Priorities

Most men don’t understand God’s grace. If you call a man, “Man of God,” most men will look down and look away. When you ask him why, he’ll say, “Because I feel unworthy.” They think God’s righteousness is based on their performance and they realize they have fallen far from God’s glory. However, Ephesians 2:8 says, “By grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” Salvation is not because of our goodness, but because of God’s grace through his son Jesus Christ who paid the price of our guilty blood with his innocent blood.

Jesus said, there are two roads: a broad way that leads to destruction, and a narrow way through the narrow gate that leads to life eternal. Jesus Christ himself is the narrow gate and the narrow road. Even after we have accepted Jesus as Lord and enter into the narrow way, we will stray from the narrow way. However, God by his mercy and grace allows us to return to the narrow way…. For if we confess our sins, of having fallen and broken fellowship, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and forgive us from all unrighteousness.

How do we live a life acceptable and well pleasing to God? Most men think that it’s our good behavior that pleases God. Men are consumed by guilt and shame when they stray from God’s narrow way. However, God is a loving Father who loves his children even when we fall. God loves us unconditionally. According to 1 John 3, for (even) if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things.

Not all men who profess to know Jesus really belong to him. Some say, Lord didn’t we cast out demons and do many mighty works in thy name. Jesus said to them, depart from me ye workers of iniquity, I never knew thee. Likewise, the scribes and Pharisees in Jerusalem thought they knew and worshipped God according to the letter of the Old Testament law. However, Jesus said to them in Matthew 15:7-8 “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”

Jesus said to his followers, you shall know them by their fruit…. For an evil tree brings forth corrupt and rotten fruit, but a good tree produces good fruit. He also said, you shall know they are my disciples because they love one another with the love of God. Love is a fruit of the spirit. He did not call us to judge others, he called us to inspect their fruit.

In Matthew 28, Jesus said, “Come unto me all ye who are weary and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”  He has given us an open invitation to follow him. Entering into his presence is on his terms, not ours. Bonhoeffer said, when a Jesus bids a man come, he bids him, come and die. In order to live for Christ we must die to self. To confess Jesus is Lord means that I give up lordship over my own life to accept that Jesus is Lord.

According to Psalm 37, delight thyself also in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. When we deliberately delight and rejoice in the Lord, his delight will be our delight, his desire our desire, his will our will, and his joy our rejoicing. When we love God above all, then we will be blessed to bless the Blessor by doing His will.

Jesus said, he that hears the word and does not do it is like the foolish man who built his house upon the sand. When the trials and storms of life came, the house fell, and great was the fall of it. The house washed away because it was built upon the sand of good intentions without actions. However he that hears the word and then does the word is the one who builds his house upon the rock, Jesus Christ himself. In the doing of the Word…. In following the Lord’s footsteps, Jesus Christ is our sure foundation. Then whatsoever his disciples do in following him shall prosper.

Salvation is not in the Confession of sin, of missing the mark. Instead salvation is the confession of the savior from sin: that Jesus is Lord. In turning away from pursuing sin and unto pursuing the Lord, God through his Son Jesus Christ, is the one who saves, rescues, delivers us, and makes us whole. When the gospel of the good news of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone is the message of our life, then we will be a testimony and a witnesses of His salvation.

What is it that you love most? There is a hierarchy of love in the kingdom of heaven. A wise man said, the best way to love your children is to love your wife. When you love your wife you demonstrate to your children the essence of a loving relationship. Then the best way to love your wife is to love the Lord Jesus Christ. There are irreconcilable differences between husbands and wives. Jesus Christ is the one who reconciles…. Who brings together that which has been separated. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. When our hearts are joined together with God’s heart, then we can love others as Christ has loved us.

In order to keep that which God has entrusted to us, then give it away…. For it is more blessed to give than to receive. In God’s economy, Jesus said, if anyone wishes to save his life, he must lose it. But he who loses his life for my sake will save it. For what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his own soul? When we let go of those things we hold dear, God will fill us…. Blessed are the poor in spirit. As Mother Theresa said, God works best with nothing.

God himself is our sufficiency in all things…. What is it that we really need? All I need is thee. He is our allotment, our best portion, our all in all.

