondrously sweet is the word of our God Almighty!  It is power and authority, comfort and hope to all who seek to know the mind and heart of God!  Read His word and keep it engraved on your heart and in your spirit!

Maranatha,

Melissa

“Woe unto 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)

“He that rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.” (2 Samuel 23:3)

     This will be my last post for a few months.  If you hear “TAPS’ playing in the background, that is the sound of my internet being disconnected.  While I have a tendency to mistrust modern technology, (yes, I know that sounds ridiculous, but remember that I grew up in the era of telephone party lines with rotary phones and black-and-white TV) I have felt blessed to have the opportunity to write for anyone who cares to read them the articles God has laid it on my heart to write.  Though I hope to be back online soon, I have a few more words for those who are undecided about their faith which I feel are important enough to print before I go offline.

   We have undoubtedly entered the time Isaiah was speaking about when he called woe upon those “that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light and light for darkness.”  The line between good and evil has become so blurred in our present day that even many of the churches that call themselves by the name of God cannot distinguish between the two.  Real Evil has been replaced in the minds of most by the “little e” evils of racism, poverty and not playing nicely together.  Don’t get me wrong: it is a sin for those following Christ to be racists or to allow those in need to go unrelieved if we have the means to help.  But these, which we now consider to be the greatest of ills, really are only symptomatic of the true evil:  we have chosen not to love the Lord our God with all of our hearts, minds, souls and strength; and we do not love our neighbors as ourselves.  We have convinced ourselves that our salvation and that of the world depends not on our receiving the finished work of Christ on the cross for our redemption, but on the pulling down of the barriers that have always existed between Godly behavior and the enemy’s lies.  In many places and in many hearts God has been abolished because He has imposed on all His children such stringent standards of right and wrong; specific behaviors to be encouraged and exhibited, others to be condemned and avoided.  In most free nations of the west, an attempt was always made to elect those who would reflect the values of a righteous God in their representations of our best interests.  Not all of those elected did reflect those values, of course, since we are dealing with fallen man, but it was generally acknowledged that no nation can achieve the blessings of God without trying to follow the will of God.  Here in the United States we have now elected an administration that prefers to adhere to the Marxist principles of government, to honor those living in ungodly lifestyles and to attempt to force those who know that it is sinful to remain silent in their knowledge, to keep the God of our creation and salvation away from the public eye yet to show respect and honor to false gods and those who worship them, to lead us into the New World Order–the global government that will take away our sovereignty and lead to the creation of the final government of the antichrist–and finally, to turn us away from our support of Israel, the land on which He has set His name.  Our leaders no longer rule in the fear of the Lord or according to His principles.  Unless we can completely reverse this trend that is quite too far along, the rendition of “TAPS” that will playing that time will be for the death of this nation’s greatness.

     Our righteous God is a God of love, yes, but He is also a God of judgment and justice.  He will never allow the principles of hell to invade His place in heaven.  The rapture is coming, as I said in my last post, but so is judgment.  Make your decision now, if you have not already done so.  Some are probably thinking that if all this is true then the decision for Christ can be made during the seven-year tribulation period.  That is, of course, true.  But, my dear brothers and sisters, if you fail to accept the gift of grace and mercy He is extending to you now, can you be certain you will be strong enough to accept them when doing so may mean your swift and ugly death?  When it will undoubtedly mean rooting through trash for food and struggling to find shelter since believers will never accept the “mark of the beast”? 

“And he (the false prophet who will support the antichrist) will cause all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: that no man might buy or sell, except he that has the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” (Revelation 13: 16, 17)

     God loves you.  Should you put off your decision to invite Jesus into your heart and your life, He will still love you and will still keep knocking at the door of your heart unless you commit the final apostasy of accepting the mark of the beast.  But why wait till then?  Repent of your sins, ask for His forgiveness and begin your new life–your new self–immediately.  Rest in the loving embrace of the Father now; assured that no matter what comes to pass, He loves you and you will spend eternity loving, worshipping and working for Him.  God loves you and wants you to love Him too.  If you don’t do so now, when will you?  Be ready, be joyful:  Become truly His child. 

Maranatha!  (Our Lord, Come!)

