Exercising in Truth

Originally Posted at KindlingTruth by Amanda on April, 23 2018

It can be easy for us to become carried away with things pertaining to the “end times.” Sometimes it’s just a matter of interest. Other times we might become fearful because of some teaching we have heard or because of current events.

This article is part of a series entitled, Preparing for End Times. I decided to write these because I sympathize with people who become fearful or overly focused on things pertaining to that time period. As someone who’s walked this, I’m learning that it’s more productive to focus on Jesus. This is detailed in the first article within this series, Seeking First the Kingdom of God.

When we become overly focused on the latest prophetical hype, events within the news, or trying to understand cryptic scriptures, we might find ourselves having trouble knowing which ideas are true and which are not.

In this article, I want to discuss avoiding things like fear and deception by focusing on what is true.

Why Truth is Important

As Christians, it’s obvious that we do not want to be among those who are deceived into worship of the Antichrist. It is my belief that many will do this because of fear. As Christians, should we be around during the time of great trouble and deception, having a foundation of truth will be very comforting because we are then placed in a position of trust in the Lord instead of fear.

Consider today. How many of us are afraid of what’s happening in the world? How many “rapture” dates have been set during our lifetimes? Sure, many of us no longer listen to those who cry wolf, but I think most can relate to holding some kind of worry over when Jesus will return and how much suffering we might endure until that time.

There will always be troubles in this world. There will always be those who try to link current events to prophesy. There will always be false teachers and false prophets, and even more so as That Day approaches. Should we be focusing on these things, or should we be focusing on what is true by growing closer to he who is Truth?

Lessons from Jesus About Avoiding Deception

What did Jesus teach about standing firm in the truth in the “end-times”?

Let’s take a look at Mark Chapter 13

1 And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!

2 And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately,

4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?

5 And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:

6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

When many read verses 5 and 6, I think we assume that Jesus is saying that many will come claiming to be Christ. This might be true, and many have. However, what about those who say that Jesus is the Christ, but then go around distracting Christians from his truth, even leading them astray with false prophetic teachings or shows of power supposedly of the Holy Spirit?

We see such things today. The most deceptive among us are not those who make claims we can easily detect as false, like claiming to be Christ for example. It is those who appear to be Christians that are the most damaging very often. Though we cannot judge who is a Christian and who is not, it’s a good idea to be very careful in believing those who claim prophetic abilities or powers of the Spirit.

Based on what I have learned about this so far, here are some questions to consider if you are not sure about a Christian prophet, teacher, or the like. Any of these should be a red caution flag:

  • Is the focus on Jesus or themselves?
  • Are they preaching the gospel first and foremost, or is their ministry mostly “signs and wonders?”
  • Do they claim to have power to command the Holy Spirit to enter people or claim to be able to give gifts to people? See John 3:8. Many claim to be able to baptize in the Spirit. We can pray over people and they might receive it. However, they might not. The Spirit is God. We cannot command God to do anything.
  • Do they profess many visions and dreams or draw attention to themselves as something great?
  • Do they claim that if you do not follow them or their teachings you will be cut off or fail to inherit salvation?
  • Do they claim to know who are real Christians and who are not?

7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.

8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

People often cite these passages as a way to cause people to fear that the end is upon us. In reality, Jesus is telling us that these are common and will happen throughout the ages. We are not to be troubled by these things. We can expect this to escalate, however, this will be like nothing we have ever seen. It will not be a slow progression, but instead, this will be a sudden and drastic change that affects the world in a profound way.

This sounds scary, no doubt. However, this time of trouble is to separate the wicked from the just. Though many Christians will suffer and die in the end, we are not to fear this time. It is the coming of the kingdom of God. Though difficult, when we realize that the end to our suffering and persecution is near an end, we have something to rejoice in despite the troubles we face.

9 But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.

10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations.

11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.

13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

It’s interesting that it is within the synagogues (or churches) that we will be beaten. Why is that? Is it because at this time they have become the Great Whore and worship the beast? Maybe. That does seem rather likely. However, from my limited perspective, many Christians are already ostracized by churches if they seek the truth instead of conforming to false doctrines, traditions, and worldly assemblies. Is it really so hard to imagine?

Two times now I’ve been stared down and preached harshly toward because of my beliefs that go against tradition (because people assume and take things out of context). I don’t see this as far fetched at all.

The good thing is, when this happens on That Day, if we are here, the Holy Spirit will keep us and teach us what to say. So again, we do not need to be afraid. That is the key thing to take away here. We must endure, but Jesus by his Spirit will give us what we need if we put our trust in him.

14 But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:

If we read 2 Thessalonians 2, we see that the Day of the Lord will not come at just any time. There must be a falling away first and the son of perdition revealed. That is when the “end times” officially start. I make note of this because many already say we are in the “end times.” We are not.

When we see the abomination of desolation standing in Jerusalem, we will know that it’s time to “come out of her my people that you receive not her plagues.”

This is interesting. Is this about the city Jerusalem, or is there a spiritual application? Many today are focused on what is happening in Jerusalem, but the Christians are Jerusalem. We are grafted into Israel. So, I wonder how this will pan out in the last days.

This is a good example of why it does little good to worry too much about cryptic passages. If we trust in Jesus and seek him first so that we are “wise virgins,” then he will give us the understanding we need when that day comes.

15 And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house:

16 And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.

17 But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

18 And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.

19 For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.

20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.

When we are made to know who the abomination of desolation is, we do not hesitate to get away from him—whether we are leaving a physical location, separating ourselves spiritually, or both. As Christians, our journey is often a step forward and a step back. When this day comes, we cannot look back or we will be as Lot’s wife who looked back at Sodom as it burned. Though we might be afraid, we have to focus on Jesus and do not give into any temptations to worship the beast that come our way.

We know the affliction will be great. There will be “men’s hearts failing them for fear.” Again though, I believe the Lord will extend peace to those who worship him sincerely, so this is not a time for us to fear. We might even be among those who are casting plagues and bringing the judgment of God. This time of judgment is not for us to fear, but again, for us to rejoice because the Kingdom is coming!

However, we should show due respect to this so that we are not among the foolish who were not spiritually prepared. We do this by seeking Jesus and living a Christian life now, regardless of what time we are in.

21 And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not:

22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

23 But take ye heed: behold, I have foretold you all things.

Regardless of what powerful displays we might see, we must remember this warning. Even today there are those who claim to have power and such. There’s an epidemic of this online, such as on YouTube. We are not to believe these people. Any who are truly serving Jesus now or in those days will not be seeking their own glory. They might even put on false humility, but there are always indicators if we know what to look for. Reference the bullet list above for some basic things to consider.

