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WHERE is “the Root of the Matter”?

The hypocrite continues to look outward, evading his own person responsbility to repent and get his own heart right with God (Matthew 7:1-5).

ALL we have to do to see the sinner most in need of God’s grace today – is look in the mirror. All we have to do to see the hypocrite most in need of divine mercy is to look in the mirror! What’s job saying to us in 19:28?

“But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?” Job 19:28

Are you personally seeing that “the root of the matter is found in” you and no one else?

WHERE is “the Root of the Matter”? ARE YOU BEING SHOWN MERCY FROM GOD? God has shown “abundant mercy” upon our wicked souls and requires that we show mercy in our attitudes (and disposition) toward others, or, He will cease to forgive us and all our sins will be upon us (required of us).  (1 Peter 1:3)

The LORD is our Maker and Judge and has called us to discover and deal firstly with the sin in our own hearts and lives.

Matthew 15:18-20

“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceedevil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.”

According to the One who created each component of us, emanating from our hearts are the things which “defile” us.

It has been wisely stated that The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9.

The only hope we have for a “clean heart” is in the LORD Himself. Like David, the Psalmist and man after God’s heart, we should cry out to the LORD for such while flooding our hearts and minds with the Scriptures, hence the Biblical term “with the washing of water by the Word.” (Eph. 5:26)

David cried:

“…Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin…Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Psalms 51:1,2,10

When I become preoccupied with the state of my own heart before God and seeking His face to make it “clean,” I will cease to sit in the seat of the scornful in judging others wrongly in the attitudes of my heart (Ps 1:1; Matt. 7:1-6; John 7:24). No, instead I will pray for them and seek to see the LORD restore them to full righteousness and fellowship with Him Lk. 22:31-32; (Gal. 6:1-2; James 5:19-20).

Unforgiveness is sin. Despising others who have fallen morally is sin. The Bible says that when we are walking in God’s love, we believe to the best about others and not the worst (1 Corinthians 13).

Christ’s Riches Discovered Through the Realization of Our Own Depravity

To the degree that we are receiving the revelation of CHRIST’s righteousness, to that degree we lose self-righteousness (Romans 3-8). Understanding your own utter depravity is never a license to sin but rather the starting point to be able to truly cherish Christ and what He did for us.

How can we possibly begin to appreciate Christ and His perfect sacrifice if we don’t yet begin to understand the depth of our own depravity outside of Him and what the Bible has to say about such? – “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth NO GOOD THING: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” (Romans 7:18)

We are saved because “He first loved us” and has given us “abundant mercy” through Jesus Christ our LORD (1 John 4:19; 1 Peter 1:3).

“To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. 3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:3-7

Where are Mankind’s Sins Rooted?

—- SEEMS to me that the life and mission of Christ and His holy apostles and the early church were “to teach and to preach Jesus Christ” and not to segment or fragment into different mere causes which are the out workings (manifested fruit) of sin.

So many ministries today are based on certain causes instead of simply preaching Christ – the One who still forgives, saves, delivers, and sets the repentant (previously bound) captives free (John 8:31-32, 36).  “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” (Acts 5:42) Is it time we get back to Jesus and the original Gospel?

“And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren. 20 And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. 21 And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land. 22 So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.” 2 Kings 2:19-22

The waters of that city were healed because the servant of the LORD chose to be directed by our LORD who had him pure the healing agent (salt) into the source of the city’s problem. Healing was the result. So it is today  when we observe and obey the divine pattern revealed to us in God’s Word, we go and preach His saving original Gospel without being diverted and the healing salt of His Word brings men to Him whereby all the mere symptoms (sin) are healed.

If someone wants their lawn to be all dirt, they are wasting their time cutting the grass that covers it. What they should do is pluck up from the roots all the grass. Getting to the root of fallen man’s problem is what the LORD does  not wrestling with futility with the symptoms.