Melissa

—Usually these posts begin with a quote from Scripture.  I am departing from this custom today as I have a few thoughts I believe are important and need to be shared while I still can do so.  While I may be able to publish another post or two, it is probable that I will soon be off-line for possibly as long as several months.  In the meantime, I implore all of you who have as yet made no decision to accept Christ into your hearts to do so before it is too late.  Our time is growing short.

     In case I have never made it clear in previous posts, I believe that Jesus is coming to rapture (“catch up”) His church to be with Him soon.  Of course, “soon” is a relative word.  I cannot pretend to be able to tell you if this will happen tomorrow or next week, or in the next five years or in the next five minutes.  Only our heavenly Father knows the exact day and time of His return.  However, we are given plenty of information about the general time frame in which His return will occur; the countdown began with the rebirth of Israel in May of 1948.  Mark 14 tells us that the generation present when that occurred would not pass until the prophecies were fulfilled.  Counting generations as between 40-70 years (depending upon which scholars you ask), it is clear that we are living in the final days of what is commonly known as the “Church Age.”  This does not mean the end of the world–it signifies that we are about to enter the days when Christ will return to earth to  rule and reign for a thousand years (Rev. 20:6); the period we refer to as the “Millennial Kingdom.”  Before this time, however, there is to be a seven year period of tribulation upon the earth–the last, desperate attempt by satan to  steal and ruin what God has designated as His own.  It is also the period that God has set aside to redeem His chosen people, the descendants of Abraham, and bring them back into full communion with Himself. 

     God has declared “the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” (Isaiah 46:10)  The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Micah and Zechariah all warned of the tribulation hour to come in the last or “latter” days, of the satanically-driven world ruler to come (the antichrist), and the final wars leading up to the defeat of evil.  Jesus, in chapter 24 of the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 13 of Mark and chapter 21 of Luke, gave us the signs of the “birth pangs” of the end. Each of these signs (wars, fighting amongst ethnic groups, earthquakes, famines, pestilence, natural disasters) has been increasing in intensity for some years now.  2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 and chapter 3 of 2nd Timothy both relate how people on the earth will be behaving at the time of the end.  Although the rapture is only hinted at in certain passages of the Old Testament, the “mystery” (which in Scripture means truths that had not earlier been revealed) was clearly shown to the Apostle Paul as he recounts to us in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 and  1 Thessalonians 4:15-17.  It is also implicit in the Book of Revelation, the vision John received from God during his imprisonment on the isle of Patmos.  In this vision, John was shown what had been, what was at the present time, and what would be in the latter days.  Like Paul in 2nd Corinthians 12: 2-4, John was “caught up” into heaven at the beginning of chapter 4 in order to witness the time of the end:  it is most significant that there is no reference to a church being on earth from that time forward. 

An aside here:  if some of the imagery described by John seems bizarre in light of our world today, bear in mind that John was trying to describe things of which he had no personal knowledge, and were therefore almost indescribable. Technology was basically non-existent, so the words for some of what he saw would not enter our language for another two thousand years!

