Smiting, Slander, Strife
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; 3As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” Psalms 133:1-3
Christ’s body should relish, edify, exhort, admonish, teach, and to nurture one another as much as is possible. The opposite would be to rail on another member of Jesus’ body. Railing is listed 9 times as a sin in the Bible.
Beating and betrayal instead of unity clearly reveals who are the wheat and who are the tares among us (Luke 12:45).
May God bless us to afford to others the same grace we personally need in working out our own salvation with fear and trembling before our God (Philippians 2:12-13).
Do you truly love God’s people? To the degree you love God, you love His people. Prayerfully read, repent, and relish 1 Corinthians 12-13 this week.
Recently, I was abruptly attacked by a man I have tried to help and fed God’s Word to for a few years now. I was always there for him. He used to come to our home fellowship. When others shunned him, I was there for him. When he kept backsliding, I was there to tell him the truth and pray for him. I never attacked him but dealt with compassion towards him. It seemed that the LORD had me to be patient with his sinful living, seeking to help him by giving him God’s Word and praying for him. Yet, last night, perhaps because he had been drinking alcohol, he found something small to nit-pick and attack me with. He didn’t come to me in gentleness to just make something known that I may have overlooked. No, he shot with both barrels up front about something that wasn’t very important. So, I gave him the following passage and he kept attacking, so cut him off (Titus 3:9-11).
“Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:1-5
One of the signs of an apostate heart and/or generation is being merciless or “unmerciful.” (Romans 1:31)
We are not fit to condemn. When we do usurp that mantle, only evil can result.
“For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” James 1:20
You see, there’s only One qualified to judge and that One is God, not us.
“Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. 12There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?” James 4:11-12
Who, Who, Who?
“Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Romans 8:33-34
As I reflect upon the problem this guy had concerning something small he thought I was compromising about, I think of just how simple it would have been to hear his concern and do something about it. Actually, I would have been glad to be corrected and sharpened if only he had approached with concern and not condemnation. The approach is important. We must walk with God’s wisdom which is “first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” (James 3:17-18)
The main reason I share these things is:
1) Just as Jesus predicted, the love of many is waxing cold before our very eyes and God’s love is the key fruit that proves we are still in Christ or not (Matt. 24:10-13; 1 John 4:7-8). Without love we are nothing (1 Cor. 13). Some are now smiting or railing on the servants of the LORD which proves they have fallen away and are no longer saved (Matt. 24:48-51).
2) If you have a question about another believer, DO NOT attack them! If you do, YOU are the sinful one who needs to get right with God and your lack of concern and care (love) prove it. We are to be restoring agents, not attack agents. Like the sons of thunder, we do not know what spirit we are of (Lk. 9:49-56). If we don’t yet understand and walk in God’s restorative love, perhaps we don’t yet have a clue as to who Jesus is and why HE came (Lk. 9:56; John 3:17). If this is our hardened, depraved state, we have forgotten what manner of man we once were. – “But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.” (2 Peter 1:9)
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual (mature), RESTORE such an onein the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3For if a man think himself to be something (pride), when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.” Galatians 6:1-3
What did the LORD mean to communicate to you when He said this?
“And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure (perhaps) will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” 2 Timothy 2:24-26
In fact, the LORD told us that He is coming soon and that we are not ready to meet Him if we are grudging against one another:
“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. 9Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.” James 5:7-9
As we treat His people, so are we treating Him, literally. Jesus taught:
“Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41Then 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 mistreat one of His children, is to mistreat Jesus. Those who have done or do such without repenting, are as sure for the lake of fire as if they were already there!
The utter necessity of love and walking in love must be declared without ceasing.
“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” 1 John 4:7-8
Love is an essential. Anyone who does not possess and is not possessed by its fruits, does not know the One who “is love” and is hell bound as sure as your eyes are reading these words.
If we truly serve Christ, we shall, like Paul had an Alexander and many “false brethren,” also endure our betraying Judas’. God is able to comfort and bring us through and teach us His wisdom. We can “count it all joy!” (James 1:2-4)
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Abiding
Abiding Under the Shadow of the Almighty [podcast]

“O Lord, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke. 16 Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: Jeremiah 15:15-16
Dwelling “in the secret place of the most High”
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” Psalms 91:1-2
“In the secret place of the Most High – Spoken probably in reference to the Holy of holies. He who enters legitimately there shall be covered with the cloud of God’s glory – the protection of the all-sufficient God. This was the privilege of the high priest only, under the law: but under the new covenant all believers in Christ have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus; and those who thus enter are safe from every evil.” Adam Clarke
“[Psalms] 91:1, 2 Jesus is the One who in a preeminent way dwelt in the secret place of the Most High, and abode under the shadow of the Almighty. There never was a life like His. He lived in absolute, unbroken fellowship with God, His Father. He never acted in self-will but did only those things that the Father directed. Though He was perfect God, He was also perfect Man, and He lived His life on earth in utter and complete dependence on God. Without equivocation He could look up and say, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in Him I will trust.” Believer’s Bible Commentary
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Abiding
The Warnings of the Book of Jude [podcast]



Abiding
Attend to My Words [podcast]

IF THE WORD isn’t flowing into you daily, you are falling away. Flood and fuel your heart and mind and body with the pure, the holy light of God’s Word daily and you will never famish! All darkness will be vanquished (Psalms 119:130). All who have been saved and yet aren’t in God’s Word and prayer daily – have rejected Christ, with no exception. Re-turn to the LORD prodigal. There’s no good outside of Christ the KING.
“The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.” Psalms 119:130
ALL who are not in God’s written Word daily are not hearing from God, do not have God’s wisdom and direction, and are walking in darkness – 100%.
The feeding of Christ’s flock would integrally involve exhorting them to diligently study and walk in God’s Word themselves, daily (John 21:15-17). Isn’t this exactly what the apostle Paul told Timothy to do? Yes. He told his understudy to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
One of the ways we know who the false ministers are, is that they want people dependent on THEM, not God. So, they don’t constantly exhort the people to get into God’s Word, the Holy Scriptures, for themselves. Run.
“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Joshua 1:8
“He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. … My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. 22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. 23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 4:4, 20-23
“Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16
“Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.” Job 23:12
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Colossians 3:16
“Over the last 5-10 years I can see where He has done this for me already, but the problem is …. it’s not enough! I want even more! One hour of study and prayer in the morning is not enough!” Christine
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Articles8 years agoSelf-Examination in Preparation for the Lord’s Return
Apostasy2 years agoSHOCKING List of False Prophets Most Believe are True





































“Reformed Theology“, is just a fancy way of saying ‘We know better than Paul, the old testament prophets, even David! And the very apostles who walked with Jesus must be unlearned men or liars.’ Nay, I will not say such a thing of my LORD and Saviour, Christ Jesus. Let God be true, and >every< man a liar.” Jonathan Crane
It’s “ungodly men” who mislead the gullible with the eternal security heresy, and the heretical doctrines and system of calvinism. Jude warned us of just that, as did the prophets (Jude 3-4; Jeremiah 23:17, etc.). Then Jude reminds us of God’s judgment upon His own covenant people who were saved out of Egypt (the world) and then “afterward destroyed.” Then Jude reminds us that God judged the angels, a third of them, who rebelled against Him and were terminated from His domain, Heaven (Isaiah 14:12-15; Luke 10:18; Revelation 12:7-12, etc.).
“For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. 5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. 6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” Jude 4-6
The Book of Jude
Greeting
1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:
2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.
Judgment on False Teachers
3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;
13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.
A Call to Persevere
17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Doxology
24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.