Considering Proverbs 10:28

28 The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.

As a Christian, there are things I hope in—things that I have not perfectly hoped in, but continue to learn to hope in. Hope, I believe in the KJV is a often a word that means “expectation.”

I expect that through the blood of the sacrifice of Jesus, I am counted as righteous before God, even when I have a problem with sin. Yet, I also expect to be strengthened over time by the Spirit so that I can overcome sin. As a former hell-bound child of this world and slave of Satan, I am redeemed and adopted as a son of God, bound for life everlasting. There is much to hope for in this.

As a former hell-bound child of this world and slave of Satan, I had competing expectations. Even once I put my faith in Jesus, I held competing expectations and I suspect I will always have to be on guard against these so long as I am in this corruptible body.

I have had expectations of growing in the things of this world. Though some measure of this is needful, especially when you have a family, there is an over-reach of expectation that is wicked because it is covetous, impatient, and can breed things like resentment, envy, pride, and fear. These lead to one outcome: death.

I have had expectations of failure, betrayal from those I love, and other fears. When fears over the things of this life overshadow fear of the Lord, I might find that these fears come upon me because I am not properly trusting in God—with His goodness being my expectation—even goodness that often does not seem good at the time.

The expectations or hope of the adopted son of God lead to one outcome: life. Even the fruits of the Spirit which bring life, and in the end, He who is life will call out to us when He returns, gather us to Him, and usher in His Kingdom—and we have the hope and expectation of ruling with Him, if we are faithful—and the great thing is that our faith is the gift of God, so we will be.

Every good expectation I have is hinged on one thing: grace.

It is by the grace of God that I trust in the sacrifice of Jesus, and it is by the grace of God that I would take that sacrifice seriously, learn to repent of sinful expectations, and hope in the promises of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

It is by the grace of God that I can obtain all things in Christ. We all bring forth fruit and we all inherit God’s kingdom according to the measure of grace we are given of God—so grace is what we seek after. Grace is what we trust in. Grace is also what we fear, because if God has a favored way, who can reply against it?

It is by the grace of God that our wicked expectations perish and the hope of the righteous becomes our aim, and we are made glad as we see this work done! Though the process of having our wicked expectations purged from us can mean troublous times, if the grace of God is for us, nothing can truly be against us.

So, despite what comes, we seek the grace of God with a repentant heart. God does not despise a broken, poor, and contrite spirit, as the scriptures say. God gives mercy to those who fear Him, as a father does a son, as the scriptures say.

I know it is hard to go through things that remove the world from you. Our faith is tried by fire, as the scriptures say. The Great Whore is tried by fire too—and I wonder how much of this relates to our brethren who need to be cleansed of wicked expectations.

I don’t know, but I know that I have in part related to her, and God was merciful to me. I know that I have been a child of Satan—a death-bound child of this world—and God redeems me by the blood and Spirit of Jesus Christ. If He can be so patient with me, one who is prone to teeter tottering back and forth as a fool, He can be so with anyone. It all comes down to grace, not our own ability or faithfulness. I know this first-hand.

I also know that no corruptible thing has place in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, and the good news is that He will remove all of these things. He will remove them from us over the course of our lives, and He will one day return to establish His Kingdom and overthrow the ways of this world and their wicked expectations once and for all.

This world expects to create their own version of heaven, to kill the servants of God and all who stand in their way. This world expects to overcome death through science, to enslave this world for their selfish gain, and to make themselves as God. Their expectation will bring their death, Even Death, and all who follow them will have death.

As a child of God, my hope is to find strength to resist—by the power of the Spirit and Word of God—both the wicked expectations of my own flesh and the wicked expectations of the powers of this world.

This hope is freedom. This hope is newness of life. This hope is praise and glory to God that brings a gladness no trouble or man can take! Despite sorrow—and we are wise to expect sorrow, because the Day of the Lord is darkness and not light—we can have peace, joy, and gladness.

The above proverb brings a passage to mind. I hope in a day, that is coming and is now, when certain expectations are “found no more at all” in me, in my brethren, and in this world. By the grace of God. What I refer to is the Great Whore of Mystery Babylon in Revelation 18.

To think that we were not once her children is foolish, I think. I was. However, I am also a child of the faithful church, redeemed from death and made into a son of God. So it is and will be for many Christians, if we are given the grace of God to repent and “come out of her.”

Note: I apologize for all of the typos in my writings. The only way to get these done is to get up early and write impromptu, without formal preparation. I do try to go back in as time allows to fix these errors. They are small and should not change the meaning of the text, though they can be annoying.

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.

Repent and do the First Works!

“Enough!” This word strongly filled my mind on Friday, May 14, 2021. I’ve heard the Lord’s voice audibly before, but this is not common—and it does not make me a special Christian—many others have heard Him too, and so can all who seek Him.