     Our history as God’s people basically begins and ends with the Middle East–specifically, Israel.  Over and over again in the Old Testament it is assured that the Hebrew people were the chosen wife of the Father, and it is on the nation of Israel that He has set his name.  Though twice dispersed throughout the nations as punishment for rebellion against God, God promised that He would eventually regather His people in the nation He had given to them through the covenant with Abraham (Genesis 17).  Though the second diaspora (dispersion) of the Jews seemed to be a pretty final one, and the nation of Israel ceased to be, Israel became the first nation to regather and revive under her original name when she was “born in one day” in May of 1948.  During the Six Day War in 1968, Israel succeeded in capturing much of the land now acknowledged to belong to her.  However, Zechariah 12: 2-3 tells us that God “will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.  And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.”  Beloved, can anyone doubt the fulfillment of this prophecy taking place in the world today?  The Islamic nations of the Middle East are surrounding Israel with no other intent than to see that Israel is destroyed as a nation and ceases to exist.  The United States, supposedly Israel’s closest ally, has at its head an administration that chooses to undermine the safety and sovereignty of Israel.  Although paying lip-service to Israel’s place as a friend of the US, the current President has behaved in an insulting manner to PM Benyamin Netanyahu, called for a halt to all Jewish building even in the indisputably Jewish sections of Jerusalem, and is insistent on a Palestinian state within the Israeli boundaries.  The recent attitude of the administration in conjunction with the United Nations in condemning Israel’s intervention of the terrorist-backed flotilla attempting to break the Gaza blockade and in signing UN legislation calling for oversight of Israel’s weapon systems without calling for similar oversight of the weapons developed in the surrounding Islamic countries proves that the US can no longer be counted upon to support Israel.  Although I believe a majority of citizens in the US are probably in support of Israel, there is little doubt that President Obama’s sympathies lie with the Muslim nations. This is not surprising: in his earliest published book “Dreams From My Father,” Obama makes the statement that he knew from an early age that if sides needed to be taken he would side with the Muslims.   He would do well to remember the Lord’s words from Genesis 12:3:  “And I will bless them [i.e., those nations] that bless you, and curse him that curse you.”  God will not long tolerate our rebellion against His word regarding that nation.  On the other hand, Scripture also makes it plain from the prophecy from Zechariah that this would indeed happen.  We can soon look to see proof positive that it is truly God Who protects His chosen people and not another nation or state.  “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; they shall prosper that love you.” (Psalm 122:6)  Of course, when we pray for the peace of Jerusalem we are actually praying for the return of our Lord; for there will never be true peace in the Middle East until Jesus is seated on the throne in Jerusalem!

     So, you ask, what has all this got to do with anything?  As I said at the beginning of this post, I may be off-line for quite some time.  Anything can happen at any moment.  Although there are still prophecies to be fulfilled before the time of the Millennial Reign, all prophecies have been fulfilled that MUST be before the time of the rapture of the believers.  If you are still spiritually sitting on the fence, get off it NOW!  When the time comes for us to be “caught up together in the clouds” a seat on the fence will equal a “no” vote for Christ.  The rapture could come today, tomorrow, next year, or in several year’s time, but it will surely come “as a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2). without warning.  Though many people will be saved during the seven year tribulation, most of them will pay for their new-found faith with their lives.  Now is the time to turn your lives over to the Lord; pray for forgiveness and be blessed forever by the grace given to us all through the shed blood of Jesus, our Christ.  Please, PLEASE, my dear brothers and sisters–turn to Him now, and experience the new life He will give you and the clean heart He will put within you!

I shall continue to pray for those of you who are undecided.  Jesus loves you so very, very much; so do I!

Maranatha!

Melissa

“Cry aloud, spare not;  Lift up your voice like a trumpet; tell My people their transgression…

‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen?  Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’…

…You will not fast as you do this day, to make your voice heard on high.  Is it a fast that I have chosen, a day for a man to afflict his soul?  Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes?  Would you call this a fast and an acceptable day to the Lord?’

Is this not the fast that I have chosen:  to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke?  Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh?  Then your light shall break forth like the morning,  your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.  Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ “  (Isaiah 58: 1, 3, 4-9)

     Fasting occupies an important place in the life of God’s people.  Jesus, Himself, fasted during the times of the  traditional Jewish holidays and told his disciples that certain diseases and demonic powers could not be cast out without prayer and fasting (Matthew 17:21).  He prayed and fasted before making all major decisions–for example, when He was about to begin His public ministry (Luke 4) and when He chose His twelve apostles (Luke 6).  Unfortunately, as with nearly all Scriptural precepts, we have a certain tendency to place too much emphasis on the act of fasting itself, and not to the state of the heart which must accompany the act.  Jesus addressed this tendency several times: in chapter 23 of the Gospel of Matthew He warns the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees against the habit of outward holiness and righteousness while allowing their inner being to be full of “dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.”  God, speaking through the prophet Isaiah centuries earlier, addressed this same tendency in His people to believe that the act of fasting itself, conducted without charity and/or righteousness, obligated Him to show them justice, mercy and restoration.  Following Him necessitates some sacrifices–but do we sacrifice according to His word?

