Covetousness and Black Friday (Part 2)

My husband and I were discussing why today is called "Black Friday". When we thought about the word, "black", it made us think of darkness. As Christians when we think of darkness, we think of sin or the Prince of Darkness - Satan.

So, let's take a minute today and think about Satan's description. He comes to "lie, steal and destroy." Satan's first assault on us is to get us to doubt God's Word. In Genesis 3:1, he approached Eve with the thought, "Did God indeed say?" So today, Black Friday, he comes to us and asks us "Did God indeed say - 'Thou shall not covet'?" Then he proceeds to put in front of our eyes all the things that the world goes after for their source of happiness in life. We fall for this lie by thinking that God does love us and He certainly wants "good things" for us, etc. Just like Eve, before you know it - we have rationalized away God's Word on our lives!

Satan's next characteristic is to steal. How many millions of Americans are out in the stores today spending money that they don't have by putting it on credit cards? I was taught when I was young that if I didn't have money to pay for something and I took it anyways - I was stealing it!! If you've got the money tucked away to pay off that credit card immediately, then I wouldn't call that stealing. But if you are getting something, KNOWING you don't have the money for it and probably don't have the money to pay off your credit card - that is called "stealing" and it is breaking another one of God's Ten Commandments!

Satan's ultimate purpose in life is to destroy YOU! So, he is lying to people today, he is stealing from people today, and when this is all over with - he will have destroyed many lives today because of the debt they have just added to the already heavy economic load they are trying to carry.

As Christians, God has called us "OUT of the darkness, into His marvelous light"! (I Peter 2:9)Hear what God has to say about "Black Friday" in 2 Corinthians 6:14-17: "What fellowship has light with darkness? .....What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For YOU are the temple of the living God. .....Therefore, Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you."

We are called by God to be the "light of the world" (Matt. 5:14) Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven." (Matt. 5:16) Letting our lights shine in today's darkness, means being bold enough to take a stand and to be different from the world around us. Don't "turn off" your light by joining the darkness around you and living in disobedience to your God and His Word!

Covetousness and Black Friday - Part One

OK, Christian brothers and sisters. Where are you today, the day after Thanksgiving which is now being called "Black Friday? No doubt you just got done yesterday being very spiritual, thanking God for all the many blessings He has bestowed on you. No doubt the last thing you would think of doing yesterday or today would be to deliberately SIN against Him when He suffered and died for you. Right?

I'm going to review this one again, which I posted on June 8, 2010: What is Sin?? Sin is lawlessness. (See I John 3:4). Lawlessness means "without law". God's law is found in the Ten Commandments, and one of those commandments specifically says, "Thou shalt not covet"! But as in Genesis 3:1 when Satan came to Eve and asked her, "Did God indeed say?", so today many of God's people are listening to that same voice.

As Christians we need to recognize the voice of the enemy and CHOOSE to OBEY the voice of our God! In Colossians 3:5 God says we are to put to death "covetousness, which is idolatry." Hmmm, ever think you are practicing "idolatry" when you are practicing "covetousness"? That isn't the end of what God has to say about it in this passage. The next verse (verse 6) God says that because of our disobedience - His wrath is coming on us!! (And that is New Testament teaching, loved ones!)

Let's hear what God has to say on this subject in Ephesians 5:3: "But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints." Ephesians 5:5 goes even further: "For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God."

Jesus (Who is God) said in Luke 12:15: "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he posesses." Are you one of the many who are out today hoping to come home with an "abundance of things"?

Let me ask you, what is the opposite of covetousness? I believe the opposite of covetousness is contentment! So hear what God says about contentment on this Black Friday: "Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out."

Focusing on "great gain" or an "abundance of things" is not part of God's calling on your life as a Christian. He has called us to "come out of the world and be separate" (or different!), to "be set apart" and to "be holy". God's idea of "great gain" is totally opposite of the world's view of it. What does God consider "great gain"? It is being a godly person who is content with his relationship with God and with all the good things God has already blessed him with. So regarding this Black Friday: "If it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, CHOOSE for yourselves THIS DAY whom you will serve....But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

The Book of Life: Is Your Name Blotted Out of It?

Have you ever heard a message preached in your church about having your name "blotted out of the Book of Life"? Well, I am 58 years old and I never have. I guess if we are taught to believe in "lawless grace" - it is always "onced saved, always saved". Right? There's an old hymn that says, "My sins are blotted out, I know...." But it's very interesting that no one preaches that our names can also be blotted out as well!

In Exodus 32:32 & 33 Moses said to God, "Yet now, if You will forgive their sin - but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written." And the Lord said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book."

I know that is Old Testament teaching, so for those of you who only believe in the New Testament, let's read Revelation 3:5 where it says, "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life;..." We need to remember that in both of these instances, God was talking to His people. These people had made a choice at one point in their lives to obey and follow Him as their God and Lord. At that point, their names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

If you use your minds to think this through, someone can't have their names "blotted out" of a book, if they are not first "recorded in" a book! In other words, you have to become a Christian to have your name written in the Book of Life. However, according to these verses, once your name is in this Book, it is possible to have your name blotted out of this Book. And, don't we say we believe that "With God all things are possible"?

When Jesus Christ comes again, He is coming again to judge the unrighteous and to set up His kingdom here on earth. According to Revelation 20:11, there will be a great white throne and
Jesus Christ will be sitting on it. In verse 12, it says "And I (John) saw the dead small and great, standing before God, and the books were opened. And another book was opened which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books." Verse 15 says, "And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."

Those of us who are Christians can remember the day that we turned the control of our lives over to Jesus Christ, promising to live for Him because He had suffered and died for us. At that point in time, we passed from death to life - and our names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life. If you are reading this and are not a Christian, find someone you know who is and ask them how you can know that your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

In conclusion, let us remember as Hebrews 10:26-31 says, it is possible to "trample the Son of God underfoot, counting the blood of the covenant by which He was sanctified a common thing, and insulting the Spirit of grace." Heb. 10:30 and 31 says, "The Lord will judge His people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Let us make sure every day that we have turned the control of our lives over to God (Jesus Christ) and are living in obedience to Him and His Word revealed to us in the Bible.

Let Your Light Shine!

A few weeks ago we were visiting some friends for an evening of playing cards. When we got ready to leave, it was close to 11:00 p.m. and very dark outside. As we backed out of their driveway, we noticed the light shining out of their front windows into the darkness. I mentioned to my husband that it was interesting because there was no way that the darkness could enter into those windows of light as long as the lights were on. Only the light could enter the darkness.

As a Christian, this is an interesting thought since Jesus said in Matt. 5:14, "You are the light of the world." Ephesians 5:8 says, "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light."

