Simplicity in Truth

Is the truth of Christ in you?

We've been talking of truth and lies. Truth and falsehoods. Truth and untruth. They are complete opposites and there are no gray areas in between. Gray areas we love to find and wallow in, gray areas that are soothing to the conscience and yet not holding too much pressure upon us. Gray areas exist all through our lives and in some aspects they are very necessary. How horrible it would be if we left no room in life for individual circumstances to matter. We see movies on tv all the time where there is that beginning- introducing the problem, the middle spent making the problem more realized, capturing the emotions through adversity- and then the ultimate end where the problem is resolved or not and sometimes were left feeling cheated by endings. Gray areas give us the black and white in startling contrast and then say lets see if we can't make this more acceptable, not too dark, not too light. Fortunately God deals in black and white and not grays. We don't have to live in murky gray areas, we can live in truth or in lies. We choose.

You know, even without being what one considers 'Godly' people live with a sense of right and wrong, a sense of fairness. People know when they do wrong, when they're not fair and yes they can be thrilled when they *get away* with being unfair, but they still know that it's unfair. They still have that sense of right and wrong, of truth and untruth. It's not just society which weighs us with strictures, it's humanity. It's being human. It's being humans answerable to a higher power, being accountable to God.

Is the truth of Christ in you?

Paul had the truth of Christ in him.

2 Corinthians
{11:1} Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.

**
Here Paul is asking people to bear with him in his folly, not just asking for himself but ... 'would to God' they bear with him in his folly and not only in his folly but bear with him, period.

2 Corinthians
{11:2} For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

**
He was jealous with a GODLY jealousy. God's jealousy exists in that there is only one true God, one true Creator, one true Redeemer. No other Gods before God, none, not one and it's not a boasting thing, it's not a selfish claim, it's love, it's from love, it is love. God is love so completely that love doesn't exist without God, it just doesn't, not real love. Every bit of love we can feel we can feel because of God, and the love we know beyond feeling is of God. Love is of God.

Here Paul is saying he's jealous over the people with a Godly jealousy because he's espoused them to one husband, that he wants to present them as a virgin to Christ.

Think about it, it's a perfect analogy. One who is promised to another in the sacred bond of marriage is to be a virgin, to be solely for the one promised. Yes, it's very hard in this day and age in the culture I live in to recognize such a thing because remaining a virgin is something so foreign to most people. It's trivial, it's something that means little. Living in a culture of selfishness where denying self is frowned upon, or putting on airs is frowned upon, the majority of people are no longer virgins upon the marriage bed.

The church, the people of God are the bride of Christ, a bride espoused to Jesus who will come one day to claim His espoused virgin for the marriage when man and God by His grace live as one.

With so many seducing spirits about, with so many different claims to the *truth*, its easy to see how people can be seduced away by one other than their true partner.

Paul tells it like it is...

2 Corinthians
{11:3} But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

**
Beguiled by subtlety, corrupted from simplicity in Christ.

Such amazing words.

Corrupted from simplicity in Christ.

It doesn't take much to be seduced away when an expert in beguiling is working at you.

The simplicity in Christ. The Truth. His Truth. For by grace we are save through faith. The Truth. Simple truth, uncomplicated. Living in that truth. Living day to day knowing that by the grace of Christ we are save, by the grace of Christ we live.

The beguiling seducing spirits that would have us no longer espoused virgins waiting for our groom, but drawn away into untruth, into lies is very, very real. Real back then when Paul wrote this and real today as we read it.

2 Corinthians
{11:4} For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Preaches another Jesus. People do that all the time. They preach another Jesus complicating Him up in their beguiling ways. But make no mistake- the do preach Jesus, just not the truth in Him. Where are Jesus' statement of beliefs so that you may join Him? Where are Jesus' rules and regulations? Where are Jesus' sticky fingers trying to reach into your pockets constantly? Where?

Yes, the simplicity in Christ is all caught up in the beguiling ways of false teachings of Christ. False, so close to the true the deception is hardly noticeable- subtlety, the same subtlety that Satan used on Eve.

2 Corinthians
{11:5} For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.
{11:6} But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.
{11:7} Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?
{11:8} I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.
{11:9} And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia
supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.

**
Paul wasn't claiming to be the best one to preach as he was. He was claiming honesty. He was claiming to preach the gospel of God freely. Robbing other churches in that he was drawing people from other churches and accepting the offerings of those he drew away so that he could continue to preach, to do the service appointed to him. He didn't take from them, he was supplied by others, he wasn't a burden at all to those he was preaching to.

2 Corinthians
{11:10} As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

The truth of Christ is in him.

No man could stop him from proclaiming this, the truth of Christ!

Why?

2 Corinthians
{11:11} Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.

God knoweth why, God knows, God understands the love he has for Christ, for the truth of Christ which he could not stop from preaching to others out of that love.