… that in loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves,
We may live to the praise of the glory of our Father’s grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

The Cost of Discipleship

For those who have ears to hear, God always gave a word of wisdom and knowledge to prepare his people for the spiritual battles ahead. America has been an anomaly among the nations of the world. The United States is one of only two nations of the world that was founded on the Word of God. America has been blessed by God who honors his word. Ours is the only nation to have enjoyed freedom of worship over the last three hundred years.

Jesus had an unusual way of recruiting his followers. As Bonhoeffer said, when Jesus bids a man come, he bids him come and die. In order to live for Christ we must die to self. People are glad to receive Jesus as savior. Not many are willing to receive him as Lord. There are many more references to Jesus as Lord than there are as savior.

The finest response is made when the greatest challenge is given. Jesus said to the crowds, If you are required by law to carry a soldier’s pack one mile, then volunteer to go two miles. If someone slaps you on one cheek, then turn the other cheek. He said, If you follow me, the world will hate you as it has hated me. In order to follow me, you have to forsake the world and even your own selfish desires.

Jesus said, In this world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. Even if we never experience persecution for following Jesus Christ, preparation for persecution allows us to bear up under pressure. According to Psalms, the crucible is for silver and the furnace for Gold, but the Lord tries, tests, and refines the heart.

The rich young ruler had many worldly so-called blessings. He came to Jesus and asked, “Good Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus knew what was in his heart so he answered, “Why do you call me good? There is none good (in the flesh). Only God himself is good.” Then Jesus quoted six of the Ten Commandments that pertain to “thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” He said, “Don’t commit murder. Don’t bear false witness. Don’t steal. Don’t commit adultery. Don’t defraud anyone. Honor your mother and your father.” The man responded. “These things I have done since my youth.” Even though Jesus knew what was in his heart, Jesus looked upon him with love and compassion. Then Jesus said, “one thing you lack. Go sell all your worldly possessions, give the proceeds to the poor, then come, take up your cross and follow me and you will have treasure in heaven.” The rich young ruler went away sorrowful for he had great wealth.

The rich young ruler thought that he kept the law. His problem was that ye had broken the most important commandment of all: “Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.” His god was his wealth…. He treasured treasures upon earth and not treasures in heaven. His possessions came between his face and God’s face. The greatest commandment is, “thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind, and strength.” Only then can we love our neighbor as ourselves. There is a priority in love. The question is, what do you love the most? The rich young ruler loved his riches more than he loved God.

In John 6, Jesus said to the multitude, “Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you can have no part of me.” When they heard this, many forsook him. They wanted to follow on their own terms, not the Lord’s. True Disciples of Jesus Christ are his disciplined followers who learn to walk in the footsteps of their Lord. They walk the talk and talk the walk.

Garibaldi an Italian general is considered the father of the modern Italian republic. He is renown for recruiting soldiers known as “Red Shirts” for battle. Some recruits said, what do I get for following you? Geribaldi said, “If you’re doing it for your own reward, we don’t want you. If you do not serve for the love of your country and the honor of your nation, then you are not worthy of military service.”

Following the Lord are on God’s terms. You have to count the cost in order to serve.

What does it mean to serve the Lord? The story of Abu Tabor illustrates the price and the cost of lordship. As the story goes, a powerful king had conquered the territories surrounding Abor Tabor’s tiny kingdom. Abu Tabor was known far and wide as a fierce warrior and leader of a dedicated band of elite fighting men. The conquering king knew of Abor Tabor’s reputation so he sent an emissary to offer him terms of peace. The emissary said to Abor Tabor, “Our king has conquered all of your surrounding territories. However, we’re offering you an opportunity to join an alliance with our king. If you pledge to serve our king, you and your people will be spared. If you do not accept these terms, our vast army will invade your kingdom and we will decimate your army and take your people captive.”

Abu Tabor said to one of his warriors, “take this dagger and plunge it into your heart.” The warrior took the dagger, plunged it into his heart and fell dead at Abu Tabor’s feet. He said to another warrior, “run and jump over this cliff.” The man immediately ran, jumped from the cliff, and plunged to his death on the rocks below. Abu Tabor said to the emissary, “I have three hundred more committed warriors just like these. If your king attacks, we will annihilate your army and your king will be chained to my dogs by evening.” The king and his vast army attacked. The battle raged all day long. By evening the king was chained to Abu Tabor’s dogs.