Some of us, though, have forgotten what it was like to "live in darkness". Isaiah 59:9-11 is one of my favorite passages from the Bible as it reminds me what our unsaved friends and relatives are experiencing in the darkness of their lives. It says, "We look for light, but there is darkness! For brightness, but we walk in blackness! We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes; we stumble at noonday as at twilight; we are as dead men in desolate places. We all growl like bears, and moan sadly like doves; we look for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us." To me, that is the saddest thing I have ever read!!

However, God has called us to be the light to these people lost in darkness. Isaiah 60:1&2 speaks to us about the light God has given us: "Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; BUT the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising."

Notice in the Isa. 59 passage that these people are "looking for light". When we have a storm at night and our power goes off, the first thing we do is look for "a light". Right? So, this week as we go out into the dark world around us, keep in mind that we have God's light shining out from us - penetrating the darkness with every step we take. Let's use God's glory on our lives to bring salvation to those who are drawn to His light within us.

How to Break God's Heart!

I was reading the other day in Exodus 20:19-21 an episode with the Israelites and Moses. The people had just witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the smoking mountain - all coming from the presence of God! It frightened them so badly, that they "trembled and stood afar off".

In verse 19 they said to Moses, "You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die." In other words, they were willing to hear what a man had to say about God, but they didn't want to hear it for themselves. It is very much like today when God's people would rather spend their time reading Christian books and devotionals written by men about man's opinions rather than spending time with God in His Word and hearing what God Himself has to say to them.

In verse 20, Moses replied to the people - "Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin." Moses was saying that the people did not need to fear death from God's presence that day, but that they did need to fear God in the future when it came to sin in their life.

Verse 21 says, "So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was." Here is where they chose to break God's heart. They had no desire to "draw near" to their God as Moses did. Before we ever choose to disobey God and His commandments, we first will make the choice to "not draw near" and to "stand afar off" from God and His Word. We will be content to let our leaders and pastors be the ones to "draw near". We tell them, "You be the ones to speak to us - but don't let God speak with us." As this new week is beginning, let's make God's heart rejoice by our desire to get as close to Him as we possibly can - through our prayers and our own reading of His Word, the Bible.

Jesus Saves From Lake of Fire

As Christians, at one point in our lives we were told we were sinners and that we needed to accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. The reason given to most of us for our need of a Savior was "so you can go to Heaven after you die".

Well, is that what "saviors" do? Is that the job description of a "savior"? Do they take you some place really nice? To me, firemen are "saviors", rescuing people from dying in fires. Lifeguards are "saviors", rescuing people from dying in deep water. Policemen are "saviors", rescuing people from death by criminals. Doctors are "saviors" when they rescue people from dying by diseases, etc.

It seems to me that "saviors" rescue you from something horrible that is going to happen to you. It's NOT their job to make life fun for you and to take you somewhere "wonderful", which most of the ministers in our churches are preaching in today's pulpits. So why are we allowing ourselves to be taught falsely that we need Jesus as our Savior so we can go to Heaven when we die? That just is not what "saviors" do!!

The fact is that we need Jesus as our Savior to save us from the wrath of God to come (Romans 2:5), and from a fiery death in Hell. Notice the word "from" in the previous sentence. Jesus came to earth to save us from something horrible that is going to happen to every single person on earth if they don't believe in Him and give their hearts and lives to Him. In John 3:16 it says, "....that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish...." Perish how? Perish in a lake of fire called Hell. This is a big part of the Gospel message, and it is totally being ignored in today's churches.

However, when the Ten Commandments - God's Law is not preached any longer (because it has supposedly been "done away with"), then people have no way of understanding what sin is. And, if there is no sin, then there is no penalty for sin (death by fire in Hell). Then, our ministers who believe that we are "no longer under law but under grace", must start preaching a "different"
gospel than what Paul and Jesus taught. Today's message is now a Gospel of Happiness instead of THE Gospel of Righteousness!

My little granddaughter spent the night with us this past weekend. She's 5 years old and "accepted Jesus into her heart" a few months ago. Before I put her to bed, I read her a little cartoon tract. In the tract, it mentioned people going to Hell. She proceeded to ask me what Hell was. I explained to her sin is when people disobey God by breaking the Ten Commandments. God will punish them for their disobedience by sending them to Hell, a place of fire, if they don't accept Jesus as their Savior.

She got quiet, and then asked me, "But Grandma, that is only for people who don't have Jesus in their hearts, right?" I said, "That's right." She then said, "Well, I accepted Jesus into my heart." I said that was great, but explained when she did that - she was also making a promise to Jesus to always live for Him for the rest of her life. As an example I said it was like when her mommy and daddy got married and made a promise to love each other for all of their lives.

I was thrilled to get to have this conversation with my little granddaughter, but it really made me wonder what is being taught in our fundamental churches and seminaries these days that people in our churches don't even know what Hell is!! So that brings me to this question: "Is it possible to have a Savior without first having a Hell?" When there is no "fear of God before their eyes", then why should people think they need a Savior? I think this is the very reason so many of the salvation conversions in our churches are short-lived. They were never real conversions in the first place because 1) sin was never explained to them (remember the false teaching that the law has been "done away with"), and 2) they were never told the truth about the punishment for their sin. Revelation 20:15 says, "And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."

The Apostasy: Parents Obeying Their Children

In my previous posts, I've written about the apathy and complacency Christians have in these last days regarding obedience to the Ten Commandments - God's Law. But what about our children who are the next generation? I want to take a look at the Fifth Commandment, "Children, honor your father and mother." Are they learning to honor and obey their parents or are their parents honoring and obeying them?

If you sit long enough at a park or mall, it won't take you long to see "parents obeying their children" as they jump at their child's every wish, command and temper tantrum. Christmas time is the perfect time to see how "parents honor their children" by going into debt to buy them every toy their little hearts desire. Going into homes, you may notice how children are allowed to grab the chairs, while the adults are willing to stand or even to sit on the floor just so their children can have the "best seats in the house". Where are the days when children were made to get up and offer their chair to the parent/adult? (Leviticus 19:32) No wonder this generation is being called the "Me Generation". Of course, as most of us know, this is a sign of the last days according to 2 Timothy 3:2 where "disobedience to parents" is mentioned.

However, what does God's Word say in the Ten Commandments, specifically the Fifth Commandment? In Exodus 20:12 it says, "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you." In the New Testament, it is re-stated in Ephesians 6:1 and Colossians 3:20 by saying, "Children are to obey their parents". In fact, nowhere in God's Word will you find a command for parents to obey their children.

So, the question is WHY are children being allowed to be disobedient to their parents? Well, the first obvious answer is that Christian parents are failing in their job to teach them to be obedient to God's Law by "obeying their parents." And when there is disobedience, there is no discipline or consequence by the parents for the disobedience. "Lawless Grace" may even be an issue here since many Christian families lead their children to the Lord at a young age. If you believe in the theology that "the law has been done away with" and that you are "saved only by grace" - then why teach your child to obey God's law when he/she is saved and going to heaven anyways?