“Enough!”

This single word jolted me out of a mindset that I have been fighting for a long time. I’ve been battling sins of the mind and body that I cannot overcome, and I was thinking about these things and feeling defeated. “This is just who I am. This is who God made.” I was also seriously questioning my work for the Lord. How can someone of such a profane mind do the work of God? Perhaps I have been deceived. Something just doesn’t feel right. Something is missing, but I don’t know what.

“Enough!”

Enough giving sin a foothold. Not that I have entirely. I have tried to overcome. I really have. Yet, “which of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature?” I cannot make myself anything other than who I am. Period. Sure, I prayed about these things a lot. Yet, my faith over the years weakened due to many prayers seemingly unanswered.

“Enough!”

If Christ is in us, and we resist the devil, he will leave us alone. How often did I do this? Not very often at all. I didn’t believe that I could. I realized that every sin I struggle with begins in the mind—and every thought can be countered by the word of God. Even if sin takes hold before I have time to stop it, I can acknowledge it and say these words, and there is relief. The word of God is powerful because the Word of God speaks it in us.

“Enough!”

Oh me and “my work” for the Lord… my work? No. His work. Those who keep HIS works to the end will overcome and be saved. All of it—the overcoming of sin and the work I do for His Kingdom—it is all HIS works. I worry myself sick thinking that I will fail God or that I might be deceived because I see some things differently than others, and to think that I have things right and other people are missing something is just too much to consider. I must be deceived.

No. HIS works are not deception. My fear of man and what they think is the deception. We can make our boast in the Lord, and though people hate that out of fear, envy, or love of sin they might want to justify, we should boast in the Lord anyway. HIS works. HIS! Any good thing we have HE gave us, and the great news is that He will give it all to those who are faithful to Him—even our faithfulness was wrought in Him before we were ever born. It is ALL HIM!

Do not fear man or give glory to man. Fear God and glorify HIM!

“Enough!”

It’s been almost seven years since I started taking the Christian faith seriously. That number feels like a benchmark, so that is part of why I have been thinking about my Christian state so much lately. A lot has happened in that time, and Jesus has shown me a lot. Yet, there are things about those early years I miss.

I miss the zeal, or aspects of it. I still have some zeal, but the desire to study the word and to find out truth has somewhat slipped. The excitement over a gospel that promises righteousness in this present world by the power of Jesus Himself has somewhat slipped and was slipping.

One step in the direction of yielding to sin is a step down a slippery slope. Have I started teaching that we yield to sin? How could I say anything else when I myself was overcome with sin? I know that we are judged by the judgements we make, but the judgements against sin are God’s. They are already made. I do not have to judge it; I just need to listen to Him. Sin is not acceptable. We have grace, mercy, and forgiveness because we are weak—but there is power in the name of Jesus! We do not yield!

So, for me, seven years after I started seeking Jesus earnestly, I feel a bit like Ephesus. “Repent and do the first works.”

The first works of seeking the truth with eagerness and an expectation to find it. The first works of seeking righteousness through the power of Jesus with eagerness and expectation to have it done. The first works of encouraging my brethren to come out of perversions within the Christian faith—but this time—in the right spirit. I’ve also started listening to the old studies I used to listen to. They are very encouraging in righteousness, and I love that.

“Enough!”

We all like to think that we are of the “good churches,” and by the grace of God will can be if we listen and if we repent. As for me, “Repent and do the first works or else I will come to thee quickly and will remove your candlestick out of its place.” I will repent. I will do the first works—which are HIS WORKS!

His works are faithful. His works are sure. His works are always on time and perfect. His works are His and God alone will glorify in them. We do not fear Satan. We do not fear sin or yield to the devil.

This does not mean that we will never sin or should deny our capacity for sin. Only Jesus is truly Holy. Yet, when we do sin there should be a proper response, and if we take His Name and His Word up as our weapon we will overcome sin more readily—and when we do, we know that it is He in us who does this work. Throw your own virtue out the door. There is no room for it.

We do not make our boast in our works or fear that we will not do adequate works. We do not worship the works of any man. Not the Christian leaders of old or of the present. Not the works of governments. Not the works of big-tech billionaires. HIS works. Fear God. Glorify Him. Keep HIS works to the end and be saved!

“Enough!”

 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. – Revelation 2: 1-5

Exercising in Faith: Learning to Trust in The Lord

As a Christian, faith and trust go hand in hand. As our faith is exercised, tested, and made stronger, we see this to be true.

We learn to trust in the mercy of God though faith in the sacrifice of the Son that covers us, despite our flaws in character or struggle with sin.

We learn to trust in the will of God that is always good for those who trust in Him and are called for His purposes, even when things around us do not always seem good.