What does Lord-ship really mean? According to Luke 9:57-62:
57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Lord-ship means that I am no longer in control of my own life… He is. The story of Abu Tabor is an illustration that when the crisis comes and courage is required, God expects his men to have such confidence in him that they will be the reliable dependable ones.

A US secret agent was felt that his service was not valued. He became disgruntled so he decided to sell state secrets to the Russian government. He became aware of secret information that he knew would shift the balance of power from the US to Russia. His Russian contacts said, give us the information. The US agent said, I’ve gone as far as I can go. I cannot reveal these national secrets. He said you can torture me to death but I will not reveal them. They said, we won’t torture you. Instead we will torture and kill your wife and then your children.

What is the cost of following the Lord Jesus Christ? Will you continue to surrender your will to his will? Will you bare up under suffering, sacrifice yourself for the good of others, and discipline yourself for the sake of godliness?

1 Coringhians 4 says we (apostles and ministers) are fools for Christ’s sake and roughly treated for the kingdom of God. But ye, to whom we have imparted God’s wisdom, are wise. We are weak but ye are strong. We are despised by the world but ye are honorable unto God.

Many of these biblical passages never made sense to American Christians, but given today’s ever increasing anti-God and anti-Christian American culture, they are slowly coming into view.

Things of this world never make good objects of devotion. What is it that you love above all? Whether wealth, power, position, or praise of others, everything of this world will turn to dust. Even every loving earthly relationship will end in sorrow and separation. When we love things and use people, the things of this world will come to naught. Jesus said, For what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?

To count the cost we must understand the meaning of value…. What’s it worth to you? What do you value most? According to Hebrews 6, beware of covetousness, (greed, avarice) but be ye content with such things as ye have…. For he hath said, I will never (Never, no not ever) leave you nor forsake you. We are complete in Him…. He is all we ever need. He is our sufficiency in all things.

The theme of the song by Casting Crowns, “Only Jesus” is on-point. There is only one thing that will last into eternity…. I don’t care if they remember me. I don’t want to leave a legacy… only Jesus!

Some things are priceless. They are beyond cost…. Beyond the value of anything on earth. This is why the price of our salvation was paid by the sacrifice Jesus Christ paid on our behalf. For I was crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me…. And the life that I now live I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me….

… that because of the value of the life of Christ in me, I may live to the praise of the glory of the grace of our Lord!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

On His Terms

The scripture says, morning by morning new mercies I se. There is always more to learn…God opens the eyes of our spiritual understanding as we walk daily in the newness of life. As we walk in the light of the truth, we will know by the experience that God is love and in him there is no darkness at all. We will understand His “terms of endearment” as we walk in His love, mercy, and grace.

In the Old Testament, Israel repeatedly turned their hearts from the truth of the Word of God to follow their own devices. According to Romans 1:18-32, Paul outlines the downfall of a culture and nations who descend into perversion and depravity…. Directly contrary to the truth of Scripture and the truth of the Word of God.

The devil’s ploy is to steal, kill and destroy. His tactic is to divide and conquer. He separates people into factions so they will fight against each other and destroy each other. He pits husbands against wives, brothers against sisters, parents against children, liberals against conservatives, Republicans against Democrats, haves against have-nots, rich against poor, citizens against aliens, Angels against Dodgers, Trojans against Bruins…. And on and on ad infinitum. He stirs up strife and contention for where there is strife there is confusion and every evil work.

In order to stand against the schemes of the devil, be alert…. Be on your guard. Acquit ye like men. Be strong in the Lord. To identify the counterfeit, we need to become familiar with the genuine… the truth of the Word of God. To identify the sin, train our eyes to see the glimmer of the reflection of sin in our own minds and in the world around us. Then as we approach the end of God’s assignment for our lives, as Paul said in 2 Timothy 4, I’ve fought the good fight, I have run my race, I have finished the course. Henceforth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness and to all who love his appearing and anticipate the joy of Christ’s return.

Jesus said, don’t hide the light of the truth of the Word of God under a bushel basket. When we walk in the light as he is in the light, the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. As we walk together with other believers in the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, we are God’s light bearers… his photo-multipliers in a perverted world of darkness. For we have this treasure (of God’s Holy Spirit) that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us.