However, I'm really hoping that is not the case. Parents need to TEACH their children that when they disobey their parents, they are also disobeying God's Law. Whenever I was disobedient to my parents, I first got instructed on how I had not only disobeyed my parents - but how I had also disobeyed God. After my father spanked me, he would tell me I needed to pray and ask God to forgive me for my disobedience towards Him and His commandments. So I would pray and then, my father would hug me and tell me how much he still loved me and how much God loved me. Because of my father being there, I was taught not only obedience to my parents but also obedience to my God.

Another reason I believe Christian parents are failing in their job to teach their children to be obedient to them is the fact that so many of these parents are giving up their responsibility to raise the children God has given them. In these last days, Christian mothers and fathers are choosing to not be in the home when their children need to be taught obedience to God's commands. These parents are choosing to put their children into daycare or expecting grandparents to do the job that God has given them to do. In doing so, children are not being taught to obey their parents (because their parents aren't there) and they are not being taught to obey God. For those of you who are "single mothers" and must work outside the home - it's just more imperative that the time you do have with your children is time spent teaching them to be obedient to you as their mother and showing honor to other adults in their lives as that is the only way they will understand how to show honor and obedience to God.

In closing, I just want to remind all of us that as Christians, we are called to "not be like the people or world around us". Romans 12:2 says, "And do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...." This includes the way we raise our children. They need to understand that when they disobey their parents - they are also disobeying God and His commandments. Our children also need to be taught that because we are Christians - our homes and the discipline, honor, and respect in our homes is going to be different than our friends and neighbors because "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" and not ourselves.

When God's People Forget They Stand Before God

When God's people do away with God's Law, they also do away with the thought of "standing before God". In fact, it seems the only time we hear teaching on "standing before God" is when we are being taught about the Judgment Seat of Christ. (2 Cor. 5:10) Although it is true that we will all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ in the end times, we also need to realize we are "standing before God" every day we live!

In 1 Kings 17:1, the prophet Elijah said to King Ahab - "As the Lord God of Israel lives, before Whom I stand, there will not be dew nor rain those years, except at my word." Elijah said it again to King Ahab's servant - "As the Lord of hosts lives, before Whom I stand, I will surely present myself to him today." (I Kings 18:15) Elijah's successor, Elisha, also recognized this fact when he declared to the king of Israel, "As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, ...." (2 Kings 3:14)

In all of these instances, it was acknowledged that 1) God is alive, and 2) We are always standing before Him. At one point, though, Elijah forgot this fact in 1 Kings 19:1-10. When he forgot this fact, he experienced fear, depression and self-pity. In fact, he told the Lord - "I alone am left (of God's prophets); and they seek to take my life." In the following verse (19:11), God said to Elijah, "Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord." God had to remind Elijah that he was still "standing before Him".

Someday, we will stand before the Judgment seat of Christ. However, that doesn't give us the right today to live for ourselves and to set aside God's laws. As Christians, each day that we wake up - we need to acknowledge that we serve a living God and that we are "standing before Him". As Colossians 3:17 states, "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

"As the Lord my God lives - before Whom I stand." Will you allow this thought to change your thoughts, the way you talk, the way you eat, your desire to witness, the way you dress, what you read, the shows you watch, what you spend your money on, the employment you choose, the friends you have, the language you use, etc. As David said in Psalm 139:7, "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?" It's time for Christians today to start living like they are standing in their King's presence and obeying the commands their King has given them - because He is coming back very soon!

The Cost of Discipleship? Being Uncomfortable!

Revelation 3:15-17 says, "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' - and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked..."

What does the cost of discipleship have to do with being a lukewarm Christian? As I was meditating on the word "lukewarm", it made me think of the many times I had to get bath water ready for my babies. If it was too cold, that would make them uncomfortable and if it was too hot - not only would they be uncomfortable but they would also get hurt. As mothers, we want that water to be lukewarm - just comfortable for them.

One of the signs of biblical prophecy is the "lukewarmness" of Christians in our churches. My definition of a "lukewarm Christian" is someone who wants to live a comfortable life - staying within their comfort zone. Maybe it's staying within the four walls of your church or staying within the circle of your Christian friends. However, "the cost of discipleship" is choosing to obey God's call on our lives by living an "uncomfortable life". How do we do that? By getting out of our comfort zones - getting out of our "boxes".

Think of the disciples in the Bible who literally turned the world upside-down with the Gospel! They were not lukewarm Christians. They all operated outside of their comfort zones! Being uncomfortable means that we are going to make the choice to not be comfortable or lukewarm when it comes to walking in obedience to the Word of God. We may even "get burned" for our obedience and for sharing the Gospel with others. In fact, aren't we called to offer our bodies as "living sacrifices"? (Romans 12:1) That doesn't sound like a lukewarm life to me!

So, does the thought of singing Gospel songs on the street corners make you uncomfortable? Does visiting someone in prison make you uncomfortable? Does passing Gospel tracts out to unbelievers or talking with them about the Lord make you uncomfortable? Does it make you nervous to think about inviting a stranger into your home to have a place to eat and sleep? Does it make you nervous to speak to a homeless man on the street or to buy him a meal? Knowing I am responsible for making my God and King nauseated to the point of vomiting when I choose to remain in my comfort zone (remaining lukewarm) - that thought alone is enough for me to make myself uncomfortable for the sake of the Gospel and for the Kingdom of my Lord and King. So, what is the cost of discipleship to you?

The Sabbath Day and Colossians 2:8-22

First of all, this chapter has nothing to do with the Ten Commandment law of God, as many of us have been taught. In Colossians 2:8 it refers to "the traditions of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ." Towards the end of the chapter, in vs. 20 it again refers to "the basic principles of the world, why as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations..." Verse 21 says,"Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle." Notice these are not part of the Ten Commandments, either. And then verse 22 puts the "top on the sandwich" by stating "which all concern things which perish with the using - according to the commandments and doctrines of men." Again, notice it did not say commandments/doctrines of God. Sandwiched almost in the middle of these verses is verse 14, "... having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."

If we continue to look at the context, verses 11-13 are right before verse 14, and are referring to circumcision versus uncircumcision. Now, along with the context of verses - we also have to think about the culture at that time. Both in Acts 15 and in Galatians, we find a conflict between the Jewish believers in the Messiah and the Gentile believers in the Messiah. This conflict was about the Jewish believers who were circumcised thinking that the Gentile believers were unclean if they were not circumcised. Paul was telling them in Col. 2:11 that when the Gentile believers came to Christ - Christ circumcised them by "putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ."