We trust in the Lord’s promises. We know that He will bring the Kingdom of Heaven to us—to our hearts and to this world.

We trust that His words are true, and we gain some understanding of what it means to live out our Christianity, and we grow in confidence as we see Him work in us.

We trust that we have a place and purpose in this world and in the age to come for His glory, and He will provide us with whatever we need so that we do not fail—because as Jesus said that the Father in Him does the works, so will we say that the Son in us does the works.

Trust can encompass many things for us as Christians, and Jesus will work the trust in us that we need in order to fulfill the purpose God has ordained for our lives before the world began. We who love Jesus cannot fail, because our lives are written in the Book of Life. We can trust in this. We can trust that we live forever.

Below is a post that I wrote for KindlingTruth on January 8, 2019. It is a short post, but the ideas about praise, fear of the Lord, and trust are good to think on. Especially in regard to preparing for the “end time” – both the end of this age and the end of our own time in this world.

Trust in the Lord and Avoid Desolation

How do we stand against the great deception from “the one who makes desolate?” The answer is simple, yet living out the answer requires continual striving and growing in the faith. What is that answer? Praise, Trust and Fear of the Lord.

Praising the Lord in times of trouble with thankfulness for all the goodness of God settles a worrisome heart.

Trusting the Lord instead of man places our focus on He that is Holy and True instead of the confusion of this world.

Fear of The Lord is to love righteousness and hate iniquity as one who strives to tame his/her vessel and maintain sanctification through striving to walk in the things of the Holy Spirit.

An ungrateful and fearful heart full of sin is prone to deception and easily made desolate, no matter which time we live in, regardless of one’s beliefs about a pre-tribulation rapture (which I do not believe in).

Psalm 34

I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

3 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

8 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

9 O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.

11 Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?

13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

16 The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

22 The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

If you have a story about how Jesus teaches you to trust in Him, or if you have problems with trust that you want to discuss, leave a reply. I’d love to hear from you. I will try to share a testimonial article about my own trust issues soon. Lord willing.

You Are the Light of the World

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

Jesus is the true light of the world, but in His graciousness, He is raising us to be adopted sons of God.  He gives us of Himself so that we can be lights in this world also.

That’s an astounding thing. As Christians, we are to pursue being Christ-like, and Jesus is the only way we can obtain any measure of this. We don’t even know what that looks like properly unless we get to know Jesus personally.

The scriptures provide a great deal of insight, but they do not compare to Jesus Himself. He is not contained in any book, and we can misrepresent Him and misunderstand written words. By the Holy Spirit we can grow in understanding—both the written word of God and Jesus Himself who Is the Living Word of God.

The more we learn of Jesus and the more we are changed into His likeness, the more people take notice. We don’t have to make a show of it. In-fact, making a show of ourselves is contrary to the nature of Jesus. Instead, what is seen is a light in us that is Jesus Himself, and He cannot be hid. His light will shine through us, and when this happens, the results are mixed.

Some people like to see the light of Jesus. Others hate it. Some people feel refreshed, relieved, and safe. Others feel threatened, angry, and afraid. Jesus said that that those who follow Him would be both loved and hated by this world, and it seems to me that the more of His likeness we are given, the more we are able to see for ourselves how much this world despises the ways of God. We also see how much we have despised God.

If it were not for the grace of God, we would have no hope. Our natures are so contrary to God that we are blind to just how contrary we are because we cannot know God on our own. As frustrating as it can be to see how much the world hates God, it’s good to remember that we once did too. It’s good to consider ways in which we still might—as hard as it is to consider.

Though we love Jesus, there might be aspects of the ways of God that we are against. We have to face these things, acknowledge this truthfully to God, and perhaps He will give us the grace to love that which we once hated.

For me, I know that a lot of the things of God that I hated required me to give up on things I did not want to give up on: chiefly my foolish self-reliance. I have always had an ambitious nature, and when paired with a moderate amount of natural ability, I tend to do well at anything I seriously put my mind to.

This is not the case when pursuing the Kingdom of God. I cannot do well enough no matter how hard I try. I cannot be a “light of the world” as Jesus is by my own strength. I’m still learning to let go. I’m still learning to trust in the Lord, Jesus in all things. I’m still learning that I cannot rely on anyone. Not even myself. Least of all myself.

I also tend to be a people-pleaser by nature. I don’t like to be the cause of upset for people, and I’ve largely been love-starved in this world, so it is in my nature to try to be liked and to seek validation from others. You cannot please man and God. You cannot seek the love or approval of man and the love or approval of God at the same time. Being a Christian is often a lonely walk. It is for me at least.

Maybe I just don’t know where to look, or perhaps I am too critical when it comes to the things of God.