24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,

25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.

26 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

Notice that we see the Lord come after tribulation. Whether you believe in the rapture or not, using that as hope to escape tribulation is not wise. What are these stars? Are they real stars, asteroids, or is this a symbol for something else? Maybe someone out there understands this, but I don’t.

The main thing I take away from this is when the Son of man returns, it will be very obvious and this will happen after the son of perdition comes, is revealed, and after the time of tribulation.

This gathering is often considered the rapture, but I believe the scriptures teach this as the “first resurrection.” Those who were killed by the beast are raised before a great earthquake, and those who remain give glory to God (Revelation 11:11-13). Perhaps some are transfigured at this time also, I don’t know for sure.

28 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:

29 So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.

30 Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.

When the son of perdition, who is the false prophet and the beast is revealed, then affliction is coming. When the remnant witness Christians who were slain raise from the dead, they will know that the vengeance of the Lord is coming as his “vials of wrath” are poured out. I know many read much into the parable of the fig tree, but as far as I can tell, that is a distraction and can be a waste of time. Why? Read on.

31 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.

32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

34 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:

36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

It does not matter how much we try, we will not know when this time will be until it is upon us. Instead of trying to pin down prophetic scriptures, we should be learning the righteous ways of God by the power of Jesus transforming our lives so we are not separated as goats from the sheep (or the wicked from the just).

It bears repeating that the best way to prepare for the “end times” is to seek first the kingdom of God. We do not want to be foolish virgins who took no oil for their lamp. We do not want to be a wicked and slothful servant. We do not want to be without a wedding garment. We do not want our houses on built on sand. Jesus tells us all these things for a reason. We should listen.

In Conclusion

There is so much out there that distracts us from the simplicity that is in Jesus Christ. Focusing on fear, the news, prophetic teachings, false prophets, and seeking security in this world by stocking up on food and gold is not what we are to be doing right now. We should be seeking fist the kingdom of God so that we can learn to trust instead of fear as we are conformed to the image of Christ.

As someone who has had a tendency to worry about the end times and has attempted to understand prophesy, I get the draw many have to this. I assure you, if you’re one who loves Jesus in sincerity, there is greater peace and fulfillment in learning his law and seeking him so that you can perform his law.

There is enough there to keep us focused for a lifetime, and this is far better than learning the foolish and vain things of this world or allowing others to fill you with fear (Of course, I do not mean the OT laws. These are the laws of righteousness according to the kingdom of God which Jesus writes in our hearts).

This article is posted here in attempts to take service to Jesus as seriously as possible by reevaluating old works, correcting errors as I’m given to see them, and reposting content that seems acceptable.

I have some additional thoughts about the markers of a false prophet that I want to share. The bullet list given is not exactly accurate, but it can be. Lord willing, I will write something more about that.

I also have some thoughts about the “abomination that makes desolate,” but I am waiting until the idea is fully formed. I’ve been through similar thought processes with other teachings, so I will know when it is ready. I don’t expect many people to like it.

On These Contain All the Law and the Prophets

17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. – Matthew 5:17-18

Although we as Christians are not under the Old Testament law, we have commandments of God to keep. I think of something Jesus said.

 “Love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind. This is the first commandment. Similarly, love our neighbor as ourselves. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Everything that the law and prophets spoke of hinges on these commands, and Jesus is the embodiment of what this means. He lived this perfectly.

If we follow Him, learn of His ways, and seek aid through the Spirit who “writes the laws of the Kingdom of God on the fleshly tables of the heart,” we are shown what this means and given strength to perform it.

If we sin, we are not obedient to God. We do not love Him as we should, and we are probably doing things that harm others. The nature of our earthly bodies is sin, so we need Jesus. We need His blood to forgive us and we need the Spirit so that we can walk more according to the Spirit of God and not the spirits of this world.

We cannot serve two masters. We cannot serve sin and Jesus, and we cannot serve the things of this life and Jesus.

However, we have to live our lives.

Though we have lives to live, we should live them as Christians—not under the bondage of law nor under the bondage of sin—but free under the grace of God as servants of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

As Christians, we have liberty in Christ because law, in a strict sense, cannot contain the perfect righteousness of God. However, as Paul the apostle reminds us of, “do no use your liberty as an occasion for sin, but in love serve one another.”

Liberty in Jesus so that we can keep His commandments is critical. Legalism gets in the way. When we place regulations on our fellow Christians about how they should dress, worship, or live their lives in matters of individual conscience, we are placing them under the bondage of law—and the strength of law is sin, and the result of sin is death.

As we draw nearer to God through Jesus, we will learn of the will of God and we will serve God according to the ordination of our Father in Heaven. This can mean many things, so we should be careful that we do not “judge another man’s servant.”

We each are instructed to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” It is a small thing to stand in the judgment of man. Jesus is judge, so fear Him. If you love Him of a truth, then trust in Him also and know that by Him you are “passed from judgment to life.”

One day, heaven and earth will pass away, though the words of God never pass away. One day, the fullness of His word will be done, and the whole earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord. There is more yet to be fulfilled in Jesus, and He will do it because He has spoken it by His prophets of old and of the present.

This present world is carnally minded, and so are many Christians of this world.

There are many carnally minded Christians who need to be revived in Spirit.

Carnally minded Christians are legalistic, self-righteous, and hypocritical. Carnally minded Christians use grace and liberty as an excuse for sin. Carnally minded Christians measure blessings of God in worldly prosperity. Carnally minded Christians seek power in this world and popularity in this world. Carnally minded Christians deny the suffering of the servants of God and make this glory into a shame. Carnally minded Christians persecute their fellow servants.

The heart of a carnally minded Christian is far from God, no matter how much they honor Jesus with their lips.

Carnally minded Christians do the works of this world: the works of iniquity, and apart from the grace and mercy God that is His to give to whoever He will, Jesus will say, “depart from me you who work iniquity. I never knew you.”

“I am He that searches the reigns and hearts and I will give unto you according to your works.”

We want to be judged according to mercy as we keep the works of Jesus through faith in His grace—grace that makes free in Spirit as it puts the carnal to death. Not just judicially, but literally according to the measure of faith and grace we receive of the Father.

Teachings of carnal Christians are hated by God, and He will judge it. We do not want to be children of the carnal, but of the Spirit.

If we are carnally minded, we need to repent. There is no room for it in the Kingdom of Heaven, and although “this mortal must put on immortality,” there is a Kingdom of Heaven that is “within you.” He must be within you in some measure, and He is for all who love Him.

If we love Him, we cannot help but learn of Him and keep the commandments of God in some form—better and better until the day when our lives end and He returns. What remains of this world will die and we are raised incorruptible, but if we are not living as if we are going to this Kingdom and instead live as if this world is all there is for us, then something is way wrong with our faith.

