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To Repeat or Not to Repeat

“He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.” Proverbs 13:3

NEVER be party to slander or a false report. If such were not going to be an activity to avoid, the Bible would not have so very much to say about it.

“Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an UNRIGHTEOUS WITNESS. 2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment.” Exodus 23:1-2

IF you are spreading information about another person that YOU WERE NOT A LITERAL WITNESS OF – WITH YOUR OWN EYES – you are being “an unrighteous witness” by repeating a matter you are not a literal witness of.

“He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.” Proverbs 10:18

“Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.” Luke 3:14

NEVER EVER DRAW CONCLUSION ON ANYTHING BEFORE YOU’VE HEARD THE WHOLE STORY

A stern divine warning to refrain from drawing conclusion, from speaking before we have the full spectrum of information. It really is true that there are at least two sides to every story.

“He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” Proverbs 18:13

Are not our laws in this country crafted after this truth? “Innocent UNTIL PROVEN guilty.”…

“He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.” Proverbs 18:17 

“He that is first in his answer in a disputed matter may appear to be right, but his opponent comes to cross-examine him and brings the real truth to light.” Dake

Like myself, have you ever heard one side of a story and determined with great anger which party was guilty? Then, the other party spoke and you were left dumbfounded at just how deceived you originally were, having heard just one side of the story? O, how long shall it be till we ingest and adhere to our LORD’s infinite wisdom/Word?

Laws against False Witnesses … The Severe Punishment of All False Witnesses

“One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two WITNESSES, or at the mouth of three WITNESSES, shall the matter be established. 16 If A FALSE WITNESS (someone who didn’t SEE for themselves) rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong; 17 Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days; 18 And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; 19 Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. 20 And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.” Deuteronomy 19:15-20

False witnesses like Haman will be hung on their own gallows – the one they constructed to kill another. – “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”(Galatians 6:7) The LORD misses nothing. He sees all and will repay those who repeat something they are not a literal witness of.

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

The sin problem of judging others, wrongly that is, while we have a log in our own eye, is that God knows all our own sin we’ve not overcome yet, and is going to now expose and flip our life upside down. We’d better think long and hard about sending for unwarranted judgments on others when it’s not the Holy Spirit leading us to correct them “in the spirit of meekness” to help them restored to Christ (Matthew 7:1-5; Galatians 6:1-2; James 2:13).

Slander vs Mercy

“And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” Acts 10:15

Dare we count unclean that which God has cleansed? Dare we call David unclean for his sin when the LORD forgave, cleansed, justified Him? Dare well the fornicator of 1 Corinthians 5 unclean after he was forgiven and restored?! (2 Corinthians 2)

Beloved of God, if after being saved, you have ever once lied, stolen, coveted, lusted in your heart, refused to forgive, etc., you were choosing to be “unclean” – defiled in the eyes of a holy God. Yet, when you turn your heart back to the LORD, confessing your sin, He freely forgave you. Right? Right! (1 John 1:9) In light of this, how shall we presently and forward, assess those in Christ’s family who have sinned? Shall we celebrate their return, their restoration as did the father of the prodigal son and as Paul did with the forgiven and restored previous fornicator? (1 Corinthians 5; 2 Corinthians 2)

AS was the case with the fornicator in the Corinthians church (1 Corinthians 5), when he repented, here’s what Paul then instructed the other believers in Corinth to do:

“So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. 8 Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.” 2 Corinthians 2:7-8 

WHEN someone repents, it’s over. The offense is gone, done, washed away, remitted by the very “precious blood of Christ” – as if it were never committed (1 Peter 1:18-19). The transgressors is forgiven and restored (yet he will still reap what he sowed Galatians 6:7-8).

Of this truth the Believer’s Bible Commentary notes:

2:11 Just as there is danger for an assembly if it does not take disciplinary action when called for, so there is a danger of not exercising forgiveness when true repentance has taken place. Satan is always ready to step into a situation such as this with his cunning devices. In the first case, he will wreck the testimony of an assembly through tolerated sin, and in the second, he will overwhelm the repentant person with overmuch sorrow, if the assembly does not restore him. If Satan can’t destroy by immorality, he will try by the unmeasured sorrow following repentance.

Commenting on the expression “we are not ignorant of his devices”, J. Sidlow Baxter says:

Satan uses all manner of stratagems to turn souls from the truth: a sieve to “sift” them (Luk_22:31), “devices” to trick (as in our text), “weeds” to “choke” (Mat_13:22), “wiles” to intrigue (Eph_6:11), the roaring of a lion to terrify (1Pe_5:8), the disguise of an angel to deceive (2Co_11:14) and “snares” to entangle them (2Ti_2:26).”

“Freely ye have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:8

Let us live biblically!

“Do not err, my beloved brethren.” James 1:16 

Undiluted divine condemnation will be reaped upon the head of that one who dares to mock his Maker by judging others without mercy (James 2:13).