2 Corinthians
{11:12} But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.

The simplicity of Christ, the Truth of Christ. As long as we are true to that Truth of Christ and the Truth of Christ is in us, no one will have an occasion to speak otherwise. However that subtly is at work, and working hard...

{11:13} For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
{11:14} And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
{11:15} Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

*
Satan himself is transform into an angel of light.
No marvel.
No great thing that HIS Satan’s ministers are transformed into ministers of righteousness.

Deception! Deceived! Beguiled! Betrayed!

We shouldn't be shocked at all to realize that Satan works so closely to the truth with just enough deception that he and his followers appear to be ministers of righteousness.

We're not fooled by outright unsophisticated counterfeits.

Only those counterfeits so close to the truth it's all but undetectable that they're are counterfeit are the ones that fool us.

People counterfeit money and stores and such go to special lengths to see they aren't deceived. Ever see a cashier hold up your money to the light? They're checking for the seemingly hidden shadings and such that are embedded in the money, shadings that are hard for counterfeits to duplicate. The cashier doesn't want to be fooled and given worthless monies.

We need to hold up our lives, our beliefs to the Truth of Christ! It's so easy to be deceived, so easy to be fooled and we aren't a 50 or 100 dollars when the deception is uncovered, but out eternal life. Make no mistake, we are accountable to hold our beliefs up to the Truth in Christ. That amazing simplicity in Christ. Don't follow anyone or anything blindly, measure it to the bright and shining truth in Christ.

By the Grace of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may none of us be deceived by any of Satan's ministers, seemingly ministers of righteousness.

In His Name, by His Mercy and Grace

Amen.

Bewitched into not obeying the truth

Galatians
{3:1} O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
{3:2} This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
{3:3} Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
{3:4} Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
{3:5} He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? {3:6} Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

**

Who has bewitched you?

Bewitched

Dict. bewitch (bî-wîch´) verb, transitive
bewitched, bewitching, bewitches
1. To place under one's power by or as if by magic; cast a spell over.
2. To captivate completely; entrance.

Clearly it would take bewitching to keep these people from obeying the truth.

Jesus Christ was with these people, crucified among them. These people received the Spirit.

Do you see what this is saying?

These people had, they received past tense, the Spirit. These people have been bewitched. These people no longer obey the truth. Having had Jesus Christ crucified before them they were now getting caught up in the works of the law.

Foolish people, people who started out in the Spirit now believe that they can save themselves through works of the flesh.

These people suffered! Suffered for their faith through the Spirit and now it would all be in vain if they turned from the truth.

Those ministering the Spirit to them- working miracles, are they doing it by works of the law or by the hearing of faith?

Abraham believed, Abraham had faith and it was the faith that was counted to him for righteousness, not his works. His faith. His belief.

The truth.

What is the truth?

It is obviously something that we can choose to obey or not obey.

The truth, Christ crucified, Christ our risen Savior, Christ sender of the Comforter, Christ who told us to wait for the Spirit, that He'd send the Spirit to us.

John
{14:15} If ye love me, keep my commandments.
{14:16} And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
{14:17} Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
{14:18} I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

John
{14:25} These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
{14:26} But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
{14:27} Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be
afraid.

John
{15:26} But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me

John
{16:7} Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
{16:8} And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment
{16:9} Of sin, because they believe not on me;
{16:10} Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
{16:11} Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
{16:12} I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
{16:13} Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear,
that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
{16:14} He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
{16:15} All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

**
The Spirit of Truth.

Being bewitched not to obey the truth, scary business.

If anyone says to you that you are saved if you do this, or do that, and they don't say that you are saved by the grace of God, by the sacrifice of His One and only Son Jesus Christ, you can't believe them, you just can't. You can't accept that you are saved by the grace of Jesus and then go on to think that your salvation is based on your works, that what you do saves you, that you save yourself by your actions. It's always and only Jesus who saves, by the grace of Jesus we are saved, we live with the Spirit of truth He sends to us and we become followers of Jesus, any good work that follows as a result is only through His grace, by His grace, all glory goes to God for any good that comes from us. We can take no glory to ourselves. We glorify our sweet Savior, all merciful, all loving.

Our faith is counted righteousness, not our works. Our faith is needed. Eph. {2:8}’For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: {2:9} Not of works, lest any man should boast.’

The truth is Jesus. The truth is we are saved by grace not of works and we can't ever forget that, not ever.

We can't let ourselves be bewitched into not obeying the truth.

Let us keep the truth ever before us- for by grace we are saved through faith, by the grace of God, by the grace and mercy of our Savior, through faith in Jesus we are saved. Through faith in Jesus we receive the Spirit of truth. Through faith, through Jesus forever and for always.

Amen.

Tailor Made Truth

2 Corinthians {13:8} For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.

For all our brilliance man cannot control the world we live in.

