In this world life is more than eating bread.”–Cliff Hudgins (Viejo and the Ranger)
“Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these God will bring you into judgment.”
–Ecclesiastes 11:9 (NKJV)
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There is a Scripture that we should all take to heart, especially in the times in which we live. Not that it is not true in all times, but as children of God we need to get the truth of this verse engraved into our hearts.
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” –2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV)
“For we live by faith, not by sight.” –2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)
Most versions follow the NKJV, but a couple say, as the NIV, “live by faith.” Now, there is really not much difference. As we walk through this life we are living. Either way we must have faith. Circumstances, situations, events, what are they in the light of eternity?
Often, far too often, we look at our Christian experiences and want to repeat them. All believers have experiences with God to one extent or another. The first is that of being born-again. What an experience. To now have eternal life; to now be part of the family of God. But there are times when perhaps God visited you in a special way. Have you noticed that when you go to the front to pray you tend to go to the same spot. Back in the day of altars, people would go to the place where God broke through to them once in a special way. They might even get in the same position–they remember the blessing, and that is not bad, for no one can take away a person’s experience.
Oswald Chambers wrote, “If we try to reintroduce the rare moments of inspiration, it is a sign that it is not God we want. We are making a fetish of the moments when God did come and speak, and insisting he must do it again,” is wrong. We look at the experience and do not focus on God. We want that same kind of blessing whereas God has something new, something different. That blessing was for a particular time, now we are to go forward in our walk. God wants us to walk by faith, not looking at a particular time when He blessed us.
“We never live for the rare moments, they are surprises,” continues Chambers. “God will give us touches of inspiration when he sees we are not in danger of being led away by them.” In my life I have seen many get carried away by the experience and forget God. As we walk/live by faith, maturity should come. We hold fast the experiences of the past, but we put ourselves in God’s hands and it is not healthy spiritually to live in a past experience. Think of Jacob’s wrestling match with the Lord. It was over when Jacob said he would not release the Lord until he received a blessing. The Lord spoke over Jacob, then touched his thigh, crippling him for life. Jacob didn’t stay in the “blessing,” he didn’t try to have the same touch of God to his life, but he went on in the blessing of the Lord–he continued his walk by faith.
Moments of inspiration are important to us. They help us along the way; they encourage us, comfort us, assure us, but they are not to be the standard of our walk with God. Chambers states, “We must never make our moments of inspiration our standards; our standard is our duty.” And what is that? “Fear God and keep His commandments,” (Ecclesiastes 12:13) Or we might use the Shorter Westminster Catechism, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” That is your standard, not an experience, but a walk through life with God, every day, every hour giving Him glory.
Echoes from the Campfire
Echoes From the Campfire
He was a man that lived in continual expectation of trouble, never reaching for it, yet always and forever prepared.”
–Louis L’Amour (Hondo)
“The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him.”
–Nahum 1:7 (NKJV)
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How to Live in a Pagan, Apostate, and Foolish World
Key Verse: “We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” –1 John 5:19 (NASB)
Don’t get nonchalant on me, don’t you dare doze as your eternal life may depend upon these studies. In view of the times, the war with Russia/Ukraine, the pestilence, inflation, fear and terror besetting people you would think that the churches would be filling up. However, they are not. People are going along, tip-toeing through the tulips it seems even in the midst of the fear. Maybe they are partying more to escape and ignoring the call of God to wake up.
In our last study we started looking at prayer. Oh, how much we need to pray in this hour! To be effective in prayer and to have any real confidence we must know that we ourselves are accepted by God.
“Now we know that God heareth not sinners; but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.”
–John 9:31
“This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked Him.”
–1 John 5:14-15(NASB)
Notice the difference. God is not ready to do what sinners ask of Him–His ears are not open to them. Only when they repent and accept Jesus as Savior do His ears open to their prayers. However, when one becomes a child of God, we have confidence that He hears us when we pray…according to His will. That is important. We cannot expect to pray contrary to God’s Word and expect for it to happen. We must observe the conditions laid down in Scripture and our motive in prayer must be correct and true. James says, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” (4:3, KJV)
We must guard that our prayers are God-honoring and that what we are asking is as well. What can be the problems that James is speaking of?