“Believe nothing against another but on good authority; and never report what may hurt another, unless it be a greater hurt to some other to conceal it.” ~William Penn

A mere accusation makes nothing true. False accusations began in the Garden of Eden and have continued since then. Here’s an example of a godly man, Christ’s apostle Paul, being falsely accused, slandered by many religionists….

“And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.” Acts 25:7

There were many railers who slandered our precious Savior.

“But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses.” Matthew 26:60 

“For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together.” Mark 14:56

“Ye Have Done it Unto Me”

There are many railers today who while claiming to be Christ’s children, slander the disciples of Jesus. Many today still slander our LORD by slandering or railing against members of His body.

The reality of false witnesses in this wicked era is established and yet, no disciple of Jesus should ever participate in the slander or railing against one of His children and if they do, they are attacking Jesus Himself who stated “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Then, the Judge of all souls declares “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matthew 25:40-41)

To slander a child of God is a soul-damning sin to be dealt with no different than the fornicator in 1 Corinthians 5 where the Bible also lists other classes of damning sins, including railing. Those who rail on another simply attack or slander them. All unrepentant railers are murderers in heart and will be slain down into eternal damnation if they don’t repent before it’s too late and forsake this wickedness (1 John 3:14-15).

What kind of person does the Bible say digs up evil – reaches beneath Christ’s blood to judge a forgiven believer? – “An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.” (Proverbs 16:27)

BEWARE of the witches, warlocks in our midst who would seek to use an already forgiven past sin against you (Proverbs 16:27-28).

God will forgive “ALL sins” except 1:

“Verily I say unto you, ALL sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and (even) blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:” Mark 3:28-29 

God will not forgive the sins of any person who refuses to forgive all others – from their heart (Matthew 18:21-35; Mark 11:25-26, etc.). Unforgiveness is non-negotiably, irrefutably, soul damning sin.

PITFALL WARNING

Can spreading something true about someone, something they actually did, a sin they committed, be slander in God’s eyes? YES. Just because it’s true that he or she went into sin does not warrant you spreading it. No, God wants to “COVER” it, bury it – just like He wants to forgive and cover, bury YOUR sins. NEVER unduly uncover the past sin of a member of Christ’s body! Do you remember what happened to Ham when he dared to uncover his father? (Genesis 9) If you unduly uncover – your sins will be uncovered (Matthew 7:1-5; James 2:13). Now, read this again and let it sink in that only “an ungodly man diggeth up evil” or brings someone else’s past sins back up:

“An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a burning fire.”  Proverbs 16:27

Listen to this:

“And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall COVER the multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8

See also James 5:16; Matthew 18:15-17.

Cain Followed His Parents and Did Things His Own Way

DID Cain murder his brother Abel because of Abel’s sins or his own?

“Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.” 1 John 3:12

Those who slander (kill, murder them with words) others do so because of the wickedness that exists in their own hearts.

The true remnant disciple must refuse to participate with false brethren in soul-damning railing (1 Corinthians 5).

What kind of person does the Bible tell us gives ear or listens to a tale bearing tongue?

“A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.” Proverbs 17:4

The LORD watches who’s tale bearing and who’s listening and holds them both accountable.

It is the height of cruelty to believe the lies of an enemy concerning someone else. Yet, that makes it essential for us to dismiss things about a person if we don’t have a personal and truth-speaking witness. One dead give away of an unscrupulous, ungodly person is that they have no concern for the person they are slandering. They have no compassion or desire to see that person restore, that is, if in fact what is being said about them is even true.

Where does this originate from? Jesus says:

“O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” Matthew 12:34-37 

It is an extreme delight to our LORD and to His people when His children – imperfect in self and saved by His sheer mercy – dwell together in unity as we await the Son of God from Heaven (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Psalms 133:1

What does the Bible tell us a “true witness” does?

“A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful witness speaketh lies.” Proverbs 14:25 

Did you note how this Bible verse specifically defined “a true witness” and “a deceitful witness”? Read it once more please, paying close attention.

Just like the Great Shepherd of the sheep, the “true witness”or child of God seeks to bring restoration to the fallen/backslidden. Luke 15 is all about the restorative love of Jesus and how He delights to restore those whom He has saved and have backslidden. He is “not willing that ANY should perish, but that ALL should come to repentance” and every one of His genuine saints have this same desire (2 Peter 3:9). Those who don’t have this desire, are not His!

The word “talebearer” appears 6 times in the Bible:

“Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD. “Leviticus 19:16      

“A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter. “Proverbs 11:13           

“The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.” Proverbs 18:8

“He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.” Proverbs 20:19          

“Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. 21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife. 22 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.” Proverbs 26:20-22 

To be a “talebearer” is simply to bear a tale – to carry it forth. It’s a tale when you are not a literal witness of it. So, such should not be repeated and the person who told you should be rebuked for this sin.

“Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another: 10 Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away.” Proverbs 25:9-10

Jesus taught us that if we have a problem with someone, we are to go directly to them and to no other, first and foremost (Matthew 18:15-17). Keeping things as private as possible seems like the divine will. Any person not obeying Jesus in this command is acting out of an evil heart and bearing evil tales. Christ’s disciples must not participate.

The next time someone says something negative about a certain person, interrupt them kindly, grab their hands and bow your head and say “Let’s lift that person up to the Father in Jesus’ name right now okay.”

IF you don’t know if it is true, ignore it. Set it aside and do not believe it. Don’t be surprised when lies fly about a sister or brother. Jesus promised that all who truly follow Him would be lied about and that they are “blessed” by God – “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you FALSELY, for my sake.” Matthew 5:11

HINT: Just because something is spoken, written, or repeated, doesn’t make it a fact.

Proverbs 17: 9 says “He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that REPEATETH a matter separateth very friends.”

In this verse, did you catch the two things people can do concerning matters? In light of the fact that God is judging me according to how I judge others, I must ask myself whether or not I am covering OR repeating the matters that come into my ears concerning others. Such is a telling fruit. We know this because the Bible says in this same exact chapter “A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.” (Proverbs 17:4) Now, read that verse again and answer the following two questions:

1.       What kind of a person does the Bible say “giveth heed to false lips”? 

________________________________________________

2.       What type person “giveth ear to a naughty tongue”?

________________________________________________

Beloved, never unduly expose others. When YOU sinned, did you want everyone to know about it or did you simply desire to repent and be restored to the LORD? Obviously the latter, right?

Apply Jesus’ golden rule and do to others as you wish for them to do for you in your time of need. This is walking in God’s love. Learn it and live His love! Study everything the Bible says about His love and beg Him to imbue your whole being with His love!

Recently I received an email from a ministry that was taking a certain preacher to task for a sin he committed many years ago. They based their cause on the hearsay of a former employee with that ministry. They seemed to drink in anything the former employee stated with not question or regard for whether he was telling the truth. They assumed he was. They seemed to assume that because that preacher was supposedly caught by sinful man in a sin years ago, that he was still committing that sin. They lost me quickly. I couldn’t finish reading that slander. I believe the Holy Spirit was grieved.

How do they know this man didn’t repent/hadn’t repented? Why do they assume such?

This doesn’t dismiss the qualifications for elders set forth in God’s Word. Yet, if sinless perfection (concerning performance) is the measure of being used of God, you and I are disqualified! For not one person could be used of God – not one – if God disqualifies us if we have sinned after He saved us. Remember the vile sin of Peter in His blatant denial of the very LORD of glory? But what did Jesus tell him? (Luke 22:31-32)

Is there no more forgiveness with the LORD?

Did the unchanging LORD of all creation and redemption somehow change?

When did God’s mercy cease? (Psalms 86:5, 15; 103:10-11)

Do you realize that God has NO respect of persons and so IF His mercy ceased toward the one you are slandering, it has also ceased to be applied to your slate? If this were the case, you are in big trouble.

Is the divine promise of 1 John 1:9 still in God’s Word?

What did Jesus tell Peter to do after he sinned? – Jesus told him to go do ministry! – “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: 32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” (Luke 22:31-32)

Recently, someone asked how I had the patience to deal with the many misguided people whom we interact with. My reply was this …

The patience is in me toward others due to being brought by the LORD into the ever deepening revelation of my own infinite need for God’s daily mercy and grace ….. Ephesians 4:32 is a memory verse for all disciples. It says “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (if you name the name of Jesus, please memorize and live this verse from today forward)

Somehow we seem to forget that while Jesus was literally dying for OUR sins on that cross, He prayerfully cried to the Father “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

SOMEBODY throw your hands and heart to the Father and praise Jesus for the abundant and infinite mercy He has bestowed upon your wretched soul!

Even the great apostle of Jesus said:

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. … O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” Romans 7:18, 24  

To those who have been slandered, see Psalms 31:20 and Job 5:21.

R.A. Torrey wrote:

“The humility of Jesus Christ was manifested in His silence under false accusation. Jesus did not defend His own good name. He left that to God. He ‘committed himself to him that judgeth righteously” and God has given Him ‘the name that is above every name.’ (Phil. 2:9)” What the Bible Teaches, p. 128

Jesus didn’t throw away the thief on the cross. No, Christ knew the man lived a sinful life and yet fully, freely forgave him in his last moments on earth. That once sinful, thieving man is now and will forever be in the bliss and glory of God’s eternal abode!