We need to seek Jesus so that we can learn what grace really means. We need to seek Jesus so that we can revere the forgiveness that was bought with the blood of the Son of God. We need to seek Jesus so that we can learn of Him and keep His ways, not by our own strength, but by the Spirit of God.

Our strength is carnal. Our strength is death.

If the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

For more on what it is to be a carnal Christian, you can read 1 Corinthians 3. Though, all of scripture testifies to this if we have “eyes to see and ears to hear” by the grace of God. First seek God. Get to know Jesus: He who makes the captives free and gives sight to the blind. He who raises the humble and lays low the proud. He who to whom all glory belongs, who give us strength and a sound mind in this world of corruption and confusion!

This article is part of a series that considers the Parables of Jesus. Right now, we are looking at the statements Jesus made during His Sermon on the Mount, to which He referenced in His Parable of the Building on Rock and Sand. Visit the link for quick access to all articles written within this series. Subscribe for notifications of future posts.

Considering Proverbs 10:29

29 The way of the Lord is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.

I don’t know if I’m reading this correctly, but this seems to say that the way of the Lord brings strength to the upright and destruction to the wicked. This is true, whether I am misreading the proverb or not.

As Christians, we should hope in the Lord, that by Him we might stand on the day of judgment—because He is the judgement. He is the judgment as He sends enemies to do His work and He is the judgment when He returns. His hand is shown in both ways, and in both ways the only way to stand is by being on good terms with God through the person of the Son.

I think of something Jesus said.

He said that He is a stone, and whoever falls on this stone will be broken, but whoever this stone falls upon will be ground to powder.

We need to fall on Jesus. He will break us. He will break us so that we can be remade, strengthened, and useful for His purposes.

As Paul the Apostle wrote, we should not think some strange thing has happened to us if our faith is tried by fire. I think we should find it strange if our faith is not tried. The faith of those who profess Jesus as Lord will be tried by fire, and those who sincerely trust in Jesus will remain.

The fire of God cleanses and refines just as it destroys—both the fire of the enemies of God who are used of God, and the fire of God Himself who is, as it is written, “a consuming fire.”

In all things, the grace of God is the true difference. None can stand without the grace of God. Faith is given by grace. Faith is not something we conjure up within ourselves. Trials are also grace for the sons of God. Jesus Himself was tempted, hated, and killed. He, being the Word of God, was faithful to the Father all the way to the cross. It is by Him alone that we can do the same.

This world will be tried and destruction is for those who work iniquity. Strength is for those who trust in Jesus and seek Him so they can do His will. On the Day of the Lord Jesus will say, “depart from me, you who work iniquity.”

Those who keep His works to the end are saved. The works of man is darkness and not light—and the Day of the Lord is the same. It is the same because man is given fully over to the ways of man: Death. When the Enemy of God’s people is given “a short time,” there will be darkness indeed. And as Jesus said, “if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” Will those who “serve two masters” suddenly become faithful to Jesus alone? Some. By the grace of God. For many, no.

When Jesus returns to overthrow the darkness, that is not light but claims to be, that day will also be as darkness—but to the enemies of God.

Jesus has the scent of life to those who live, and to those who die, He is the smell of death. This is also true for the servants of God. In the Last Days, those who are truly with Jesus will be called of Satan, and those who serve “darkness that is not light” will be called of God. Villains make themselves as victims and heroes are hunted. We see shadows of this already.

As it is written, “woe to those who desire the Day of the Lord.” If you desire to have the Lord pour out vengeance on the wicked, you might be one of them for whom His wrath is prepared. Woe to those who are “drunken with blood.”

Fear God, repent of your own sin in humility, love mercy, and judge all things rightly by the grace of God. Praise Jesus and trust in Him during times of trouble. His Word will be our defense. If we trust in man—whose light is darkness—then we are trusting in the wrong things.

You cannot serve two masters.

If you have trouble serving sin, trust in Jesus. He will make a way for you to serve Him more faithfully according to the measure of grace and faith given as the will of the Father deems. “After you have suffered a while, He will establish, strengthen and settle you.” Don’t count yourself among the wicked to be destroyed if you love Jesus, but fear. Fearing God is good. He gives mercy to those who fear Him and grace to the humble.

This is part of a series of articles considering the Proverbs from a Christian mindset and applying these lessons to present-day events. You can find all of the Considering Proverbs writings here. Subscribe to receive future posts by email.

Exercising in Righteous Judgment

Originally posted on June 6, 2018 at KindlingTruth.com

Should a Christian be judgmental? We hear it all the time, “judge not that you be not judged.” As Christians, we are commanded to judge, but we are to be careful in the judgments we make with an understanding that “with what judgment you judge, you will be judged.”

It is in the nature and design of mankind to judge things all of the time. Not only is it impossible for us to refrain from making judgments, attempting to refrain from judging things can be all out negligent and unrighteous depending on the circumstance.

The real problem is not that we judge, it is the nature of our judgments.

Many times our judgments are according to the flesh and outward appearances, self-righteous, hypocritical, and otherwise oppressive. Let’s look at some scriptures to help us understand the kinds of judgments we are to avoid, then we will get into the basis of righteous judgment.

Judge Not According to Appearances

Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment (John 7:24).

Jesus teaches that we are not to judge according to outward appearance, but rather, we are to judge righteous judgment. What does this mean? Do we judge people according to how successful they are in this world? Do we look at how well-dressed someone is, what kind of car they drive or house they live in? What do we look to when choosing friends or looking for counsel? What about Christians? Do we fellowship with those who are best at putting on a show of righteousness, or do we look for those who are honest, humble, merciful — and sometimes mess up?

Of-course, we can’t judge the hearts and intents of others, however, the general principle is that we should be cautious in what things we value in others, because this affects our judgment. Judging someone as a loser because they are poor, but yet they are rich in the things of God, is not righteous judgment. Judging someone as a good Christian because they know how to play church and look the part, yet they are self-righteous or dishonest about their own sin is not righteous judgment.

Avoid Oppressive or Self-Righteous Judgment

Judge not, that ye be not judged.

For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye (Matthew 7:1-5)

During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus went to great lengths talking about judgment with a focus on hypocritical and self-righteous judgment. You can read about this is Matthew 7 and again in Romans 2. Do we judge others for sins we commit or act harshly towards those who sin differently than us? Are we unforgiving or hateful towards those who continue in sin we have stopped doing? The ways in which we can judge self-righteously and hypocritically are vast.