It seems like everyone is just too busy to care. They are focused on growing in this world, and the Kingdom of God is secondary. It also seems like everyone has their preferred mode of Christian religion, and they are not interested in questioning the authority of man so that they might know Jesus better.

Even so, I know there are many out there who love Jesus, and whatever measure of His light is in them will love the light of Him that is in me, and we will all be united one day under one banner in Christ.

Whether the world loves us or hates us for the light of Christ that is in us, God the Father and the Son are glorified. I want to write more about that, including some thoughts about what the light of Christ should be like, but this post is already getting long. So, I will write a “Part 2,” Lord willing.

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 10:27

27 The fear of the Lord prolongeth days: but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

Sin is destructive. Those who do not fear God are often immersed in sinful living, so it is generally true that those who fear God will live longer lives.

There are obvious cause-effect examples we can think of. If someone is overtaken by drugs and alcohol, they could shorten their lives. If someone has trouble with overeating or over-indulgence in unhealthy food, they could shorten their lives.

There are other cause-effect examples that might not seem so obvious, like stress for example. Stress is a killer. Stress causes your body to release chemicals that wear down your mind and your body, leading to emotional distress, sleep problems, inflamed joints, stomach trouble, and more. I know from experience.

What does this have to do with sin?

If we fear things of this life more than we fear God, we are in sin. We make our troubles bigger in our minds and hearts than God is. Fear of things in this life also reveals a weak spot in our faith.

As Christians, we know that God is in control of our lives, and if we are His servants, all things are working together for our good. Even the hard things. Especially the hard things.

Sometimes we need to learn patience. Sometimes we need to prioritize our lives differently. Sometimes we need to stop trusting in man, even when dealing with those fundamental relationships in life with people we feel we should be able to trust in. This includes ourselves. Sometimes we think that if we just try hard enough, we can handle anything.

Letting go of fear of the cares of this life is challenging for many people. Learning to trust in God and not man is challenging for many people. However, these things lead to stress and a life of stress is sure to be shortened. I’m only in my 30s and I feel very old. My body feels old. My mind feels old. I chalk it all up to fearing the wrong things. Trusting the wrong things. The more I learn to “let go and let God” as people like to say, the better I feel.

I don’t usually like to write about myself in the Proverbs writings, but I thought I should this time. If you have a story to share about how fear of the Lord affects your life, please leave a reply below.

Now that we’ve considered some cause-effect examples, what else might we think of?

God could bring destruction on a person, people, or nation that does not fear Him simply because it is right. There could be several cause-effect lines we can draw, but not necessarily.

I also think about the early death of the righteous. Sometimes people die early, not because of sin, but because they are obedient. There is a scripture that comes to mind.

“The righteous perish, and no man lays it to heart. Merciful men are taken away, and none consider that the righteous are taken away from the evil to come.”

I believe that in God’s mercy, He will take many believers before the greatest time of temptation is upon us. He will spare them by having their lives taken from them. I think many will say that these were killed because they were disobedient, forsaken, or throw some other accusation at them. This verse will be good to remember for those who remain, and in this time also. Sometimes seemingly bad things happen, not because of any wrong we have done, but because God is at work.

So, when we suffer or see someone else suffer, we cannot assume that it is the result of sin. If they are believers, it will always be an act of grace. If it is chastisement, it is grace. If it is suffering for righteousness’ sake, it is grace.

We should try to see our brethren in the best light while also knowing that there are many false among us—especially in the realm of “principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness in high places.” These do not fear God and they will be destroyed, and I sincerely believe and hope that many who are caught up in these will be spared.

None the less, in the end we all face death. We should not fear death. We should fear the One who has “the keys of hell and death.” Jesus Christ.

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 Faith

When we think of the “end times” persecution of Christians, what comes to mind when considering faith? For many, we believe that once we make our declaration of faith, we are good to go. Jesus will rapture us away before the tribulation, so there’s nothing to worry about. If you have not already read it, I recommend reading, Seeking First The Kingdom of God.

We are told in the scriptures that such beliefs are foolish. I do not believe in the rapture, and it’s not a huge barrier if you do. The foolishness does not come from such doctrines necessarily, but instead, the foolishness is when we fail to prepare spiritually—because in essence, this preparation is the purpose of our lives as we are raised up to be children of God—which is the purpose of the creation.

Faith is Power to Overcome

Faith is a gift given to us by God so that we can approach Him through the blood of the Son. If our faith does not come from God, but instead is something we try to create within ourselves, then that faith is not real. There is no power of life in it.

Real faith brings life. That means we are given, by grace, power to overcome this present world. As our faith grows and is strengthened, we find greater ability to stop living sinfully and start living according to the righteous commandments of Jesus Christ – commandments that cannot be contained or obeyed according to the letter of the law.

What does faith have to do with being prepared for “end times?”