Walking in the love and the light of Christ, is according to God’s terms, not the world’s. The word of God separates the sheep from the goats. Jesus said, my sheep hear my voice and they follow me and they know me and I give unto them eternal life…. Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Following Jesus Christ according to God’s terms is not a popularity contest. Quality and not quantity is the requirement for walking in the light as he is in the light. The quality of life is tested in the crucible of tribulation…. For tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience (proven and tested character) and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy spirit which is given to us.

Jesus did three things: He bore up under suffering, he sacrificed for the good of others. He stood in the face of danger. Likewise, our testing and trials, through tribulation and pressure, reveals God’s true character within us.

Jesus warned the people about the false prophets who look like sheep. They are ravenous wolves disguised in sheep’s clothing. Their purpose is to ravage and devour the flock. They serve the thief whose ultimate purpose is to steal, kill and destroy God’s flock.

Unbelievers question God’s motives: they question the love of God and the Word of God. However, believers walk by faith and not by sight. For faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen through the eyes of the flesh. As believers who walk by the spirit we see through Christ’s eyes behind our eyes. Through his eyes God reveals to us the hope of his calling and the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.

The devil will distract us to focus on the problems of this world…. When we fight against the worldly powers as Martin Luther said, “Did we in our own strength confide, our battle would be loosing, were not the Right Man on our side, the man of God’s own choosing. Doth ask who that may be? Christ Jesus it is he. And he must win the battle.”

When we approach God’s throne of grace with meekness and humility, He will teach us what is really important in this life. The understanding is gained in the crucible of refinement. As the Psalmist said, the crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold, but God refines the heart. Paul learned this lesson the hard way. After he had prayed three times for God to remove his thorn in the flesh, God finally answered Paul’s prayer. But the answer was not what Paul expected… God finally revealed the hardest life lesson of all:  God said to Paul, My strength is made perfect in thy weakness, My grace is sufficient for thee.

When Paul wrote the epistle of joy to the beloved believers in Philippi, he told them, for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. As Jesus had said, seek ye first the kingdom of heaven and all these things…. The necessities of life, will be added unto you. To live for Christ is to die to self and to the things of this world… For I was crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life that I now live I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.

Jesus Christ raised the standard of the Word of God to cull the crowd. Christianity is not a popularity contest. In God’s eyes the majority doesn’t win. God wins according to His word. One with God is a majority (of power, grace, mercy, and love.). The victory is on God’s terms.

On God’s terms, the greatest victory is in the greatest surrender. In surrendering to Jesus Christ and submitting our will to God’s will and our desire to His desire, our greatest blessing is to bless the Blessor. According to Psalms Delight thyself also in the Lord and he will give thee desires of thine heart. Therefore, thanks be unto God who always giveth us the victory in Christ and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place.

Be therefore steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord in as much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord…

…That according to His terms we may live to love God above all to the praise of the glory of His grace,
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Heavenly Cause

Jesus gave his message on the Sermon on the Mount to prepare the multitude about his purpose…. To redeem them from the sin nature they inherited from Adam’s fall. All men have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Jesus Christ defeated death, the consequence of sin through his death and resurrection.

In Luke 14, Jesus said there are three things that you cannot do. First he said, you need to love God above all because you cannot love your family until you love God first. Second, you cannot live for your worldly possessions. Third, neither can you live for the praise of the world.

Jesus said, if you are preparing to build a tower, you must first count the cost. What is it worth to you…. Do you have the resources of time, materials, manpower and wisdom to build a tower that will not fall? Without proper preparation and planning, you will be laughed to scorn when you build the tower and it falls because you failed to plan.

When the crisis comes and courage is required God expects his men to have such confidence in him that they will be the reliable and dependable ones. There is safety in the midst of the crisis when we trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not unto our own understanding. As the Apostle Paul said, Thy strength is made perfect in my weakness… thy grace is sufficient for me. When a disciple is dedicated and convinced of the majesty, glory, and value of the cause to which he’s dedicated his life… then he will “be willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause.” For yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for thou art with me.

If we have nothing to stand for, then we will fall for anything. If there is nothing worth dying for, then there is nothing worth living for.

