Think.

 THINK.

God tells us HOW to think. Is this to control us? Never. This is to HELP us. 

God knows that Satan will envelope us in dark, negative, lies, meant to keep us from God's love! Anything that will keep us from living in the Spirit of God's love will be dredged up by Satan and used against us. As darkness, depression, angst, roil within us suffocating our minds Satan glories in keeping us focused on the pit we are in and not the truth of our eternal destination which no pit can smother because it exists outside of the temporary world we live in- this is TRUTH. 

Is it true?

Is it honest?

Is it just?

Is it pure?

Is it lovely?

Is it of good report?

Is it virtuous?

Is it praiseworthy?

TRUE, HONEST, JUST, PURE, LOVELY, GOOD REPORT, VIRTUOUS, PRAISEWORTHY.

Satan doesn't want us to question what is happening WHILE it is happening.  Satan wants to drown us in his lies. Satan sets the lies up so they will overwhelm us. We have to think how God wants us to think. God doesn't want us to listen to Satan. 

God wants us to THINK TRUE things so we must know truth.

God wants us to THINK HONEST things, so we must be honest, knowing honesty.

God wants us to THINK PURE things. Do we know what is pure? We must. 

God wants us to THINK LOVELY things. We must know what is lovely.

God wants us to THINK GOOD. Do we know what is a good report?

God wants us to THINK VIRTUE. We must know what is virtuous.  

God wants us to THINK PRAISE. We must know what to praise. 

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 

With Us There Shall Be Peace.

Rom 13:14  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. 

(Excerpt) Articles on Romans  by E. J. Waggoner Chapter 13

The End Approaches. 

The remainder of the chapter is devoted to exhortations that need no comment. Their special force is derived from the fact that "the end of all things is at hand." Therefore we should "be sober, and watch unto prayer." 

Although living in the night, when darkness covers the earth (Isa. 60:2), Christians are children of the light and of the day, leaving off works of darkness.

Isa 60:2  For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 

Joh 12:36  While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

Clothed with Christ. 

Those who put on the Lord Jesus Christ will not themselves be seen. 

Christ alone will appear. 

To make provision for the lusts of the flesh is most unnecessary, since the flesh ever seeks to have its lusts gratified. The Christian has need rather to take heed that it does not assert its own power, and assume control. 

Only in Christ can the flesh be subdued. 

He who is crucified with Christ, can say, "I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me,  and gave himself for me." Gal. 2:20. And in that case he will conduct himself towards rulers and private persons just as Christ did, "because as he is, so are we in this world."

(The following comments on Romans 13 were spoken by E. J. Waggoner at the 1891 General Conference Session and are found in the Bulletin. They are added here for the convenience of the reader):

How far is it possible for the Christian to live at peace with all men? It is possible for him to be at peace with all men, so far as he himself is concerned, all the time. For he is dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto Christ. Christ dwells in his heart by faith, and Christ is the Prince of peace. Then there are no circumstances under which the Christian is justified in losing his temper and declaring war either against an individual or a government. . . .

In Galatians 5:18 we are told that "if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." The works of the flesh are the works which are done by those who are under the law, and in the enumeration of these works we find the word "strife." Therefore a Christian cannot enter into strife, because he is not in the flesh. Strife can have no place in us: therefore so far as we are concerned it will be peace all the time.

But if those men with whom we have to do, steel their hearts against the truth of God, and will not be affected by the truth, they will make trouble, but the trouble will be on their part; with us there will be peace all the time. . . .

 

The Whole Duty of Man.

All Power From God.

 

(Excerpt) Articles on Romans  by E. J. Waggoner Chapter 13

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 1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers.  For there is no power but of God; the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same; 4 for he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain; for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject,  not only for wrath, but also for conscience' sake. 6 For, for this cause pay ye tribute also; for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. 8 Owe no man anything, but to love one another; for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery,  Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. 11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to wake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

We come now to the second of the purely hortatory chapters of Romans. This chapter contains matter that is of the greatest importance, and which is perhaps the least regarded of any chapter in the book.

To Whom Addressed? In studying this chapter it is necessary to remember that the Epistle is addressed to professed followers of the Lord. "Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, and knowest his will," etc. Rom. 2:17, 18. And again, "Know ye not, brethren (for I speak to them that know the law)." etc. Rom. 7:1. The last part of the chapter also shows the same thing.

It is a mistake, therefore, to suppose that this chapter was designed to set forth the duties of earthly rulers, or as a treatise on civil government, or on the relation that the state should occupy to the church. Since it is addressed to professed Christians, it is evident that its object is simply to tell them how they ought to behave towards the governments under which they live.

All Power from God. "God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God." Ps.  62:11. "There is no power but of God." This is absolutely true, without any exception. The Roman power, even in the days of the infamous and brutal Nero, was as much derived from God as was the Jewish power in the days of David. When Pilate told Christ that he had power to crucify him or to let him go, Christ replied, "Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above." John 19:11. This fact does not, however,  prove that the acts of that power were right, or that God sanctioned them.

