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“Sin lieth at the door.” Genesis 4:7

One writer takes a shot at this in the following words:

“Jesus died for our sins. He is the sin offering for all humanity: past, present, and future. So the offerings in the Old Testament represent the Cross. So in short, if you reject the offering, meaning Christ and the Cross, ‘then sin lieth at the door.’ This means sin will DOMINATE you if any other method is used.”

“Sin lieth at the door” – Temptation to sin presents itself perpetually and this is why prayer, abiding communion, perpetual communication with the Savior, command central, is imperative. For therein does divine virtue flow into the life of the abiding, wayfaring saint. Sin entices and draws us to enter therein, to enter into its pleasure and grasp which leads to spiritual death (James 1:13-16).

If sin doesn’t matter to you it’s only because God doesn’t matter to you. He sent His only begotten Son to die to take it away (Matthew 1:21; John 1:29; Romans 6:1-2, etc.). Remember, the LORD is “Holy, holy, holy” and “commandeth ALL men everywhere to repent” and to “Be ye holy; for I am holy.” (Acts 17:30; 1 Peter 1:15-16)

WHAT do we have without a heart after God? Religion (Acts 13:22).

This is why Jesus instructs and teaches us to:

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

“Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” Hebrews 12:4

Let’s widen the lens on this passage, shall we?

Jesus is the Founder and Perfecter of Our Faith

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. 4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” Hebrews 12:1-4 

Our sin is the occasion for God to show His mercy afresh on us!

“And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD.” 2 Chronicles 12:14

Overcoming sin involves a truly abiding life with Christ – seeking His face “continually.”

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

Separated from Sin or Separated from God?

Repentance is ground zero the disciple must return to as often as needed.

“For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.” Psalms 5:4 

Separated UNTO the LORD so that we’re not eternally separated FROM Him (John 15:6).

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.” Hebrews 12:14-17

God is holy and therefore sin separates us from Him.

“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2

IF you still count one sin to be above another, it’s due to not yet understanding that God is “Holy, holy, holy” (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8).

Sin sends the message for us to draw nigh unto the LORD James 4:6-10.

The same list of soul damning sins that includes fornication, murder, and adultery, also includes hatred, strife, envyings (Galatians 5:19-21).

Listen to the Holy Spirit through James:

“But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. 10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.” James 2:9-11

Any and all sin must never be taken lightly by the disciple of Jesus. Be not deceived: Unforgiveness will damn the soul to the same hell as adultery, murder, fornication, etc.

Of holiness, one writer notes:

“Holiness speaks more to nature than it does conduct. Good conduct is the spontaneous byproduct of the new nature of the new creation man thru the cross and death to the old man nature. We are new creatures in Christ (2 Cor 5:17-18). To preach holiness as conduct without the new nature thru the cross understand is legalism. Holiness is actually derived from ‘wholeness’, meaning the thorough transformation of the whole tripartite man (1 Thess 5:23). So many of these ‘holiness’ preachers are preaching nothing but conduct under law. Law arouses sinful passions and causes sin to increase and was given in order to provoke transgressions (Rom 7:5-20; Gal 3:21). They are enemies of the cross!”

NO, we can’t overcome sin through the works of the flesh, and yet, if your pastor is justifying sin, he’s a wolf (Galatians 3:3; Romans 4:4-5; 6:14, etc.). Is he  forthrightly, regularly preaching the preeminent biblical truth that God is “Holy, holy, holy” (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8). Only through Christ’s cross prescription, and the resulting resurrection grace of the Spirit and grace of God, is sin conquered in the life of the individual saint (Romans 6:3-14; 8:13-14, etc.). Holy Scripture informs us that Jesus came and died to deliver His people from “ALL iniquity,” all (Titus 2:14). Jesus died, was buried, and raised again from the dead to save His people “FROM their sin” and not in their sin (Matthew 1:21; John 1:29). HE alone is able and as we come to Him afresh, laying down our lives, crying out “He must increase, but I must decrease,” the reciprocal divinely-enabling grace of Christ will begin working in our lives – as we look for the soon return of the Savior who’s coming back for a people, a church that is set apart to Him – to “present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (John 3:30; Ephesians 5:25-27).

