The Lord is My Help

No matter what happens today...no matter what you face in the coming weeks...no matter what comes to pass over the rest of the year until the end of your days...you can trust in the Lord.  Don't be dismayed by temporary trials or light & momentary afflictions (II Corinthians 4:17).  What you see now is not the same as what will be.  No matter how stressful it is to our flesh, any present suffering is not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed IN us (Romans 8:18).

God is revealing His glory IN US, and it is the glory of the risen Savior.  This is what it means to be saved.  It is not simply intellectually believing that Jesus died for your sins.  Even the demons know this (James 2:19).  It is having the very nature of Jesus Christ developed in you as you are transformed into His image (Romans 8:29).

People say that the pains of labor are quickly forgotten once the child for whom we have labored is birthed (John 16:21).  So too we may travail in birth pains now as the work of the Lord is being wrought in us (Galatians 4:19).  Yet, consider the end of the matter.  We shall be as He is (John 14:12; I John 3:2). 

Now is not the time to draw back.  Now is not the time to seek comfort for your flesh.  Now is not the time to give up because the way seems too hard...to the flesh.  If we faint in the day of adversity, it is because our strength is small...and our strength fails due to sin (Proverbs 24:10; Psalm 31:10).  Ask the Lord to renew your strength as you deny your flesh. When we are weak [in the flesh], we find our strength [in the spirit] in Him (II Corinthians 12:10).  Press in all the more to the Lord [prayer, fasting, study, praise] and find your refuge in Him.  He is a strong tower & a mighty Deliverer.  Let God have His perfect work done in you so that you may be complete, wanting nothing (James 1:4).

All Things Being Equal

Degeneration vs. Regeneration

I recently saw the graphic to the right, which has become a recurring theme in the world.  "Inside we're all the same", it claims.

Notice that on the image, you have the misappropriated rainbow symbol that the homosexual community uses to promote its cause.  I say misappropriated because the rainbow is a covenant sign that God made with Noah to never destroy all flesh again...with a flood (Genesis 9:9-17).

The flood in Noah's day was God's judgment against the pervading sin of man.  The sons of God (who were fallen angels) lusted after the daughters of men and mated with them (Genesis 6:4).  The children resulting from these unions are a hybrid creation referred to as the nephilim (meaning fallen ones), or what the Bible calls "giants".  Immediately after this perversion, we see its influence as the Scriptures say that, "the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Genesis 6:5).

The reality of that time seems almost impossible to consider; EVERY imagination and thought of man's heart was ONLY evil CONTINUALLY?   There was not even one good intent of the heart...ever?  Yet, when we look around us today, we can see mankind coming to the same place now.  The debauchery, unrestrained lust, sociopathic tendencies, and hatred for all things good which we see on a daily basis are unfathomable. One needs to only look at the news, or just look around you, to see that something has gotten hold of man and made him less than human.

Sweet Nothings

Babylon's Open Arms

"Sweet Nothings" is an interesting phrase.  It is often used in reference to something that is meant to be endearing, but is actually very shallow.  Sweet nothings are said for the purpose of making us feel good, but the words have no substance behind them; they are meaningless. It is in essence a flattering, heart-warming lie.

In the video below, a young woman presents a message which is filled with sweet nothings.  Her words (and the accompanying "Christian" music) are designed to pull on the emotions, but have no basis in truth.   Yet, what she presents has fast become the rule of thumb for most churches and the prevailing doctrine of many professing believers.  The problem is, while it may sound good, it is a doctrine of devils.

"My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding...To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words; Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead." Proverbs 2:1-2, 16-18

"My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother...For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life." Proverbs 6:20, 23-26

"My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye...That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words...And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner...With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him...Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death." Proverbs 7:1-2, 5, 10-12, 21, 27

Who is the strange woman referred to in these texts?  It is not the woman in the video below, it is the religious harlot named Babylon.  I did not post the full texts of these chapters so as to not make the article too long, though there is more to be understood from just what is posted here.  However, notice how this woman is described.

Beware of Christian Music

This morning, I awoke with a particular song on my heart, so I wanted to post it here.  When this song is sung in our church, there is such reverence for the Lord.  There is not a lot of loud musical accompaniment, but an almost hushed tone occurs and the song becomes like a prayer.  It is truly a cry from the heart as the sincerity of it ushers in God's presence.