So, after looking at both the context and the culture - we better understand verse 14 that Christ has "wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." The "requirements" had to do with being circumcised in order to be a true believer in the Messiah. Being circumcised was a picture of "cutting off the flesh". But Christ, through His death on the cross, has "cut off our flesh" from us, so we have been circumcised through Him spiritually.

Col. 2:16 & 17 are really exciting verses now that we know the context and culture of this chapter. Paul is actually speaking to the Gentile believers in the Messiah and telling them they have just as much right to join in the Jewish "festivals with the new moons and the sabbaths" as the Jewish believers in the Messiah do! "So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths..." Paul was telling them that because they are physically uncircumcised, that does not make them unclean and unable to worship with their fellow Jewish believers! (By the way, if you go back to Leviticus and Deuteronomy - "new moons and sabbaths (not the 7th day Sabbath) were part of Jewish festivals - and still are today.

So what about verse 17 "...which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ."? As Isaiah 66:23 states, "And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me," says the Lord. Also, Zechariah 14:16 says, "And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles."

It is impossible to have a "shadow" without having the "real thing" close by. The sabbaths, the Jewish Festivals, and the 7th day Sabbaths today are like a "rehearsal for a play". We take part in them, even though the Messiah is not physically here yet, because some day soon, the King is coming and He will be setting up His Kingdom here on earth in Israel - with His throne in Jerusalem. Then, it won't be "a shadow of things to come" but will be the real thing when Christ is here - "tabernacle-ing" with us once again!

So as Gentile believers in the Messiah (Jesus Christ) - my husband and I have decided to take part in these "shadow-rehearsals" so we're ready for the King's appearing which seems to be getting closer every day. Hope this little study has been helpful. We tend to forget that the Bible is a very Jewish book about a very Jewish Messiah. Jesus was a Rabbi and an "observant" Jew, which means He followed the teachings of the Torah (the first 5 books of the Bible) completely.
If you are interested in learning more about your "Jewish roots", there are many Messianic websites, including this one: http://www.jeremystorch.org/

Apostasy and the Great Commission

I've been thinking about how many of our churches are "falling away"
from reaching the lost in the cities God has placed them in. It seems in
the past few years there are more cruises, conferences, church
breakfasts, brunches, banquets, and even craft classes - all being held
BY Christians FOR Christians. We are quite content to stay INSIDE with
our Christian circle of friends instead of GOING OUTSIDE to the lost all
around us.

Years ago I found this poem and would like to share it with you. It's
rather lengthy, but I pray it will touch all of our hearts to get out
of "The Barn"!

THE FIELD, THE BARN, AND THE NEW FARMHAND

I was called out to a farm one day.
I knew that I'd belong.
But when I arrived, from what I saw,
Something was surely wrong.
The crops were looking ripe that year;
It looked like a pretty good yield.
But you know what caught me by surprise
Was that so few were out in the field.

Now mind you it was mid-afternoon,
And there was lots of work to be done,
But I looked and looked for workers there,
And strangely I saw only one.
So I wandered over to talk to him;
He was reaping in a row.
He said, "Welcome to our farm, my friend."
I said, "Where'd all the workers go?"

"Well, they're often in the Barn," he said.
"They're always on a break.
But what they say confuses me,
That they're in there for Jesus' sake."
So I thanked my friend and let him go.
As I left, he warned, "Take care.
If you go into the Barn, you know,
They'll try to keep you there."

As I neared the Barn I heard great noise,
And I knew that I was tardy.
For the sound I heard from in the Barn,
Why it sounded like a party.
"Oh, joy of joys a new farmhand!"
They met me at the door.
I said, "Hold on a second friends.
What happened to the chore?"

"Well, we're not so sure the harvest is ripe."
They answered back to me.
"Yes, four more months," another group said.
"Oh, surely that's the key."
They said, "And we're not mature enough yet.
We've got so far to go."
I said, "Maturity comes in the field.
Do you really want to grow?"

"Our work in here is very important."
Another bunch shouted my way.
"Besides we don't have the right motivation,
To do field labor okay."
"You've got to get in the spirit," they said,
"Before you go out in the field."
"We'll get into the spirit first,
And then we'll surely yield."

"And there's bullets flying around out there.
The unseen enemy lives.
Do you really want us to go and die?"
They asked me, "Friend, what gives?"
So I thought to myself. I quietly mulled.
I didn't understand.
"We need more workers out there, " I cried.
"Can no one lend a hand?"

"While the harvest rots," I spoke again.
"And no one sheds a tear."
"Why, you'd never know so many were dying,
By what's going on in here."
Well, the barn was quiet as quiet can be.
And no one there was phased.
I suppose I had asked for volunteers,,
But not a single hand was raised.

I left the Barn that very same day,
Though they asked me to hang around.
The work they do inside the Barn,
It's nothing like what I've found.
For by the grace of God I labor now,
With my friends out in the field.
Though the bullets fly and I'm wounded some,
I'm safe behind my shield.

For my shield is strong, a shield of faith,
And my sickle's the sword of God's Word.
The harvest - some sheep without a shepherd
Of those who have never heard.
And the Spirit's there, out in the field,
His presence comforts me.
The Lord of the Harvest is out there too,
By my side He'll always be.

New folks come down the road somedays,
All kinds they come, women and men.
Most go off to that place, I'm sorry to say
And are never seen again.
And the Barn sits off in the distance now.
When I look there I want to cry.
Why do they all remain in the Barn
When millions and millions die?

(Author unknown)

The Last Days & The Lost Word of the Lord

In Amos 8:11-12 the Lord God says, "Behold, the days are coming that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of HEARING THE WORD OF THE LORD. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but shall not find it."

In Jeremiah 23:30-31 the Lord says, "Behold I am against the prophets who STEAL My words every one from his neighbor. Behold, I am against the prophets who use their tongues and say, 'He says.'"

Our pastors and preachers today are the ones supposedly giving out the Word of the Lord to the people in their churches and congregation. How many of us have sat in a church service and had a pastor tell us that "I believe that GOD HAS GIVEN ME a message for you today"? Then, all of a sudden, we are given a power-point presentation where the 7 points in his message ALL start with the same letters and/or words, etc. It's just so perfect - almost like it came off the internet........hmm?

Do you realize that you can get free sermons online? Do you realize that Christian bookstores carry many books with sermons for pastors to use? Do you realize that when a pastor makes a statement like the one above to his congregation, but he didn't actually get it from God but from a book or from a sermon website - that pastor has just told his congregation A LIE, according to God's Word?

Ezekiel 22:28 God says, "Her prophets plastered them with untempered mortar, seeing false visions, and divining LIES for them, saying, 'Thus says the Lord God', when the Lord had not spoken." Many of our pastors and teachers are "STEALING words from one another" - that's breaking Commandment 8 of the Ten Commandments. Since lying is always "the 2nd sin" - these same pastors and teachers turn right around and tell their people that "this is the Word that God gave them". Lying is breaking Commandment 9 of the Ten Commandments.

