Five

On the 25th I left you with this:

"We simply must get it through our thick hearts and minds that Jesus is calling to us from eternity to JOIN Him THERE. The condition and situation of our life here is to be perfect, and holy."

"Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord"

More Truth Telling? (the comment box is open!)

I have no doubt that some choked on these words. Let me say that I know Christians sin after they are saved, and that we have to be on guard against the many perilous temptations of the world and our own weaknesses, as well as Satan himself. But this cannot justify us being unconcerned with our progress toward a godly lifestyle. We are, like it or not (and what's not to like?) called to holiness, and to perfection.

I have found sin to generate guilt, shame, and depression. Physical sickness and weakness do have their roots in sin. Had we no sin we would live in perfect health and perfect relationship with God. But it is now not so. I fear we do not have what is necessary to effectively overcome sinful behavior. We all to often "cop" to the saying "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven".

I have heard it said: "I sin every day"!!!

God help us and God forbid, though for some it is no doubt true. By contrast I heard an elder say once: "I'm to busy to sin"!!! Now that IS a refreshing attitude to hear expressed.

We overcome Satan by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of our testimony, AND by not loving our own lives till death. Revelation 12:11 What do we do to overcome sin? WE REPENT. Now as I have thought on repentance, I have come to the conclusion that the power that completes repentance is godly sorrow.

2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

We need to be really truly sorry for our sins. They cost Jesus a tremendous amount of suffering. They cost Him 33 plus years apart from heaven and from the presence of His Father. And at the end they cost Him a day of spiritual and physical pain and degradation the likes of which none of us can never fully comprehend, unless like so many of His followers have, we to suffer as He did. We need to be sorry for our sins in light of this and in light of God's past and present heart brokenness for our pitiful condition. He longs to make us whole and holy, mature for a life where sin is a rare exception rather than a continuing habit as some presume He allows. Sin and sinning SHOULD cause us much and deep sorrow.

But for repentance we have NO REGRET !!! Why? Because it is a joy to repent !!! , and to be free of the guilt of sin, and the shame, and the regrets for the harm done others and self, and the grief to God's own precious heart.

1 Peter 2:19-21

19 For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
20 For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

To excuse sin because we are "sinners saved by grace" is to ignore the fact that there is no excuse for sin in God's eyes. We were going to hell because we were sinners. Why should we not be altogether adamant against sin each and every day of our lives?

We quote Romans 6:23-

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Shall we not study as well to live out the first 22 verses?

Romans 6
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, 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.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

We are made free from sin !!!

How is it that so many of us live so far from the practice of this freedom? I think there are several factors. One is our failure to depart from the pursuit of our appetites, lusts and pride. Another is our unwillingness to avoid the "entertainments" of the world in these very late days. And even should we refrain from these things, I fear the affluence and comforts of even the poorest of many Christians (especially in the west) cause us to be dull of heart and slow of mind and conscience.

Luke 21:34

34 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.

35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 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.

We are charged to walk worthy. We are called to a life that is different than that of pagans, cultists and secularist "humanists". We are called to live a life different than those lost in sin, and different than those practicing sin. We are called to be different as we are called to be holy and perfect.

Titus 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

Quite simply and, I think accurately: We are called to be His. What will we be for God that He should keep us for eternity?

Four

Truth Telling

Today I read of Hal Lindsay's resignation from Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) Television. http://www.hallindseyoracle.com/articles.asp?ArticleID=12286 It seems he spoke out a little too truthfully (?) about radical muslim terrorism. TBN has an evangelistic outreach into the Arab world and thinks Hal's words and warnings will work against their efforts. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=48163

It seems to me that as Christians we need to look at some things Jesus said, for understanding His Word will "adjust" our attitudes to the Truth.

Luke 21:17 "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake."

John 15:18 "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you."

And Paul:

2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

It is a "default setting" for the believer. If you really live and walk as Jesus did, eventually people will hate you. The righteousness of God is in diametric opposition to the unrepentant proud sinner man/woman. It is just so that Jesus is the cornerstone and Capstone for some and the stone of stumbling, the rock of offense for others. My fear is that we hide both this truth and our faith as we seek a comfortable path through a very uncomfortable world.

My friend Melvin, who resisted Christ as long as I knew him, finally stopped my attempts to evangelize him by saying simply "they CRUCIFIED Him!" He was really saying "I don't want to share the Son of Man's fate." And it is so with many calling themselves by His Name. Understandable from the natural mind set, to be sure. Yet the apostles were of a different mind:

Acts 5:41 ....they (had) called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

I want to humbly communicate this truth: The Way of Jesus, the Life of Jesus and His Truth are not the same as the world's. The world has a thousand thousand ways truths and life"styles". Jesus and God, His Father, and the Holy Ghost have ONE. We do ourselves no profit in avoiding the God who will save us for pleasure, or justly condemn us for our rejection of Him. Jesus said to them:

"I AM the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes to the Father except by me."