     The word of the Lord is given to us “precept upon precept, precept unon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little” (Isaiah 28:13).  Every word He gave to us in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments is to be put to use in our lives for our benefit and ultimately for His glorification.  We are most of us already aware that our true purpose in being is to glorify Him who is our Creator, Father and King.  We are His because we worship Him and we seek to give Him pleasure.  However, giving to God through sacrifice is somewhat like giving a sacrificial gift to a friend:  we have to see that the gift is one that He desires.  There are many people who fast with frequency and give up things in His Name for a certain period of time, and I’m sure that God appreciates any effort that is made on His behalf.  He is a gracious and loving God, and I expect that He accepts our efforts even if they are slightly misguided ones as long as they are cheerfully made with a loving heart.  Those who fast and pray wishing to become closer to God will probably be granted their desire.  But those who fast with a grim determination to bring themselves to the attention of God and receive a particular blessing as a result are probably sacrificing out of  a greedy and selfish heart.  Those who say, “I will fast until God does what I ask (tell?) Him to do” are not fasting; they are on a hunger strike, trying to force the hand of God to move as they wish. 

     Luckily, we do not have to wonder what kind of sacrifice is most acceptable to the Lord in our daily lives.  While He has called upon us to fast and pray for our nations, His kingdom, our redemption and those around us in need of redemption, it is clear from the words of Isaiah 58 that it is His very real desire for us to show our love for Him in our love for others.  Are we really prepared to do this?  Can we learn that to give a “hand up” to those in need must come from a loving heart and a desire for them to get a glimpse of Christ through us?  How many times have you seen those who designate themselves as Christians metaphorically sweep their skirts to the side to avoid having to come into contact with someone who appears to be a person of the streets? I am not suggesting that panhandlers be handed money with which to buy drugs or alcohol (which is, indeed, sometimes what happens), but God has undoubtedly called us in the afore-mentioned passage to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, help house the needy, lift the burdens of the poor and oppressed.  While some pastors have made the point that the only thing that matters in the long run is how many people one has personally brought to Christ (thereby earning crowns in heaven), I am not convinced that they are correct.  I do believe, nonetheless, that how many people to whom we personally introduce the face of Christ is important.  Many of us have difficulty in orally testifying to the love of God to unbelievers. ALL of us can testify to the love and power of God in our lives by showing  those who may not know His name that He is a gracious God, through the charitable and compassionate way in which we treat others.  There is nothing that we can do or say that will make God love us more or less than He does at the moment we turn our hearts and lives over into His keeping, but when we act righteously in His name, and explain that all we do we do in the name of the Lord because of  His love for all His children, we are keeping the acceptable fast of the Lord.  When we treat our employers and employees as we would like to be treated, when we sit with a grieving or depressed neighbor when others hesitate to do so, when we help an unwed mother to see both her errors and the great gift she has been given, when we give food to the homeless and oppressed, we are keeping the acceptable fast of the Lord.  When we pray for the hungry in spirit, we are keeping the acceptable fast of the Lord.  I can almost hear somebody now–”But I thought that a fast meant you give up something?’  Very true.  Can you fast properly?  Can you give up old prejudices and resentments?  Can you give up feeling virtuous that you have things because you work while others may not?  Can you give up your pride or maybe even your social standing in order to visit with, comfort and love those who may have little education, upbringing, or even personal hygiene?  Can you give up selfishness and replace it with compassion?

     A popular joke in the church in which I grew up was “God loveth a cheerful giver, but He accepteth from a grouch.”   Not so, brothers and sisters.  He will use a “grouch” for good in the same way God can use all things and all people for good if He so chooses, regardless of their beliefs and hearts.  Solomon tells us (Proverbs 17:22) that “A merry heart does good like a medicine.”  God wants us to give out of a merry heart, for the correct reasons.  He tells us to give to the needy; not just those needy ones whom we consider to be worthy.  It is these people that we are not to judge.  “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink…”(Prov. 25:21).  In other words, introduce others to Christ who dwells within you.  This is indeed the acceptable fast of the Lord!

Maranatha!

“Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!  Let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your tabernacle.         

Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God.

