Jesus’ longest recorded message to His people stands on the very first words our Savior uttered in this sermon on the mount.
The foundational truth of the entire sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7) is found in the very first words of our LORD when unveiling this elaborate, far-reaching, and profound message to His disciples of all ages. Here are His first words:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3
Note, “poor in spirit.” Not poor financially or religiously. The two should be mutually exclusive. The Greek word translated into English as “poor” is PTOCHOS. It means pauper, beggar, poor…..desperate and spiritually impoverished. Christ looks to desperate, hungry and thirsty people who want more of Him (Is. 66:2). Their hearts pant for more of Him (Ps. 42:1-2). They deeply desire more of His presence and Word. | Sin: Man’s Core Problem
Of this pillar truth of being “poor in spirit”, F.B. Meyer says:
“Note the passive side of the blessed life. To be poor in spirit, that is, to be lowly in one’s self-estimate; to be meek, not always interested in one’s rights; to mourn for the evils of one’s own heart and for the sin and sorrow around; to hunger and thirst after Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. These dispositions do not purchase blessedness, but to cultivate them is to be blessed. On the positive side are mercy, purity, peace and willingness to suffer all things for Christ. Here is 1Co_13:1-13 anticipated!”
Of this foundational cornerstone biblical essential, William MacDonald writes:
“This first blessing is pronounced on the poor in spirit. This does not refer to natural disposition, but to one’s deliberate choice and discipline. The poor in spirit are those who acknowledge their own helplessness and rely on God’s omnipotence. They sense their spiritual need and find it supplied in the Lord. The kingdom of heaven, where self-sufficiency is no virtue and self-exaltation is a vice, belongs to such people.” Believer’s Bible Commentary
Jesus said: “without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5
“The more we know Christ the more we are aware we NEED Him!” Anita Villarreal
The path to victory is humbling ourselves in repentance and announcing our own utter poverty!
“But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” Isaiah 66:2
The absence of a “poor” or desperate for more of Christ “spirit” is the clear indicator that the self-righteous person is trusting in self and not Christ.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit (desperate, beggar, pauper): for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3
The phrase “poor in spirit” speaks of being in a perpetual heart posture of being desperate for the LORD, being fully dependent upon Him as a beggar, a pauper.
“We never feel Christ to be a reality, until we feel Him to be a necessity.” Austin Phelps
God allowed Judas to betray Jesus and God allows our enemies to bless us to be broken. Judas the betrayer, was instrumental in Christ being delivered to be crucified, in His body being broken and blood poured out for the sins of the world.
The betrayal of our enemies also allows us to be broken.
“I have been to this place more than once. It has only been me and Jesus! It is a hard place to be. I have said ‘Jesus if You don’t help me, I am not going to make it!’ Looking back I can see that He has shown up, every time, even though at the time I wasn’t seeing it. Jesus has saved my life!! For that I am very grateful! Thank You Jesus!” Karen Cochran
Jesus commands us to love our enemies and oh how much easier this is to do when we realize how He is using our enemies to bring us to the bless-ed place of brokenness (Matthew 5:44).
“God uses the bad things that happen to us to save, sanctify and glorify us.”
The LORD has no interest in the empty worship of men or religion which is vastly prevalent today as it was in Christ’s day.
“He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” Mark 7:6-9
No other sin so grieved the Savior as un-engaged religious pride and worship which actually insulated men from Him. Religious groups where this is found misrepresent Christ while claiming to be the only way to Him. No other group received more harsh and dooming words from Jesus Christ as those who were the very leaders of the religion He started 2 thousand years earlier (Judaism). The Jewish system of religion is the only religion God ever started or ever will start, and it is now obsolete. Christ came to bring all people into a personal relationship with Him and the Father and Holy Spirit (John 14:6, 17:3, 1 John 1:3, 7…).
