Paths of the Destroyer

Psa 17:4 Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.
Psa 17:5 Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.


We desperately need God to hold up our goings in His paths… that our feet don't slip off that path. It's sooooo easy to be caught up in the works of men. They surround us, the worldly ways, the works of men. There is a HUGE difference between the works of men and the works of God, the ways of men and the ways of God. Jesus was in the world but not OF the world. We are called to be IN the world but not OF the world. We really need to differentiate between the two ways of life and if you think it's easy, it isn't.


Most of us are brought up in the ways of the world, the ways of men. We are blessed and born again unto God and His ways through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as adults or teenagers.


Though some are brought up in Christian families - this is my experience, my family were Sunday and Holiday- Church Christians with Vacation Bible School thrown in but there was no day to day worship other than memorized prayers at meal times and bedtime. I was luckier than a lot of children who grow up without any knowledge of God at all. However, I still believe I grew up in the ways of Men, in the paths of the world. God as being the most important thing in life was not something I grew up believing and I'm NOT going to blame my parents, they were very loving and kind parents (not perfect but no one is) they raised me to the best of their ability.


The point being is our connection to the world. Most of us grow up in the ways of the world not the ways of God. Because we are brought up in the ways of the world later on it is often hard to separate all the ways of the world from the ways of God. You'd think it'd be fairly easy but it really isn't.


You look at certain religions- Quakers and the Amish come to mind and they have their own communities geared towards their religion and their children are brought up in those ways. I'm not saying those are great religions or even going to pretend I know much about them, I don't. What I do know is their children at a certain age are allowed to go out into the world to experience it and decide which way they want to follow and...


"Most (some 85-90%) successfully negotiate this "causal time" of their lives and return to the fold."


Pasted from


We read this…


Joh 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
Joh 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.


Jesus doesn't pray that we are taken OUT of the world-- but boy wouldn't it be great to be taken out of the worldly ways? To live in a community of Christian believers sharing the same beliefs and honoring God? I know, I know, immediately the idea of CULTS come to mind, and I don't support cult living. In fact from those verses above we know we aren't to be taken out of the world but to be kept from evil.


Most of us don't have the opportunity to live OUT of the world. The worldly ways are all around us, even for those who do livei n the mountains and such. Worldly ways some how seem to creep into our lives in ways we don't suspect or even want to suspect.


Psa 17:4 Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.
Psa 17:5 Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.



Concerning the works of men
By the word of God's lips
I have kept me
From the paths of the destroyer


We need to keep ourselves from the paths of the destroyer found in the works of men.
We need to keep ourselves from being destroyed.
We need God to hold up our goings in HIS paths so we don't slip off HIS path.
This should be our prayer. We aren't to be taken out of the world but we will be kept from evil but ONLY through God, through the righteousness of our Lord and Savior.


Let us examine our paths. Let us pay attention to our lives and ask ourselves if our ways are God's ways and if they are not- rather than get bogged down in discouragement over how worldly we really are- pray. Pray to be kept from evil. Pray to have our goings in God's path, and that our feet don't slip. Pray and as convictions enter our hearts pray harder to be able to surrender the evils we cherish to God. Above all do NOT let Satan convince you that you'll never be right with God, that you can't follow His path. Pray and surrender to Christ, repent, ask for forgiveness over and over and over again if you have to. Trust in Christ for the victory found ONLY in Him, through HIM and His love and mercy.


By the grace and all consuming love, through the righteousness of our Lord and Savior now and forever, all glory and honor, all praise to Him!


Amen

Better than Life

Job 23:12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.


God's commandments, God's words mean more than NECESSARY food. To honor God, to obey God is true life. Our life here and now is sustained physically by food, but what good is our physical life if we don't have the love God and the desire to live for God in our hearts? Are the words of God more important to you than life here and now?


Psa 17:1 A Prayer of David. Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.