Why are you cast down, O my soul?  And why are you disquieted within me?  Hope in God;

For I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.”  (Psalm 43: 3-5)

     Brothers and sisters, this last month has indeed been a rocky ride for many people who are believers.  As I have mentioned many times before, “the devil is come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time.” (Rev. 12:12)  I have spoken to people in the last weeks who have suffered horrendous financial setbacks, sudden and unexpected illnesses, relationship break-ups and emotional/mental/spiritual darkness.  My own situation has been appalling: so many overwhelming attacks against me that I feel it as I would a physical beating–except a beating would probably be easier to handle.  And we have all asked the same question of God: “Why?”   I hope you’re not expecting me to give you the answer here, because God has not yet answered this question for me.   He may never do so.  But He did ask me a question in return that made no sense at all in my mind until I had listened and prayed for some time–”Where do you want to be?” 

     I want to be in a place where I am not afraid.  I want to be in a position to continue in ministry.  I want to be in a life that doesn’t hinge on my dwindling bank account, on people who seem determined to ruin me or try to push me back a yard for every step I try to take forward.  I want to be somewhere peaceful.  Wow!  Tall order there.  Thinking over my answers, I figured they weren’t quite what God wanted to hear from me.  It actually took me a few days to realize what I was saying–I want to be with Him.  And God–because He is a loving and awesome God–told me, “You are.”

     Scripture tells us that we as believers should be in the world, but not of the world.  We all sort of understand the need to not go along with the sinful excesses our society has accepted, but it only recently occured to me that one of the main reasons we are not to be “of the world” is so that we can keep our hope and our focus where they should be–away from ourselves and on the One who gives us our very being.  God’s love is so great that He wants us to know that we can be in His kingdom, safe in His loving arms, despite illness, despite poverty, despite earthquakes, floods or famines.  We are a materialistic people, and we tend to cling so tenaciously to temporal things that have no meaning in eternity.  When I stand before God, He will not ask me whether I rented or owned my own home.  He will not ask what kind of clothes I wore or what kind of furniture I amassed or what kind of car I drove.  The only thing that will matter at all is that I tried to live in His Son. 

     There you have it, beloved.  When all the STUFF is stripped away; when our possessions, egos and pride of life  are taken out of the equation–then there is God.  He never leaves our sides even for a second.  Sometimes, though, we are unable to see or hear Him for the accumulation of stuff, or for the worry of having our stuff taken away.   We get sick and fear that God has left us.  Never!  He loves us sick or well.  He loves us whether we live in a mansion or the backseat of a car.  He loves us when we can hear Him, and even when we cannot.  He loves us during those wonderful moments in our lives when everything is going well and prosperously, and He loves us when we are under the attack of the enemy.  He does not forsake us. 

     Why are so many believers under such overwhelming attack?  Why doesn’t God deliver us now from the furnace?  I don’t know.  Maybe, just as satan’s minions are attacking in order to take as many of us down with them as possible, God is allowing us to be tried in the fire so that we may come out victorious–that our righteousness in Christ will shine forth in the end and bring others into the kingdom.  I believe that Jesus is coming soon.  Surely our hearts and minds should be firmly entrenched in doing all we can to please God, regardless of what our personal circumstances may be telling us.  Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself also in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.”  What could be the desire of the heart of any Christian but to see the face of Jesus!  To help bring others into His presence;  to, after all He has done for us, bow down before Him and give Him praise and worship:  to be with Him.

     I found, after reviewing my recent days carefully, that the worse things got, the less I studied my Bible.  I talked to God a lot but, looking back, it seemed more like a constant harangue than the prayers of a loving daughter.  That is changing immediately.   As soon as I recognized the pattern I returned to a regular time of Scripture study and prayer.  To anyone reading this who may be undergoing the same sort of problems, I would suggest that now is the time to take the Bible off the shelf and immerse yourself in the love of God.  Bending our wills to become the will of God for us can be difficult, but “I delight to do Your will, O my God: yes, Your law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8).   May He grant that it will ever be so!

Forever, Lord, will I praise Your Name!  You, who are the author of all life and love and creativity; beauty and truth and passion!

Forever, Lord, will I worship Your Name!  You, who have called me from death into life; from hell to heaven and from sin into righteousness!

Maranatha!