Though it may appear outwardly to be different, today we have so much empty “worship” in the modern church world and this is why true disciples are coming out of her by the millions – “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” (Rev. 18:4). If Jesus commanded those who will be His to “Come out of her,” there must be something to come out of! The Son of God is no lunatic – He is “the Great Shepherd of the sheep,” who gave His life for His people and seeks to feed them with His pure Word and protect them (Ps. 23; Jn. 10; Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 2:2).
Relevant?
In today’s everything-and-anything-goes, trying-to-be-relevant-instead-of-Christ-like, church world of ungrounded people, a myriad of things have replaced Christ and His holy Word. In the world of evangelical religion today, there is anything but the pure Word of God. Here are some of the things that have crept in and are in full blown emphasis today in the modern church:
- a thrust to be “relevant” – a cloaked word used often by the emergent/seeker-friendly movement which boils down to being just like the world in order to win the world. Win them to what?! – to aself-serving “form of godliness” that denies Jesus instead of self?
- new Bible versions which are taken from corrupt manuscripts and are weak at best (see Amos 8:11 and BIBLE VERSIONS)
- fictional books from fad authors who misrepresent the Almighty through their caricatures and have and are leading many into idolatry as a result.
- soft, spineless leaders who do not present the biblical Gospel of Jesus Christ with repentance, the holiness of God, and necessity of personal holiness, hell, and judgment to come, etc.
- an emphasis on entertainment using music and arts at the expense of declaring divine truth in its pure form
Does the LORD call His true people to be like the world (relevant), or to follow Christ and be unlike the lost? Think about this: what are the lost being won to if the church world is no different than they are?
“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you (conditional), And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 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 6:14-7:1
Jesus Didn’t Lie to Us
In this late hour, just as He foretold numerous times, “many” are being led astray by false prophets who have come in sheep’s clothing and are deceiving “many.” (Matt. 7:15; 24:3-5, 11, 24; 1 Tim. 4:1-3; 2 Tim. 3:13; 4:2-4; Jude 3-4, etc.) Eternal damnation awaits (2 Pet. 3).
The prophecies of the final days are dancing on stage in our faces.
In the vast majority of modern assemblies of “worship,” Jesus is no longer tended to or bothered with, much less elevated as the Creator, Redeemer, and “Head of the body.”(Col. 1:15-18; 2:18-19) No, instead, men and women who having “itching ears” are making popular false prophets who tell them what their sinful hearts desire to hear (2 Tim. 4:2-5).
Why should we be surprised? This was all foretold. The adulterous emphasis in the apostate church world, perpetrated by wolves who wear sheep’s clothing, is clearly enumerated as it is shown in resume’ form in 2 Timothy 3:1-7. – They are leading astray those who are just like themselves – “lovers of their own selves…lovers of pleasures MORE than lovers of God…”
Christ told us differently. Who are you following? Jesus said: “If ANY (that includes you)man will come after me, let him DENY himself, and take up his cross daily (die), and follow ME. For whosoever will save (preserve) his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it….So likewise, WHOSOEVER he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.” (Lk. 9:23-24; 14:33) These are the very words of the Alpha and Omega – when is the last time your pastor preached these words?
Instead of laid down lives, studying His Word to know and find out more about Him, self-serving and idolatrous emphasis bombard the people as they are constantly asserted by false leaders. “How to Get Rich,” “How to Live a More Fulfilled Life,” “How to Use God’s Word to get what YOU Want,” “12 Steps to a Better Life,” “How to have Better Relationships,” “How to Have Your Best Life Now,” “How to get Your Miracle from God,” “7 Keys to a New You,” “How to be a better Husband/Wife/Father/Mother,” “How to Get More for ME, Me, Me!!!,” etc. To the un-discerning eye, these things may seem harmless, but they are deadly. A man-centered gospel is a false, soul-damning heresy (Gal. 1:6-10; 2 Pet. 2:1-3). One can get a miracle, become a better wife or daddy, learn conflict resolution, read polluted fad “Christian” books, and use principles to get some self-help, and still die and go to hell. God is calling His people to become more intimate with Him, to repent of our sins, to know Him, to turn fully to Him, to become His disciples, and all else will follow (2 Chron. 7:14; Matt. 6:33; Jn. 17:3).