How can our lips be feigned? We can speak all we want of God's love but if it's not real in our lives, if it's not real in our hearts then all we say and do is false and God's knows. People know too don't they? I mean really. People can look at 'so called' Christians and laugh, knowing that they profess something they don't truly live. The excuse of being human - you know the one- I'm only human so of course I'll still act ungodly and blame it on my humanity, that excuse people see through as well. Yes, that saying- 'Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven' is another excuse. It's true, but it's an excuse at the same time. There is a marked difference in those who follow God and those who follow the world. Instead of making any excuses a sinful Christian will seek to repent, to ask for forgiveness not try to lessen the blame of their actions. Our lips can be feigned and God knows the truth of all we say and do. We want God to hear us and He will, He does, and He knows the truth.


Psa 63:3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.


Better than life is God's lovingkindness and we need to praise Him more with that realization. We are so quick to blame God, to question God as life's problems surmount, but the truth is God's lovingkindness is better than life- the life we seem to think should be easy and without problems. We want our life and the lives of others to be endurable on a human level of what we consider relatively problem free. We place such great store on our lives and in doing so we often hold it higher than God. God's love is everything, God's lovingkindness is better than our life. Our lives are temporary here on earth and then temporarily in death's sleep in the grave until Christ returns. These temporary lives of ours are nothing compared to the love of God which lasts forever and is from forever. If anyone asks you what is better than life we can honestly answer- God's lovingkindness is better than life- all praise and glory to Him!


Psa 119:72 The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.
Psa 119:131 I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments.


The law of GOD'S mouth…. better than great amounts of gold and silver. Again, it is God who is important, all important, not anything material in our lives. We have to think about what we really believe is important in life- is it life itself or the way it's lived? Would we be willing to lose all things and still love God? Or would we rather keep all things and lose God? Ultimately God is everything, everything of God is important. To esteem God's word better than any riches at all you could ever possess is a good thing. To LONG for God's word, to PANT for God's commands to us shows a great desperation for the things of God. Do we have this desperation for the things of God? Is God truly THAT important to us? We have to question ourselves, we know we have to examine ourselves we have to answer for our lives and the way we live and the choices we make. The more we examine our lives the greater the realization our need of a Savior is revealed. The need for the grace of God is all encompassing. The understanding that it is only through the righteousness of Christ we truly live by His grace is so important.


Obviously I've been doing just a short study on the 'mouth and lips' and it's a study that can be undertaken in depth there is so much to learn. It is my prayer that God bless us with understanding, opening our hearts and minds to Him fully. May we be convicted of the importance of placing God first and foremost in our lives- even above our lives for He is all in all.


By His Grace.


Amen.

Surrendering Evil

Act 19:20 So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.


Paul stayed in Asia continuing to preach the Word of God. Many were converted, many burned their evil books and changed their lives so that Christ was first and foremost. They believed in those books and the sorcery within them. The books were expensive unlike our paperback books we can get for a dime a dozen at a garage sale. They had no printing press back then. These books were valuable and they burned them signifying the change in their lives. The heart change.


Not all were willing to change... Read on...


Act 19:21 After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.
Act 19:22 So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season.
Act 19:23 And the same time there arose no small stir about that way.
Act 19:24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen;
Act 19:25 Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.
Act 19:26 Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:
Act 19:27 So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.
Act 19:28 And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
Act 19:29 And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre.
Act 19:30 And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not.
Act 19:31 And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre.
Act 19:32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.
Act 19:33 And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto the people.
Act 19:34 But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.
Act 19:35 And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?
Act 19:36 Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly.
Act 19:37 For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess.
Act 19:38 Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them implead one another.
Act 19:39 But if ye enquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly.
Act 19:40 For we are in danger to be called in question for this day's uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse.
Act 19:41 And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.
Act 20:1 And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia.


This whole city was filled with confusion. The merchants didn't want anyone preaching about the one true God who didn't need any shrines, idols, or any sort of images crafted; this was how they made their money off the worship of the goddess Diana. If the One true God were worshipped they'd lose their coveted livelihood and not even eternal life was worth that to them.