Legalism and self-righteous judgments are oppressive. We cannot forget the gracious liberty we have in Jesus Christ. Of course, we should never accept sin or call evil good for the sake of being more pleasing to those who would like to say “don’t judge me” as an excuse for wickedness. However, we better make sure that we are living by the judgments we make, and we should always strive to offer gentle correction that is for the good of others, not hateful and overly harsh. We should also avoid making prejudicial judgments.

Basically, if we are judging according to our own righteousness, we are not judging the righteous judgments of God. We are better off looking to our own sin, then gently leading others away from their sins by living as an example first and foremost. From there, it’s a matter of seeking the Lord for wisdom so we know when to speak up against sin, when to stay silent and wait on the Lord, and how to approach each situation righteously in general. This is not something we can do according to our judgments. We need the Spirit of the Lord to show us the way.

Do Judge Teachers, Pastors, and Prophets

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit (Matthew 7:15-18).

We should never accept what we are being told or taught just because some man or woman in authority says so, especially when it comes to the faith. Are we being taught the truth, or are we hearing sermons based on cherry-picked verses that are taken out of context? Are we hearing the gospel, or are we being encouraged to continue in sin? If sin is rebuked, then in what manner? Are we being corrected in love and mercy or self-righteousness?

We are told to judge teachers and prophets by evaluating their fruit. If we do not know how to judge righteous judgment, but instead judge according to the flesh, can we do this? Probably not. We will fall for their fake or rotten fruit and think it is good. Will we esteem the preacher with the most money and fame to be the one sent from God, for example? On another note, if we do not know how to evaluate our own sin and avoid self-righteous judgment and we walk-around with giant beams of sin obstructing our view, how will we judge anything righteously?

Mercy is the Backbone of Righteous Judgment

For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment (James 2:13).

As Christians, the foundation on which all of our judgments should rest is the mercy of Jesus Christ. If he were not merciful with us, we would not be forgiven or have opportunity to learn of the Lord and his righteousness in the first place. Without the patience of Jesus working in our hearts, none of us would repent, and we would all be on the fast track towards destruction. If we want to fall within the mercy of the Lord instead of his wrath, we must be merciful.

How do we apply mercy towards our judgments? That is something we can all consider and work out for ourselves, and we should strive to grow in this regard. If someone does wrong, do we understand that all good in us came from God and not ourselves, so we should be thankful and patient with others? Do we understand that God made everyone, not just Christians, so we should love all and treat all as if they are brothers and sisters? Do we seek to serve others or to be served?

Merciful judgment is such a vast topic, that as with all righteousness, the best way to learn is by going to the source and seeking Jesus. He will teach us how to walk in mercy and how to judge righteously.

What Does This Have to do With Preparing for End-Times?

Lack of Judgment Leaves us Desolate

Lack of sound judgment leaves us void of the Holy Spirit because we grieve him, deny him, and cast his wisdom aside for the pleasures and wisdom of this world. Without the Holy Spirit working in us, we are as the desolate houses Isaiah wrote of who are lacking in judgment, but instead are oppressive and joining house to house and field to field. “Woe unto them that join house to house and lay field to field till there be no place that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth. Of a truth, many houses shall be desolate. Even great and fair without inhabitant.” (Isaiah 5)

Are we joining our spiritual houses with the houses of this world, so that we are no longer a separate and holy people reserved to the Lord? It does not matter how much our outer appearance seems to be good, God is not mocked. We have to judge what is sin and avoid it, we cannot join in with this world and call that righteous living.

Lack of Judgment Leaves us Vulnerable

Lack of judgment leads us into the land of spiritual captivity and readiness to fall into the rule of the Antichrist. If we can no longer judge good from evil and no longer care to be a set-apart people, then what is standing in they way to protected us from the trial that is to come? Will we look to the judgment of this world as we have done, or will we suddenly look to the Lord?

How will we even know the Antichrist is someone we should reject if we are already duped by terrible pastors, teachers, and prophets today? Who will we look to? Doubtful that we will look to the Lord. No, we will continue making our bed with death, and death will be our reward when the Day of the Lord comes to sever the wicked from the just.

Lack of Judgment Leads to Destruction

God is merciful, and so are His judgments. All things the Lord deems are true and good. However, the judgment of God would not be mercy if he allowed the oppressors to continue—those to whom the Lord said, “I looked for judgment but beheld oppression.” (Isaiah 5). The oppressors will be destroyed, whether God is honored with their lips or not. Those Christians-so-called who abuse you without repentance. Those atheists who ridicule your faith. Those elites of the world who control us and manipulate the masses—all who oppress will be destroyed as an act of mercy towards God’s people. He will deliver us from our enemies.

Therefore, we want to be among those who exercise righteous judgment, not judgment of self-righteousness, or judgment of oppression and legalism. We also don’t want to just say “judge not” and passively allow those who oppress and deceive to go unchecked.

In Conclusion

In order to judge righteous judgment, we need to go to the source. We need to seek the Lord, who is the creator and judge of all! Is not the Holy Spirit also the Spirit of Judgment? If we have the Holy Spirit working in us, we will first learn to judge our own sin. We will repent and we will be healed. We will learn to forgive others, and we will also learn something fundamentally important which is the relationship between righteous judgment and mercy—and in His mercy, the Lord will one day rid the earth of all oppression and unrighteousness. To stand during that day, we need to judge good from evil, stand in mercy and patience, and take comfort in the judgment of the Lord rather than be fearful of it.

Things We Should Judge:

  • Judging what is sin so that we can approach the Lord for freedom from temptation.
  • judging how to handle individual situations uprightly, like when to speak against evil and when to hold your peace.
  • Judging teachers and prophets, holding them accountable by comparing what they say and do against the word of God.
  • Judging things in general not after the outer appearance or the wisdom of this world but according to the spirit and the righteousness of God.
  • Making sound judgments concerning the interpretation and application of the Word of God.

Things We Cannot Judge:

  • The innermost feelings, thoughts, and intents of others.
  • The salvation of others or their relationship with God. (though we can learn and apply mistakes we see in the Christian world to ourselves so that we are not cast out).
  • Harshly rebuke others for sin that we ourselves have been in – either in the past or present.
  • Label others with harsh words or accusations. You are, or this person is a …
  • Any judgment that is vengeful or otherwise malicious.

When You’re Stuck:

If faced with a situation and you’re not sure what the right response is, seek Jesus. You might also consider taking the approach that is the most:

  • Meek
  • Humble
  • Patient
  • Peaceful
  • Forgiving
  • Faithful
  • Compassionate
  • Selfless
  • Glorifying to God

Each moment of each day, we are making some kind of judgment, and if we seek the Lord we will be exercised in this. Our ability to judge is part of what makes us in God’s image, therefore, learning to judge righteously is fundamental for us as Christians. As we are being transformed inwardly by the working of Jesus and the Spirit within, we will continue to learn what it means to judge righteous judgment. In so doing, we will stand against all evil and we will not be separated as the wicked from the just when the Lord’s Day is upon us.