Jesus Christ is the Supreme God and Divine Creator of All that Is – the Whole Universe
“For by him (Christ) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” Colossians 1:16-17
Whenever and wherever the living and eternal Word, the divine Person of Jesus Christ, is NOT being sought after, studied, emphasized, worshipped, upheld, elevated, adored, praised, feared, and obeyed, false teachers are the leaders (Col. 1-2). Walking in these things nurtures saints and fosters in them a heart after God (Acts 13:22). Read Colossians 1-2 closely and prayerfully.
We have but a mere “form of godliness” if we have not presently chosen to crave more of Jesus, crying from our hearts and mouths – “He MUST increase, but I MUST decrease.”(Jn. 3:3; 2 Tim. 3:5) One can be actively involved in a local church environment while “ever learning,” and yet “never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (2 Tim. 3:1-7) All worship that does not elevate the Person of Christ is evil idolatry. Spiritual adultery is being spread in the hearts of men wherever Jesus Christ is not being peered into, loved, obeyed, and sought after with a whole heart! Any and all spiritual activity that does not begin and end with Jesus Christ is unadulterated idolatry. – “Thou shalt have NO other gods before me.” (Exod. 20:3)
Jesus is the Only Head of His True Body
“In whom (Christ) are hid ALL the treasures of wisdom and knowledge…As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. BEWARE lest ANY man spoil (ruin) you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in HIM, which is the head of all principality and power…Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.” Colossians 2:3, 6-10, 18-19
It’s not how it makes us feel friend – it’s whether or not its biblical that matters! God forgive our sins! It’s time to repent, elevate Jesus Christ, and die to self that Christ might reign gloriously. – “Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God.” (Col. 3:3) The kingdom of God is all about Jesus, not me or you or any other mere man. IF in fact you are going to be apart of His eternal kingdom, you must die – if you don’t He won’t live in you and you will not be with Him eternally. – “they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” (Gal. 5:24) You must suffer the death of your personal will and self-life or you will not be an overcomer (Rev. 2-3). You will consequently die and go to hell with all other rebels (Rom. 6; 8:17; 2 Tim. 2:12; 1 Pet. 2:21; 4:1).
Embracing the Cross
The overcoming disciple must cling to that old rugged cross. He must die the death that Christ ordained Him to die and set the example for us to behold – “not my will, but thine, be done.” (Lk. 22:42) He must of necessity resist the ease of the modern church program which makes church attendees instead of making disciples. He must possess a love for divine truth as he refuses to buy into the un-biblical falsity of modern religionist who rob Christ of His due glory. He must “buy the truth and sell it not.” (Prov. 23:23)
Only those who choose to daily die to self that Christ – the Greater One – might reign in their mortal bodies, will escape the horrific times to come where many are promised to fall away (Matt. 24:10-13, 24; 2 Thess. 2:1-12; 1 Tim. 4:1-3; 2 Tim. 3:1-7; 4:2-4).
Listen closely to what Jesus said concerning being ready to meet Him as we face these final days in which we now live:
“Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. 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 21:33-36
The from moral coward runs from the cross which represents Christ’s sacrifice. He flees the life of a true disciple which demands laying down one’s own way, will, and life to love Jesus. He runs to the entertainment and the feeling of ease and would rather be told things that demand no repentance or sacrifice. He loves the wolves who don sheep’s clothing and their smooth messages (2 Tim. 4:3-4). This is the false form of Christianity (completely foreign to Scripture) that has lulled him to sleep in the first place. He denies Christ instead of self and His command for us to die to the self life. No, instead he relishes the temporal pleasures of this fleeting life. Like Esau, he is giving up his eternal birthright (Heaven) for a temporary fix (bowl of soup).