1) prayers can be utterly selfish
2) our self-esteem can get in the way
3) pride
4) we sermonize our agenda and tell God what to do
5) we should examine our motive for any particular petition
Then…
“let him ask in faith, nothing wavering” (James 1:5-8)
To have our prayers accepted we must abide in Christ and be obedient, and we must ask in the name of Christ.
“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” –John 15:7
“And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.” –1 John 3:22
We must pray with assurance. It is not a matter of trying to persuade ourselves–it is not psychology. We must rely upon God, trust in Him, and let the Spirit help us pray. We do not try to determine God’s answer to prayer by persuading ourselves that we have already got it. No, we depend upon God for the answer.
So in these times do not falter nor faint. Look to God, realize that you are His child and He is willing, ready, and able to answer you.
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How to Live in a Pagan, Apostate, and Foolish World
Key Verse: “We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” –1 John 5:19 (NASB)
Don’t get nonchalant on me, don’t you dare doze as your eternal life may depend upon these studies. In view of the times, the war with Russia/Ukraine, the pestilence, inflation, fear and terror besetting people you would think that the churches would be filling up. However, they are not. People are going along, tip-toeing through the tulips it seems even in the midst of the fear. Maybe they are partying more to escape and ignoring the call of God to wake up.
In our last study we started looking at prayer. Oh, how much we need to pray in this hour! To be effective in prayer and to have any real confidence we must know that we ourselves are accepted by God.
“Now we know that God heareth not sinners; but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.”
–John 9:31
“This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked Him.”
–1 John 5:14-15(NASB)
Notice the difference. God is not ready to do what sinners ask of Him–His ears are not open to them. Only when they repent and accept Jesus as Savior do His ears open to their prayers. However, when one becomes a child of God, we have confidence that He hears us when we pray…according to His will. That is important. We cannot expect to pray contrary to God’s Word and expect for it to happen. We must observe the conditions laid down in Scripture and our motive in prayer must be correct and true. James says, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” (4:3, KJV)
We must guard that our prayers are God-honoring and that what we are asking is as well. What can be the problems that James is speaking of?
1) prayers can be utterly selfish
2) our self-esteem can get in the way
3) pride
4) we sermonize our agenda and tell God what to do
5) we should examine our motive for any particular petition
Then…
“let him ask in faith, nothing wavering” (James 1:5-8)
To have our prayers accepted we must abide in Christ and be obedient, and we must ask in the name of Christ.
“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” –John 15:7
“And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.” –1 John 3:22
We must pray with assurance. It is not a matter of trying to persuade ourselves–it is not psychology. We must rely upon God, trust in Him, and let the Spirit help us pray. We do not try to determine God’s answer to prayer by persuading ourselves that we have already got it. No, we depend upon God for the answer.
So in these times do not falter nor faint. Look to God, realize that you are His child and He is willing, ready, and able to answer you.
Echoes From the Campfire
A man’s life was full of trouble and full of question—and so it was like relief to stand up to certainty, to know that he was in front of reality.”
–Ernest Haycox (Man in the Saddle)
“Why all this stress on behaviour? Because, as I think you have realised, the present time is of the highest importance—it is time to wake up to reality. Every day brings God’s salvation nearer.”–Romans 13:11(Phillips)
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When is enough, enough? When have the scales tipped over for this country, and God removed His blessing? Perhaps He already has. I want to borrow heavily from an article by Dave Roever this morning especially since last night was the State of the Union address.
Blatant lies. So obvious, not even disguised in half-truths. Disgusting hatred wrapped in vengeance and violence. Morally bankrupt without a trace of conscience.
These words only begin to describe the state of our nation.
Political pirates have ripped from the womb the last vestiges of hope and aborted the child of promise for a better tomorrow. If carried to full term, without post-birth abortion/murder, a baby born to a crack-addicted parent is also an addict to the corruption in the veins of its enslaved birther.
The “one-generation-away-from-extinction” generation is now in the driver’s seat in education, politics, and religion. Some who teach our children in institutions of “higher” learning are beyond seditious and malignant idiots. They teach that if you re-write and revise history, it becomes truth. Thankfully, there are still professors who stand for truth and history.
The pandemic known as COVID-19 is but one pandemic of concern revealed in these days of insanity. Lethargy and spiritual blindness are but a few of the infectious diseases leaving our nation, churches, families, children, schools, government and consciences neutered of simple common sense. The attempt to “woke” and water down the truth, and the intellectual dishonesty required to do so, are staggering.