This article was written as part of a series considering how Christians should prepare for “end-times.” You can find more articles within this series and others from KindlingTruth in the “KindlingTruth Reposts” category. I am going over the content of my former website, reposting acceptable content, correcting errors, and repenting of works done in the wrong spirit. Why do I say “I did not know what spirit I was of?”

You Want to Fight for God? Get the Beam out of Your Own Eye First.

There are some who can be very gung-ho about going after “false” Christians, the Great Whore of Mystery Babylon, going on Spirit of Jezebel witch hunts, and the like. In one sense, those who are faithful to the word of God and the teachings of the gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ as given by Jesus and the apostles have a duty to speak about falsehoods. We are to encourage our brethren to take up the Christian faith seriously, but we do not do so in hypocrisy, or else we are no better than the Scribes and Pharisees.

There is a time for all things according to the will of our Father in Heaven. Some things might not seem to be Christianly, such as the ministry of the faithful church brought about by the two witnesses as seen in Revelation 11. I have theorized that they would have power to do harm but would refuse as a show of restraint in a blood-thirsty world. As Jesus did. He had power to call down legions of angels, but he refused and went to the cross.

On the other hand, the false prophet will “call down fire from heaven on the earth in the sight of man.” Is this the same event as the dragon casting a third part of the stars of heaven to the earth? Is the fire angels or is it fire? I don’t know.

In any case, I know that restraint is called for if we are to be sons of God, and as someone who wrestles with the murderous nature of our flesh and hates it, I like the idea of having great power yet laying my life down instead. However, what I like to think might not be what God’s will is. It is more important to be willing to do the will of God, even if it does not make sense to me: as Abraham did when he offered up his son, Isaac. If we are part of that ministry in that time, we can trust in God to show us what we are to do.

As for now, I strongly stand by an idea that Jesus spoke of. He said that when he returns and finds people “drunken” and “smiting their fellow servants” it will not go well for them.

The Great Whore is said to be “drunken with the blood of prophets and saints and of all that are slain upon the earth.” In the Song of Moses, it also says “I will make my arrows drunk with blood and my sword shall devour much flesh.”

Vengeance is God’s.

I think back to what David said when he fought Goliath.

He said, “you come to me with a sword and a spear, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts: The God of the armies of Israel who you have defied. This day will the Lord give you into my hands, and I will smite you and take off your head and give the carcasses of your armies to the wild birds and the beasts of the field, that the whole world may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear, for the battle is the Lords and He will give you into our hands.”

When Jesus returns as we see in Revelation 19, He comes with His army to fight against the beast and false prophet, and blood is shed “up to the horses bridle.” It is also said that there are eagles feasting on the carcasses of kings, captains, horses, mighty men, and so on. This is the Battle of Armageddon and the Supper of the Great God—a battle that both Jesus and the false prophet will call their armies together to wage. We need to hear Jesus, don’t we?

I also think about things Jesus said about the “patience of the saints.”

“Those who lead into captivity must go into captivity. Those who kill with the sword must be killed with the sword.”

It is so easy for people to feel justified in harming others, and many will do so and they will think that they are doing the will of God.

“Many will kill you thinking they do God’s service. And this they will do because they have not known the Father nor me.”

We need to be exceedingly cautious in where our minds and hearts travel in these matters. As Jesus teaches, if we hate our brother in our heart, we are committing murder. Murder is not just a physical act, but a spiritual act.

Of a truth, there are many murderers among Christianity, and we do not want to be among them. Yet, we do not want to resist the will of God for us. We need to be very careful in how we use the sword of God—which is the Word of God given by the Spirit of God—because as God’s words do, these words kill and make alive. Wound and heal. His word is our weapon. His word is the fire that comes out of our mouths and devours our enemies. Sometimes this death and devouring is metaphorical as we fight lie with truth, turn enemies into friends, and so on. Other times it is more literal, as with Ananias and Saphira.

There are times for all things, but if we are not in the will of God and doing the will of God but are instead children of disobedience and children of Satan, we will not be on the right side of things.

Jesus will come and judge. He will judge the Great Whore.

We are good to consider ways in which we have been of her. We are good to consider ways in which we have been as the unfaithful churches. We are good to be on-guard against hypocrisy, so that we can stand with Jesus in the Kingdom of Heaven in heart now, fight of a truth according to His pleasing will, and know that we will also stand with Him when He returns to wage war on this earth.

If not, we might find ourselves aligning with the false christ as we wage war on the children of God—all the while thinking that we do God’s service.

Do we suppose we are immune? We are not. Not apart from the grace of God who makes us wise virgins who can see the difference. We can come to know if we will seek and find out. Yet, let us not deceive ourselves into thinking that we of our own virtue can know the difference, because we are carnally minded unless the Spirit of God is working in us.

To that end, and to all those who are gung-ho about fighting the Great Whore, Jezebel figures, false prophets, and the like—without considering that you might be one of them too—consider John 8. We want to be children of the Father in Heaven by the adoption of Jesus Christ. Not children of Satan. However, if we continue to refuse the words and work of Jesus, who are we of?

As many as walk after the Spirit of God are the sons of God. As many as walk after the spirits of this world are of the prince of this world. We are all of this world naturally. We need a savior, and there is only one name under heaven by which man can be saved: Jesus Christ.

John 8

8 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.

2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.

3 And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

4 They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

13 The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.

14 Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.

15 Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.

16 And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me.

17 It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.

18 I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.

19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also.

20 These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come.

21 Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.

22 Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.

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.

24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

25 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.

26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.

27 They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.

28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

30 As he spake these words, many believed on him.

31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

33 They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.

36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

37 I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.

39 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham.

41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?

49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.

50 And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.

51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.

52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.

53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?

54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:

55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.

56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?

58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

Clarification and Comparison Between the Satanic and Saintly: Sitting with Jesus in His Throne

21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. – Revelation 3:21

I’ve referenced this a few times recently, and I think clarification is in order. I’ve been thinking for a while now about the comparisons between Satan and Jesus, the faithful church with the whore church, and so on.

There are a lot of similarities in scripture about the two. For example, Jesus is the Morning Star. Satan also calls himself the morning star. The ministers of Jesus are “flames of fire.” The ministers of Satan transform themselves into angels of light.

How can we know the difference but by the grace of God?

As for the idea of sitting with Jesus in His thrown, here is how I see it:

As a Christian, my hope is to have the righteousness of Christ worked in me by grace through faith in His promises, perfect timing, and good will for all the children of God.