If our faith gives us power to overcome sin and attacks from the devil in this present world, how much more will our faith shield us from attack from the false prophet and those who do his bidding?

If you read about the “Armour of God” in Ephesians 6, we are told:

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked (Ephesians 6:16).

Powerless, dead faith will not withstand any real persecution or “fiery darts of the wicked.” Consider ourselves now. In what ways are we denying Christ? Are we ashamed to talk about Jesus? Are we afraid to openly honor his name? Do we believe that we are enslaved to the present prince of this world? Are we throwing our hands up and submitting to sin?

We know the affliction of the “end times” will be more severe than mankind has ever known. We know that deception will run rampant. We know that all who hold fast to the name of Jesus will be killed. We need to be very strong in the faith, and we need to start seeking the Lord to strengthen our faith now.

You might think, “I’d never deny Jesus. I’d die first!” If any of us think we will not deny Jesus, consider Peter. Let’s be honest with ourselves and with God so that we do not deceive ourselves into thinking we are ready when we are not. This is not something to take lightly and there is no room for complacency in the kingdom of God.

How do we exercise our faith?

First, take comfort in this one thing: your faith is the workmanship of Jesus who is faithful and true. If you have any measure of faith, continue seeking the things of God and he will give you everything you need. You might be put through some hard things that try your faith, but it is through such hardships that faith is cultivated and made strong.

Secondly, continue seeking Jesus to have your faith built up. You do this by seeking to do his will presently with faith in his righteousness that is given by his loving grace. As we see sins lifted and the temptations of this world less appealing, we will grow in confidence that our salvation is sure. We will grow in our love for Jesus and begin to know him personally. We will see doubt and sin fade away, and we become strengthened spiritually and made ready to stand against all things that dishonor his name and hinder the faith of our brethren.

Food for Thought

Faith is one of the most fundamental concepts of Christianity, and one that has been sorely misunderstood by many. This article isn’t meant to look at faith docrinally, but is meant to encourage you to seek Jesus more earnestly so that he can show you want faith is about. Even so, here are some scriptures that might get you thinking about faith:

James 2: 14:20 (please study for context):

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

2 Peter 1: 2-11 (Please study for context):

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

In Conclusion

The name of Jesus is powerful, and with faith in him we have everything we need to grow in the things of God so that we can stand strong no matter what comes our way. We should all be pushing on in the faith no matter which time we are living in. “Seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” is how we live this out presently, regardless of whether we will face the “end times” or not.

This was originally posted at KindlingTruth on March 16, 2018 as part of a series that considers how Christians should prepare for “end-times.” This article focuses on faith in terms of seeking the righteousness of God as promised in the gospel. I want to write a follow-up article that adds to the thoughts given here with a focus on faith in terms of trusting the Lord in all things.

Inserted 5/14/2021: Exercising in Faith: Learning to Trust in the Lord

You are the Salt of the Earth…Nevertheless, I Have Somewhat Against Thee.

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. – Matthew 5:13

Christians should have the savor of Christ: to them who live it is the savor of life. To them that perish it is the savor of death. If we corrupt the teachings of Jesus Christ, then how can we say that we have this salt within ourselves?

There is a difference between honest mistakes made out of a sincere heart and blatant disregard and hatred for the word of God. Many do not really love the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God. If we do not love this truth, then we will go into the default mode of man which is to worship another king or setup a kingdom ourselves.

There are many kingdoms of this world. There is only one Kingdom of God in which Jesus Christ is King of Kings. Though there are many of the former, they all worship the same thing: man. To worship Satan is to worship man, or so it seems to me. If we look at worship of Satan through that lens, how many Kingdoms of Satan do we see? How many churches of Satan do we see?

Any Kingdom (and I use this term to represent any establishment, ranging from massive organizations and systems to individuals), that is not of Jesus Christ will be overcome.

Why? It is in Jesus alone that we find salvation from this world. If we are not standing with Him—and if we are, we will have some measure of the savor of Christ—then we are going to be “trodden down” by this world.

We can see this if we consider it, Lord willing.

Without Jesus, we are overcome by all the devices of the enemy. We are overcome by a love for this world, including a love of wealth, a love of power, a love of exalted men, a love of the works of man, a love of self, and love of all lies that warp reality according to the wicked whims of man.

We might struggle in some of these areas at times, but there is a difference between sincere struggle and hatred for our natures that are against the things of God and an attitude that embraces this world and justifies living sinfully—especially when we use the blood of the Son of God to do so.

Jesus searches and tries hearts. He knows who really loves Him and who uses His name for worldly reasons. If we are close to Him, He can show us of this somewhat. We can see the “fruit” of those who worship the world. We can see what people love. What they love is what they worship, and if what they love is not aligned with Jesus and His Holy Kingdom, then something is off.