We definitely want to stay completely clear of putting anyone in bondage, under the lie of thinking THEY have to overcome all sin, all by themselves. No. According to the record of Holy Scripture, Jesus finds and saves us, we abide in Him, working out (not for) our salvation with fear and trembling, and God works in His people “both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (John 15; Philippians 2:12-13, etc.). The follower of Jesus, willingly consenting to the cross daily, is raised up by the Holy Ghost, in the power of the divine Holy Spirit, living pleasing to the Father (Romans 8:11-14, etc.). “Trying to live the Christian life” in the flesh is a futile endeavor and yet submitting to Christ’s cross principle brings His resurrection life which produces “fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life” (Romans 6:22).

“Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” Romans 4:4-5

“Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” Galatians 3:3

Yet it must be acknowledged that God is Holy and will not remain in fellowship with those who live in sin….

HIS children are responding to His initiating grace. Jesus beckons “Come unto me” and Paul tells us that as we work out (not for) our salvation with fear and trembling that it is “GOD which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Matthew 11:28-30; Philippians 2:12-13).

At times, do we not cry out in our toil, “But I just can’t do it!” True. But HE sure can, right? Yes – Ephesians 3:20 anyone? Jesus is always able to bring to pass what He stated in His Word, what He commands, expects, and ordains in our lives. No I’m not talking about some fleeting temporal trinket we may be asking Him for but rather His holiness in us, to truly be crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20). The cross is central to the Christian faith – beginning with Christ’s redemptive cross and then His requirement that those who would follow Him, to deny themselves, take up the cross (consent to being dead and buried, crucified with Christ), and follow Him (Luke 9:23-24).

If we don’t truly repent which always results in separation from sin, we shall be eternally separated from God (2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; 7:1 Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 1:15-16).

WHAT’s so ugly about holiness? The Bible says holiness is beautiful. Why then do those pretending to represent the LORD despise and intentionally ignore this divine attribute, this essential doctrine?

Divine holiness is beautiful and how beautiful it is in our own lives. Four times, Holy Scripture informs us of how beautiful the holiness of God is ……

“Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS.” Psalms 29:2

“O worship the LORD in THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS: fear before him, all the earth.” Psalms 96:9

“Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come before him: worship the Lord in the BEAUTY OF HOLINESS.” 1 Chronicles 16:29

“And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the BEAUTY OF HOLINESS, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth for ever.” 2 Chronicles 20:21

OUR LORD Jesus is “SEPARATE FROM SINNERS”“For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, SEPARATE FROM SINNERS, and made higher than the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26).

When wolves teach anything except the image of God conveyed through HIS Word, they teach a “another Jesus,” “another gospel,” under the influence of “another spirit,” (Satan) and are “accursed” (Galatians 1:6-9; 2 Corinthians 11:2-5).

Holy means separated unto God. Holiness is the work of God in the true born again, PRESENTLY abiding saints who love and therefore obey Jesus in the cross life daily. Make no mistake, this is the only Heaven-bound remnant (John 15:1-6; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; Hebrews 12:14; Revelation 2-3, etc.).  Holiness, separation to God begins in an instant, right where we are…. upon repentance, believing upon the LORD Jesus Christ, truly, by faith.

“…purifying their hearts by faith.” Acts 15:9 

Catering to counterfeits, fake preachers prove they have no fear of the LORD by their catering to the sin of men. They constantly confirm men in their sin that Jesus died to take away – to save them “FROM” and not in (Matthew 1:21; John 1:29; Titus 2:14, etc.). They are weak moral cowards and preach soft little sin-justifying messages that accommodate the sin of other compromisers who purposely ignore that the Judge of every eternal soul is “Holy, holy, holy” (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8). These are the very peddlers of false grace Jude warned us about – the OSAS/eternal security wolves – “ungodly men.” Jude warns us that they are “turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness (license to sin) (Jude 4).

Jesus came and died because God is Holy and cannot dwell with sinful beings. The fall of man made Jesus’ coming essential – to redeem, to forgive those who will ask. IF sin were not so severe – the eternal consequence of it, why did Jesus teach the extreme action of cutting off the hand, plucking out the eye of any sin that causes us to offend divine holiness? Mark 9:43-49 <<<< read this in the King James Bible because Satan’s fake “bibles” removed these words of Jesus and put a lie of a note in the margin to justify their wickedness.
 