As this occurs, Jesus becomes the Lord of my heart. This is a kind of present-day experience of the Kingdom of God. The more Jesus is in my heart, the more I also have power in His name. Not power to lord over others or entitlement to worship from others, but power over the sins of my flesh, and also power to see the “principalities and powers” of the “prince of this world” more clearly, and power in Christ to fight them according to His wisdom and not the wisdom of this world.

There is one who wants to sit in judgment of others, exalt himself above all else, lord himself over others, and be worshipped as God: Satan.

This is not the same thing.

It is not the same thing to have an eager and earnest expectation of the righteousness of Christ worked in us so that we can do His works and to have an eager and earnest expectation to be as God on our own accord, or according to some other foolish and vain way of mankind.

Now, if you struggle with wanting to be something great, to have the love and approval of mankind, or some other worldly ambition…guess what? This is common to man.

No one likes to consider it, or so it seems, but we are naturally children of Satan. We need a savior. The more we seek Jesus and approach God and the more we are freed from the bonds of Satan, the more we see that we are nothing but the scum of the earth—and to desire the love and approval of fellow scum is nothing.

Satan wants to rob us. He wants to make it so that we are slaves to him and his kingdom of death. His churches do not free from sin. His churches, while they exalt man, accuse those who want to be as Christ of being antichrist—and it is no wonder—because the Great Whore is “drunken with the blood of saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.”

Yet…who was not of her?

We don’t like to see ourselves as the bad guys. Everyone wants to be a hero. Guess what? We are the bad guys. We are the Four Horsemen.

We are all in part in need of repentance. In Revelation 2-3 you see letters to 7 churches. 5 are rebuked. 2 are not. In Revelation 11, the “two candlesticks” which are the 2 faithful churches remain. And guess what? They are “clothed in sackcloth” which is a symbol for mourning and repentance. They are of the 5 who repent, or that is my take on it.

To assume we are the “good guys” is foolish, and knowing that we are not, or at least recognizing that we are redeemed by the blood of Jesus and the grace of God only, we are keeping the patience of the Lord.

I do not like any teaching that glorifies in man. There are no special men or women of God. There is only the scum of the earth redeemed by the blood of Jesus, and yes, if we overcome and keep HIS works, we will be granted to sit with Him in His thrown.

Presently, this means power over sin and the kingdoms of this world.

In the future, this means that when Jesus returns and judges the false prophet, beast, and whore, He will gather His army together to the Supper of the Great God.

What is this if not the Wedding Supper of the Lamb?

Of a truth, many are not taking it seriously, just as the parable of Jesus says.

Many say that going to church is what it means to attend that supper. Not entirely, though it can be in part if you have been fortunate enough to find a faithful church. Presently, we attend as we feast on the word of God and gain strength to by the Word of God to overcome Satan and his army in this present world.

In the future, Satan and His angels will come in a more profound way, and those who are of the present-day “principalities and powers” are going to be “taken” by Him. They will worship him and call themselves His church and bride. They will feel justified in killing the servants of God—and many do already in a spiritual sense as they lead them into captivity to sin with bad teachings from exalted men who carry the name of Jesus corruptly.

Jesus will return and subdue many. He will even forgive many, and so we wait patiently and look for Him to come and free us. He will. He will free us first by sending the false Christ who will turn on His own and burn His whore with fire. He will kill the saints also. We will know this is not the real Christ, because we are the wise virgins who know the difference between the Satanic and the Saintly.

We need to keep seeking Jesus, get to know Him better, see our filth for what it is and trust in Him to do something about it so that we can serve Him and others as He would have us to do. And this means suffering, and for many it means death in the flesh—but life everlasting!

There are other comparisons to make. For example, what is the difference between being a “pillar in the temple of our God” and being one who “sits in the temple of God showing himself that he is God?” What is the difference between being New Jerusalem and being the Great Whore of Mystery Babylon?  

These are important distinctions, and if we are carnally minded, we cannot know them because these are spiritually discerned, as Jesus says. Many things are. Good luck fundamentalists. May the grace of God be with you. I say that sincerely.

For the Glory of the Father in Heaven

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. – Matthew 5:14-16

It’s really incredible. Whether people love or hate us for the light of Christ that is in us, God is honored. If people hate us but we continue in the things of Jesus anyway as we learn to love our enemies, God is glorified all the more. If people love us, we can boast in the Lord and all that He has done for us, preach the gospel to them, and glorify God together as we revel in His mercy, grace, and the wonderful promises of His Kingdom.

However, the light that is in us should be the light of Jesus Christ.

As Jesus said, “if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”

We cannot serve two masters, as Jesus says. We will learn to love one and hate the other eventually. We cannot say that the light of Jesus is in us if we continue to love the things of the world. When we do, the light that is in us becomes deception—a very great deception—because we can easily convince ourselves that we are in the will of God when we are not. Especially when there are teachings within Christianity that make it easy for us to do so.

The light of Jesus brings truth—and the truth does not mince words when it comes to sin because sin kills people, and if we love them, we will speak the truth in hopes that the darkness is dispelled. How can we say we know God if we do not love our brothers in Christ?

“Be not deceived. He that does righteousness is righteous.”

The only way we can do righteously is by the grace of God in Jesus Christ as He fulfills His promise to “write the laws of the kingdom on the fleshly tables of the heart.” Although we are actively participating in this, I have found that once relief comes, it is apparent that it was the Lord who gave the relief. If we seek, we will find. There will come a time when we have suffered enough. There will come a time of freedom.

“But the God of all grace, who has called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”

We all struggle with serving two masters, and I think it is foolish to ever assume that we will not be tempted as long as we live in this corruptible body. There is always more to gain. There is always more to lay aside for His sake. We should always be “poor in spirit” as we seek Jesus humbly with dependence on Him for all things. Our light is darkness. His light is truly light.

The light of man is darkness. So it is with the “bright star, son of the dawn.” The ministers of Satan transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, but the light in them is darkness indeed—and how great is that darkness! They suppose they can serve two masters. Not so.

Lord, have mercy. Have mercy in redeeming many sons of Satan into sons of God. He can do this. He can do anything. We were all once sons of Satan, but we are not bound to him. We are bound to Jesus and blessed are they who’s God is Jesus the Lord and Christ.

Those whose god is this world—and the prince of this world—are death-bound whether they call themselves Christian or not. God knows. Jesus will judge it, and none who call themselves by His name should take that judgment lightly.

We trust in His mercy, and all who really trust in Him and love Him will find freedom from the master they do not wish to serve but are enslaved to. Let no one accuse you. Jesus knows your heart. He knows if you serve Him or not.