From day to day man cannot control the temperature outside, cold or hot, it's out of their hands. We have to make little environments to alter because we can't control what happens outside those little environments.

We're a the mercy of the rain, that is something we can't change. Droughts, floods, flourishing, all beyond man's control on the grand scale.

We see science fiction movies where men control such things, because man is forever seeking ways to control everything. The intentions are good. Control the climate, the heat, the cold, the wind, the rain and you can create a perfect environment for all. So the intentions are very good and with the technology that keeps advancing at such an astonishing rate I wouldn't be surprised if down the line such a thing become possible. How much today has become possible while people kept believing it would be impossible? Fifty years ago a computer wasn't something you owned, it was for the government, for scientist, twenty years ago even, most people didn't have computers they were novelties and not something the majority of people would have use for. That old, who would have thought? Well the impossible has become the possible.

We can change things. We can change that which at one time seemed impossible to change.

One thing we'll NEVER be able to change is the truth.

People will try, they always try, but it's not subject to change. We can't do anything against the truth. It cannot be altered. In the end when all is said and done the truth will remain. Everyone with their own beliefs is at the mercy of the truth and whether or not their beliefs conform to the truth or try to alter it to suit them.

We do that don't we? We try to twist things about to suit us. We try to make little changes here and there so it fits us better. We try to tailor make the truth so we can live in it comfortably. We trim a little here, we trim a little there, we add a bit of that there, and maybe touch up that just a smidgen. Tailor made truth we live by and all is well. The thing is, with the truth not being something subject to alteration, what's happening when it's being twisted and molded to suit a person? It's becoming a... lie.

2 Thess.
{2:10} And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. {2:11} And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie
{2:12} That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

**
We we don't love the truth for truth's sake, but try to change it...we are allowed to believe our lies, the lies we create so the truth doesn't call for any undue hardship on us, so the truth fits snug into our lives without upsetting anything. The trouble is that truth tailoring turns the truth into a lie and everyone that wears that tailormade truth suit will be damned.

You might say with all the truth floating about there, how do we know the real truth. My truth, your truth, her truth, his truth, their truth everyone interpreting it all differently.

2 Corinthians {13:8} For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.

The truth is the truth and it's up to each of us to find it through Jesus, He is the truth, He is the way, He is the life.

The truth will be the standard by which all of us our judged.

There is only one truth, Jesus, the Messiah, the Savior, the only Son of God our Father.

As when the Apostle Paul walked the earth along with the Apostle Peter, they didn't deliver the truth in the same manner, their methods were different but the truth was the same.

No matter who we are, no matter what we do, we can believe in the truth to salvation. While you might be compelled to live a life dedicated to the service of others through the medical field, and I might be compelled to live a life dedicated to a factory making products people use, we can both believe in the truth of God and live our lives in that truth. Living our lives in the truth doesn't mean we'll be the exact same in all we do. We are a diverse people, each individual different from the others in looks, in deeds, in thoughts, but we can have a common thread that runs through us all in the truth, in Jesus.

We can't alter the truth, we can live for it though. We can let the truth alter us, but we can never change the truth, never. We have to seek the truth in Jesus, not follow the truth as others tell it to us. We need to know the truth for ourselves, the truth has to be alive and real to each of us. We can speak the truth to others, we can proclaim Jesus our Lord and Savior, we can proclaim Him Savior of all mankind and it's the truth, unalterable and each person must choose the truth, or by default they choose a lie. One truth, many, many lies.

Tailormade truth, Jesus the designer, one size truly does fit all and perfectly.

If a fashion designer creates a gorgeous gown and you buy it then take off a ribbon here, add a bow there, cut that out and replace it with something else, is that design still the one the fashion designer created, or a new creation that you made from the original? It's a new creation, that fashion designer can no longer claim the gown as theirs in its entirety. Most likely to them you would have ruined their gown. When we wear Christ's truth and start snipping and sewing on it, adding this and that, taking away from it, it truly is no longer Christ's truth. The moment we change the truth, it becomes a lie, not another truth for there is only one truth and we can't change it, its impossible.

Jesus Christ, our Truth.

Amen.

Manifestation of the Truth

2 Corinthians
{4:1} Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not

**
We are all called to be ministers of Christ.

Our ministry is Christ, His grace and truth.

Each person who accepts Christ as their Lord and Savior is by the very nature of all that is Christ, compelled to live for Him. No, we can't all be great speakers, we can't all be teachers, we can't all be preachers or missionaries in the conventional sense but in our daily lives in whatever it is we are doing, we are Christ's representatives. It doesn't matter if you're a homeless person, or a physicist, an office worker, or a garage mechanic, every one of us who accept Christ and live for Him are representing Him in all we do.

As we receive Christ's mercy we cannot faint at our task of walking as Christ walked. The mercy of Christ enables us to to be strong, to do the things we need to do. Don't be fooled into thinking that you don't have to do anything as a follower of Christ, listen to this...