Scripture says that sin brings death which is separation from God (Ezekiel 18:4; 33:12-13; Romans 6:23; James 1:15, etc.).

The deception of our own deceitful, desperately wicked hearts and Satan, is that God is somehow going to overlook the sin we refused to confess, repent of, and refused to die to, to rid our lives of. Not going to happen – doesn’t matter how special you think you are. If a person dies in sin – they are going to hell irrevocably. Gospel. The wages of sin is still death saints (Romans 6:23).

Without fail, those who teach Satan’s OSAS/eternal security heresy, never teach the essential Biblical truth that God is “Holy, holy, holy” (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8). They’ve been taught a “check your ticket at the door” “eternal security.” They are made to believe that they are free to live in sin and are still going to Heaven, no matter what. But this is not what Scripture teaches. “Be ye holy for I am holy” is Holy Scripture never heard among the diabolical perpetrators of the OSAS heresy (1 Peter 1:15-16).  

WHO are we to question the Almighty? Repent and take Him at HIS WORD is what all true, all Heaven-bound disciples do!

Fasting earns nothing from God. No, a time of fasting and prayer is the wise decision to declare “Jesus, I love You and I want You to consume my life!” Saints, today is our day to drive our stake in the ground by scheduling a time of fasting and prayer (Matthew 6:16). Broken yokes, deliverance, wholeness, and fruitfulness for His glory await as Jesus manifests Himself in and raises up those that be bowed down (Psalms 145:14; Isaiah 58; 2 Corinthians 4:10-12; James 4:10).

In fasting, the flesh is starved while the spirit man is unshackled and released to soar. “Every yoke” shall be broken by the LORD (Isaiah 58:6). It’s the cross – death and burial of you while Christ frees and raises your life upward! Isaiah 58 saints.

Here are passages false teachers never mention and if they do, they attempt to soften the blow. Devils (1 Peter 1:15-16).

“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1  

False preachers are too busy tickling your ears to teach Holy Scripture on the holiness of God! (See 2 Timothy 4:2-4.) Tickling ears = more nickels, noses, and numbers. It’s a busine$$ plan and you are their pawn!

Are we becoming more and more familiar (by study) with the Holiness of God – the only divine attribute He declares in triplicate – twice? (See Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8.)

ANY preacher who is not thoroughly teaching on the holiness of God, is absolutely a fraud. Run now!

Fake preachers are full of pride. They refuse to allow any man to hold them accountable. They oust anyone who knows God’s Word and asserts it (hopefully in HIS wisdom and love). | Are Most Ministers False? 

“Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. 20 My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. 21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. 22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. 26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.” Lamentations 3:19-26 

The divine economy is the cross economy. 

The Holiness of God and His Demand that We Be Holy

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Articles

What Does it Mean to Follow Christ? [podcast]


“Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” Jude 3

THE LORD is calling for an immediate release of the WHOLE counsel of HIS WORD!

DO you have a 20/20 vision? Read Acts 20:20 and get it!

Just like fake news TV, wolves only give you a small part of the whole story – in order to manipulate you! Half truths kill!

YOU know when you are right with God when you are running TO the cross message and not AWAY from it! “Enemies of the cross” of Christ “mind earthly things” and not the things the LORD commanded (Philippians 3:18-19).

The cross is a dethroning, unseating of self and the enthroning of Christ!

The Crucified Life 

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Abiding

“I Desire Fruit that May Abound to Your Account” [podcast]


“Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.” Philippians 4:17

Did you realize that as a born again disciple of Jesus, that you have an “account” in Heaven?

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”  Matthew 6:19-21

Laying up treasure in Heaven and not wasting it on this fleeting life, is the command and the wisdom of God.

“But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.”  1 Chronicles 29:14

To some I would say:

“So let me get this straight…. you attributed your own earnings for your whole life to yourself and so now, how dare someone suggest you allow other saints to help fund God’s work, to lay up treasure in Heaven …..”