Yet, we are so good at excusing ourselves and with so many out there who make excuses for us, the temptations are everywhere. Jesus knows this too.

“As many as have not this doctrine and have not known the depths of Satan as they speak: I will put upon you no other burden, but that which you have hold fast until I come.” What is this doctrine if not a doctrine that makes the light in you darkness as it convinces you that you can serve two masters? Does God not hate it? Does He not hate a teaching that disrespects the blood of the Son of God and places the corruptible light of man in His place? (reference to the church in Thyatira in Revelation 2)

We are not ignorant of the devices of Satan, who seeks who he may devour. He wants to devour the children of God, as we see in the scriptures. But we also see that He will fail. We will overcome. We will be granted to sit with Jesus in His thrown, because He overcame first and He is faithful to do His work in all who God the Father gives Him.

How wonderful is our God! What other God is there that is so patient with us? What other God is there that delivers us from the forces of death? What other God is there that can take us corruptible people and make us into something like Him? What other God is there that became man, died for us, and rose again so that we too can live eternally? None. There is none, so put none before Jesus.

You cannot serve two masters. Let the light that is in you be Christ and Christ only, according to the measure of grace we are given of God to overcome. Seek His grace to overcome—not just theoretically or in a judicial sense—but in this present world. As we overcome and do His works, He is seen in this world and He is glorified whether people love Him or hate Him.

As John the Baptist said, “he must increase and I must decrease.” Our light is darkness. We must decrease. The works we do are not our own. They are His. We want to be judged according to His works, which are mercy and grace, not ours. Yet, His works are real. If we have faith in Him, we will show it through many good works as we learn to do the perfect and pleasing will of the Father.

There is no middle ground. There is no compromising with sin. Do not give up. Keep going. Trust in Jesus, repent of sin, and seek Him who makes it possible for us to “keep the commandments of God” by the working of the Spirit that teaches us to love God and love our neighbor, even as Jesus loves us.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. – John 14:1-12

This is written as a Part 2 for You are the Light of the World. This article is part of a series that considers the Parables of Jesus. Right now, we are looking at the statements Jesus made during His Sermon on the Mount, to which He referenced in His Parable of the Building on Rock and Sand. Visit the link for quick access to all articles written within this series. Subscribe for notifications of future posts.

Jesus is Near the Broken Ones. So are the Wolves.

One thing I love about Jesus is His love for the weak. Those who know that they are sinners, those who know that they are lost in this world, those who are not content with this life, those who want to know God and always feel a lack, no matter how much of God they come to know. Jesus is near them.

Those who feel like they have no place in this world and no real relief in this world. Jesus is near them. Those who have no strength or wisdom of their own. Jesus is near them. Those who have one foot in the grave and look to God for help. Jesus is near them.

The wolves are near them also.

People who want to have power and control over others are good at spotting the weak—because they are themselves weak, whether they know it or not. They spot them, lure them in by promising to give them all that their heart’s desire, then turn them into obedient pons—just to destroy or discard them once they have served whatever purpose the wolf has for them.

There are many wolves.

Thanks be to God who raises up shepherds, who are not Jesus, but who are among the poor and broken redeemed by Jesus. Those who do not want to create their own kingdom, but His Kingdom. Thanks be to God that these are out there too, and the lost ones can come to them, get to know Jesus, and find strength in Him alone so that they can go out and do this work too.

I know the difference between a wolf and a shepherd, and Jesus can make this known to us all. There are many wolves—especially in the realm of “principalities and powers.”

There are the wolves of every Christian denomination—in the structural sense. Please hear what I say, if God gives it. There are good shepherds also within them all, and the Lord’s flock within them all—yet the mark of a wolf is there. To build a gathering. To grow rich. To grow powerful. To use people for their own gain and to toss out any who oppose them. Is this not true of every single Christian denomination? Show me one for whom this is not true, and I will repent of saying this.

There are wolves who claim to be prophets who speak against the other “wolves,” but they too want to make themselves something great. They see the weak sheep who have felt cast out by one wolf, and they lure them in just so they can devour them and turn them into obedient members of their pack—pack members they can then use to gather in more broken ones and devour them. It is a bottomless pit, is it not? Devouring and more devouring.

There are many wolves.

There are wolves in government. There are wolves in societal movements.

There are many wolves.

The trouble with wolves is that they make more wolves. They bring people into their pack—people who they can manipulate because they spot weakness in them.

Wolves breed wolves. Shepherds breed shepherds.

It is an interesting thing. In the Kingdom of God, the wolves will lay down with the lambs.

How wonderful is our God!!

He will tame them. Many will receive mercy, because many are wolves born of wolves—wolves who were once of a poor and contrite spirit, led away by the falsehoods of many “principalities and powers.”

Do you want to fight the wolves?

Show them the truth. Show them the Lamb of God of a truth, so perhaps they will humble themselves and lay down.

Don’t fight wolves by becoming another wolf.

Fight wolves by becoming a lamb—even as the Lamb of God—by the power and grace of God through the Son, Jesus Christ. If they refuse, He will subdue them. They cannot resist the King of Kings.

This is what He has shown me, and I believe this is true and good. Only Jesus would say such a thing. Of a truth, His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. My nature is to cower before a wolf or kill one if I am cornered. His nature is to turn them into sheep. This will be true for many, and thanks be to God because if we are honest with ourselves…

We were wolves too.

We Are Not Alone When Jesus is With Us

“The hour is coming, and is now come, when you shall be scattered. Every man to his own and shall leave me alone, and yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken to you, that in me you might have peace.” (John 16)

Isolation is a hard thing to bear. I’ve born it for a while, and even as an introvert, it is challenging. The worst kind of isolation is isolation as a Christian. Yet, I am thankful for the words of Jesus.

Though I feel alone, I know that I am not alone because the Son and the Father and the Holy Ghost are with me. I have tried to fellowship with believers, and I am always open to it and I know that one day the Lord will judge it all and He will gather those who really love Him to Himself and we who have felt alone will not be alone any longer. Even now, we are not alone.

I would love to be gathered to people who want to make their life about glorifying God and serving Him. And in serving Him we serve one another. It seems to me that most people are more interested in serving something else, and as they serve these things they console themselves by going to church and doing whatever their denomination deems is best. There is utility in all of this, for certain. Yet, there is always room for the world because the churches are of this world—at least in part—and of this I am convinced because I have seen what they breed.

It is a strange thing. All around right now are church revivals, but who is revived? The church bank accounts, no doubt. We do need revival, but it will not come at the hands of structural “principalities and powers” Christianity. It will come when God removes our love of the world from us. And He will do it. He is good like that. He is also patient, so I must also be patient.