How would you react to a similar situation? Think about it. How do you make a living? How do you survive in our world? Where does your livelihood come from? What if you had to suddenly choose between your way of making a living and God. We want to be able to say we'd give up everything and anything for God but do we really mean it? Seriously, do we? Chances are your way of making a living won't interfere with your ability to worship God, but what if you found out it did? These men couldn't imagine anything worth taking away their livelihood and more than likely they perished without accepting the Lord as their Savior and they won't have eternal life. Are there things in our lives we cling to rather than give up for God? Maybe it's not as challenging as being asked to give up your entire way of life, but we really need to examine our lives and question whether or not we do anything that we wouldn't want to do with God. Salvation through Christ is a gift, an amazing, wondrous gift. Yet we know that God will have us have...NO other gods before Him. Back in the days of the Apostles people were convicted to give up the wrongs in their lives, to give up the evil that surrounded them, we are asked to give up no less. We might not worship the goddess Diane, we might not have books full of curious arts- sorcery, but we can be sure there are things today comparable to the evils of the past and we must surrender them just as they did long ago.


May God bless us and convict us of the evil in our lives so that we may give it up and live in Him fully. By His righteousness, in His grace through His mercy and love now and forever!


Amen.

Word of God Prevails

Yesterday we touched on the fact that there is power in the name of Jesus and those who falsely attempt to use the name of Jesus have none of that power. Evil is real, evil spirits are real and they know Jesus and His true followers. We read from Acts 19: 13-16 and learned that certain 'vagabond jews', 'exorcists' who tried to cast out an evil spirit were beaten by the evil spirit instead. Picking up from there we read...


Acts 19:17 'And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.'


Fear fell on the people. They knew that Paul could cast out evil spirits in the name of Jesus, yet others couldn't cast them out because they didn't have that true love of Jesus. Jesus' name was 'magnified'. The power of Jesus was realized by others and this was a very, very good thing.


Acts 19:18,19 'And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.
Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.'


We talk about book burnings and today we cry out how wrong it is to burn books, it's limiting our freedom to have knowledge about all things. Book bans, book burnings, seem to be so archaic to us in our society. Yet these people who were compelled to learn of Jesus and live for Him 'confessed and shewed their deeds' burning their book.


The deeds of these many were 'curious arts'... witchcraft, the occult.


(ISV) Acts 19:19 'Moreover, many people who had practiced occult arts gathered their books and burned them in front of everybody. They estimated the price of them and found they were worth 50,000 silver coins.'


The occult, witchcraft and the like. It was a real practice, just as real then as it is today even though many today consider it harmless and silly. These people had books for their occult practicing, books worth 50,000 silver coins! They realized how wrong their witchcraft was and burned their occult books signaling their change of heart. Costly books were destroyed as an outward display of new faith was shown.


When people come to know their Lord and Savior they realize the wrong things in their lives and as the light reveals the dark parts in their lives they are compelled to change. Conversion often brings a marked changed in a person's life. But today in Christianity here in America, here in the world I live in, people seem more accepting of the darkness excusing the wrong things and readily saying 'God understands'. God does understand, people don't seem to though. Darkness cannot be made light, darkness cannot be made acceptable just because we want to be excused for the things in our lives we don't want to, or find hard to, give up. Sin is sin and no amount of desire to excuse that sin will change it to sinlessness. Just as those newly converted to the love of Christ realize how evil their lives have been and repent of that evil, we need to daily examine our lives and seek to repent of the things in our lives we are convicted are sin. We need to burn the books in our lives so to speak, we need to give up the practices we know are not of God. These people who were practicing 'curious arts' burned their costly books and...


'So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.'


The word of God grew!
The word of God prevailed!


This means the love of God was filling the hearts of many. Today the love of God needs to fill our hearts with a genuine love, a real conversion, a continued love, a continued conversion. The love of God doesn't convict and then wax cold, not if we keep it a live in our hearts. As the love of God convicts we need to react to the convicting as He would have us react. May the love of God continue to grow and prevail, may His word ever prevail and continue to grow now and forever!


By the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior! In Him now and always! Through the righteousness of Christ!