If you are going to be with Jesus, you must at once RUN from any leader who is not preaching the cross – he isn’t even saved (1 Cor. 1:18; Phil. 3:17-18). He’s an imposter. He’s part of the diabolical conspiracy against the LORD Almighty. He’s a counterfeit – in league with those who are “enemies of the cross of Christ.” (Phil. 3:18)
First, make sure you are coming to the LORD daily in prayer and worship and His Precepts. When gathering with other believers, bring a heart that is hungering for more of Jesus.
Any “church attendance” or “worship” that is not producing in your heart a desperate hunger and thirst for more of Jesus Christ, is completely misguided and being led by a person who has either never been saved or is backslidden! Run beloved, run for your life! Find true remnant disciples and flourish in worshipping the one true God, holding fast to His holy Word. Cease to further the cause of wolf ministries! Stop (by your attendance) endorsing and supporting with your finances ministries that are leading people away from Jesus instead of to Him!
Jesus said:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3
In these precious words recorded in Matthew 5:3, the Master was saying that those who are desperately impoverished in their hearts, realizing their utter need for Him are “blessed.”Undue loyalty to the organizations and futile programs of mere men invariably taint and hinder the personal relationship He made us to experience with Him. LORD, please bless us to know and love You and You alone! We will have “no other gods before You.” (Exodus 20:3-4)
In Genesis 32 we read of Jacob wrestling with God. The LORD broke Jacob and as a result a “poor in spirit” disposition possessed him…
“I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant.” Genesis 32:10
Without a heart after God, all we have is a mere “form of godliness.” (Acts 13:22; 2 Timothy 3:5)
PRAYER: LORD, with deep resolve, I this moment make the obedient decision to come out of the antichrist, out of the apostate religious system where mere men, machinery, masters degrees, and programs are elevated in place of You! This moment I return to You O LORD and submit my spirit and whole being into Your holy and perfect hands! I love You LORD Jesus. Please forgive my sin of idolatry and spiritual adultery and fill me with Your Holy Spirit afresh. Please cleanse me by Your blood right now LORD. Please send me forth and make my life a fruitful field to Your glory alone. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Here’s how the blessing of knowing Him happens. Am I that weary and thirsty traveler in the hot, dry desert, panting after that glass of cold water laid before me? In other words, am I currently and personally seeking the LORD with outright abandonment and absolute desperation?
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for THEY shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6
Q Who did Christ say were “blessed”?
A “they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness”
Q Who did Christ promise would “be filled”?
A “they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness”
“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” Psalms 42:1-2
“This psalm, Psalm 42, is a desperate plea to know God deeper. There’s a deep hunger in our inner most parts of our being. I ask You Jesus to come and clean me so You can then fill me in my inner most places that I don’t yet know You. Thank You Jesus because I know You will hear my prayer.” Karen Cochran
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, please forgive me for the sin of not seeking You with a whole heart, for being self-absorbed and deceived. I utterly need You with every fiber of my being – every moment. You made me, died for and came and found and saved me while I was in my sin. Please forgive me for allowing the cares of this world, deceitfulness of temporal riches, lust for things other than You, and religion, consume me because I wasn’t seeking and being filled with more of You. I begin this moment to set my heart affections upon You alone and find my whole identity and purpose in You. May Your presence in me increase as You fill me afresh with Your Holy Ghost. Please increase in me Jesus and I choose to decrease, purging all that does not belong to You. I love You my LORD Jesus Christ. Praise Your holy name forevermore.
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Articles
Faith in Resurrection [podcast]
When we die downward and are dead and buried with Christ, we can be assured that God is going to raise us upward.
“But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Romans 8:11
Romans 6:1-14
“1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed (brought to naught, nullified), that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”
The Crucified Life | Travis Bryan III
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Apostasy
“The Certainty of the Words of Truth” [podcast]
Nicholas, the Apostate Deceiver
Historians say that Nicholas (Acts 6:5), a deacon in the first century church, backslid, and led his followers to believe that living in sin would not affect one’s relationship with Christ. The term Nicolaitans is said to come from those who followed Nicholas. Nico-laitans is a compound Greek word. Nico means “to conquer,” and laitans means “the laity.” Satan used Nicholas to conquer his followers through the lie of lawlessness. The evil spirit of Nicholas lives on today through many lawless leaders who operate in the church world in this late hour.