2 Corinthians
{4:2} But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty,

*Renounced the hidden things of dishonesty. You give up being dishonest. Very few people announce their ability to deceive, to cheat, to be dishonest. When caught a person earns a reputation as being someone dishonest, but as a rule and by it's very nature dishonesty isn't something people wear on their sleeves for all to see. As Christians we have to renounce the hidden things of dishonesty. Even those little things that people call white lies need to be rethought here because dishonest, is dishonest. No, I'm not for deliberately hurting anyone with a blatant truth as I perceive it- such as - 'Do you like my dress?' When it's the most hideous thing to me. It's not a lie to say. 'I suits you nicely.' Because in truth, if the person admires it then it is suiting that person's taste. It's not dishonest to be kind. Now if someone is wearing their shirt inside out and asks the same question of whether or not you like it, and you tell them, well... it's inside out so... You are doing them a kindness if there is an opportunity for them to correct the problem. I could give endless examples but there is no need.

2 Corinthians
{4:2}'...not walking in craftiness,'

*We're not to walk in craftiness.

Dict. Craftiness 1. Skilled in or marked by underhandedness, deviousness, or deception.

We're not to be dishonest, we're not to be deceitful, crafty, underhanded, devious- all negative traits that some applaud themselves for counting themselves very skilled when they can put one over on someone. We're not to even try to put one over on anyone.


2 Corinthians
{4:2}'... nor handling the word of God deceitfully;'

We can't handle the word of God deceitfully. You know, you'd think that a Christian wouldn't want to even imagine handling the Word of God with deceit and yet many do. Many pick it apart taking bits and pieces of things to suit what they want to believe and follow. They do that with Christ's teachings, with Christ's message as well. We can't do these things and call ourselves Christians. Christians, true followers of Christ are open, honest, forthright...


2 Corinthians
{4:2}'... but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.'

We have to manifest truth!

Dict. manifest -
Clearly apparent to the sight or understanding; obvious

Nothing hidden, nothing deceitful, the truth must be obvious in us. God alone will judge us, God alone knows and understands us. We need to put aside deceit, dishonesty, craftiness and put on truth. Christ needs to be readily seen in us.

2 Corinthians
{4:3} But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

*
While we might not be evangelists, or professional speakers, or great writers, we each have our own little world we exist in and to that world our belief cannot be hidden. Christ has to be seen in us, in our lives.

The precious love and mercy Christ is something we can't keep to ourselves. Unfortunately it is hidden to those who are lost and want to stay lost, and don't fool yourself, many, many do want to stay lost believing that this world is all they have to live for and nothing else can persuade them otherwise.

2 Corinthians
{4:3} But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
{4:4} In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

*
See! Do you see?! Satan blinds them that choose not to believe. The don't want the truth so they won't get the truth. Everyone has a chance to accept the truth in Christ Jesus, everyone and if the choice is made against Him then they are allowed to remain blinded by Satan.

2 Corinthians
{4:5} For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. {4:6} For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

AMEN!

AMEN!

Again I shout...AMEN!

We don't preach about ourselves, but Christ. He's the one all eyes should be upon. We are but His servants. God the very God who created light will shine light into our hearts! The light of knowledge and that knowledge is the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ!

All glory to God! All praise to God. May the light of knowledge shine in our hearts so that we can help others to see the love of God working in us through His most glorious, most wondrous Son, Jesus Christ!

Amen!

Psalms {91:4} He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Receive not the grace of God in vain...

2 Corinthians

{6:1} We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

**
Is it possible to receive the grace of God in vain?

Dict.
in vain
1. To no avail; without success: Our labor was in vain.


'...beseech you also, that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.'

That you receive not the grace of God to no avail.

Can we receive the grace of God and then have it mean nothing?

2Corinthians
{6:2} For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
{6:3} Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed
{6:4} But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses
{6:5} In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings
{6:6} By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned
{6:7} By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left
{6:8} By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true
{6:9} As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed
{6:10} As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

Wow.

Now is the day of salvation.

Receiving not the grace of God in vain means what?

That God's grace lives in us, works in us, that we are workers with Christ.

Receiving God's grace makes us workers with Christ.

We can't receive God's grace and not be workers for Christ or else we've received the grace of God in vain.

We are to--

Give no offense in anything- so that Christ isn't blamed. Do you imagine that means how people claim to be Christ and go on to be horrific people deceiving others, hurtin the innocent, stealing, lying...when they are found out it does what? It makes people blame the organization they're affiliated with doesn't it? We aren't to give offense in anything, that way the way of God will not be blamed for the offenses taking place.

We are to--

In all we do- realize we are ministers of God.

Ministers of God in - patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings.

How?

By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the Word of Truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and left.