“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to LOVE MERCY, and to walk humbly with thy God?” Micah 6:8

Prayer: Father in Heaven, I sincerely repent of anytime I have personally participated in the sinful slander of another person. I beg You to forgive me for my own vile sins in Your holy sight, through the Person and blood of Your only begotten Son Jesus Christ. No one on earth needs You more than I do LORD! Not one person alive needs Your blessed mercy more than this vile, undone sinner! Father, please establish me as Your servant of reconciliation, a dispenser of Your bless-ed mercy and compassion, helping others find their way back to You! Break me LORD Jesus, I beg of Thee! Put a watch before this mouth and keep the door of these lips. In Jesus’ blessed name, Amen.

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Abiding

“Them that Seduce You” 1 John 2:26 [podcast]


From the book I Die Daily

“Them that Seduce You” 1 John 2:26

“He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.” Matthew 27:42

“Come down from the cross” is the cry of the enemy of all souls. Here he inspired God-less men to tempt Christ to not complete the work of redemption. In the same way, today, God-less pulpiteers and writers say nothing of the daily cross Christ commanded to be taken up by any person who would follow Him (Luke 9:23-24). These are the very “enemies of the cross of Christ” Paul warned us about (Philippians 3:18-19). Of this phenomenon, a disciple writes:

“Satan works both angles. First, he tried to keep Jesus (and us as His body) from going to or staying on the cross. On the other hand, he puts us on the cross as per what he did through Judas, the high priests of Judaism, and Pilate, and the Romans. Satan is somewhat schizophrenic as to this. But 1 Corinthians 2:8 is making the point that had he, the main prince and his underling princes, if they had known what they were doing (defeating themselves as a house divided), they would never have crucified the Lord of Glory. Satan’s house is a house divided against itself and is therefore laid waste by his own forces just as Jesus stated in Matthew 12. Peter himself reviled Jesus when Christ told him He would be going to the cross. Jesus attributed that work to Satan.”

When Peter, being used of Satan spoke, the Son of God turned, and said to Peter…

“Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:23-26

Here Jesus spoke not only of the necessity of His own redeeming cross, but also of the daily cross to be taken up by each and every one of those who would follow Him. This should forever underscore and cement in our understanding the necessity of the daily cross.

One preacher wrote:

“Galatians 2:20 says, ‘I am crucified with Christ,’ and Romans 6:5 says, ‘For if we have been planted (united) together in the likeness of His death.’ These are both in the Greek perfect verb tense.

This indicates a past event WITH CONTINUING EFFECTS. So, it could literally say ‘I have been and continue to be crucified with Christ’ and ‘For if we have been and continue to be planted ….’ Romans 8:36, 2 Corinthians 4:10, and 1 Corinthians 15:31 clearly speak of a daily death with Christ.

Ephesians 4:22-24 talks of a continual putting off (death) of the old man, as does 2 Corinthians 4:16. Martin Luther taught of a daily Spirit baptism and called it ‘dying upward.’ These people who teach otherwise resist the daily cross. This is the error of triumphalism.

As we appropriate the finished work daily, we become more
and more what we already are. We possess our possessions.
Compare Colossians 3:3 with Colossians 3:5.

Let’s take the advice above and put together verses 3 and 5
of Colossians 3: “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ
in God … Mortify therefore your members which are upon the
earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil
concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

T. Austin-Sparks stated the following:

We have not to die; we are dead. What we have to do is to
accept our death … In baptism … we simply step in there and
say, ‘That position which God has settled with reference to
me is the one which I now accept, and I testify here in this
way to the fact that I have accepted God’s position for me,
namely, that in the Cross I have been brought to an end.’
The true disciple is always “delivered unto death for Jesus’
sake” (2 Cor. 4:11.) He has “crucified the flesh with the
affections and lusts” (Gal. 5:24). He is daily putting to death
“the deeds of the body” and being “raised up” by the power of
the same Holy Spirit “that raised up Christ from the dead”
(Rom. 8:11, 13). He rejoices in “Christ Jesus” and has “no
confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:3).

“I die daily … Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake … that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” 1 Corinthians 15:31; 2 Corinthians
4:10-12

Concerning the raising up process of the Gospel of God, T. Austin-Sparks wrote:

“The unalterable basis of an open heaven is a grave, and a
crisis at which you come to an end of your own self-life. It is
the crisis of real experiential identification with Christ in His
death.”

Though we entered into His death upon initial salvation, accepting and experiencing that death is still a daily choice, an individual decision to be made on an ongoing basis. One’s choice to continue to persevere, following Christ as He clearly prescribed, will determine his eternal destination (Luke 9:62; 19:13; 21:19; Romans 6:16; Galatians 6:7-9).