Nicholas taught free love. He and his followers taught that the deeds of believers could not affect their relationship with God. This is antinomianism, which means lawlessness. The Bible clearly refutes such a lie as we will witness in our walk through the Holy Scriptures.
“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” 2 Timothy 2:19
“They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” Titus 1:16
The Bible states here, that those who “profess that they know God” and yet “deny him…in works,” are “abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.”
By this lie of lawlessness, the enemy of souls conquered the people.
“But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans (means “conquer the laity”), which I also hate…So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.” Revelation 2:6, 15
Here is some modern terminology for this age-old doctrine:
- Once Saved, Always Saved
- Eternal security (unconditional)
- Calvinism, perseverance of the saints doctrine
In Revelation 2, Jesus Christ tells us that He “hates” two things — “the deeds” and “doctrine of the Nicolaitans.” The Son of God despises the doctrine that teaches that the deeds of men have no effect upon their relationship with Him.
The Scriptures continuously reveal the divine hatred for the acceptance, and even doctrinal authorization, for living in the sins which the LORD tells us violate His holiness, reveal a wicked heart, and will prevent one from entering into the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21; Revelation 21:8, 27).
The word “lasciviousness” appears six times in the Bible and means “lack of restraint (from sinning); license for sin; licentiousness.”
To underscore the utter, divine hatred against this lie of lawlessness, it should be noted that this is the only place in Scripture where Jesus Christ, Himself, states that He hates something.
Though they may vary in packaging, these are all kin to the same lawless “ye shall not surely die” lie, which is the lie of the ages.
“Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.” Deuteronomy 4:2
“For ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the Lord of hosts our God.” Jeremiah 23:36b
“Thus saith the Lord; Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lord’s house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word.” Jeremiah 26:2
“For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” Revelation 22:18-19
“Hath God said” ?
Always remember that whenever you have someone casting doubt on God’s Word, words, you are dealing with a person who is under Satan’s control, is a rejecter of the LORD, and therefore His truth, and is a child of the devil. Every time.
Notice what we see Satan doing in the Garden of Eden just before he changed, altered, added one word to God’s words:
“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” Genesis 3:1
Then, in verse 4 we read how Satan added just one three-letter word which changed the meaning of what God said and changed world history.
“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:” Genesis 3:4
“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:17
“Thou shalt surely die” from God was then changed by Satan to “Ye shall NOT surely die.”
This is the first time we see what’s known as the “eternal security” lie. It’s also known as “once saved always saved” or “perseverance of the saints” heresy. Any person teaching or believeing this lie has partnered with Satan himself.
Knowing “the certainty of the words of truth”
“Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.
18 For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips.
19 That thy trust may be in the Lord, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.
20 Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge,
21 that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee? Proverbs 22:17-21
“that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth” – and how can we “know the certainty of the words of truth” if we aren’t even reading them – if we are not reading the preserved Word of God but rather a cheap counterfeit?
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Abiding
Delighting in the LORD [podcast]
Many have set up their altar to the false gods of church, church attendance, mere men in ministry, etc., and not at the feet, the throne of Jesus Christ. These are examples of some of the most insidious, the most subtle forms of damnable idolatry.
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.” Revelation 22:1
Our lives in Christ must be built around His throne and not a certain church building or Sunday morning event (Jeremiah 17:12; Colossians 3:1-4; Hebrews 4:14-16; Revelation 22:1).
Memory truth:
“A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.” Jeremiah 17:12
Heaven is where God is and He’s your headquarters. The LORD Himself is “the place of our sanctuary.”