No matter what, when we are honored or dishonored, giving an evil report of a good report, called deceivers yet being true, not being known and even if we are well known, when we're dying, as we are living, as those chastened and not killed. Even as filled with sorrow, yet rejoicing, even poor, yet others get rich around us, when we have nothing, and yet we possess all things.

Wow.

Talk about a recap of life.

Talk about encompassing it all in a few words.

Talk about the truth.

How are we ministers of God through Christ? Pureness, knowledge, longsuffering, kindness, Holy Ghost, real love, Word of Truth, power of God, armor of righteousness on all sides.

How are we ministers?

By the grace of God.

So that the Grace isn't in vain we have to walk as Christ walked through the power of Christ.

The grace can be in vain, we can't make a mistake there. We can all receive the grace of God it's not withheld from anyone, not a single person. The grace can be received in vain though. The grace can be meaningless if it all stops there. If the grace we receive is in vain it's because we aren't accepting Christ into our lives, letting Him live in us, work in us, through us. We can accept Christ and fancy ourselves saved, but it can all be in vain if Christ isn't allowed to live in our hearts and the result of that is allowing Him to work in us, and us working for Him.

Liars, deceivers, those who have received the grace of God in vain, they all exist, we can't be fooled. We can't believe that all who seemingly come to Christ are Christs.

Jesus said-

Matthew
{7:15} Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
{7:16} Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
{7:17} Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
{7:18} A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
{7:19} Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
{7:20} Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.


**
Don't those false prophets in sheep's clothing appear to be the real thing? They do, and that's why they deceive. They can seemingly receive the grace of God but in vain...in vain. So while they're claiming salvation in Christ's name, these wolves in sheep's clothing are claiming it in vain.

We say that works will not save us and I say AMEN to that! Yes it is by our works we are known. By the fruit of our labors, by our actions, by our lives. We are a living testimony to our beliefs.

Does it seem impossible to walk as Christ walked? Well it is if we attempt to do it on our own and claim the glory for doing so to ourselves. If we shout out for others to look at us, look how Godly we are, or even look how Godly we were, we are claiming the glory when all glory goes to God. When our walk with Christ was so new and so fresh, so strong and so pure it was seemingly easy, even the difficulties seemed easy some how in Christ, in that walk. Yet, slowly that walk in Christ becomes OUR walk, and we start counting on ourselves to walk, and the more we looked to ourselves to do good, the less we became able to do so. Somewhere along the line our eyes left Jesus and turned inward. To justify that inward gaze we try to blame God for letting us go, we blame God for hanging us out to dry, when He did no such thing. We looked inwards even while we claimed to be looking to Jesus, our focus became all about us, and not at all about Him. It became all about our needs, our sufferings, our afflictions, our heartaches, our loneliness, our pain and we felt abandoned and no wonder, we took our eyes off Christ and all we could see was ourselves.

It's not impossible to walk as Christ walked. It's not impossible to be true ministers of God by the grace of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. He has to be our everything, and we have to become nothing so we can be all in Him. Christ can live in us, work through us in all things, we have to let Him. And we have to realize that it is possible to receive the grace of God in vain, that there are wolves in sheep's clothing, that there are many who will seem holy that are far from it, and our only hope is through Jesus, the word of Truth.

Amen.

The judgment of God is according to truth...

Romans
{2:1} Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

How is it that we are quick to judge others for their faults but so slow to recognize the faults in ourselves? We can point out easily another’s selfishness, but to call ourselves selfish we find hard to do, citing to ourselves how generous we are in so many ways. It's so easy to see in others but so hard to see in ourselves. If you want to know, really know what your faults are try to find someone who knows you well and who isn't afraid of offending you and sit them down. Ask that person what they perceive your faults to be. Tell them you really desire honestly to know. If they try to tell you that you have none, you know they're afraid of offending you and won't tell you the truth. We all have faults, all of us. Children can often see them in parents but parents refuse to listen to children because, well, they're children. Husbands and wives see them in each other but they don't want to offend each other, what smart spouse would want to point out the faults, they might get their own faults pointed out. Parents will often tell their children what's wrong with them, but lots of times they do so in a way that breaks the spirit of a child. A good friend might, just might be honest about it all, but there again being a friend means overlooking faults doesn't it? Overlooking faults and loving just the same. Maybe you can't find anyone to tell you what your faults are. Maybe you have to figure it all out yourself. A way to possibly do that is to look at those you're judging. Look at others and recognize their faults, it's easy to do, we see them all the time, right? Then turn around and ask yourself honestly ask yourself if that same fault lies within you. Remember- how we judge is how we'll be judged. How we condemn others for their faults- their lack of understanding, their impatience, their un-kindnesses, their inability to comprehend where they're wrong, their cold-heartedness, their stubbornness, oh yes, we can see faults in others. We need to see them in ourselves. We need to know that how we treat others we'll be treated. There won't be any explaining to God. Oh, hey God, I only said that about that person because well, it was obvious and everyone knows they're a nasty. I'm not a nasty, I'm...not, I only...I... The very acts of condemning, condemn us.