The insidious circumventing of the cross can come in many clandestine ways that are masked with pious outer garb. Today, while refusing to utter the full counsel of the One they claim to be representing, smiling and charismatic men stand in sheep’s clothing, promising heavenly life to those who live in sin. They only prosper due to the volitional biblical illiteracy of the masses. Ignorance of the truth is a choice with eternal consequences (Hosea 4:6; Matthew 22:29; 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).

Many like to hide behind works they do in and surrounding their local church home. They relish singing in the choir, ushering, doing drama or being a part of the technical team, helping in various ways, or even preaching a message, and yet the life of Christ is not manifesting in their personal lives as they go out into their world daily. His light in them is not bright enough to shine into the darkened hearts of men through personal evangelism. They have been steeped in a mere formula of godliness that does not manifest the evidential fruit of one who is truly in Christ, radiant by His glory, and flourishing in His life. A. W. Tozer wrote:

Another substitute for discipleship is: Our Lord referred to
this when He reproached the Pharisees for their habit of
tithing mint and anise and cumin while at the same time
omitting the weightier matters of the Law such as justice,
mercy and faith. Literalism manifests itself among us in
many ways, but it can always be identified in that it lives by
the letter of the Word while ignoring its spirit. It habitually
fails to apprehend the inward meaning of Christ’s words,
and contents itself with external compliance with the text.

If Christ commands baptism, for instance, it finds
fulfillment in the act of water baptism, but the radical
meaning of the act as explained in Romans 6 is completely
overlooked. It reads the Scriptures regularly, contributes
consistently to religious work, attends church every Sunday
and otherwise carries on the common duties of a Christian
and for this it is to be commended. Its tragic breakdown is
its failure to comprehend the Lordship of Christ, the
believer’s discipleship, separation from the world and the
crucifixion of the natural man.

Literalism attempts to build a holy temple upon the sandy
foundation of the religious self. It will suffer, sacrifice and
labor, but it will not die. It is Adam at his pious best, but it
has never denied self to take up the cross and follow Christ.”

Prayer—Forgive me, Lord, for trying to follow You without taking up that self-death instrument daily.

Yet another way the depraved heart, cloaked fully in a mere form of religion, seeks to circumvent the work of the cross, is by denying or ignoring that there is a cross to take up “daily.” The one whose theology is undergirded and poisoned with the unconditional eternal security lie, must resist all personal responsibility. He must take the line of least resistance. He is a moral coward, who while feigning to be walking in grace, has actually acquiesced to such a mythical position in order to avoid dying the death.

He refuses to buy into the truth of the Gospel when it threatens his own personal comfort zone he has built around himself, using half-truths and twisted and convoluted blends of philosophy, clichés, and Scripture. At all cost, he must remain intoxicated with the lie that he can do nothing to violate and fail the grace of God, and forfeit his place with God, which he erroneously believes is eternally secure—no matter what rebellion he may choose to commit against Him who is “Holy, holy, holy” (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8). So, he must fight the truth violently using his keyboard, pulpit, or pen to defend his paper-thin position. He must at all costs make sure anyone he leads believes that “God requires nothing of him, that salvation is of the LORD, and there is absolutely never any personal responsibility placed upon the individual recipient of salvation.”

What a tragic, fraudulent lie this deceiver is casting upon those naïve enough to give him ear! The bowels of hell have been nourished by millions who have bought this lie and have descended into the gaping and inescapable abyss (Isaiah 5:14). God forbid that anyone under the care of the “grace” deceiver be burdened with the slightest incentive or motivation to live holy, because in his evil theology, God Himself is no longer holy and just and doesn’t punish sin in His own people. Using whatever deceptive means and even Scripture-twisting, the deceiver will do away with all thought of personal responsibility from among his flock. He further seeks to lull them asleep with himself, as they bask in the lukewarmness of hell-bound Laodicea and those “at ease in Zion,” refusing to hear and hearken to the severe warning to turn back to the LORD—“Repent” and “Woe to them” (Amos 6:1; Revelation 3:14-21).

Circumventing Schemes

In order to accomplish keeping his flock asleep, the beguiler must only acknowledge the positional cross, while seeking to deny the experiential or daily cross Christ commanded His followers to take up (Matthew 10:38-39; Mark 8:34-39; Luke 9:23-24). Those who deny the “daily” cross Christ commanded, deny Christ (Mark 8:34-38). To deny His words is to deny Him (Mark 8:38; John 8:47; 14:21). Those who do not teach Christ’s command to deny self and take up the cross daily, hold a position of lawlessness; such are false teachers, “ungodly men” who are “turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness (a license for sin) (Romans 6:1-2, 15; Jude 3-4). We are to “earnestly contend” against them and the heresies they spread.

Concerning the “remnant” which is a descriptive word defining the only people to be eternally with Christ, Isaiah 37:31 says: “And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.” No one can “bear fruit upward” unless he is willing to humble himself “under the mighty hand of God.”