Amen.

The Name of Jesus

Act 19:13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.
Act 19:14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.
Act 19:15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
Act 19:16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
Act 19:17 And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.


There is power in the name of Jesus, power we can call on but not falsely. We have to have a real relationship with Jesus, a true relationship with our Lord and Savior. Simply using His name isn't enough.


Devil's believe and they tremble. Devil's know Jesus and His true followers. Those who don't have a living, breathing, relationship with God, with their Savior, can't expect the mere mention of the Lord's name to work for them as they want it to work. These men- these vagabond Jews, these exorcists, wanted to rid a man of an evil spirit. These men knew Jesus truly cast out evil spirits. These men knew that Paul, an apostle of Jesus, cast out evil spirits in the name of the Lord. These men had the idea that if they used the name of the Lord they could cast out evil spirits too. The Holy Spirit wasn't in these men and the evil spirit knew that these were men who were not in any way connected to Jesus. There was no love of Jesus, no love of God in these men and the evil spirit knew they had no power to destroy and was free to attack them which it did with a vengeance.


We can't imagine evil spirits in this way, and we can't imagine true exorcism. This sort of thing might have happened in Jesus' day but not in our day. So where have all the evil spirits gone? I'm not saying I want to confront an evil spirit, far from it!!! I hope never to encounter one, never! I hope and pray that my relationship with my Savior is a pure and strong relationship, a just and true relationship so that if ever I'm in such a situation and I can call upon the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, that the Holy Spirit will dwell in me and the power of the Lord will be revealed. No glory, no honor to me, but all glory and honor to God. May we all seek to have a true relationship with our Lord, may we all be found in Him so that if we ever are in any situation that will test our faith, our faith will remain firm in Him.


By His grace and mercy, through His righteousness, in His amazing love now and forever, all glory and honor to Him!

Amen.

Ambassadors For Christ

2Co 5:20,21 6:1-10


Now then we are ambassadors for Christ
as though God did beseech you by us
we pray you in Christ's stead
be ye reconciled to God.
For he hath made him to be sin for us
who knew no sin
that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.


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


(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.)


Giving no offence in any thing,
that the ministry be not blamed:
But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God,


in much patience,
in afflictions
in necessities
in distresses
In stripes
in imprisonments
in tumults
in labours
in watchings
in fastings

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 armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
By honour and dishonour
by evil report and good report


as deceivers, and yet true
As unknown and yet well known
as dying, and, behold, we live
as chastened, and not killed;
As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing
as poor, yet making many rich
as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

Riches and Poor Pride

Jas 1:10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
Jas 1:11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.


No matter our financial situation in the end we all have the same fate and there is no getting out of that. All the money in the world does not buy life. Some would beg to differ stating money gets you better, more quality medical care and there is no disputing that. But money cannot keep illness away. You could live in an entirely sterile environment and become ill. There is NO escaping time. No matter the money you have you have to live, you have to die. Some argue that they'd rather be rich living than poor and that's a given. But being rich is not the answer to life. Being rich comes with a tremendous responsibility a lot of rich people don't want to think about. The responsibility to use the riches in a Godly way, meaning using the money they have in a way God would approve of.


We really do want to believe money will solve most of our problems. I know I think money would transform my life in many ways and I'd be this very giving person using my wealth as God would want me to do, and yet in the end would I? Money can corrupt and does so very easily. I know it's my prayer that God only allow me the wealth that will not corrupt me and turn me from Him in any way. If being poor is my lot then so be it. By the grace of God may all those who are rich keep from corruption knowing that ...'as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.'


Also... please Lord humble me in all my ways. The poor can be proud and sometimes even more proud than the rich wearing their poverty as a badge of godliness.


Pro 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.


Life is filled with many, many obstacles and we just really need to seek the Lord in all we do. We need to go to His word for direction a lot more than we do.


Rich or poor we need the Lord equally. We all have the same fate - living and dying - with all that comes in between and by the grace of God will we live IN HIM always.

Amen.