THE ROOT DETERMINES THE FRUIT. BEING ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN CHRIST IS THE ONLY ANSWER TO MAN’S CORE DILEMMA – SIN.

Most ministry today is done amiss of God’s Word – it seems to nip at symptoms instead of placing the axe of God’s Law/Word to the root of the tree which is God’s way (Matthew 3:7-10). There’s the forgetting or total ignorance of basic biblical truth such as the fall of mankind by sin against a Holy God (Genesis 3:1-5; 6:5, 12; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3, etc.).

Note what comes first here:

“See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.” Jeremiah 1:10

PRAYER: LORD Jesus, please cleanse my heart of all iniquity. Wash my heart that I might glorify You from a clean heart that You have purified. Help me to see others as You do and to be used of You to restore the fallen – by bringing them to You through Your Holy Law and blessed redeeming Gospel! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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The Root of the Matter

Mug Shots and Mercy Moments [podcast]

Fruitfulness is Found in Abiding in Christ [podcast]

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Abiding

Gathering Fruit for Christ’s Eternal Glory [podcast]


IF you are truly born again, God has called you personally to participate in, to obey His Great Commission command— NOT to salvage any country in this fleeting world.

It’s amazing how many people claiming to be saved spend more time, energy, and money trying to save America than they do building up the body of Christ and evangelizing the lost. Anyone claiming to be saved and yet is not participating in the Great Commission command of Christ, is out of the will of God. Repentance needed.

Save America or See Jesus Save Eternal Souls?

“America is under God’s judgment for sure. And recently there was a golden statue made of Trump. And Pastors are praying over it. A golden calf. Same thing happened in the book of Exodus and God slew 3,000 men. This angers Him greatly! There will be a severe price to pay for this adultery! America is definitely going down at the divine judgment of God.” Karen Cochran

Forget saving America. Win souls. Preach the original Gospel to see eternal souls saved unto the LORD. See Mark 16:15-20; Matthew 28:18-20.

A good thing to ask proud Americans who claim they are Christians:

1. “When’s the last time you led someone to Jesus?”

2. “How much time and how much energy do you spend trying in vain to “save America” or “Make America Great Again” compared to the time and energy you spend learning, studying, and meditating on God’s Word and doing it – as in the Great Commission?”

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21

Anyone claiming to be Christ’s and yet is not doing, is not obeying His Great Commission mandate, is not in the will of God.

Regrettably, America is going down in judgment.

No efforts can undo the present reality of those claiming to know Christ refusing to truly repent, nor the 60 million innocent babies America has murdered in cold blood and called it “choice.”

Honoring something God calls “an abomination” brings “the curse of the LORD” upon any nation to do such. See Leviticus 18:22 and Proverbs 3:33. Sodomy is sin!

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21

Doing the will of the Father is executing the Great Commission Jesus gave us!

2 BIBLICAL EVIDENCES PROVE THAT AMERICA IS OVER – if there is no repentance, change [podcast]

“Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. 35  Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
36  And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.
37  And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.
38  I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.” John 4:35-38

Jesus says act now! To put off His work is to put off Christ. Read that again!

“And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62

Many aren’t putting off their own sinful, lust-filled agenda in the world, right?

There is nothing new under the sun. See the book of Haggai.

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Abiding

Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee [podcast]


Here’s why Jesus came:

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3

There is nothing – NO-THING – more important in your life than your relationship with Christ.

Job 22

Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee. 22 Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart. 23 If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. 24 Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. 25 Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver. 26 For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God. 27 Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. 28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. 29 When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person. 30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent; and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.” Job 22:21-30

“lay up his words in thine heart” v22 – WITH the learning of each new verse of Holy Scripture, each new Bible truth, your knowledge and understanding of the LORD and His kingdom is expanded.