AW Tozier said, “Christ’s Savior-hood is tied to his lord-ship.” Can you accept Jesus Christ as savior and not Lord? Many have been taught what it means to accept salvation. However, not many have been taught what it means to confess “Jesus is Lord.” There are many definitions of the word “saved.” These include, to be saved from danger and to be rescued or delivered from harm, death, and destruction. Another meaning of salvation is to be made whole. Salvation means to be made complete by receiving God’s gift of Holy Spirit.

The word Lord means ruler… the one who has ownership and preeminence. To confess Jesus is Lord means to change ownership. It means that I am no longer the owner of my own life…. It means that my life is hid in Christ with God. Christianity is not “who we are.” Christianity is “WHOSE we are.”

What is the cost of following your cause? The story of Abu Tabor illustrates what it means to be willing to give your life for your Lord. As the story goes, there was a powerful king who had conquered the rulers of the surrounding territories. He approached the land that was controlled by a chieftain named Abu Tabor whose reputation had proceeded him as a fierce leader. The king was impressed so he sent an emissary to offer an alliance if Abu Tabor would pledge allegiance to the conquering king. The emissary said, if you don’t agree to these terms, our vast army will decimate your troops just like we have done to the surrounding kingdoms…. Abu Tabor said to one of his warriors, “take this dagger and plunge it into your heart.” The warrior took the dagger, plunged it into his heart and fell dead at Abu Tabor’s feet. He said to another warrior, “run and jump over this cliff.” The man immediately ran, jumped from the cliff, and plunged to his death on the rocks below. Abu Tabor said to the emissary, I have three hundred more committed warriors just like these. If your king attacks, we will annihilate your army and your king will be chained to my dogs by evening. The king and his vast army attacked. The battle raged all day long. By evening the king was chained to Abu Tabor’s dogs.

The greatest response is the response to the most difficult challenge. Jesus Christ challenged the multitude that followed him around. Most of them were drawn to him to witness the signs, miracles, and wonders he did. The rich young ruler approached Jesus in Matthew 19 and said, “Good master, what must I do to be inherit eternal life?” Jesus quoted the last six of the Ten Commandments regarding “love thy neighbor as thyself.” Jesus knew what was in the heart of men. The young man said, these commandments I have kept since my youth. Then Jesus looked upon him with love and said, “then you need to sell all of your material possessions, give the proceeds to the poor, and come follow me.” The young ruler went away sorrowful because he had great wealth. The problem was that the young man served the wrong god. He had broken the first of the Ten Commandments, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” His wealth was his God. As Mother Theresa said, God works best with nothing. The first of the Beatitudes says, blessed are the poor in spirit for they shall inherit the earth. God cannot fill us unless we come to him with empty hands.

Christianity is not a part-time job. The key to living life more abundantly is to live for the heavenly cause to which he called us: that we would glorify him by living to the praise of the glory of His grace. If we worship the things of this world…. The people we love, worldly wealth and possessions, or the praise and accolades of others…. Then we have the wrong god. The first of the Ten Commandments says in the Aramaic text, thou shalt have no other gods between your face and my face. Why? Because when we love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength…. This is the first and great commandment.

There is an order of priority in love. For a father, the best way to love your children is to love their mother. The best way to love your wife is to love the Lord Jesus Christ. There are always irreconcilable differences between husbands and wives. Jesus Christ is the one who reconciles. He is the one who breaks down the middle walls of partition between our hearts and God’s heart so that we can be reconciled together in fellowship with God and with others in the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace…. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus…..

That in having prepared our hearts to live for the cause of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, we will love God above all in the unity of the spirt, that we may forever live to the praise of the glory of God’s grace,
Your brother in. Christ,
Michael

The Holy Spirit Makes Us Holy

John 16: says, When the Holy Spirit comes, he will convict the world of judgment and righteousness.

About 100 years ago there was a division in the Christian church over this scripture and its meaning. One faction who became the Pentecostalists said the work of the Holy Spirit is to empower us. The other faction said, the work of the Holy Spirit is to make us holy.

In Acts 2:37 Peter said, repent and be baptized every one of you for the forgiveness of your sins and ye shall receive the gift of Holy Spirit. Peter was preaching on the day of Pentecost to believing Jews about the powerful things that were happening at the original outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit on the church…. One purpose for the gift of God’s Holy Spirit was to save the believers from a wicked and perverse generation.