This will be the more apparent if we take the cases of individuals. All human power comes from God. It is as true of the heathen as of Christians, that "in him we live, and move, and have our being;" "for we are also his offspring." Acts 17:28. It can as truly be said of every individual as of governments, that they are ordained, or appointed, of God. He has a plan for every one's life.

But that does not make God responsible for all their actions, because they are free to do as they choose, and they rebel against God's plan, and pervert his gifts. The power with which the scoffer blasphemes God is as much from God as is the power with which the Christian serves him. Yet no one can suppose that God approves of blasphemy. Even so we are not to suppose that he necessarily approves the acts of governments, simply because the powers that be are ordained of him.

"Ordained." Let no one entertain the idea that this word necessarily implies the imparting of some spiritual power. It means nothing more than appointed or ordered, which we find in the margin. The Greek word from which it is rendered is found in Acts 28:23, where we read that the Jews in Rome appointed a day for Paul to tell them about the gospel. It could as well be said that they "ordained" a day for him.

God over All. "The higher powers" are not above the Most High. "Wisdom and might are his; and he changeth the times and the seasons; he removeth kings, and setteth up kings." Dan. 2:20, 21. He set Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, over all the kingdoms of earth (see Jer. 27: 5-8; Dan. 2:37, 38); but when Nebuchadnezzar arrogated to himself divine power, he was driven out among the beasts, that he might know that "the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will" (Dan. 4:32).

Resisting God. Since there is no power but of God, "he that resisteth the power withstandeth the ordinance of God; and they that withstand shall receive to themselves judgment." This is a warning against rebellion and insurrection. It is God who removes kings as well as sets them up. Therefore whoever presumes to remove a king is assuming God's prerogative. It is as though he knew better than God when the government should be altered.  Unless those who rise up against any earthly government can show a direct revelation to them from heaven appointing them to that work, they are setting themselves against God, by seeking to overthrow his order.1 They are putting themselves ahead of God.

Resisting or Overthrowing. To resist the civil authority is in the same line as seeking to overthrow it. He who opposes a power with force would overthrow it if the contest were continued and he had the power. This the followers of Christ are strictly forbidden to do.

Christ's Example. Christ suffered, "leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps; who did no sin,  neither was guile found in his mouth; who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to Him that judgeth righteously." 1 Pet. 2:21-23. It is worth while to remember that Christ was condemned on a political charge, and for political reasons, yet he made no resistance,  although he showed that he had power to do so. 

See John 18:5-11; Matt. 26:51-53. 

Joh 18:5  They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. 

Joh 18:6  As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground. 

Joh 18:7  Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. 

Joh 18:8  Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: 

Joh 18:9  That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none. 

Joh 18:10  Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. 

Joh 18:11  Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? 

Mat 26:51  And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. 

Mat 26:52  Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. 

Mat 26:53  Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? 

It may be said that Christ knew that his hour had come. True; but he did not resist at previous times. He continually committed himself into the hands of the Father. That is an example for his followers. If they are submissive in God's hands, they can suffer no indignity nor oppression that God does not appoint or allow; no injury can be done them before their hour comes. It is easier to profess faith in Christ than to show real faith by following his example.

No Understanding.

 Peace. 

What an amazing word! Peace. 

Freedom from war, tranquility, mental calm, harmony - those are some of the definitions of peace.

I particularly have been fond of this Bible verse- 

Php 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 

Php 4:7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

The PEACE OF GOD.  A peace that PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING.

How can a peace pass ALL understanding? A peace beyond our ability to comprehend. 

When we absolutely place all our trust, all our hope in God as a very real thing and not some will-o-the-wisp wish, is it any wonder His peace can fill us?

We don't have to comprehend it, and if we try we are placing a burden upon ourselves that is completely unnecessary.

When we pray and make supplication to God, we are not using Him as some kind of genie that grants wishes. We are not appealing to a wish fulfiller. We are not asking for something from a magical creature bent on toying with us over whether or not they will fulfil our appeal. We are not asking a being subject to mood swings. We are not talking to another person who is fallible like we are. We are TALKING to the ALMIGHTY GOD.   The ALMIGHTY GOD who knows the end from the beginning, who only ever has our eternal well-being in mind.  We have NO CLUE not a single one how any future, current, or past happenstance will affect our eternal life. WE do not know! We can only sit back with a box filled with countless puzzle pieces and think as we put them down on the table that we know where those pieces should go. We can piece together our lives and see things as they've transpired. We can even look back and say oh…when I went through that nightmare experience, that awful, terrible, horrific time in my life- I didn't know I would end up here in this place in my life.  That tragedy took place and now I can see a glimmer of perhaps why.  We only see glimmers. The ALMIGHTY GOD sees eternity. There is no cloudy glass for God, but for us it remains so. We are asked to TRUST in the ALMIGHTY GOD- this is to believe that as we suffer through the many, endless agonies of life- mental, emotional, physical, spiritual that HE KNOWS BEST! He knows beyond our COMPREHENSION!  What if, just for a moment entertain a thought that has NO rational explanation, what if all the innocents that suffer horrifically end up as eternal beings that will rise up to meet their Savior in the air one day. If that is true, is the reward of eternity worth the cost of the agonies of this temporal life whatever they may be? We know the horrors of horrors of horrors that exist in our world and every single one of those horrors is temporary to eternity. Let's go with a worst case scenario- that possibly being tortured in all ways every single day, every single hour, every single moment of a life lived for 90 years. How horrific, and yet still, temporary to eternity. Would all that horror be acceptable to gain eternity in perfect peace? Eternity… never ending life in perfect peace. Can we fathom this? We need to. We need to have the PEACE of God that passes understanding because it goes beyond everything that is here and now in our temporary home, in our temporary corruptible, mortal lives. 