Romans
{2:1} Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

{2:2} But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.

**
God knows the truth of our hearts. God knows the truth. The truth.

Romans
{2:3} And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

**
No one escapes the judgment of God. No one.

Romans
{2:4} Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

**
The riches of goodness.
The riches of forbearance.
The riches of longsuffering.

We laugh at those who we perceive as good- those who seem easily taken for fools.
We can't comprehend how some people put up with others and their abuses, and still love. (And no I'm not condoning an abused wife or husband to stay with their abusers.) We can't comprehend how people can be longsuffering towards those that revile them. How can someone who is abused still be so nice? Still walk with a smile? Still have a kind word for their abusers. Do you know any of those people? They are few and far between but they do exist.

The goodness of God is found in forbearance, in longsuffering. It is that goodness that leads us to repentance. Leads us to realize our own faults, lets us see our own faults, it takes off the blinders and we can then see ourselves and others in a new light.

And yet, so many despise the goodness, the forbearance, the longsuffering, so many don't want to be brought to repentance.

Romans
{2:5} But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
{2:6} Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

**
In the end it will be our choices that define us. Will we be brought to repentance, to the place we can find Jesus, the grace and mercy of our Savior? Or will we harden our hearts. Either way the judgment of God will come. Each one of us will be judged according to our deeds. Our choices.

Romans
{2:7} To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

**
Those who seek glory in immortality promised through Jesus, those who see honor in eternal life, not the life here. Those who recognize that any glory and honor given by man to us means little in comparison to the honor and glory of God, those will find eternal life.

Romans
{2:8} But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,

**
Indignation and wrath, not obeying the truth, obeying unrighteousness- the indignation and wrath are for those.


The truth... Jesus, His love, His sacrifice, His grace and mercy for us.
The lies... That there is no need of Jesus and His sacrifice, salvation is found in ourselves.

Our choices, our deeds, reveal ourselves to God. If we think that our choices and our lives don't matter, think again.

May God help us seek truth. To look at ourselves and our own faults before pointing at and condemning others. May the choice we make be for Jesus now and always.

By the Grace of God.

Amen.

Song Recap and Satan’s Deadly Playground

(Please note- this Friday Sabbath evening recap of my praising God in music will turn into my Saturday Sabbath morning Bible study. So skip over the beginning if you're only interested in the study) Thanks!

**

Bill Gaither's Best - On the Gospel Music Channel

Starts out my Friday evening Sabbath music praising and worshipping of my God and my Savior :)

Songs-

It starts out with --
Old Camp Meeting Days.

The 2nd song was - The Old Country Church, not too bad. It's interspersed with many old favorites. :) Of course I don't believe in the whole going on Sunday stuff, but other than that I really like the song. :) So did my feet which were kept tapping. Hehe.

The Tabernacle - was next, I like the violin in this one :) Nice song :) Again it had a very catchy tune, uplifting.

Just Tell Them When You Saw Me I Was on My Way - :) Not too bad...a hand clapping song. :) Most of these seem to be like that.

Well Water - I really like this song :) Well water.. flowing from a river that will never run dry :) Amen!

Rock of Ages - A wonderful favorite! :)

Tell Me the Story of Jesus - very, very nice song. :)

I Go to the Rock - Really nice song! *foot tapping* *sings* I go to the Rock of my salvation! I go to the Rock! Christ the solid Rock I stand! I go to the Rock of my Salvation! Woohoo! When I need shelter, when I need a friend I go to the Rock! Praise God!

The Least I Can Do - was next :) The least I can do is live for Him! So true :)

The Baptism of Jesse Taylor - A nice story song :)

I Saw the Light - A very snappy version! :) *happy feet dancing!*

****

Bill Gaither's - Amazing Grace

1. Amazing Grace (Featuring Buddy Greene on harmonica, Russ Taff, The Booth Brothers)

Great harmonica playing! Beautiful and touching as ever this song was. *sniffled lots* God is so wonderful, we are so undeserving. Praise Him! Praise God!

2. God Of Our Fathers (Featuring Shane McConnell) I hadn't heard this song in many years, it was really nice to hear it again :)

3. Come, Thou Fount Of Every Blessing (Featuring Buddy Greene, Jeff Taylor) I love this song so much. One of my favorites from long ago. Here's my heart, oh take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above. Amen!

4. Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior (Featuring Allen Asbury) Another old favorite :) *happy happy*

5. At Calvary (Featuring Lynda Randle, Jessy Dixon) Amen! Amen! Amen!

7. Love Lifted Me (Featuring Kim Hopper) Hehe, another I haven't heard in ages :) So good to hear it! :)

8. I Need Thee Every Hour (Featuring Randy Owen, The Isaacs) Beautiful, wonderful, such a great song! *sings* I need thee oh I need thee, every hour I need theeee, bless me now my Savior, I come to thee.