“Let thine heart retain my words.” Proverbs 4:4

“I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad. 97 MEM. O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. 98 Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.” Psalms 119:96-100

“God’s acquaintance is not made hurriedly.” EM Bounds

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Abiding

Dwelling in the Secret Place of the Most High [podcast]


“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalms 91:1

Of the Bible phrase “secret place of the most High”, one source notes:

“‘The secret place of the Most High’: is a spiritual state of intimacy, trust, and absolute protection in God, referenced in Psalm 91:1. It is not a physical location, but rather a hidden sanctuary found in the heart of God, accessed through prayer and a surrendered life.”

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3

Prayer communion is inseparably connected with knowing God (John 17:3).

Knowing the Father and the Son is the whole purpose for which He made you.

“That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” 1 John 1:3-4 

Beloved of God, you have a relationship with your Maker, not religion.

To know Him, we must seek Him. He promises us that as we seek Him, He will be found of us!

“if thou seek him, he will be found of thee.” 1 Chronicles 28:9

He promises to manifest Himself exclusively to those who “diligently seek him.” (1 Chronicles 16:11; John 14:21-23, etc.)

God is not hiding and yet He is not available to the casual seeker. Only those who “diligently seek him” will be known as His, will experience in real relationship with the LORD.

“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” Matthew 6:33

“A sinning man stops praying. A praying man stops sinning.” – Leonard Ravenhill

“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” Mark 1:35

Anyone not praying is not seeking God and has already fallen away (Luke 12:40).

“A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.” Jeremiah 17:12

The LORD’s people are known as His “house” and He calls them His “house of prayer.”

“And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.” Matthew 21:13

Those who truly love and worship the LORD perpetually seek His holy face and that’s called prayer.

“Pray without ceasing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

“Seek his face continually”

“Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.” 1 Chronicles 16:11

Spending quality moments with God is your best time spent (Matthew 6:6).

“The preaching of the Word of the Lord fails to run and be glorified from many causes. The difficulty may lie with the preacher himself, should his outward conduct be out of harmony with the rule of the Scriptures and his own profession. The word lived must be in accord with the word delivered; the life must be in harmony with the sermon. The preacher’s spirit and behavior out of the pulpit must run parallel with the Word of the LORD spoken in the pulpit. Otherwise a man is an obstacle in the success of his own message.” E.M. Bounds, E.M. Bounds On Prayer,  p. 421

“A sinning man stops praying. A praying man stops sinning.” – Leonard Ravenhill

“The men who have done mighty things for God have always been mighty in prayer, have well understood the possibilities of prayer, and made the most of these possibilities. The Son of God, the first of all and the mightiest of all, has shown us the all-potent and far reaching possibilities of prayer. Paul was mighty for because he knew, how to use, and how to get others to use, the mighty spiritual forces of prayer.” EM Bounds, The Complete Works of E.M. Bounds on Prayer, P. 341

“It has been said that no great work in literature or in science was ever wrought by a man who did not love solitude. We may lay it down as an elemental principle of religion, that no large growth in holiness was ever gained by one who did not take time to be often long alone with God.” Austin Phelps

“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41 

Can anyone possibly NOT enter into temptation who is not living a life of prayer? Not possible. If you are not living a life of prayer, praying “without ceasing,” you ARE living in sin. Wonder no more. Fresh repentance before God needed (Hosea 10:12; 14:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Hebrews 4:14-16).

It’s the cross – where you die so Christ can be preferred, can reign in your personal daily life.

“Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:3

Lotta Prayer
Lotta Power
vs
Lil Prayer
Lil power

No such thing as an overcoming, victorious child of God who doesn’t meet daily with God in prayer communion.

Let’s read the words of our LORD Jesus again – aloud:

“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41 

PRAYER: Holy Father, I come to You now, in repentance, asking You to please forgive my self-idolatry, rebellion, pride, sinful unbelief, and prayerlessness. Please wash me clean in Thy blood dear LORD Jesus. Unite my heart to fear Thy name. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Life of PrayerThe Place of Our Sanctuary | Having a Heart After the LORD

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