“But as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.” 1 Samuel 30:24 

Some seem to take offense to anyone receiving help from God’s people… which is 100% selfish and pride filled…. in more than one way:

1. The work is expanded with greater funding;

2. God’s people are laying up treasure in Heaven when they choose to give.

This all seems to indicate that you are far too involved in the “ministry” you are doing. It’s all about you, not Christ.

Think about how Jesus and Paul and John had numerous “fellowhelpers to the truth.” Every member was free and able to function fully in our LORD’s work.

“We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth.” 3 John 8

Apparently some bogusly believe, pretend to be more righteous than Jesus and the apostle Paul by denying love offerings to do the work of God.

These men are actually preventing God’s people from laying up treasure in heaven and acting self-righteous about it.

Apparently you seek to be the hero who serves yourself in many ways instead of Christ and others and therefore you wish all of your labor be attributed to your own account in Heaven. Philippians 4:17 says:  “Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.”

We give the Gospel “without charge”…. and yet that does not in any way negate all that the Bible says about giving and laying up treasure in Heaven: “What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:18). This would mean that he doesn’t ask for money and yet that doesn’t mean he didn’t receive such help nor that what he taught in verses 1-14 are negated.

Regrettably, there are men doing ministry who are babes in understanding this Bible 101 doctrine of giving, of stewardship.

Isn’t it time we get out of the way and let those sitting on the bench get on the field, participate, lay up treasure in Heaven?

Do we not understand how Christ told us His kingdom works…. that when we give, it connects our hearts closer to Christ and His work? See Matthew 6:21.

Following our heretical beliefs instead of the Bible on this topic of stewardship would have thus far resulted in the deprivation of so very many beloved needy people here in Mexico. It would have cheated them out of many blessings…. food and the Word, salvation, etc.

Remember, such as was the case with the few loaves and fishes. Jesus takes what we give to Him, to His work, and multiplies it. Do the math. John 6. Five thousand men were fed out of 5 loaves and 2 fishes and yet there was much food (more than they began with) left over, surplus (2 Corinthians 9:8; Ephesians 3:20).

“Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.” John 6:13

Regrettably, we have novices who are abandoning the truth of God due to others perverting it….(2 Corinthians 2:17).

Are they making excuse for not giving?

The LORD “giveth us richly all things to enjoy.”

Every good and every perfect gift on this earth is from God and is a mere foretaste of glory divine!

“The living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.” 1 Timothy 6:17

Does God’s Word not warn us that God’s people are to “behold” both “the goodness and the SEVERITY of God” lest we be “cut off”?

“Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.” Romans 11:22

LORD, we thank You now for EVERY good and perfect blessing You alone have provided—beginning with the ultimate, the unspeakable, the unfathomable gift of Your only begotten Son who died, was buried, and raised again from the dead to justify us (Romans 4:25)! We love You LORD Jesus!

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17

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Abiding

Hostile Watching vs Grounded Readiness for Christ’s Return [podcast]


So let me get this straight…. we are frantic about the timing of the most anticipated event in human history, the return of Heaven’s King …. yet we don’t love that coming King enough to diligently seek His face and be preoccupied, consumed with serving Him – as we obey Him by daily denying self, taking up the cross, worshipping and executing His Great Commission mandate that He gave us? If this is the case, does it not prove that we are all about ourselves and not the LORD we feign to follow – as in we don’t truly love Him but rather seek to self-preservingly keep ourselves out of hell?

“And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, WHEN the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation (hostile watching): 21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:20-21

Are we frantic about the WHEN and not fervent about seeking, knowing, worshipping, and obeying the WHO? Should we be crying “WHEN?!” OR “WHAT do You want me to do LORD, HOW do You want to use me?!”

The Coming of the Kingdom

“And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, WHEN the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

22  And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.

23  And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.

24  For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.”

In this passage it seems to fit that “observation” refers to hostile, anxious watching. Notice the setting. The Pharisee enemies are demanding “WHEN the kingdom of God should come.” Jesus then answers them and seems to communicate that we are not to seek to determine by physical evidence “WHEN” He’s returning and that “the kingdom of God is within you.” (v21)

Of Jesus’s words in Luke 17:20, the Pulpit commentary notes:

“The kingdom of God cometh not with observation. This answer of our Lord’s may be paraphrased: “The kingdom of God cometh not in conjunction with such observation and watching for external glorious things as now exist among you here. Lo, it will burst upon you suddenly, unawares.” The English word “observation” answers to the signification of the Greek as meaning a singularly anxious watching.”