So, when did it become acceptable to our Lord and King - for a pastor or teacher to take sermons and messages from OTHER PEOPLE and then tell their church congregations that these are actual messages that God gave to them? Why do you think many pastors are doing this in these last days? One answer maybe that, "This is what I was taught to do in Bible college/seminary." My guess is that they would answer that question with the answer, "I don't have the time." Well, if that is their answer - then they have also just broken Commandment 1 of the Ten Commandments which is "Thou shall have NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME".

If you are in the ministry and reading this post today, it's my prayer that you will choose to honor God and His commandments with your life and ministry. Stop "stealing" your messages from other sources. Stop "lying" to your congregation that God "spoke to you" when He didn't - because you just got the sermon out of a book or off the internet - and not from God's Word for yourself. Lastly - Stop the "idolatry" of putting other things or people before God in your life. If you have time for the newspaper, TV, internet, sports events, etc. - you have time for God. It's just a choice of which one gets first place in your life and ministry. There is a famine in the land today of HEARING GOD'S WORD - and your congregation NEEDS YOU to be God's messenger of TRUTH to them - and to set the example for them to follow in regards to keeping a personal relationship with God in this busy world we all live in.

The Sabbath Day: Division in the Body of Christ

This past week, the Seventh Day Baptists came to Springfield, Missouri for their General Convention. (see: http://www.seventhdaybaptist.org/) It was a real pleasure to be able to worship with 500 other believers who believe in all Ten Commandments. This is a denomination that has been in existance since the 1600's - yet so few people have even heard of them. They have churches planted all around the world as well as here in the U.S.

When my husband and I first realized that God never changed the Sabbath Day to Sunday - but that it was done by the Romans out of anti-semitism towards the Jews - we started worshipping with a Messianic congregation on the Sabbath Day. At that time, we were excited to think that God was starting a movement through the Messianic Jews - to bring His people back to worshipping on the seventh day Sabbath. In March of this year, we were told about the Seventh Day Baptists and realized this move of the Spirit is something much bigger than just the Messianic Jewish movement! Not only is God at work bringing Jewish believers in the Messiah (Jesus Christ) together to worship on the seventh day Sabbath - but there is also a movement among Gentile believers to return to worshipping on the day that GOD appointed mankind to worship Him on as well.

So, I thought I would just throw out the question, "Why do you think this is?" First of all, we need to review a few things:

1. Jesus (God in the flesh) was born into a Jewish family. He is a Jew.

2. Jesus (God in the flesh) has a title: King of the Jews.

3. Jesus (God in the flesh) has a country: Israel

4. Jesus (God in the flesh) has a country with a capital: Jerusalem

5. Jesus (God in the flesh) is coming back some day very soon to the Mt. of Olives in Israel!

6. Jesus (God in the flesh) is coming back to set up His kingdom on earth where He will reign for a million years.

7. Jesus (God in the flesh) is going to set up His throne in Jerusalem.

8. Jesus (God in the flesh) has citizens in His kingdom: Jewish and Gentile believers in Him as their Messiah/Lord.

9. Jesus (God in the flesh) will have His laws (the Ten Commandments) still in place.

10. Jesus (God in the flesh) is going to have all nations of the world come and worship Him in Jerusalem.

We all know that you cannot have any form of government without laws. Without laws, people would live in chaos and anarchy. We also know that there is to be no division in Christ's body, which is made up of both Jewish believers in Christ and Gentile believers in Christ.

This raises the question about the Sabbath Day. Will the "King of the Jews" say that it is all right for us to worship Him on "whatever day WE choose to worship Him"? OR will "The King" stand by HIS own commandment, "But the 7th day is the Sabbath day to the Lord your God. On it you shall do no work..."?

We can be very sure that the Jews will refuse to worship "The King" on any other day but the Sabbath Day! However, most Christians today refuse to even think about worshipping Him on the Sabbath Day. If one of these groups doesn't change their way of thinking - there is going to be a great division in the coming millenial Kingdom of Christ!

But, praise God! He is at work through His Holy Spirit in these last days to bring unity into His Body and Kingdom regarding the 7th day Sabbath! There WILL BE a uniting of these two groups of believers in Christ (Jews & Gentiles) because Isaiah 66:23 says, "'And it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, ALL flesh shall come to worship before Me,' says the Lord." When "The King" gives the call to worship to His people, according to this verse - we will be worshipping corporately and in unity on HIS holy day - the 7th day Sabbath. Why wait until Christ comes again to acknowledge His Lordship over the day He has chosen for us to worship Him? We need to start today!

The False Teaching of Salvation by Grace Alone

Since I was a child, I was taught that we are "saved by grace alone". Not only that, but once I
prayed the "sinner's prayer" - I was forever saved. There was nothing I could ever do that
would take that salvation from me. Then I learned that the Bible - God's Word - says the demons also believe and know that Jesus is the Son of God. Since knowing and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ hasn't given them salvation, what are we missing here? And, why is this so important to discuss?

Let me tell you a story from my teenage years that is a really good analogy. When I was a teenager, I had tried to swim - with some of my friends - out to a raft in the middle of a lake.
I only made it halfway there when due to exhaustion -I couldn't swim any further. I was in water over my head, so the only thing I could do was to yell for help! A friend swam to me, but made the mistake of grabbing on to me. A battle started with me pushing her under the water in order to get my head out of the water. Eventually, she broke free from me and I started gulping down water as fast as I could swallow.

I was about to pass out when I heard a calm voice saying over and over again - "Roll over on your back. Roll over on your back." As soon as I obeyed the voice by rolling over on to my back, I felt the strong arms of a lifeguard grab hold of me. By placing my life into his hands and obeying everything he told me to do, he soon had me back to the safety of land.

From experience, I can tell you that "grace alone" did not save me that day! First of all, I had put my trust in the wrong thing when I let my friend try to save me. She proved to be a "false lifeguard" and was going to cause us both to drown. 2ndly, I recognized "the voice" of the lifeguard as the real thing in which to put my trust. But just believing that he was the lifeguard - still did not give me salvation! I had to "obey his voice", submit to him by putting my life into his hands, and then do what he commanded me to do. At any point if I had been foolish enough to choose to go against what he was telling me to do, I would have lost my salvation and drowned.

When we pray "the sinner's prayer", we need to acknowledge that we have sinned because we have broken God's law - the 10 Commandments. Because of our disobedience to His holy commands - we have been given the "death penalty" and on the Day of Judgment, we will be sentenced to Hell. However, God saw our need for a "Lifeguard", took on flesh in the person of Jesus Christ, and "jumped" into our world of humanity so we could be saved. Our part is to hear His voice, believe He is who He says He is, and accept His offer of salvation through His death on the cross to pay the penalty for our "lawlessness". Choosing to submit to Him and to obey His Word for the rest our lives until we reach Heaven's shore is what will guarantee our salvation.