9. Burdens Are Lifted At Calvary (Featuring Ladye Love Smith) This is a new one for me, I like it a lot :)

10. I Then Shall Live (Featuring Gaither Vocal Band, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound) *sniffs* So beautiful... soooooo very beautiful.

****
Snack time :) and then moreeee music! More praise, more worshipping in song! Amen!

Newsboys- Something beautiful :) I like this song :) It's a voice that whispers my name... something beautiful....

Next song by Newsboys-

Blessed Be Your Name!! *bounces around* wonderful song!! *sings* Blessed be Your name! Blessed be the name of the Lord! Blessed be Your nammmmmmmmmmeeeee!

Blessed be Your gloriousssssss name! Amen! woohoo!

Next-

All God's Children! :) Singing! Glory Glory! Hallelujah! He reigns! He reigns! All God's people saying! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah He reigns!

Next-

Stay strong. :) Listening to it for the first time... I like it :) We do need to stay strong throughout it all. Stay strong in Jesus! Amen.

Stay strong... you're not lost... stay strong! Get up there's further to go, Get up there's more to be done... get up this race can be won!!!!
This race can be won! Stay strong!!! There'll be no letting go today! Stay strong!

Shine is next :) a cute song! Shout let them wonder what you got! Shine...shine! Glorify the Lord! You were born to glorify the Lord! AMEN To that!

Enjoyed the rest of the show! :) Wild, crazy and an unmistakable passion for Christ shines through.

:)

*****
One last Bill Gaither show :) Then some reading and bed. :) Lotsa wonderful studying tomorrow God willing. :)


Right Place, Right Time- an interesting.. forties like song but gospel :)

I Trust In God :) Good song :)

***** (Sabbath Morning Bible Study or what turns into it… hehe)

Well I ended the night by listening to a few more songs, it was really nice and then I lay in bed read a bit from a C.S. Lewis Classic- The Great Divorce- a dream. There are a lot of interesting things in the preface to that very fictional story about heaven/hell/earth/death and I emphasize fictional story, hey, even He emphasized it. :)

I'm going to take a few moments to copy a snippet of the preface to share-

'Even on a biological level life is not like a river but like a tree. It does not move towards unity but away from it and the creature grows further apart as they increase in perfection. Good, as it ripens, becomes continually more different not only from evil but from other good.

I do not think that all who choose wrong roads perish; but their rescue consists in being put back on the right road. A sum can be put right: but only by going back till you find the error and working it afresh from that point, never by simply going on. Evil can be undone, but it cannot 'develop' into good. Time does not heal it. The spell must be unwound, bit by bit, 'with backwards mutters of dissevering power'- or else not. It is still 'either-or'. If we insist on keeping Hell (or even earth) we shall not see Heaven: if we accept Heaven we shall not be able to retain even the smallest and most intimate souvenirs of Hell. I believe, to be sure, that any man who reaches Heaven will find that what he abandoned (even in plucking out his right eye) has not been lost: that the kernal of what he was really seeking even in his most depraved wishes will be there, beyond expectation, waiting for him in 'the High Countries'. In that sense it will be true for those who have completed the journey (and for no others) to say that good is everything and Heaven everywhere. But we, at this end of the road, must not try to anticipate that retrospective vision. If we do, we are likely to embrace the false and disastrous converse and fancy that everything is good and everywhere is Heaven.

But what, you ask, of earth? Earth, I think, will not be found by anyone in the end a very distinct place. I think earth, if chosen instead of Heaven, will turn out to have been, all along, only a region in Hell: and earth, if put second to Heaven, to have been from the beginning a part of Heaven itself.'

**

Isn't that profound? Seriously. Yes, they are only C.S. Lewis' meanderings and suppositions, his ideas and fancies but they make an odd kind of sense to me.

Evil can't be made good. Just like the math problem can't be fixed- not ever - unless it's redone and the moment the error in the calculation is found, then it can be redone correctly. But if you don't go back to find the error you can go forward forever and it will never put the math problem right, not ever. There is no magic spell that changes evil into good, it doesn't exist. You can stop doing evil, but that doesn't change the evil that you already did. You can be forgiven of past evil, but it won't change the evilness of that evil. You can even forget about the evil, forget it ever happened but it won't change if you suddenly remember it twenty years later, it's still evil.

I think some people, myself included, wish that by forgiveness there was forgetfulness. That there was a way to go back in time and undo all the evil committed so it would never have to be recalled. The pain of remembering the evil and the results from that evil are tremendous and yes, we can give it all to God and yes, we can find grace through Jesus, our sins will be forgiven, but I don't think we are supposed to forget. As awful as that sounds, I think we are supposed to remember our sins from time to time just like we are supposed to keep the atrocities of evil on a grand, worldly scale, in remebrance. We remember because to forget is risking committing the evil again.