Something is off about much within Western Christianity. For all of their “love,” it is not love of Jesus. It is not love of the true Word of God. They will surely fall to the ways of the enemy—even the false prophet—as they fulfill their vows as his whore.

We who are serious about following Jesus need to seek Him who is the Word of God so that we can have our senses exorcised in discerning these matters. It does not mean we go around willy-nilly accusing our brethren and “smiting our fellow servants.” It is the enemy who is “drunken with blood,” not us. All things are ordained of God.

Remember David and Saul. David could have killed Saul, but did not. He knew that God appointed Saul. David also slew Goliath so that “all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

It does mean that we learn to hear Jesus by the Holy Spirit so that we are standing on solid ground. When the “flood” of ungodly men comes to a full, we will not be overtaken by their deception. We will stand with Jesus, testify of His truth, and serve Him in whatever capacity we are called to serve until the very end.

All of this makes me think of Revelation 11. I wonder if this parable is related. Seems so.

And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.

But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. – Revelation 11:1-2

What is the temple of God? I suppose anything that calls itself a temple of God is going to be judged as a temple of God. We see this in Revelation 2-3 when Jesus speaks of 7 churches. Only 2 were not rebuked, and these two are standing with Him in Revelation 11.

Of the other 5, Jesus said, “I have somewhat against thee.” These are “removed out of their place.” These have lost the savor of Christ and are “trodden underfoot of man.” That’s how I see it, at least. That’s why the title of this article is as it is.

The temple of the New Covenant is a “temple not built with hands.” It is the faithful body of Christ. If the Word of God lives within us, and we continue faithfully to His Word, then we are the temple that will not be moved. All others are fit to be “trodden under foot of man.”

What should the temple look like? I think it looks a lot like the “house built on a rock” verses a “house built on sand.”

That’s why we consider that parable.  Those who are Poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who are meek, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, those who are merciful, those who are pure in heart, those who are peacemakers, those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake will be unmovable by this world.

THESE are the salt of the earth, and they will not lose their savor! We make mistakes, we struggle against sin, we trust in His mercy. But we do not admit defeat. We do not give in to this world.

What about the alter? I believe we can gain some understanding of this as we continue studying this parable. Jesus addresses this when He talks about the righteousness of the Pharisees verses the righteousness that is of the Kingdom of Heaven. We will continue to consider “the sacrifices of righteousness” which is to offer yourself whole-heartedly to the Lord, “which is your reasonable service.”

Let’s continue to take these things seriously. Do not trust in man who makes Man their rock.

28 For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them.

29 O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!

30 How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up?

31 For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.

32 For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter:

33 Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.

34 Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures?

35 To me belongeth vengeance and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.

36 For the Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left.

37 And he shall say, Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted,

38 Which did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? let them rise up and help you, and be your protection. (Deuteronomy 32:28-38).

 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 10:26

26 As vinegar to the teeth, and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him.

Have you ever worked with someone that didn’t want to hold up their end? Have you ever worked a job where you had to oversee a team, and someone on that team would not follow direction or perform their job adequately?

If you have experienced either of these things, and I think most of us have in some capacity, then you can probably relate to this proverb.

How much more is this true for servants of Jesus Christ?

We do not want to be as “vinegar to the teeth” and “smoke to the eyes” for our brethren in Christ nor for Jesus Himself.

Thank God that Jesus is not an impatient boss or co-worker and thank God that He gives us everything we need to do the work He gives us to do. Even so, since we are not always aware of the provision of our Lord, it helps to consider these things.

When we hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven and believe it, we are being rescued from slavery to this world and we are entering into the service of the Almighty God. This means something, and we should take this “salvation” very seriously.

We need to find out what Jesus wants us to do as service to Him. We all receive something, and He never expects us to do more than we are given to do. He provides all that we need, but we need to communicate with Him. He also knows our frame as weak creatures in the flesh, so He is patient with us, but He also sends His Spirit to strengthen us and lead us—if we will listen.

If we are overly focused on the things of this life and we do not make our relationship with Jesus our priority, how will we hear Him?

If we substitute Jesus for career, friendships, and family, how will we hear Him?

If we substitute Jesus for concerns over the state of this world in the realm of politics and societal movements, how will we hear Him?

If we substitute Jesus for ministers, teachers, pastors, priests, and prophets, then how will we hear Him?  

There is a time and place for all of these things, but in the right order. Jesus has to come first. If He doesn’t, then we are at risk of being deafened by this world. We cannot hear Jesus because we are too distracted, and even if He did speak to us, we would not recognize His voice because we are not serving Him as we should.

“My sheep hear my voice,” says Jesus. We need to follow Him, not this world.

Isn’t listening to Christian ministers, teachers, pastors, priests, and prophets, the same as following Jesus?