What is missing in most of the "sinner's prayers" you may read or hear from our pulpits today is the need for us to be obedient. The sinner needs to say in their prayer, "I choose to obey You and Your Word for the rest of my life." Why is this so important? Because as in my story above, grace and obedience must work together. Jesus cannot be your Saviour, if you have not given Him complete control of your heart and life. In the Bible, giving Christ control of your life is called making Him your Lord and Master. The demons may believe in Jesus as the Son of God, but they will not OBEY Him - and that is the key.

The Sabbath Day: Moses' Law or God's Law?

This subject is one that really excites me because it's something God revealed to me one day as I was reading through the book of Deuteronomy. It excites me whenever I find doctrine in the Bible that our churches have never taught us.

This is what I found in Deuteronomy 31:24-26: "So it was, when Moses had completed writing the words of this law in a book, when they were finished, that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying: 'Take this Book of the Law and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there as a witness against you;"

The phrase "the ark of the covenant" is possessive. So we could re-word it to say, "The Covenant's ark". What was "The Covenant" that was inside the ark? It was the Ten Commandments permanently written on stone tablets.

The "ark of the covenant" or "the covenant's ark" was a wooden chest in which God commanded Moses to place the Ten Commandments (God's Covenant/Law) which were written on the stone tablets by the finger of God. This was the second set written by God because the first set got broken when Moses' threw them on the ground when he saw Israel's idolatry. (This should tell us just how important these Ten Commandments are to God - and how permanent.) The lid to this ark was "the Mercy Seat" where God's presence dwelt - a very holy place! In fact, if anyone touched this ark, except for the Levites (priests), God killed them instantly!! (see 2 Samuel 6:6,7).

So this raises a question: How could God's people read or meditate on God's law "day and night" as quoted in Joshua 1:8 - if they couldn't get near it? During the 40 days and nights that Moses was on Mt. Sinai - he (Moses) was busy writing not only The Ten Commandments (God's Covenant/Law) in a book, but also all the levitical and ceremonial laws with their curses and blessings. This book is called "The Book of the Law" or "Moses' Law". Basically, it contained the first five books of the Bible - the Pentateuch. Deuteronomy 29:21 says "And the Lord would separate him from all the tribes of Israel for adversity, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in the Book of the Law." Deut. 30:10 says "...If you obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law..." Notice this "Book of the Law" contains BOTH the Ten Commandments and God's statutes.

One of the reasons this Book of the Law had to be on the outside of the ark was to make it readable and so others could copy from it. Deut. 17:18-20 says, "Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord His God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes. That his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel." Now we can understand how we can meditate on it "day and night" according to Joshua 1:8!

I need to mention that the verse that many churches use to try to "do away with" God's law (when it comes to the Sabbath Day) is found in Colossians 2:14. It says, "...having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." There are two problems with this verse: 1) With the Covenant sealed inside the ark, it was impossible to "nail it to the cross"; 2) The Ten Commandments didn't have any requirements/penalties attached to them. They were just 10 Commandments of God's Law. All the requirements of that Law, with it's blessings and punishments, were written in Moses' handwriting and placed in a book outside of the ark.

The analogy my husband and I came up with is that of our U.S. Constitution. It is sealed inside a bulletproof display case in Washington, D.C. However, the Amendments to the Constitution are outside of that case and they are what define the penalties if the laws of the Constitution are violated. Another analogy: Suppose we break the law of going 70 mph in a 40 mph speed zone - and we now have to go to court. The judge declares our fine/penalty. However, some nice person steps forward and pays that penalty for us. Did that "do away" with the speeding law of 40 mph? When we step outside the courtroom and get in our car, the first thing we see is a sign that says 40 mph! Now are we going to obey it or say that because someone paid our fine - it no longer applies to me?

The apostasy of today says "we are no longer under law, but under grace" - meaning God's law doesn't apply to us - especially the Fourth Commandment (the Sabbath Day). Under Moses' law, the soul that sinned had to die or sacrifice a lamb in his place. Today, a person doesn't have to die because of breaking His Law - IF we accept that God, in Christ, died in our place on the cross, and then we choose to obey His laws and follow Him. The good news is that Jesus (God in the flesh) took the curses of the ceremonial and levitical laws to the cross for us - so we no longer need to offer the blood of sheep and goats for the forgiveness of our sins. The other good news is that God's Law as contained in the Ten Commandments still applies to us today - and yes, that includes the Sabbath Day.

The God of Lawlessness or The God of Law?

Recently, my son got married and he requested a new red-letter edition Bible. As a wedding gift from me and my husband, both he and his wife are receiving matching Bibles, with Jesus' words written in red in the New Testament. This made me wonder if Christians today REALLY understand who Jesus truly is? Why would His words be in red in the New Testament, but not be in red in the Old Testament?

A few weeks ago I wrote a post "Apostasy and the Worship of Two Gods". Here is just another example of the apostasy and false teaching in many of our churches regarding the "God of the Old Testament" and the "God of the New Testament". Obviously for many in our churches, the "God of the New Testament" speaks in red letters, and the "God of the Old Testament" speaks in black letters. The "God of the Old Testament" is a "God of Law", and the "God of the New Testament" is a "God of Love", Who has "done away with" the Law. In other words, we are being taught that the "God of the New Testament" is a "God of lawlessness". I don't know about you, but I definitely would call that heresy!

As I've been reading in Ezekiel this past week, over and over again, I've read: "And the word of the Lord came to him..." Or, "Tell the people, 'Thus says the Lord'". Genesis 1:3 says "Then God said,..." Isaiah 48:17 says, "Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer." John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:14 says, " And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." Who are these verses talking about, but Jesus! In John 14:9 Jesus says, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father."

Why then are these "Thus says the Lord" phrases in the Old Testament not in red? Because of the false teaching that Jesus is not the God of the Old Testament. Of course, Christians know that if they accept the belief that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament as well as the God of the New Testament - they then would be held accountable for not keeping all ten of God's commandments. Exodus 20:1 says, "And God spoke all these words..." and then proceeded to give the Ten Commandments to His people. The Ten Commandments were first SPOKEN to Moses and then they were WRITTEN down. So, either way, they are God's Word. And, God's Word in the flesh is Jesus Christ!

So, I think I'm going to buy myself a new red-letter edition Bible. However, as I read through the Old Testament and see phrases about "the word of the Lord", "Thus says the Lord", "the voice of the Lord", etc. - I'll be keeping a red pen in hand to circle these as they come across the page. By the time I'm done with the Old Testament, I will have a better understanding WHY at the Name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Mighty God, Wonderful, Counselor, the Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. Jesus is not the "God of Lawlessness", but the God of Love AND the God of Law - worthy of our love and obedience forever and ever. Amen!