This isn’t history excoriated. This is history castrated.
Harsh words? Maybe, but sometimes the truth is harsh. I have been reading the historical books of the Bible: 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings. Over and over again Israel and Judah went back to serving idols. The great sin was serving Yahweh with the methods and rituals of the Canaanite gods such as Baal. The people said they worshiped God, but in reality practiced worship to Baal and the other meaningless gods. Over and over God would remind them in one way or another to serve Him only. Twice, the Assyrians and the Chaldeans, came and conquered Israel and Judah. There was a time when enough was enough–God will be mocked only so long.
Have you heard of “virtual reality”? Something that looks real, but is not. It is defined as having the effect of something without the form or appearance of it. I refer to 2 Timothy 3:5,
“Holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from them.” (Amplified)
This is a virtual religion, a virtual Christianity. They say they worship God, but with the rituals and practices of “Baal.” Let me continue with Dave Roever,
Christianity lite; tastes great, less filling!
You cannot have a virtual effect of something without the actual existence of that thing in the past.
The attempt is made to erase/cancel history in order to have no fact of its existence in the past, therefore, not to have virtue to represent virtually.
Is there such a thing as a “virtual lie?” Try parachuting with a virtual parachute! Without the actual truth, there is no “truth.”
When the invasion of the Assyrians and Chaldeans came upon God’s chosen people I am sure that there were honest, God-serving, God-loving people, but they were taken into captivity along with those who mocked God and those who brought discredit to His name.
Revival? Maybe. Really what is needed is an Awakening, and God is ready to accept honest, heart-felt repentance. But when is it too late for a nation?
Echoes From the Campfire
He was a man growing old, but a man still strong, and a man who knew where his heart was.”–Louis L’Amour (The Empty Land)
“Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly forsaken, nor seen their children begging for bread.”
–Psalm 37:25 (NLT)
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I remember reading the story of the arrest of Polycarp. If I am not mistaken, he was bishop in Smyrna and was a disciple of John. Polycarp was an aged man when he was arrested and the Roman proconsul offered him a chance to save himself. Polycarp replied, “Eighty-six years have I served Him, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who has saved me?” Polycarp was then taken to the arena where he was bound to be burned at the stake. The fire failed to consume him, so he was stabbed.
I can see my Grandma sitting on her bed, Bible in hand, reading the Word. Until she died in her nineties, she read her Bible. She couldn’t do the things she used to do, but she could still meet with her Lord, and have sweet communion with Him. This is the concept of Psalm 71:9-18.
9 — Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength fails.
10 — For my enemies speak against me; and those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together,
11 — Saying, “God has forsaken him; pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.”
12 — O God, do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me!
13 — “Let them be confounded and consumed who are adversaries of my life; let them be covered with reproach and dishonor who seek my hurt.
14 — But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more.
15 — My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and Your salvation all the day, for I do not know their limits.
16 — I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD; I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only.
17 — O God, You have taught me from my youth; and to this day I declare Your wondrous works.
18 — Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come. (NKJV)
Now Grandma didn’t have enemies like David. But she did have the enemies of pain, sorrow, and coming death. She was in constant pain, but had the faith in her Lord to see her through. David, as king, still has enemies who would like to see him dead. But David, in his old age knew that God would not abandon him or trade him in for someone else.
No longer youthful, David (and Grandma along with Polycarp) had the wonderful experience of walking with the Lord for many years. They epitomized verse 14, “But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more.” Hope–the earnest expectation of being with Christ even through old age. How will your days end? In regret, twiddling your thumbs looking back in regret and bitterness? Will you be the proverbial grouchy old man or woman? Or will you continue to model the life that God has given you, praising Him and declaring His works and goodness?
All have bad experiences in life–David, Polycarp, Grandma–but that is no reason to speak badly of the Lord, rather it is reason to give Him praise. The future of eternity with the Lord is before you. The remaining years…who knows? Use them to praise the Lord and be an example.
Yes, broken, timeless, still, O Lord,
This voice transported, shall record
Thy goodness, tried so long;
Till, sinking slow, with calm decay,
Its feeble murmur melt away
Into a seraph’s song.
–Robert Grant