It can be in a sense. We are a body that is supposed to work together for the good of the Kingdom of God. However, there are many false leaders among us—more false than those truly appointed by God—so, if Jesus is not first then we might be misled.

We also remember that we are promised the Holy Spirit, so that we can have a very personal, direct link with our Lord and God. Though we need instruction, especially when we are new in the faith, and though we need support so that we can continue to grow ourselves and the Kingdom, we need to learn to listen to Him ourselves.

He can show us who the trustworthy brethren are. If we need a teacher, He will send a teacher. If we need a prophet, He will send a prophet. If we need some other support or help, He will send it. We can trust in Him to use the true body of Christ as He will, and all things will work out for the good of us all.

Though we do not judge any man as condemned, He also shows us who we should not trust. Some brethren are false. Some are immature. So, we trust in Him in all things and do what we can to help those who are weak in the faith grow—but we certainly do not submit ourselves to them.

Our churches, by and large, are run by unbelievers and spiritual children. How can those who depend on them grow, when those in charge are babes themselves at best? They are carnally minded, not spiritually minded according the Holy Spirit—because they do not listen the Jesus and the Holy Spirit—they listen to men.

They listen to men who had to etch out their own special place in the Kingdom by creating corrupt doctrines that have become mainstream. Many of our false teachings came to be in this way. They are rooted in pride, ungodly ambition, and a desire to rule over people. They do not make Christians strong followers of Jesus, but weak followers of man.

Even so, the mercy of our Lord is an astounding thing and our true brethren are peppered throughout all of Christendom. Therefore, we should be careful in our judgements. Many babes will receive mercy and grace.

Lord willing, many will receive mercy and grace by being made stronger and more mature. Lord willing, He will send more teachers, prophets, and ministers who can do this work. Lord willing, we will see a revival of the Holy Spirit among believers, and the carnally minded babes who are asleep in the pews will wake up.

I do not expect the immature to do us any good during times of trouble.

We want to be useful for our Lord and brethren during times of trouble.

So, we have to get busy about our Father’s business, and this means getting rid of all things we put in the place of Jesus. Anything that stands in His place “stands where he aught not.” We are not to worship antichrists of any form, but THE Christ. The living God!

He is alive. He speaks. He guides. He heals. He judges. He gives mercy. He hardens hearts, deafens, and blinds. He opens hearts, gives sight, and gives hearing. He kills. He makes alive. He wounds. He heals. “None can deliver out of my hand,” says the Lord.

If we belong to Him, we can trust in Him. So, let us keep moving forward. Trust in Him and not this world. Fear Him and not this world. When we are in the Hand of Jesus, we are saved from this world and from everlasting death. We enter His service and we will live forever. His service might mean death in this life, but the reward is immeasurable. We want to hear “well done, good and faithful servant.”

Do not be a sluggard servant that is as “vinegar to the teeth” and “smoke to the eyes” of Jesus and our brethren.

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.

It’s not that you aren’t improving. Things keep getting harder.

The title is a bit of advice I gave to a family member once, and I want to try to give myself the same grace. It seems that once one thing gets better, another difficulty pops up. Or in my case, the same old root starts to spring up yuckiness that I need to pray about so that the Spirit might strengthen me. It’s discouraging when you think a part of your nature has been uprooted, just to find that old familiar filth rise up yet again.

This is humbling, which is always a good thing. Yet, there are temptations to being hard on myself in an unproductive way. So, I think back to something I once told someone else. If I took the me now and placed that person in the life I lived a few years ago, it would be a piece of cake.

So, it’s not that the Lord isn’t working. On the contrary, He is working by making things more challenging. Maybe with enough challenge, that root will be totally burned out. Lord willing. Or maybe there are aspects of my nature that I will fight, with aide of Jesus and His Spirit, until the very end.

None the less, I am taking a small break until I am able to deal with these new challenges without being overtaken by this nature that I hate, because this nature affects many things. It affects my writing, or if it doesn’t, I feel like a hypocrite that says one thing and lives another.

One thing that tends to help with the overcoming process is airing out my sin and attempting to use it to encourage others.

What is the sin? When I feel overworked, overtired, and overwhelmed by life, my self-important ego takes over and old wounds of many past experiences of a similar flavor feed this bitter root and this nasty attitude comes out. I know it is wrong once the emotions subside, but in the heat of the moment, I feel totally justified. It’s easy to justify our bad attitudes. It’s easy to blame others, but we are responsible for our own actions and state no matter what other people do.

Learning to “maintain our vessel” is difficult, but at the same time we know that it is Jesus who does the maintenance. We just have to acknowledge our sin, turn to Him, and look to Him for strength. He knows our frame, and all things happen for a reason.