For many, going to “church” seems to take the place of diligently seeking and knowing, loving, and obeying the LORD. The foundation of such a person will not sustain them in this last hour (Matthew 7:19-29; 24; Luke 21; Hebrews 12:24-28).
The LORD speaks much of the importance of foundations (Psalms 11:3). Those who base their life in Christ on a certain ministry or church gathering or organization, do not have the sure, divine foundation to sustain them in this late hour. Everything is going to be shaken and only that which is truly and soundly grounded in Christ will be left standing.
Like Abel, who chose to do things God’s way and no other way, those who do the same, will be established in Christ the Rock and not be moved.
“And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. 25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: 26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29 For our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:24-29
Regrettably, so many, who have simply gotten lost in the church crowd, have not established that intimate, individual place in the sanctuary of the LORD. The coming storms will inevitably uproot them if there is no change, no repentance, and seeking the face of the LORD for themselves. Jesus saves us to establish us.
“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8 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. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:” Colossians 2:6-10
False churches today seek to sell families on the need to join their country club where’s there’s fun for the whole family. These beguilers cater to the urban family to build their church business, with no intention of preaching the whole counsel of God’s Word, the cardinal doctrines of the original Gospel (Jude 3-4). Their goal is to entertain and to grow their church enterpri$e and not to ground their prey in Christ (Colossians, etc.). It’s all surface level, cosmetic. There is no blood of Jesus, no King James Bible, no cross – no crucified life, no Holy Ghost baptism, no repentance, no holiness, no Christology, no readiness for the soon return of Christ, etc.
If you memorize this Bible verse below and speak it, often, your heart, your direction, your life will be divinely moved upward to the LORD! Memorize 1 Chronicles 16:11 beginning now.
“Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.” 1 Chronicles 16:11
Those who delight in the LORD, delight to do His will.
“I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” Psalms 40:8
“STAY UPON THE LORD”
This is a Recurring Theme in Isaiah and Throughout Holy Writ
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall STAY UPON the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.” Isaiah 10:20
“For they call themselves of the holy city, and STAY THEMSELVES UPON the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name.” Isaiah 48:2
“Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and STAY UPON his God.” Isaiah 50:10
The LORD is NOT available to the casual seeker. Think about that.
“He is a rewarder of THEM THAT DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM.” Hebrews 11:6
Our LORD rewards those who “diligently seek him.”
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.” Jeremiah 29:11-14
In the ensuing verses (Jeremiah 29:15-19), God pronounces a judgment on His people for following those false leaders who sit upon the seat of David yet didn’t have an obedient heart after the LORD. Today is no different where you have people following false leaders who pretend to be representing Christ and yet, are compromised with false doctrine and worldliness.
Shannon Cook writes:
“Delight yourself in the LORD (Jesus) and He will give you the desires of thine heart. Jesus Christ IS in fact, the greatest desire of the heart of man. ‘Delight yourself in Me (Jesus), and I will give Me to you.’ Makes perfect sense!”
May God bless us with a John 17 and John 15 oneness abiding relationship with Him, possessed with a poor in spirit disposition, and pure heart after the LORD (Matthew 5:3, 6, 8). In Jesus’ Name.
We have nothing outside of what we have in Christ! Read Colossians 1 and 2.
So love Jesus and aren’t seeking His holy face daily, diligently? Not. Turn back to God in repentance, now.
The bless-ed word “delight” appears several times in God’s Word.
“Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Psalms 37:4
Having a heart after God is something that is a daily, a moment to moment choice, a decision, which must be cultivated in us.
David, the man after the heart of the LORD, is a glorious example to us.
“I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.” Acts 13:22
“One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. … When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.” Psalms 27:4, 8
“My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.” Psalms 57:7
“My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.” Psalms 63:8
As can be seen in the following verse, legal or religious mindset causes obedience, serving God to the LORD to seem like drudgery.
“To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.” Jeremiah 6:10
Those living under grace operate in grace, in their heart of hearts, delight to obey their Savior.