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:” 1 Peter 5:6

The Last Days

God’s Word forewarns us that only a few among those once righteous will be in Heaven. “And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” (1 Peter 4:18).

With all the popular last days type books in print, it is regrettable that few of them if any deal with readiness as the Scriptures present it. The human authors seem to completely overlook such an essential truth, because they have been schooled in this cross-denying way themselves. They completely overlook Christ’s severe words of warning in Luke 21:34-36. The typical modern church posture is that if one has at some moment in the past received Christ, he is forever and indelibly secure for Heaven no matter what, with no possibility of losing out with God. Is this what the Bible teaches us?

Great tribulation is coming, such as has never been experienced upon the earth. “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21).

We are told by the Son of God that only those with the oil of God in their vessels will be admitted into the marriage feast of the Lamb (Matthew 25:1-13). Only those who are intently connected with Jesus Christ, foregoing the things that would hinder their relationship with Him, will “escape all these things that shall come to pass.”

“And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Luke 21:34-36

He told us that if we will overcome and be with Him, we must “be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” By this we know that some shall not “escape.”

The LORD Jesus beckoned those who would follow Him to the end, to be waiting and ready for His imminent and pending return:

“Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning. And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.” Luke 12:35-40

The enduring saints must discern keenly, and the only way to do such is to fully repent, love Him personally and supremely, and cast off all worldly ties that draw us from the Bridegroom (Revelation 3:14-18).

In order to escape this promised and epidemic onslaught of the enemy of God, one must be daily “crucified with Christ,” being separate from iniquity and abiding in Christ (John 15:1-6; Galatians 2:20). It is only in being “dead” that we are “hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). It is only in experiencing His “death” that His “life” can work in us and through us to others (2 Corinthians 4:10-12). It is only in taking “root downward” that He will raise us up to “bear fruit upward” (Isaiah 37:31).

As was prophesied, the enemy’s seduction of souls is in full swing and ever-increasing as the time of the return of Jesus draws nigh:

Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them.
Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the
devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because
he knoweth that he hath but a short time. Revelation 12:12

In the above passage, those who are already safe with Him in Heaven are told to “rejoice,” while those who remain upon the earth in this last hour are solemnly warned to beware because “the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.” Perhaps there would yet remain among us some who are still ignorant of the devices of the enemy, and not so sure about the activities he is perpetrating among the remnant. Listen closely to what Jesus says concerning the final days which we are now living in:

These things have I written unto you concerning them that
seduce you (this is John’s inspired reason for writing to us). But
the anointing which ye have received of him abideth (remains)
in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same
anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie,
These things have I written unto you concerning them that
seduce you (this is John’s inspired reason for writing to us). But
the anointing which ye have received of him abideth (remains)
in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same
anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie,
and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. And now,
little children, abide (remain) in him; that, when he shall
appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before
him at his coming. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that
every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. Behold, what
manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we
should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth
us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons
of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we
know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we
shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him
(the hope of Christ’s soon return) purifieth himself, even as he
is pure. 1 John 2:26-3:3

According to these Holy Spirit inspired words penned by John the apostle, there are “many deceivers” seeking to “seduce you” (1 John 2:26; 2 John 7-11). One of the most insidious ways these wolves, who “lie in wait to deceive,” operate, is by refraining from preaching the true Gospel which includes the taking up of the daily cross (Matthew 16:24-27; Luke 9:23-24). If one will be safe in heavenly glory, never to suffer another iota of pain for all the eternal future, he must stay clear of the “many deceivers” who have answered the call of evil, and are sent forth to “deceive” those who would be prey due to:

• Having a lack of knowledge—not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God (Hosea 4:6; Matthew 22:29)
• Not watching and praying (Matthew 26:41)
• Not submitting to God (James 4:7)
• Not being crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20)
• Not being “dead” and having their lives “hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3)
• Not having their affections set upon things above (Colossians 3:1-4)
• Minding earthly things (Philippians 3:18-19)

There is abundant proof that so many today vainly believe they can have the benefits of the cross without the responsibility of the cross. They want the crown but not the cross. They are self-serving (“whose god is their belly”) and so desire to feel secure by trusting that because Christ died and was buried and rose again, they are safe.

As was long ago foretold, many in this deceived generation are trusting in Christ’s atoning death without their own personal participation. They call Him “Lord, Lord,” but in the end will hear the horrific words of termination, “Depart from me”  (Matthew 7:21-23.) From His blessed presence they will be forever alienated, vanquished into “the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15).

“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. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (lawlessness).” Matthew 7:21-23

So many who claim the name of Christ conveniently ignore what Jesus said about taking up the cross and following Him to the end. In the riveting words listed in the above passage, did Jesus not tell us that only “he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” will be allowed into His Heaven? The daily denial of self, taking up the cross, and following Him is at the heart of the Gospel Jesus gave us.