AW Tozer says, minimally the Holy Spirit is coming to make us holy. The name of the Holy Spirit itself implies a life of holiness. If a person’s life is not holy, then their lives are not sanctified… set apart unto the Lord according to His divine design and divine purpose.

Man’s basic problem started with the fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden. This was the spiritual root of the problems that we experience today. God’s spirit within Adam and Eve died the day they disobeyed God by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. There are also problems rooted in spiritual darkness described in Genesis chapter 6 about the flood of Noah’s time, and chapter 11 about the Tower of Babel.

Genesis chapter 6 is about the events that preceded the flood:

1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.
4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

The ancient Jews believed that the first 8 verses of this chapter described the spiritual perversion of God’s original divine design. This spiritual perversion manifest itself in sexual perversion contrary to God’s divine order. This explosion of sexual sin rooted in spiritual darkness precipitated the flood.

One perspective of these verses according to John McArthur, Chuck Smith, and Chuck Missler, teaches that the perversion of God’s divine order defied God’s purpose for one man to marry one woman in order to be fruitful and multiply to replenish the earth. God’s purpose for a husband and wife to procreate and reproduce was perverted and prevented by spiritual defilement that went ballistic and affected the whole of mankind in Genesis 6 so that “the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

Peter’s sermon In Acts 2 says, “As in the days of Noah, judgement will come.” In the days of Noah, the judgement came suddenly. The deluge of God’s judgement was the result of the spiritual perversion of God’s Devine order.

In today’s America what is the parallel path of the perversion of God’s divine order? In 1978, only 5% of American men had seen hardcore pornography in a video format. In 1983, 55% had seen these videos after the invention of the BetaMax by Sony. Today, pornography is so common that it’s only one click away on our smart phones. This perversion of God’s divine design has destroyed countless marriages, many of them Christian.

Today we are living in something akin to the days of Noah. As in Noah’s day, today’s message is “deliver yourselves from this wicked and perverse generation.” Jesus said, “you shall be hated by all men for my namesake. Many will fall away and betray one another. Many false prophets will lead people astray and lawlessness will be increased.”

Today’s popular American culture celebrates the month of June as “pride month,” insisting that all Americans bow down and revere the sexual perversion of homosexuality. The so-called “Gay Pride movement” has gone so far as to usurp very symbol that God gave to Noah…. The rainbow as a seal of God’s promise to remind all mankind that he would never again destroy the earth with a worldwide flood. Children in America have not been taught about God’s promise to Noah. They have been indoctrinated that the rainbow represents “Gay Pride” and the LGBTQ+ movement.

Every perversion of this fallen world is a manifestation of spiritual evil, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness from on high. Some think that Genesis 6 may refer to fallen angels…. Devil spirits who posessed influential leaders, “giants among men,” to infect the entire human population with spiritually defiled perversion of God’s natural order. This defilement caused the flood to wipe out every living creature upon the face of the earth to purge the spiritual perversion.

The message of freedom is for God to deliver us from the bondage of spiritual perversion. Today 66% of all Christian men are watching porn. One third of women in the church watch porn. As in the days of Noah there is an increase of sexual perversion. The most alarming statistic is that fifty percent of all pastors in America today watch porn regularly.

According to Ephesians 5:3, Among you let there be not even a hint of sexual immorality. Thank God for 1 John 1:9, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Freedom from the addiction to spiritual perversion requires an encounter with the Holy Spirit. John said, “If we walk in the light as he is in the light, the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Jesus said, if you abide in my word ye shall be my disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. If the son therefore shall set you free, then you shall be free indeed.

Three of the nine sins listed in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 are related to sexual immorality. Paul said, those who practice these things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Reading these verses in Canada would be grounds for arrest for violating the laws against “hate speech.”

The solution to the sins listed in 1 Corinthians 6 is found in verse 11: “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”

The riches of the glory of the mystery that God had kept hidden until he revealed it to the Apostle Paul is this…. Christ in you the hope of glory. The gift of God’s Holy Spirit, Christ in you will cleanse you from all unrighteousness. For Jesus Christ who was without sin was made the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in him.

How do you get free from sexual perversion? The remedy is in 1 Corinthians 6:18-20. “Flee fornication.” You are not your own, ye have been bought with a price…. Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? Therefore glorify God in your body which is God’s.