“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” 1 John 5:3
No matter what’s going on – good or bad – WE KNOW that the song is true …. that our “God is so good, God is soooo gooood, God is so good, He’s so good to me…..” … There’s NO way to sing this simple song of praise and not get happy in Jesus! Impossible.
The LORD our Maker alone can truly satisfy, all the way to the marrow of the bone, to the depth of the human heart!
“For I have satiated (fully satisfy) the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.” Jeremiah 31:25
All who are not full of Christ via knowing and seeking Him, delighting in and worshipping Him perpetually, are full of misery – from which they shall never escape, unless they repent and let Jesus be the King, the LORD, the Master of their lives.
The Bible is music to the ears of truth-seeking followers of Christ! They pour prayerfully of the words of Holy Scripture daily, as they seek the face of the LORD.
Times of fasting and prayer are doing yourself a favor and not God. Yes. You are crucifying self, getting self out of God’s way so that Christ is reigning in your life in place of sinful self! This should be viewed with absolute delight! (Psalms 37:4; Hosea 6:6; Matthew 9:13, etc.). You are crying, you are driving a stake in the ground and declaring: “LORD, You must increase but I must decrease! (John 3:30) That’s the “daily” operation of the cross God has ordained to be transpiring in our lives (Luke 9:23-24; 2 Corinthians 4:10-12; Galatians 2:20, etc.).
“We would worry less if we praised more. THANKSGIVING is the enemy of discontentment and dissatisfaction.” Harry Ironside
Powerful resurrection life teeming in and through our lives requires a going down deep into the death the resurrection of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:10-12). There is no shortcut.
“WE WOULD SEE JESUS.” John 12:20-21
Detox your inner man! Detox your spirit, soul, and body! How? Fasting and Prayer! Delighting in the LORD (Psalms 37:4). Fasting and prayer begins with being done, being fed up, being exhausted of the iniquitous nature that has driven us into darkness, into dismal ditches with guilt, shame, and forfeited blessings the result! Our desire now and henceforth is for Christ to reign supreme in our lives and not self! Self, sin must be dethroned. Serving self instead of the Savior has ushered in every single evil thing into our lives and we now stand forth and declare that Christ must increase but we must decrease! (John 3:30) We do this now with more than just words – also with a holy resolve, a driving of the stake deep into the ground, singly focused on the reign of Heaven’s coming KING, on the seat, the throne of our hearts. The reins of our lives are reserved for Him to reign, no longer us!
“Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” Isaiah 58:14
“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
Anita Villarreal exhorts:
“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart…..do this and you will live.’ Luke 10:27-28
The death of Jesus. Christ on the Cross is what has drawn men to Himself. Christ did this out of Divine Love for humanity, and LOVE ALWAYS DRAWS. It is the LOVE that men and women need, and wherever they find it they want to come and rest in it’s warmth and tenderness. God’s love is the purest form of true, sincere and unselfish love. Of you haven’t received or known this kind of love, ask Jesus to show you this love and by faith receive it. Let Him cleanse your soul of all impurities and forgive you of all your sins.”
We were created to know Him!
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3
“And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.” Exodus 25:8
Our union, our oneness with God is from which all else in His kingdom emanates….
“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Romans 14:17
“We are truly living in a time of great apostasy and I would urge each person to seek to know the Lord for yourself as Jesus said in John 17:3 that this is life eternal that we know the only true God and His Son Jesus Christ. In the book of 1 John 5:20 John states that Christ came to give us understanding of the one true God and His son Jesus Christ. David said in Psalms 27:4 that one thing he desired of the Lord and that he would seek after that He could dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of life to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord. I urge people to examine the scriptures and stop trusting in flesh (mere men) for the scripture states that curse is the man that trust in man and makes flesh his arm whose heart has depart from the Lord (Jerm 17:5). Any real man that God has called will only point you to Lord not himself. Wake-up Church those who have an ear to hear what Lord is speaking to His true body.” Matthew Washington
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