John 14:6

If you will live as faithful, not hiding your light, expect that people will hate you. The more godly you lives before the unrepentant, the more powerfully you will provoke them, either to themselves repent, - or to more vehemently resist, oppose and persecute your God, you and your faith. It is just the way it is!!!!! A pastor friend of mine suggests that if you are not being at times persecuted to some degree, you may want to check your Christian "pulse".

Matthew 5:10

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Matthew 5:43

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

We simply must get it through our thick hearts and minds that Jesus is calling to us from eternity to JOIN Him THERE. The condition and situation of our life here is to be perfect, and holy.

Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord

Three

I'M BEGGING YOU TO READ THIS ONE

Dear fans, and those who endure me:

I sincerely urge you to read this letter. It may be the one letter I write this year truly worthy of your attention. So much so that I ask that you send a reply. No matter if you are a seminary grad., or a babe in christ, a pastor or a grunt (foot soldier) like me, I truly believe the information and the source of it to be essential truth for the culture war. I can't state the case strongly enough. If your goals in the Lord are not being achieved as you desire for his pleasure, KNOW THIS: (as I have discovered this week), the church in N. America with all it's resources has lost ground to the Athiest and the pagan because of her ignorance. Please read this and let me know what you think. I believe it will start us on the road to accomplishments for Jesus we never dreamed, or are dreaming, possible.

Yours BEGGING,
Dave P.S. my words are in these dark blue letters.

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The excerpt below is from Answers in Genesis. If you will go there and study even a little bit, the rewards will amaze you. We simply have no concept of how foolish we appear to the unbelievers when we cannot even tell them the Lord's answers for Darwin's theories. The folks at Answers in Genesis may have the most powerful apologetic ministry going today. They believe that the Bible is 100% correct, authoritative and Inspired by God Almighty. They also say that the Devil has quite cunningly and effectively undermined the once widely held respect for and FAITH in this TRUE BOOK by casting aspersions through Darwin's "theories". I learned something else I didn't know: Clarence Darrow, who defended Scopes at the infamous "Monkey Trial" was an ACLU lawyer !!!! There are sure enough plenty of dupes wearing the ACLU label in courts today, yet these dupes of the devil are running roughshod over the dupes of the church who haven't the slightest idea (as I had not till this past week ) of how to even teach the Book to their children. It gets me a bit steamed up to challenge us all to do a little homework for the Lord's sake and our own , that we might not appear fools trying to defend our FAITH !!! William Jennings Bryant, who prosecuted Scopes in the Monkey Trial, could not stop the admission of evolutionary teaching into that Tennesee public school. Here is one reason why:

from : http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v23/i2/bigpicture.asp

The big picture
Being wrong about the six days of creation does not automatically mean someone is not a Christian. But if you think that makes it unimportant, stand back and look at the big picture....
by Ken Ham

The world’s press was watching and listening in 1925 when, at the famous Scopes Trial in Dayton, Tennessee, William Jennings Bryan (seen as the man representing Christianity) was cross-examined about his faith.

Part of the dialogue went as follows:

Clarence Darrow (the ACLU lawyer) [D]: ‘Mr Bryan, could you tell me how old the Earth is?’

Bryan [B]: ‘No, sir, I couldn’t.’

[D]: ‘Could you come anywhere near it?’

[B]: ‘I wouldn’t attempt to. I could possibly come as near as the scientists do, but I had rather be more accurate before I give a guess.’ …

[D]: ‘Does the statement, “The morning and the evening were the first day,” and “The morning and the evening were the second day,” mean anything to you?’

[B]: ‘I do not think it necessarily means a twenty-four-hour day.’

[D]: ‘You do not?’

[B]: ‘No.’ …

[D]: ‘Then, when the Bible said, for instance, "and God called the firmament heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day," that does not necessarily mean twenty-four-hours?’

[B]: ‘I do not think it necessarily does.’ … ‘I think it would be just as easy for the kind of God we believe in to make the Earth in six days as in six years or in six million years or in 600 million years. I do not think it important whether we believe one or the other.’

[D]: ‘And they had the evening and the morning before that time for three days or three periods. All right, that settles it. Now, if you call those periods, they may have been a very long time.’

[B]: ‘They might have been.’

[D]: ‘The creation might have been going on for a very long time?’

[B]: ‘It might have continued for millions of years.’

Right there, I believe, Darrow knew he had ‘won’ the trial in the public mind! As a humanist, Darrow knew that the language of Genesis 1 was clear, and taught that God created in six literal days. But he knew that if he could show the world that Christians really didn’t believe the Bible like they purported to, he could persuade many that Christianity was a bankrupt belief—which is what he really set out to do in this trial anyway. copyright © Answers in Genesis http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v23/i2/bigpicture.asp

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William Jennings Bryan was a brilliant lawyer but he didn't know squat about God's Book !!! We all should take a lesson, yes? The reason we have public schools tearing our children down instead of raising them up is OUR OWN IGNORANCE HAS LEFT THEM DEFENSELESS AGAINST THOSE WHO BELIEVE AND TEACH THEM THEY HAVE APES FOR GREAT GRANDPARENTS !!!!!!!! Yet I wonder just what God meant by these verses?:

2 Thessalonians 2: 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Isaiah 66: 4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.