God in his mercy, by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, has set us apart… sanctified and made us holy according to His divine design…
That we should live to the praise of the glory of His grace!

Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Built On the Rock

The Sermon on the Mount is more than a life-style… it is Jesus’ instruction for life itself… for in Jesus Christ we live and move and have our being. In Mathew 7 Jesus concluded his Sermon on the Mount with an illustration…. “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”

Jesus had said to Simon Peter, thou art Peter, a small stone, but upon this Rock (Jesus Christ himself) I will build my church.

As John said, “if you walk in the light as he is in the light, the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The cleansing is in walking close to him. In close proximity with the Lord, the things of the world will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.

The world says that righteousness depends on our own performance…. Theirs is a works based system of self righteousness. Jesus said, whoever hears my words and acts upon them, seeking first the kingdom of God, my Father will bless. James says, putting aside every weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us, let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.

Jesus’s exhortation in the Sermon on the Mount is to Receive the implanted word which is able to save your souls. But don’t be deceived, faith without works is dead. He that hears the word and does not do it is like a man who looks at his face in the mirror, and then immediately forgets what type of man he is. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty reflected in the Word of God, he not being a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the Word, this man shall be blessed in his deeds that proceed from from a pure heart…. Christ’s heart behind our heart.

The way of the love of God thinks no evil… it keeps no record of wrongs done. It is eager to believe the best of others. It perceives others from through the eyes of Christ.

We chase after men who chase after Christ. As men of God we gladly choke in the dust of those who follow in the dust of the rabbi.

Chuck Swindal had been discipled by the Navigators Christian ministry in Okinawa prior to becoming head pastor of EV Free Church in Fullerton. Pete was also trained by the Navigators. They sent him to Southern California where he was called to serve at EV Free. It’s important to attach ourselves to likeminded believers to strengthen our stand with Christ and and our fellowship with one another…. As Psalm 133 says, Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.

In a parallel passage to Matthew 7, Jesus said in Luke 6, the wise man dug deep to lay the foundation of his house on the bedrock. However the foolish man, laid his foundation on the sand. Undisciplined by wisdom, this man was a fool. He took shortcuts and did not consider that his shoddy workmanship would not withstand the test of time. He did not take into account the rules of wisdom and structural integrity. In contrast, the wise man is informed, knowledgeable and takes deliberate steps to prepare to build a sound structure upon a firm foundation… a foundation that will endure against the ravages of the world. A wise man increases in knowledge and understanding founded upon the fear, awe, and respect of the Lord.

Paul Nyquist wrote a book called Prepared, Living your faith in an increasingly hostile culture. This book was published in 2016 and describes the conditions of our times. In days gone by, prior to the 60’s, America was tied to her roots as a godly nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Our founding fathers esteemed religion and the truth of scripture according to God who is all-knowing and all-wise.

America is an anomaly among nations, having known freedom and liberty for most of the last 300 years. However, in the coming decades, Christians in America will be tested as never before. What’s coming? The changes in America will accelerate as the previous generations who valued traditional Christian principles pass away. Today, our Judeo-Christian heritage celebrated by previous generations has diminished as the godless values of secularism have eclipsed the light of Truth.

Detoqueville said of America in the 1800’s, America is great because America is good. Her values are molded in her houses of worship on every corner of every village and township. Her citizens embrace the God-fearing values of honesty, integrity, brotherly kindness and the love of God.

Jesus prepared his followers for the coming persecution. He said in the last of the beatitudes, blessed are they when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake…. For great is your reward in heaven.

Paul reminded us that the battle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness from above. There is a spiritual root of the strife and contention and confusion of the world around us. Therefore put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand in the evil day and having done all to stand.

The preparation for spiritual battle is fought on our knees. Our victory against the evil of this world is won only in the power of His might. Victory In the spiritual battle begins with humbling ourselves under the mighty hand of God. Then as we work out our own salvation, our own wholeness with awe, reverence, and respect for the Lord.. it is God who works in us to will and to do of his good pleasure as we delight ourselves in the Lord….

The wise man built his house upon the rock… Jesus Christ himself…. He is the chief cornerstone. He is the anchor of our souls.. Jesus said, upon this rock I shall build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it…

That as God ‘s living church, his dwelling place, we shall live to the praise of the glory of His grace!

Your brother in Christ,
Michael