Apostasy and Lawless Freedom

Tomorrow is Independence Day here in the U.S., so I decided to take a look at the Declaration of Independence . It surprised me how many times the words "law" or "laws" were mentioned in it, and that they were mentioned in the context of the King of England obstructing and abolishing them. Let me list a few for you:

1. ..."refused to assent laws..."

2. ..."has forbidden governors to pass laws..."

3. ..."refused to pass other laws..."

4. ..."obstructed the laws..."

5. ..."abolishing our most valuable laws..."


The first sentence of the Declaration of Independence reads:

"When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."

Our Founding Fathers recognized the danger of having no laws and decided to separate themselves where they would have the freedom to have laws - especially God's laws! So many today, especially Christians, equate freedom with no laws. It's really a puzzlement to me how they have twisted the Gospel of Grace to mean that God's law has been "done away with". Why would we want to do that? It is God's law which gives us true freedom (James 1:25). If we do away with law - especially God's law - we lose our freedom and put ourselves under anarchy. Not only that, but God says in I John 3:4 that "lawlessness is sin". At that point, everyone starts doing what is right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25). Man's opinions begin to have higher authority than God's commandments! This is the "Falling Away" or "The Apostasy" of the last days.

Our Founding Fathers also recognized one other thing: Following God's laws would require a separation from the world around them. Have we let God's laws and commandments separate us from the worldly customs surrounding us? Romans 12:2 (NIV) states, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Looking around at the Church today, I see the Apostasy where Christians are being taught not only has God's law "been done away with", but that we also need to be as much like the world as possible in order to win as many as possible. This is totally contrary to what the Word of God says.

As Christians, our freedom came the day that the Lord our God brought us "out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." (Exodus 20:2) That was God's Grace. Through the blood of Jesus Christ we are set free from the bondage and slavery of sin. However, we forget that Christ bought us and we don't belong to ourselves any longer. I Corinthians 6:19 & 20 says, "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." We've been set free from our slavery to sin, but now we are slaves to God and His righteousness and holiness. We are not set free to be our own boss and to do whatever our heart desires!

Once He set us free from our slavery to sin - He gave us His 10 Commandments (Exodus 20:3-17) for us to obey as His servants and to set us apart from the world around us. Only through obedience to Him and His commandments will we, as Christians, experience true freedom. So tomorrow, let's remember our Founding Fathers who were willing to die so they could be free to serve God and His laws in this great country of the United States of America.

The Sabbath Day: Our Choice or God's Choice?

One of my favorite Bible stories is the one where God commanded King Saul to attack Amalek and kill everything - people and animals. Somehow, though, King Saul thought God would surely understand why he chose to spare the king and the best of the sheep and cattle. He explained to Samuel, the prophet, how he was going to honor God by using these animals to worship Him through their sacrifices to Him.

Samuel then said in I Samuel 15:22&23 - "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness as iniquity and idolatry..."

What does this story have to do with apostasy and lawlessness? I believe that disobedience in one thing makes it much easier to be disobedient in others. In fact, Paul said that if we break just one commandment - we're guilty of breaking all of them. Suppose you have a chain bracelet with 10 links - all hooked together around your wrist. If you break one of those links - the whole bracelet falls apart!

So, when God specifically says in Exodus 20:10 that "the 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work...", then why do we as Christians think that keeping the first day of the week as the "Lord's Day" is going to be acceptable to Him? Aren't we sounding a little like Saul by justifying our disobedience to Him? What is it that makes it so hard for us to be obedient to the voice of the Lord our God? Is it because we "fear the people" as Saul said he did in I Sam. 15:24 or is it because we are "saved by grace" and have no fear of God before our eyes? At this point, it becomes easy "to do what is right in our own eyes" as the book of Judges reveals.

Before there will be a revival in the U.S., God's people must come to the realization that we are either slaves of righteousness (law-keepers, obedience) or we are slaves of unrighteousness (law-breakers, disobedient). There is no room for discussion when it comes to obeying the voice of the Lord our God. As the words of the old hymn say, "Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey."

Apostasy and Uncircumcised Hearts

The problem with Christians today is that we all have "heart disease". Our "Want-Tos" are broken! We need to stop asking, "Why we don't go to church?" and start asking, "Why we don't WANT to go to church?" Stop asking, "Why we don't read our Bibles and pray every day?" and start asking, "Why we don't WANT to read our Bibles and pray every day?" Let's stop asking, "Why we don't obey God's commandments?" and start asking, "Why don't we WANT to obey God's commandments?"

One evening I was babysitting my 3 grandchildren. While I was reading stories to the 2 older ones, my almost 3 year old granddaughter kept climbing on the arm of the couch and sliding down it - very close to a lamp on their end table. Fearing the lamp was going to get broken and knowing her parents would not approve of this, I told her to stop. This is what came out of my darling, most-loved little granddaughter's mouth: "I don't WANT to and I don't HAVE to"! I think this is the perfect picture of the "heart disease" in Christianity today.

John 14:21 says, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me." Speaking of the last days we're in right now, Ezekiel 11: 19, & 20 says, "Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God." If we have accepted God's grace shed for us on the cross through Jesus Christ, then we should have new hearts within us; hearts that WANT to do what God says instead of hearts of stone that continually rebel or question why we HAVE to do what He says in His Word.

Most theologians equate the Apostasy with "the falling away" mentioned in 2 Thess. 2:3. It's interesting that this "falling away" is linked with "sin/lawlessness". What are the Christians of today "falling away" from? They are falling away from not only their obedience to God's laws, but also from having hearts that WANT to obey the voice of the Lord their God and spending personal, quality time with Him. My heart's cry as I've been learning to do this blog is that I don't get so consumed with this blog that I forget to spend time with God in HIS Word and not someone else's word about Him! In order for there to be a revival in this land, God's people need to let God put "His knife" to their hearts and circumcise them. Only then will we have hearts to know Him and love Him no matter what He commands of us.

What Has Apostasy Done With the Love of God?

By this question, I'm not talking about God's love for us. What is the proof, according to the Bible, that we love God? The answer may surprise you as we don't hear it mentioned in our churches very often any more. In 1 John 5:3 (NKJV) it says, "For this is the love of God that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome." What are the commandments that John is referring to? Jesus said in John 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments." What are the commandments that Jesus is referring to? 2 John verse 6 says, "This is love, that we walk according to His commandments." Since the New Testament had not been written yet, both Jesus (Who is God in the flesh) and John had to be referring back to the Old Testament commandments - in particular, the Ten Commandments. God knows we love Him when we are obedient to His commandments!