Sometimes hard things come to chastise us, sometimes to refine us and teach us, and sometimes to glorify God. Whatever the reason, we who trust in Jesus know that all things are working together for our good. We will overcome one day, even if this means fighting to the very end.

If you can relate, then ask yourself: is it true that you are not getting better, or is it true that things just keep getting harder?

We who want to be made into the likeness of Christ can be glad that our Lord cares enough to make us stronger. He works us out, spiritually speaking, so that we can continue to grow. There is no stagnancy when we put Jesus and His Kingdom first—or do our best to grow in our desire to aim in that direction.

That’s been my experience at least. Don’t compare to me, but if you do relate, I hope you will be encouraged.

Lord willing, I will be able to resume my writing ministry soon–once my life ministry is set in proper order. Yet again.

In all things, keep moving forward and trust in Jesus. ❤

Considering Proverbs 10:25

25 As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.

You might remember the Parable of the Building on Rock and Sand. Jesus said that those who follow His teachings, such as those given during His Sermon on the Mount, will be as a man built on a rock. When the “rains, winds, and floods” come, he will not be moved.

What does this mean?

Jesus and the apostles teach us many things that provide us with understanding of who He is, what He stands for, and how He expects us to order our lives as Christians. If our lives are built upon this foundation, we will be as a strong and sturdy house that will not be beaten down and overtaken by the enemy.

The enemy is crafty. He is good at making us think that we are standing in the will of God when we are not. We have to be familiar and practiced at living a Christian life, with trust in Jesus and His mercy to forgive us when we are overcome, as well as faith and trust in Jesus to make us strong in His Spirit so that we are not so easily overrun.

When I consider problems in today’s culture, and I think about the teachings of Jesus such as His Sermon on the Mount, I see how crafty the enemy is.

For example, as Christians, we know that there are two genders. We know that the earth has a creator. We know that in the Kingdom of Heaven there is no race to be divided over.

Should we so congratulate ourselves, while despising others, because we can hold such simple truths? On one hand, we can thank God because we are not asleep as the “woke,” but many of us are no less asleep.

It does not matter how much we fight “woke” culture; if we ourselves are not living in the things of Jesus and His apostles, we are just as asleep as the others, and in some ways worse. Christians need to wake up too. Not in the worldly sense, but in Spirit.

I know many are awake in Spirit. I speak to those who are not, or who are like me and prone to drifting asleep instead of waiting and watching with Jesus properly.

If we are awake in Spirit, we will look to our own sins first. When we are overly focused on the sins of others, we can begin to think that we are better people and become full of self-righteous indignation. We then might feel justified in looking at “sinners” as somehow less than human and more worthy to be destroyed then ourselves.

We are all worthy to be destroyed. That’s why we need Jesus.

Fighting this “woke” culture has many Christians doing the same old things we have always done. Have we not learned yet? Have we not learned that the Kingdom of Heaven is not taken by force? Have we not learned that law is not the way to change hearts, and neither is bullying, hatred, or self-righteousness?

If we want to fight “woke” culture without allowing it to consume us, we need to rest our efforts—beginning with the way we live our own lives—on the foundation of Jesus and His apostles.

Otherwise, we might give into the ideas of “woke” culture or we might forget the ways of Jesus as we go about fighting this culture in foolish ways that are not aligned with the Christian way. I believe this is a type of that “hour of temptation” that will come. This is a good time to make sure we are standing in the right place.

If you’re not sure how Jesus would have you deal with the cultural issues of today or how He wants you to live your life, then seek Him.

I think we all need to seek Him because as I have said and will keep saying, our churches have done a pitiful job of preparing us. They are not our foundation. They will surely be overthrown by the flood, and many have been already. Many have gone “woke” or they have fallen asleep as drunkards who are drunk off their own self-righteousness and false sense of superiority—to name just a few.

So, I will continue to say that we as Christians need to focus on ourselves first. We need to wake up too. “Awake to righteousness and sin not.”

We cannot do this if we don’t know what righteousness really looks like, and we are going to be blind to this if we are placing Man in the place that Jesus is supposed to sit. This includes many pastors, all Christian denominations in some form, Christian seminaries, and the like. There is just too much corruption.

If we stay in the corruption and do not make Jesus first in our lives, and do not deceive ourselves into saying He is first because we listen to other men concerning Him, then we are in danger. I believe many “houses” will come down. Many churches. Many people.

The temple of God is not built with hands. We are the temple in the New Covenant, and we who stand with Jesus will not be moved.

Anything that stands where Jesus stands, “stands where he aught not.” Though I believe this will take on a more literal meaning when the false Christ comes, there are many false christs, and we begin by seeking to the false christs of our hearts. These will lead us astray, and it does not matter if Jesus is on our lips if our hearts are far from Him.

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.