I must be patient and know that He will gather us together, and I pray that even now, I can find at least a few who want to live like Christians ought to live: in service to God and one another, for His glory and not our own or this world’s glory. To build His Kingdom and not the kingdoms of this world.

All around me, people are just too busy to care much for this Kingdom, and no wonder because there are plenty of pastors who tell them what they want to hear. All around me, people have their events to go to and their own lives to build. They have their educations to pursue. They have their homes to buy. They have their ceremonies of man to go to, but who is preparing for the Supper of the Great God?

Though patience is required and good because God is patient, I can’t help but feel like “I will hide my face from them. I will see what their end shall be for they are a generation of fraud children not to be trusted in.” Those are God’s words though, and I have no right. So, I will not hide my face from them, though all seem to hide from me.

I have nothing of value to offer that can compare with what this world has for them. I have no riches in this world. I have no social status to bolster the proud. I have no interest in man’s entertainments. I have no interest in silly pampering of vain women. I have no interest in going to church to hear exulted men corrupt the word of God. I am boring, I guess. I suppose Jesus is boring too. Not to me.

This does not make me better than anyone. I will not say, “do not come near me, for I am holier than thou.” As people do to me.

I know where my grace comes from. So, the invitation is open. If you want to seek Jesus with me—if you have time for it—then let’s do so. If you want fellowship and a gathering of people who put Jesus first of a truth, then let’s get together and figure out what that means. If not, then not. “I am not alone, because the Father is with me” and you also–you who love Him and take Christianity seriously, or sincerely want to learn how.

Are you prepared for what that might mean? I wasn’t. I’m still in awe as He shows me what this means. Thanks and glory to God for His mercy and grace–grace that give us all things according to His perfect will for us all.

My Troubles with Trusting God

I said that I would write an article about my problems with trusting in Jesus, and I want to. I’m not sure how to go about it, so this is another impromptu. It’s the best way I know how do to these things. Sorry in advance if this gets a little messy.

I know that for me, one of the greatest barriers to trusting in Jesus has been a fear of man and fear of failure. When I compare myself or my Christian walk with others, I feel a mixture of emotions, one of these being fear.

I fear because I do not seem to fit in anywhere, yet at the same time I fit in everywhere. I agree with all my brethren in part and I disagree with all my brethren in part. Yet, as far as I have experienced, there is little to no leeway given for those who disagree, so finding a church to join has not went well. I also disagree with the way church is done in many ways, so I don’t all together enjoy it. I usually just get upset when I visit churches, to tell the truth.

As someone who naturally wants to do as she is told and to please others, this is a fearful place to be. Yet, I know that the Lord put me in this place for a reason, though that reason is never fully clear to me. I don’t think that I am something especially set apart or anything. That’s something my accusers like to say I believe.

On the contrary, I am afraid more often than not. I am afraid that I am deceived because many things that seem apparent to me are not apparent to others, and this feels foolish and proud. Arrogant even. So, to write about these trust issues feels awkward. I also know how I feel when I compare myself to others, so I don’t want to create those feelings in someone else.

I also fear because it seems like everyone around me is getting ahead in this world and I am not. Why do other Christians get to be Christians and also prosper in this world? Writing that “out loud” is shameful. I know how silly it is to compare in these ways, but I have. I know that true riches are not in this world, but it seems that many get to have it both ways. God knows.

I fear because I don’t really know what I am doing most of the time, as far as service goes. I have a basic road set in front of me, and I can’t see much past it. Or maybe I don’t want to. Sometimes I wonder if I willingly blind myself to certain things. Some things just seem to be too much.

Yet, despite the evidence all around me that could cause me to question my relationship with Jesus and the calling He has given me, there is more evidence to trust in Him. I know what He means to me, and I know that I must matter to Him too because He has brought me out of so much. That also feels like too much to write about. I’m teetering between the need for honesty and transparency with the need for discretion.

By all natural reasoning, I should not even be here. I was born very prematurely at a time when the survival rate was not good. My parents were told to prepare because I would not make it. They went to church, held a service for me, and when my father called to see how I was there was an immediate and remarkable change. I was soon able to breathe on my own, which I could not do before. I know God did that. This also shows me how God is with the churches and He is patient with them, even if there are problems. He is merciful, and all who belong to Him will repent as needed. I believe this to be true.

He has provided a life of hardship so that I could learn many things, but my life has not been exclusively difficult.

There have been remarkable blessings also. When I nearly lost faith and asked for someone to teach me because I was confused and suicidal, He sent me to a teacher without delay. I began to study for myself also, comparing scripture scrupulously to what I was taught—when previously I had no desire to read the bible and could not hold interest in it.

Once I realized that I needed the Holy Spirit and asked, He only made me wait about a year and a half. Though, the things I went through afterward were nothing short of trying. These trails were also grace because one of the reasons I wanted the Spirt was to have better understanding of God’s will for His people, so that I would not be confused and so that I could help others also. There seemed to be so much confusion over what being a Christian was about.

I did not know what I was asking for, but I suppose that because my heart was not looking for something vain, He gave it. He gave it through enduring various things, and He continues to give this through enduring various things. Hard things, usually. Especially fear. Fear that I am not really hearing from God. Fear that I am deceived. Fear because if what He shows me is true and I am not deceived, we have a whole mess of trouble coming our way—and no one wants to hear about that.

Yet, I also know and have experienced the mercy of God. We are faulty. Even with all He has shown me and brought me out of, I fear. I don’t trust like I should. I haven’t been as faithful as I would like to have been at all times. I have not laid sin aside as readily as I should have. For all that I have been given, I feel like the greater sins are with me. The greater faithlessness is with me. So, I fear.

In one way, it is good to fear. It is good to fear God, and when I think of all that He has done and what that means for me, I do fear Him. I owe Him. I owe Him my all, and I need to pay it. Not to earn salvation, because His grace is what saves me, but out of respect. When we receive much, much is required. That fear overshadows any other fear I have, and even that is the grace of God.

He is so gracious. So good to us. If we seek Him with all that we have, even when all we have is very little to nothing, He rewards us. He is patient with us. He leads us. He does His work in us and nothing can stop it.

If you have problems with trust, I hope you will find comfort. If you have had problems with fearing man or fearing failing God, I hope you will find comfort. Do not trust in man or yourself, and do not fear man or yourself. Fear God. Trust in God. And know that He will cause you to if you struggle in these areas. Keep seeking. That’s the best advice I know to give. Never give up. It is always better to throw yourself at the feet of His mercy than to give into fear—yet God is to be feared. He is not to be trifled with. Fear Him and find mercy. Fear man and find death.