According to the Son of God, overcomers will be allowed into Heaven and no one else (Revelation 2-3).

Readiness test:

• Are you daily taking up your cross? (Matthew 16:24-25)
• Do you daily deny yourself so that Christ can reign in your mortal body? (Luke 9:23-24; 2 Corinthians 4:11-12)
• Are you following Christ in the way He prescribed? (Matthew 7:21; John 8:47; 1 John 2:3-6)
• Are you purifying your life of all that offends God? (Acts 15:9; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 John 3:3)
• Are you coming out from this sinful world system and the apostate religious system? (2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; 1 John 2:14-17)
• In obedience to the LORD, are you remaining clear of any and all wolves, who preach or pen a cross-less gospel? (2 Corinthians. 11:2-5; Philippians 3:18-19)
• Are you learning yet more and more to hate this sinful and rebellious world system, lest you become the enemy of God? (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17)
• Are you daily in the Word so the Word is getting into you and washing your heart and mind of all that is not according to the mind of Christ? (Psalms 119:9, 11; Proverbs 4:4, 21; Jeremiah 15:16; John 15:3; Ephesians 5:26)
• Are you keeping your lamp full by daily communion with Jesus? (Matthew 25:1-13; 1 John 1:3-9)
• Are you abstaining from fleshly lusts and departing from all iniquity? (2 Timothy 2:19; 1 Peter 2:11)
• Are you overcoming the wiles of the enemy who seeks to seduce you from self-denial? (1 John 2:26-3:3)
• Are you watching and praying, so as to be blessed to take up your cross daily and not be seduced from essential obedience in following Christ? (Matthew 26:41; Luke 12:35-40)
• Are you watching and praying so as to escape all sin and remain ever ready for Christ’s soon appearing? (Proverbs 8:34; Matthew 26:41; Luke 21:34 -36)
• Are you calling others to come to the Fountain of living waters from which all life flows, and in which all blessings abide? (Revelation 22:17)

In this late hour, may God bless each of us—His children—to be in fellowship with those who are embracing instead of evading the daily cross, and who “call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22).

As we were long ago forewarned, the “great wrath” of the one who “knoweth that he hath but a short (brief) time” has “come down” upon us through an epidemic of apostate leaders, who like the deceivers of old, erroneously promise His eternal life to those who refuse to take up their crosses to follow Him (Jeremiah 23:17; Amos 9:10; 2 Peter 2; Jude 3-4). Beware! “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (Colossians 2:8).

PRAYER: Jesus, please deeply quicken Your holy fear in my inner most being. From this instant forward, I look fervently for Your soon return. Heavenly Father, I beg You to unite my heart to fear Thy name and make ultra-sensitive my conscience—to be so easily convicted upon the slightest thought that varies from Your holy will. Into Your hands, I now commend my spirit. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Capture Points

• Read and discuss Matthew 27:43 and how it applied to Christ when He was on the cross, and how this same temptation applies to the believer in his daily walk with Jesus.
• Transcribe 1 Peter 4:18 on an index card and discuss. (KJB recommended)
• Read and discuss Luke 12:35-40. (KJB recommended)

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Abiding

GOD is Greater than all Sin [podcast]


“For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)” Romans 5:17

GOD is greater than all sin.

“Through Jesus we now have an abundance of grace and His gift of righteousness reining over our lives instead of sin and death brought to His through Adam’s sin! Hallelujah.” Karen Cochran

So if God is greater than all sin, WHY do some Christians still struggle with sin?

Great question

“And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” Mark 10:27

Our sin is never God’s fault but always our own fault.

“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” James 1:13-15

It’s only possible to overcome sin by way of Christ and Christ mandates us, you be crucified with Him (Luke 9:23-24; Romans 6; Galatians 2:20, etc.).

Jesus requires surrender to overcome (John 3:30). As long as there is sin, there is Satan – he has foothold in our lives. Satan is giving place, has control over anyone who has not repent, is not walking with Jesus, abiding in Christ, in the crucified life.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

When we “Submit … to God” Satan must then “flee” from us because he has no more legal right to us – because to “Submit” is to repent and confess all sin.

“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 5  And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6  Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.” 1 John 3:4-6

Instead of denying the Bible truth of a bent toward sin, we must deny self, take up the cross and follow Jesus. As we do we are empowered by His grace, His divine ability, enablement to live fruitfully to His eternal glory.

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from ALL iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 15  These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.” Titus 2:11-15

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Articles

Mission Mexico Part 24

“Thank you for sharing all these stories of what our loving Lord Jesus is doing in the hearts of the Mexican people. Reminds me of Acts 15:12 when Paul and Barnabas declared to the early Christian believers all the miracles and wonders God was doing through them, showing them God’s power and love for all the brethren! It wasn’t so they would be praised but to give glory to the Lord. Just as I see in all these testimonies. It’s all about Jesus!” Karen Cochran | Mission Mexico


****Saints, when you click LIKE, when you comment and subscribe to the ministry youtube channel, it helps make the videos more visible to more people. Thanks. Please do. Takes seconds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3VoGjTBzho


We cannot help everyone and yet, we can be the world of help to the people God blesses us to serve!