I know as "New Testament Christians" we've been taught that there are only two commandments that we must obey: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." And, "Love your neighbor as yourself." However, if you look at Matt. 22:40, Jesus says - "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." I call this the "Curtain Rod of Love".

Remember my title to this post is "What is the Love of God?" On this "Curtain Rod of Love", I see a divider in the middle. On the left side of this divider "hang" the four commandments out of the Ten Commandments which refer to "Loving the Lord Your God with all your heart, etc." These four are as follows: 1) You shall have no other gods before Me; 2) You shall not make a carved image or bow down to it; 3) You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; and 4) Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy.

On the right side of the divider "hang" the other six commandments out of the Ten Commandments which refer to "Loving your neighbor as yourself." These six are: 5) Honor your father and your mother; 6) You shall not murder; 7) You shall not commit adultery; 8) You shall not steal; 9) You shall not lie; and 10) You shall not covet.

If you notice, Jesus (Who is God in the flesh and Who wrote the Ten Commandments in stone with His finger) in no way whatever "did away with" the Ten Commandments. He just confirmed that they were ALL still in effect and we are still required to obey them today! He put them into two categories: Love your God and Love your Neighbor.

So, let me ask you - how are you doing in showing your love for God? We need to remember that God is a Holy God. (Lev. 19:2) God has a Holy Name. (Isa. 57:15) God has a Holy Place. (Psa. 47:8; 48:1) God has a Holy People (Deut. 7:6; I Pet. 1:15,16), and God has a Holy Day - the Sabbath Day. (Ex. 20:8-11) A couple of years ago, God showed me that He never moved His rest day to the first day of the week. In fact, He was resting on His Sabbath Day in the grave, the day before His resurrection!! So if God never moved the Sabbath Day to the first day of the week, by what authority do we have to be moving it to Sunday or any other day of the week? God is a Holy God and expects His Holy People to honor His Holy Day - the Sabbath Day. Exodus 20:10 makes it very clear exactly what day that is: "But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work;"

Jesus (God in the flesh) is coming back very soon. He's coming back for His Holy People who show their love for Him by obeying His Ten Commandments - all of them! Isa. 66:23 tells us that we will be keeping His Sabbath when He comes and sets up His kingdom on earth. "Lawless Grace" tries to tell us we can be disobedient because these laws don't apply to us today. However, if we love Him as we claim we do - why would we not want to obey Him by honoring His Sabbath as a holy day and a day of rest?

Apostasy and Fearless Grace

I felt the need to do this post on "Fearless Grace" because it goes right along with "Lawless Grace". Prov. 1:7 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge". It seems once we take away the "fear of the Lord", it becomes relatively simple to then start taking away His laws. If we believe that God's grace saved us once and for all through the blood of Jesus Christ - then we no longer need to worry about being obedient to His laws. You know, "Once saved - always saved". Right? Well, maybe not.

I found a little phrase in Hebrews 10:29 that kind of bothers me, and maybe it should bother you as well. It says that we can be guilty of "insulting the Spirit of grace". How do we do that? By "counting the blood of the covenant by which we are sanctified a common thing." God said, "Vengeance is Mine. I will repay". (vs. 30) And again, "The Lord will judge His people." (vs. 30) In verse 31 it says, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Since these verses are talking to God's people, why then would God be telling His people to be fearful of Him if grace will cover His people - no matter whether we are obedient or disobedient?

When we remove the fear of the Lord from our lives, we think we don't have to worry about being obedient to His laws. You see, it was because of the law - the covenant, that Jesus died for us. So when we treat the law of the covenant as a "common thing" - we are "trampling underfoot the Son of God". (Heb. 10:29) Also, when we remove the fear of the Lord from our lives, we have no urgency to tell others about Jesus Christ and the need to be saved from the fires of hell. We have been so deceived into believing that God is only a God of love, and therefore, we have nothing to fear! We then become lukewarm, complacent, and become compromising with the world system.

Philippians 2:12 says, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." The two previous verses tell us why. Because "at the name of Jesus every knee will bow...and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord." Obedience and the fear of the Lord go together. Christians - Wake up! There is a Judgment Day coming both for the saved and the unsaved. Let's stop "insulting the Spirit of Grace".

Apostasy and the Worship of Two Gods

Let me ask you who you think of when you hear the phrase, "God of the Old Testament"? Now, who do you think of when you hear the phrase, "God of the New Testament"? How about, "He's a God of love" or "He's a God of wrath"?

A few days ago I had a revelation when I read Isaiah 29:18,19 - "In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. The humble also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel." This is saying that JESUS is the Holy One of Israel! Jesus is the God of the Old Testament, and Jesus is the God of the New Testament. (By the way, God is not the one who divided our Bible into these two sections. The Bible is ONE Book (Testament) about ONE God!)

The "finger of God" that wrote the 10 Commandments on the stone tablets (Exodus 31:18) is also the "finger of God" that Jesus said HE used to cast out demons (Luke 11:20). Just think of it, the "finger of God" which touched the deaf ears and the blind eyes is also the "finger of God" which wrote the 10 Commandments! In John 8:58 Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM." So when you read the Old Testament and read "Thus saith the Lord of Hosts" - you now know WHO is speaking to you. And, when you can grasp the magnitude of that statement - not only will your reading of the Old Testament become more alive, but your life will be changed forever!

Sin Is Lawlessness

If you are an evangelical, Bible-believing Christian - then you have heard many times from the pulpit that we are to "confess our sin" as part of our salvation experience. However, how often have we heard the explanation of "sin"? We're told we are sinners, but what is sin?

One day as I was spending time in the Bible, I came across I John 3:4 "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness." (NKJV) In order for there to be "lawlessness" - there must first be a "law". What laws are we guilty of breaking in order for us to be considered sinners in God's sight? Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." (John 14:15) The 10 Commandments are part of God's Law that are still to be obeyed today.

The problem is that Christians today are being taught through various sources that God's law has been done away with because of God's grace. It's true that we are saved by God's grace through the blood of Jesus Christ, but in no way has that done away with God's law. If that were true, then God would be guilty of not only going against His own Word, but also guilty of advocating anarchy, rebelliousness, being law-breakers, etc. God would be saying, "It is OK to steal, to murder, to commit adultery, to covet, to not honor the seventh-day Sabbath, to dishonor your parents, to bow down to idols, to lie, to worship other gods, and to take God's Name in vain."

When someone who is convicted of speeding has someone pay his fine, that in no way means that the speed limit signs have now been "done away with". He is still expected TO OBEY the law. He is now expected to be a "Law-Keeper". There is a Judgment Day coming for believers and unbelievers. I have yet to see a court room with a judge - but no law. All of us will stand before God, the Judge, on Judgment Day and His Law will be The Standard for whether we are found obedient to His commands or whether we are found guilty of "lawlessness".