Could the delusion be evolution? I think it could be. What do you think?

What I learned from Answers in Genesis this week:

If the fossils are really millions of years old, then they died millions of years ago. By simple math we KNOW the year that God created Adam to be in the range of 6000 years ago. The Jewish calendar is today in the year 5766. http://www.uscj.org/metny/huntinhh/heb5cal.html One has to deny the Bibles dates to say that man was created or was evolved by God millions of years ago. If man was that old, the fossils would place the beginnings of the death of men and animals before the year of Adams appearance. We KNOW that Adam and Eve were sinless and that by their sin, death (the real death) entered into the earth. Before Adam's sin : no death; after Adam's sin : death. If this is true, and the Bible is true, yes?, then no death could have preceded Adam's sin. Therefore all the dead fossils have to have died AFTER Adam sinned. This thinking about what IS TRUE will either make or break the entire Bible in the minds of men and women. For if the fossilized remains are older than Adam's sin, then God's Words in Genesis to Adam are just lies. That's not the way I see it and God doen't teach it that way either. It is only one step further to the conclusion that God's word- Genesis 2:24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh -is also a lie, and that men can marry men and women women. I have had to reconsider much in my life after I got saved. And the above thinking is all new to me. I believed in the six day creation, but I didn't realize how crucial it is to believe it to be able to defend the rest of God's Book. If there is one lie in the Holy Bible, how can anyone be expected to place any confidence in the rest of it, or in it's being from God mouth? And do not persons use the slightest "appearance" of contradiction in the Bible as an excuse to throw the entire text on the ash heap?
It is encumbent upon the elect and the saved to rescue the Book and it's Holy repute from the ash heap. The resources at http://www.answersingenesis.org/ are so good that your church, sunday school, and even your children simply must see them and teach/be taught them.

Two

from January 12th this year:

Dear Ones,

A remarkable morning, today. I was up early and thinking about reading the Bible and heard one word: Ruth. ! So I prayed. This morning I prayed not to glean (even though Ruth did glean), but to harvest, to reap down some inspiration from God from the book of Ruth. My prayer was answered. ! As I read I began to notice various things from the New Testament. Bethlehem, famine, harvest and harvesting (reaping), grace and favor, and of course, redemption. But at some point Ch 3 verse 3 just popped out with this (to me a) huge blessing:

In the simple first instructions Naomi gives Ruth, she tells her to wash herself, to annoint herself, and to dress in her best garments. The parallel jumped out at me, surely the answer to my prayer. Washing suggests repentance and baptism; annointing the filling of the Holy Spirit, and dressing in her best parallels our agape motivated good works which cloth us in white (Rev 3:5; 4:4; 7:9). This was the harvest of a blessing to me. ! It pre- figures the very preparation that we undergo before the consumation of our heavenly redemption.

blessing shared = 2x the blessing !!!!!!!!!!

Yours and His, with agape, Dave
copyright © d.b.severy 2006

One

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If I be lifted up from the world, I will draw all men unto me.

Jesus is the only opportunity for success, for victory: for winning. Personally, that is, for each person, a man/woman can do no better (and a lot worse) for him/herself than to TRUST Christ for life. This truth is established by God who swore by Himself and will perform His promises to those He chooses. The question remains: “ Who will you choose ? ” to share the Gospel with?

I am persuaded that though God knows the beginning from the end, that part of His plan, and certainly His desire for you, is to “lift” Him “up”. Not to crucify Him as was done, and done that you might enjoy the salvation of God forever, but for you to put Him crucified, died, and risen from the dead, before the eyes of the men and women of this present world. Share the Gospel.

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

We must choose Jesus, and choose Him first and above all others: as our Leader, and our Love. But in doing this, we are transformed into different men and women. Our God given faith witnesses to our hearts that we are citizens of heaven, and that we are escaped from the eternal torment of Hell by the favor of a Holy God. We do not and cannot attain His favor by our merits, for we have lost them by sinning. But Christ did put Himself forward into our place to receive our punishment and clear our debt (demerit) to Holy God with His crucifixion.

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Because of this unmerited and undeserved favor, which came at such an incomprehansible cost to God and to Jesus, we are given choices we cannot make otherwise. First is to respond in repentance, in view of our sin and the grief and cost God incurs from it. Second is to place our trust in Christ for that which He alone can provide: passage to eternal Life, vis-à-vis eternal death. Third, we obey God joyfully in all His righteous commandments. Having done these, then shall we not choose to share the Good News with as many as we may choose? We are free in Christ, we have liberty. But I sincerely think our liberty is abused by the withholding, dare I say the supression of the Word of Salvation by God and His Annointed One: Jesus.

Wise men still seek Him, and find Him when the seek with all their heart. Wise men do not stop satisfied in the finding. They seek out others who are also seeking, even those unwise who are not seeking. Do you want true friends? Share the Gospel. Those who choose your God will be friends forever.

Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

D.B.Severy © Copyright 1/20/2006