*****

JUST IN:

“I am Chaplain to a little over 600 detainees who are waiting for the courts to move them to the next step. Most of these detainees are Hispanic, Spanish speakers and I get the privilege to be their pastor for a few months or sometimes a couple years. Someone put your book ‘Authentic’ on my book cart yesterday so I grabbed it to preview it before I left it there. A breath of fresh air indeed; thank you for this book . Furthermore, looking through your website thank you for all you do among the Hispanic people.” Jay

If you would like to read the Authentic book (English or Spanish), hit reply and send me your mailing address.

“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”  Hebrews 6:10

*** We just now placed an order for 10 Authentic books in Spanish and 1 of each of the other Spanish books the ministry has. This will help with His ministering! Jesus is coming.

Here was Jay’s follow up email:

“Thank you for that quick reply!
I myself lived in Mexico a while back but now, I pastor in a little Border town called Quemado Texas and serve full time at this federal detention facility. That would be great, thank you.”

Our Mailing address is:
The Eagle Pass Detention Facility
Care of Chaplain Lentz
410 S. Bibb
P.O. Box 849
Eagle Pass, Tx. 78852

Where are you in Mexico?
Bendiciones”
Jay Lentz jlentz@geogroup.com

STORE


Thank you for praying for the people of Mexico to be saved.




These are three of the people who received our LORD’s Gospel today who were all blessed to know you would be lifting them in prayer. God is able. Colossians 4:12 anyone? Thank you for pausing to lift them in prayer – that they will be convicted of their sin and repent and be saved.

Mission Mexico




This is Elvita. She is a very dear lady and was in need and received help. Thank God and thank you to those who are praying and supporting. She was hungry and blessed with a delicious meal from a local vendor and also a medical bill was paid for her. You are making these things happen to the glory of the LORD.

“WE are labourers TOGETHER with God.”  1 Corinthians 3:9

Elvita came asking for help but was turned away by some…
I was able to catch her before she got too far and asked if she were hungry and she said yes. I put my arm around her and began ministering Jesus to her and to her needs. Brought her to a dear lady who serves food and she fixed a nutritious delicious plate of food for Elvita. All organic.


Lots of internationals in Mexico.
Had a long talk with Singh today. He’s searching.
He received the Gospel and so we know what Isaiah 55:11 says right?

Thank you for pausing to lift this man in prayer.

Mission Mexico


This man is saved.
Carlos was edified and built up in Christ.
Other than him ordering a coke it was a great fellowship haha.
When asked if he’d like several Christian people in the USA praying for him, he excitedly answered in the affirmative.
Thank you for pausing to pray for our brother (Colossians 4:12)
He is in need of being water baptized.
Working on that.

Carlos left with a stack of JESUS tracts to distribute.




Prayed with Jorge to be Saved. God knows.

Another divine appointment. Crossing paths with Jorge, a dentist, was nothing less then a God-ordained collision where Christ was glorified to save beloved Jorge.

Jorge was warmly greeted and thoroughly ministered to, the Word, and asked if he’d like to repent and receive Christ and be forgiven of all his sins by the precious blood of Christ, right now. He answered in the affirmative and he prayed aloud to the LORD the prayer of repentance and faith in Christ on the back of the JESUS tract ! Discipleship ensued. And as usual I informed Jorge that you would be lifting him in prayer as we celebrated his being brought by Jesus into HIS eternal kingdom. Also, Jorge needs more clients for his dentist office and I shared with him that we would also be lifting that in prayer.


This was a first:
Obed was sitting on a street curb with his head down. I approached him from behind, putting my arm across his back in a warm gesture of God’s love. Obed was very receptive from the start. Saints, when someone consents, when they verbally agree to receive prayer, they open themselves up to the LORD, to Heaven’s blessings. Well, such is the case with Obed. When I saw Obed, I noticed immediately that he had a Bible in his hand. Obed had the Word of our God preached to Him in Spanish and gladly received the JESUS tract. He was told that it’s about about relationship with Jesus, not religion. That’s all he possessed and also a willing heart. When asked, Obed said yes, that he wanted Christian people in the USA to pray for him. Boom. YOU, yes YOU hold the most important kingdom position – and that is bringing this bless-ed soul in prayer before God. Unleash the power of the name of Jesus in your prayer for this precious man. He wants it!!!! He wants Jesus. Oh and Obed was hungry and thirsty and given a warm fresh delicious meal and cold bottled water from a nearby local vendor.

 

More on Mission Mexico here

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