However, I have scoured Youtube and can find nothing like it.  Yes, there are many versions of the song there, but none really reflected the worship that I have seen when sung in our services.  What I have posted below is the closest I could fine.

Yet, that search leads to the title of this post.  There was one version of this song by Michael W. Smith that I almost posted.  It seemed to have a quietness about it that I wasn't seeing in a lot of the other versions.  Although I am not a Michael W. Smith fan, I thought it was harmless enough.

However, after I embedded that video in this post, the Lord would not let me hit the "Publish" button.  Every time I started to post it, I had a very strong resistance in my spirit about it.  I didn't understand why.

I must have replayed that video about 4 times trying to understand what was wrong with it, but I couldn't see anything.  Then I thought, "Well, maybe I should not be posting this song."  Yet the Lord replied, "I didn't say that."  So I asked, "Then Lord, what is the issue?"  That is when God led me to the following page: Michael W Smith: Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing.

UPDATE:  Bro. HannielOnline has shared that the above linked article is apparently a snippet of a larger piece that may be found here for those wanting to look into this further:  Wolves in Sheep's Clothing

God Will Not Recognize a Bastard

Sometimes, the things God says seem harsh.  In my studies this morning, He said to me, "I will not recognize a bastard" and then He told me to make that the title of a post.  I said, "REALLY God?  You want me to put that as the title of a post???"  I thought, "Man, that is kind of raw."  Yet His thoughts and ways are higher than our own (Isaiah 55:9).

This type of word from God just does not mix with the tolerant, accepting, non-confrontational, nonjudgmental type of [false] God presented in most churches these days.  Yet, there is goodness AND severity in God (Romans 11:12).

Imagine being the Creator of all and yet the creation made originally in your image becomes marred and eternally separated from you through sin.  To rescue them from themselves, you send your Son to give His life for them - being viciously tortured & dishonored - so that they may be reconciled to you and saved from the wages of sin.  Would you take the rejection of that sacrifice of love lightly?  Would it be a "small thing" for people to then still reject you so that they could stay in sin?  I figure that God is entitled to be as raw as He wants to be.  He will not pull punches nor will He mince words.  His desire for our reconciliation with Him is the motivator and it is just that serious.  He loves us enough to tell us the cold, hard truth. 

Works of Darkness

I received the following newsletter from Bro. David Wilkerson's ministry this morning.  There seems to be a consistent theme God is communicating to His people in this hour.  I pray we all take it to heart.

God is extending His hand as foretold in the letters to the Churches in Revelation.  The main theme?  Repent!

Don't be swayed by doctrines of demons put forth to shipwreck your faith.  Don't think that God will simply overlook wilfull sin; don't think such things will remain hidden.  Jesus brings all hidden things done in darkness to light (I Corinthians 4:5).  Don't think your church activity and "good works" will save you (Matthew 7:21-23). Don't believe that your previous diligence will protect you from your current malaise.

Jesus is the author of salvation for those who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9).  Yet, even now there is a gentleman continuing to submit comments about how we don't have to obey God to be saved.  How that is a "works" salvation when God says that it is a free gift and not of works.  How we are eternally saved unconditionally.  The Scripture is plain. It is staring him right in the face.  Yet, he still cannot see the truths of God.  Why?  Because he is in sin.  And this man is not alone.

The Father that dwelleth in me, HE doeth the works

A Time of Revealing

"Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works." John 14:10

I have been getting a lot of emails about professing Christians falling into apostasy in droves now - from denying the authority of God's word, claiming there is no need for Christians to repent, and even validating all types of immorality & fornication as acceptable. This is a sign of a reprobate mind.  Jesus said this would occur.

"Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols." Revelation 2:20

Jesus said that the last days church would have to contend with the spirit of Jezebel who teaches and seduces God's servants to commit fornication and ingest idolatry.  When you see professing Christians (male or female) maligning the Lord, justifying idolatry & and encouraging all forms of illicit behavior - you are looking at the spirit of Jezebel at work.

In spite of what people proclaim verbally, what is truly in the heart is being made manifest.  All these years, folks have been sitting next to you in Church...Amening your posts on Facebook...lifting up hands in praise & worship....and talking about how gooood the Lawd is.  Yet behind the scenes they are still revelling in sin.  They are not only still slaves to sin, they have no desire to be free from it.  They love sin and have only used the Lord Jesus Christ as a cloak to cover their unrighteousness.  They are not born again.