You might say, oh no! I've learned my lesson, never again will I commit that evil, even if you let me forget that I did that evil. I say, if you don't recall the evil you did you can't recall the forgiveness you received and you won't recognize the weight of that sin and you are therefore liable to commit the sin again because the evil of it isn't personal to you any longer.

I could be wrong. I don't know to be quite honest. I could be wrong but as we live with the weight of our forgiven sins on our shoulders we have less chance of adding more weight to them, right? I'm not saying dwell under the grief and anguish of your past sins, no not at all. Rejoice in the forgiveness Jesus gives, rejoice in His great mercy, in God's amazing love for us. What I'm saying is don't be surprised if you're walking along in your life all forgiven from the past and that past you know is forgiven comes back to your mind as if it gained about thirty pounds. Don't be surprised, recognize that there is a reason for your recall and the added pain of the memory and thank God through Jesus Christ our Savior for that forgiveness all over again and for the memory that keeps you aware of the sins and the price paid for them. No wallowing in the guilt, no using it like an excuse...oh, I can't forget it so I might as well keep on with it. No, don't do that! Realize that not forgetting doesn't mean you're not forgiven. One day when we meet Jesus in the air and He takes us to Heaven, one day when we receive our robes of His righteousness and we enter a sinless existence, one day we'll be allowed to forget completely and it's the hope of that glory we live for in Jesus.

**

No, I don't think all that I babbled on was what C.S. Lewis meant by his preface bit I copied, but hey, I needed to say it I guess. Back to the preface- I particularly liked this- 'But what, you ask, of earth? Earth, I think, will not be found by anyone in the end a very distinct place. I think earth, if chosen instead of Heaven, will turn out to have been, all along, only a region in Hell: and earth, if put second to Heaven, to have been from the beginning a part of Heaven itself.'

If we live for our lives here and now believing this life, this earth is all there is, I think we will realize that this earth we live in is just a playground of Satan's, a home he's made for himself here as prince of this world. A home we are born into, grow up in, and yes, die in having never seen Heaven. Our hope is in a world not run by Satan. Our hope lies in the world of Heaven, whatever it may be knowing it's a place free of all sin and the ravages of sin.

It's sad to imagine people believing this is as good as it ever gets, this life, this world. There is no hope or so many who believe that way. It's a life of endless despair and we wonder why so many people are caught up in drugs and sensual pleasures grasping at all they can to make what they believe to be their only hope, their only life a better place. It's like they're trying to put frosting on a pile of dog poo and call it dinner. Gross, yes, but seriously. People living for this earth and this life alone try and try and try to make it something good and constantly problems will arise. If you're poor the problems seem to endlessly be about not having enough money to live as you please. If you're rich it's constantly about not having enough riches, of the riches being superficial because money doesn't buy a place beyond Satan's playground, it only buys a richer tasting frosting so the dog poo goes down a bit easier. Seriously, nothing can turn the evil of this world into good. Remember the math sum? You have to find out WHERE the problem occured and fix it from there, not try to change the problem into another altogether, that won't make the error of the real problem any less wrong. We can't ever make this world we live in- Heaven. We can however, live FOR Heaven.

As C.S. Lewis wrote and I quoted above- '...and earth, if put second to Heaven, to have been from the beginning a part of Heaven itself.'

If we live for Heaven, if we live for Jesus and the world He promised to us, we'll realize that yes, here on earth, here among the playground of Satan himself, we were allowed a taste of Heaven. Jesus. The earth was never intended to be Satan's playground and I think that's what we'll realize. That even among all the horrific playground toys erected by Satan, glimpses of what the earth was intended for can be found, but only if we live for Heaven, realizing that this earth is Satan's playground, can we truly see those little bits of Heaven. Those little bits which are never intended to make us believe that we are living in Heaven now here on earth and this is all there is to life, period, end of story.

No wonder Jesus said--

John {8:23} And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.

John {18:36} Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence

John {14:30} Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. {14:31} But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

John {17:14} I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. {17:15} I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. {17:16} They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. {17:17} Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. {17:18} As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into
the world. {17:19} And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. {17:20} Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word

**
It can't be any clearer than that, can it.

Make no mistake, this isn't as good as it all gets, this world we live it in isn't all there is. We have hope beyond this life we live in Satan's Playground. As in all playground with the children playing and running about, there are safety zones. The safety zone in this playground can only be found in God, through the mercy of Jesus, by His grace, by His everlasting love, the truth we are sanctified by. Because Satan's playgrounds isn't like the playground of our youths where it's all games and make believe and no one is killed if they don't make it to safety, we have to realize that death is the outcome for ALL who don't make it to the safety zones found in Jesus, this is the truth.

Amen!