Our preoccupation should not be with the timing, the exact day or hour of His coming but rather in knowing Him, being rooted and grounded in our abiding relationship with the Savior. Living in readiness (Luke 12:40; 21:34-36). Our relationship with Him, moment by moment is what is most important and determines our present abiding fruitfulness (John 15:1-16) and future place with our coming King.

“Help me Jesus to keep my eye on the prize. You are my exceedingly great reward! And there is none upon the earth I desire more than thee. Those that are yours are preparing their hearts to be with you in glory for ever and ever! Behold Lord you are the God of our salvation!” Karen Cochran

Jesus came and died to give us a relationship with the Father and Himself.

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

We must let God be God, letting Him determine the orchestrating and timing of His coming and rather be preoccupied with seeking, loving, knowing, and obeying our coming King.

“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;” Philippians 3:10

When lightening strikes “EVERY EYE” sees it (Revelation 1:7). Speaks of … He is coming with such force that lights of the whole sky escapes no one. So shall it be when the Author of lightening splits the eastern sky beloved! When Jesus Christ splits the eastern sky no one will miss it.

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22  And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. 23  Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.24  For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25  Behold, I have told you before. 26  Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. 27  For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matthew 24:21-27

God knows and is in control of the end of all things, the return of the Son of God.

“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” Matthew 24:36

We need not run around frantically looking for the coming of the KING and His kingdom because “the kingdom of God is within you.” The domain of the KING is in us—KING-dom! That’s what it means.

The preoccupation of the Heaven bound saint of Christ should be his relationship with King Jesus.

“Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.” Luke 12:40

Some people are so busy trying to figure out exactly when Jesus is coming back and how the end time events are going to unfold that they aren’t preparing themselves to meet Him! They live in unwarranted anxiety, in hostile watching instead of settling down to know Him and therefore they aren’t ready to meet Jesus nor helping others to be prepared for the soon return of Christ. Fruitfulness comes from an abiding relationship with Christ.

Living in hostility, anxiety and fear destroys present abiding and fruitfulness. Many today jump from one end times ministry to another, fueling their anxiety with speculations. They are perpetually incapacitated from the daily abiding and fruitfulness Jesus ordains (John 15:1-16).

I’ve seen many who spend more time worrying, monitoring and trying in vain to determine what month or day Jesus would return. It seems that those same people are not fervently seeking the face of the LORD, are not evangelizing, do not have their hand to the plow of the Great Commission work of Christ. Rather they are foolishly seeking to play God by frantically attempting to figure out the exact or approximate timing of Jesus’ second coming. And yet they don’t have an heart after God and are therefore not ready for when Jesus returns (Matthew 26:41; Luke 12:40; Ephesians 5:25-27).

God is calling us to settle down and seek His face.

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

“My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.” Psalms 63:8

God is calling us to be anchored in Christ, our “blessed hope.” Titus 2:13

Titus 2 seems to be speaking of our lives, our spiritual state in light of Jesus’ coming.

“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 

Hope in Christ, as we truly abide in Him, in the crucified life He ordained, is the “anchor of the soul” of the remnant disciple.

“Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;” Hebrews 6:19

“Love this podcast! And the word you used was hysteria. That is exactly what I am seeing. Many want to escape the tribulation out of fear! So if they can somehow figure out when Jesus is coming then maybe they will be able to escape the difficult times ahead! But we know the Bible says we must go through much tribulation to enter the kingdom of heaven. Acts 14:22. So there is no escape. Our job is to continue in the faith, eye on the prize which is Jesus! Always keeping in view the Kingdom of God. Like the 5 wise virgins.” Karen Cochran

The reason people live in fear is that they don’t have the love of God in them, through oneness with, through abiding relationship with Christ, which otherwise cast out all fear.

“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:16-18

Prayer: Father, please ground me in You, establish Your kingdom and fruitfulness in my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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