Please, Lord, give us that incomprehensible peace that is Yours alone to understand. By Your mercy, grace, and love!

(Excerpt Ro. 12 E.J. Waggoner) 1800's)

Keeping the Peace. 

We are to live peaceably with all men if it be possible. But what is the limit of possibility?  Some will say that they tried to keep peace until "forbearance ceased to be a virtue," and then they paid the troublesome one in his own coin. Many think that this verse exhorts them to hold out as long as they can, and not to take part in any disturbance until they have had great provocation. But this verse says, "as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men."

That is, there is to be no trouble so far as we are concerned. We can not always keep other people from warring,  but we can be at peace ourselves. 

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee." Isa. 26:3. "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."  Rom. 5:1. "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts." Col. 3:15. "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:7. He who has this abiding peace of God will never have any trouble with people.

To Weep, To Rejoice.

 

Persecuted and Persecuting.

 It is so incredibly hard to bless those who persecute me. You're probably asking yourself, "Who could possibly be persecuting her?" We have this vision of persecution and sometimes it jumps all the way to a torturous, captive type persecution. Or maybe it skips to severe bullying that can occur. Or you could hop right over to the abusive, beating spouse, sibling, child- yes, they can all be real things spouses aren't the only ones who abuse family.  If none of those extremes or semi-extremes are a part of what we believe the average person's life to be, such as perhaps mine, then how can I say people persecute me? 

Persecuting is being subject to unfair or cruel treatment, pestering, harassment, oppression. 

So, who does this to me?  Strangers perhaps. Seriously. It may be an extremely low level of persecution- but being treated unfairly in anyway can often cause us to CURSE others- those who we are perceiving as treating us unfairly.  It happens all the time.  Sometimes all it takes is a supposed nasty look from a complete stranger that can set us to thinking ill will towards that stranger. Driving is a huge stranger induced persecution we seem to all face. We curse complete strangers as they cut us off on the road, or drive too slow, or honk their horns at us unnecessarily, or sit at a light that's turned green We yell, sometimes just silently, "Go!" or "Watch out!" And we say those things defensively, angrily, we are in affect cursing others.

This holds true for anytime we are put out by a request someone makes of us- co-workers, bosses, customers, friends, neighbors, family and so on. This holds true for when someone is having a bad day and take their bad day out on others.  We do this, we do it all the time and we shrug it off as being a part of life. We make excuses for it, we tell ourselves it's not so bad. 

We perceive persecution, and we persecute others in so many small ways and none of those ways are things to be overlooked. We must seek forgiveness when we persecute others with our actions, demeanor, attitudes that are not of God. We must seek to forgive all others who persecute us with their actions, demeanors, attitudes that are not of God. We are to BLESS those who persecute us, remember? Bless and curse not! 

I said it's so hard to bless those who persecute me, but most of that persecution stems from my perception of being put out, my own selfish, impatience, negative attitude, and so on. I need to seek forgiveness in so many ways, and I need to learn to BLESS all those who I perceive as persecutors, however slight that persecution may be. Christ in me can do this. He blessed those who persecuted Him and He never deserved any persecution at all whatsoever.  So even if my self issues aren't always the cause of a perceived persecution, and maybe there are legitimate persecutions- even then I really have to bless those who are persecuting me. Deserved, undeserved, true, or just perceived as true none of it matters, what matters is BLESSING others, ALL OTHERS, and yes, especially those we tend to believe are undeserving, they deserve it the most.  God, please, help us! All through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever! Amen!

*******

(Excerpt Ro. 12 E.J. Waggoner) 1800's)

How to Treat Persecutors.

Rom 12:14  Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not

To curse does not necessarily always mean to use profane language, to swear. To curse means to speak ill. It is the opposite of bless, which means to speak well of. Sometimes men persecute according to law, and sometimes they persecute without any legal warrant; but whether it is "due process of law" or mob violence, no hard words are to be used against those who do it. On the contrary, they are to be spoken well of.

One can not do this without the Spirit of Christ, who prayed for his betrayers and murderers, and who did not venture to bring railing accusation even against the devil. Jude 9. To hold persecutors up to contempt is not according to God's instruction.