This is the old war, the war of civilization against the barbarian; of peacefulness, order, and hard work against the heedless, the cruel, the destructive.”
              –Louis L’Amour  (The Empty Land)

    “The merciful man does good for his own soul, But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.”
              –Proverbs 11:17 (NKJV)
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There’s a lot I don’t understand in this world.  There is even more with all of the confusion caused by the woke crowd, and the cancel culture group.  Confusion…comes from its creator–Satan.  Now, first of all, I am not confused, not even the confusion has confused me–“for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.” (2 Timothy 1:12, NKJV)  But I don’t follow the logic of the world.  In fact, their logic is illogical.  Let me show you from the writings of Joseph Parker.

         Strive to enter in at the strait gate.  “I will not!”
         Look unto Me and be ye saved.  “I will not!”
         Come unto Me, and I will give you rest.  “I will not!”
         Seek ye first the kingdom of God.  “I will not!”
         Repent.  “I will not!”
         Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die?  “I will not!”
         Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.  “I will not!”
         Give Me thine heart.  “I will not!”
         Go work in My vineyard.  “I will not!”
         Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.  “I will not!”
         Lay up for yourself treasures in heaven.  “I will not!”

    Why would a person not choose eternal life?  That is not logical to me.  That person is confused about life, time, and eternity.  Why would a person not want to rest?  Leisure time is clamored for and for what reason so that they can go out and get tired over the weekend.  Some people go to work on Monday, to rest from their partying over the weekend.
    People are confused about life simply because they want things their way.  “God made man for His glory, but man joined the devil and became a rebel.” (D.L. Moody)  Man wants things his own way so in a sense he wants the confusion that life gives.  Oh, he may think he has things under control until…  Until he loses his job, his family, his account, his health, his marriage.  Let me do things my way is one of the most rebellious statements that can be made.  Man makes a mess of things when he does things his way–anarchy of the soul so to speak.
    In short, man does not want to obey.  He does not want to turn his will over to the Lord and obey what the Lord wills for his life.  That is up to you.  No one can obey for you, that is something that you must do on your own.  Think of the logic again.  Obey or disobey.  What happens with obedience versus what happens with disobedience–in this life and in eternity?
    D. L. Moody demonstrates with a little anecdote that a Sunday school teacher once asked in class.

         “How is the will of God done in heaven?” he asked.
         One child answered with a broad smile, “Cheerfully.”
         Another answered, “By everybody.”
         A third child answered, “All the time.”
         But the best answer was, “It is done without asking any questions.”

Hmmm, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10, NKJV).  Do the will of the Lord and I guarantee you that confusion will stop in your life.  Oh, there will still be a confused world in anguish, heartache, and fear, but the matter for you will be settled.

His destinies were guided by his loyalties.”
              –Louis L’Amour (Crossfire Trail)

    “Let your heart therefore be loyal to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day.”
              –1 Kings 8:61 (NKJV)
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How to Live in a Pagan, Apostate, and Foolish World

Key Verse:  “We know [for a fact] that we are of God, and the whole world [around us] lies in the power of the evil one [opposing God and His precepts].”    –1 John 5:19 (Amplified)


In 1 John 2:18-28, we see that John is giving advice to us regarding the truth and the lie.  Last week I wrote of some of the dangers of those who tend to believe a “lie.”  I also discussed that the first part of John’s advice to us is that we should not be alarmed or surprised at what is happening in the world.  If we know and live by the pure doctrine of God’s Word we would recognize what is happening in the world and that it should not affect our faith.  “As in the days of Noah,” men rebelled against God’s Word in all its forms.
    John instructs us to remain pure.  We are not to be tainted nor sullied by the world.  Our light should be brighter than ever.  Our robes should be white, glistening.  However, there is little mentioned from pulpits today about the doctrine of purity or if it is the complaint becomes one of legalism.  Jesus will accept His Bride–the Church–that is pure, without spot or wrinkle.  That is one reason that I believe He will soon return.  He will not stand to see His Bride dirtied by the world.
    There is a key phrase that we often recite or is read by the Pastor during Communion.  That little phrase is, “examine yourself.”  It is vital that we continue to examine ourselves against the light of God’s Word.  Let the Holy Spirit shine upon you that you can rid yourself of the impurities in your lives.  The fact that people claim to be Christians, and that they belong to a church, does not prove that they are Christian.  How does the life match up with the Bible?
    John tells us that we must have proper relation to God’s purpose.  We know God’s purpose by reading the Bible, and then obeying its instructions.  We must develop true worship.  Not just a jumping, hand-waving type of worship, but one that comes from the heart and then is involved in every area of our lives.  To have proper relation to God’s purpose means to follow God’s will by keeping His commandments.  Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15, NKJV)  Simple, not hard, not legalistic.  Then we must be of the faith.  Faith is the life of a Christian.   We walk daily by faith; faith is part of our worship.  I’m not speaking of “hyper-faith” nor of the gift of faith in 1 Corinthians, but each step we take should be one of faith.  In fact, one of the things the Lord will greet us with is, “Well done, good and FAITHFUL.” (emphasis is mine).  
    I am reminded of the song written by W. Elmo Mercer.  It describes the life of faith.  Just look for a moment at the chorus for it is full of faith.

         “Each step I take I know that He will guide me;
          To higher ground He ever leads me on.
          Until some day the last step will be taken,
          Each step I take just leads me closer home.”

And if you are living by faith knowing that each step is guided by the Lord, you are truly worshiping in the reality of your life.

Every wrinkle or line on his face he could match with another, for the years had marked his cheeks with experience, with laughter, with tears, with anger and with sadness, until there was left only a vast patience.”
              –Louis L’Amour  (The Shadow Riders)

    “For You have delivered my soul from death, My eyes from tears, And my feet from falling.”
              –Psalm 116:8 (NKJV)
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Truth, it has been said, is often stranger than fiction.  Now, that is more truth today than ever before as there are few who speak the truth.  Maybe there is a synonym for lies–“media,” or “liberal left.”  I remember watching a show where Anton LeVey was interviewed (head of the church of satan).  In the interview he said that he always spoke the truth which was a lie, because as he explained, everything he said was a lie since he served the father of lies.  
    In Psalm 56, David is hiding from Saul.  Strangely enough he goes to Gath.  You remember who was from Gath?  Goliath!  Here is the slayer of Goliath hiding in the city of Goliath.  And on top of that David pretends that he is mad, and the people of Gath must have believed him.  Stranger than fiction for sure.

         8 – You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?
         9 – When I cry out to You, Then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me.
        10 – In God (I will praise His word), In the Lord (I will praise His word),
        11 – In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?
        12 – Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God; I will render praises to You,
        13 – For You have delivered my soul from death.  Have You not kept my feet from falling, That I may walk before God
In the light of the living? (NKJV)

    Some have said that David is showing a lack of faith by pretending to be insane, by acting the fool.  But think of where he was–in Gath.  Were there relatives of Goliath in the city?  Surely they remembered David.  David was fleeing Saul, but didn’t he jump from the frying pan into the fire?  One thing to remember, “We win or lose the battle in our spirit.” (George O. Wood)  No matter what type of battle it involves the spirit, and that is where the deep, truer fight takes place.  Losing your body is one thing; losing your spirit to the enemy is another.
    David realizes that God is with him and that is emphasized in these verses.  He knows that God even has a shelf of bottles and collects his tears placing them in his bottles.  Also, they are also written in God’s book.  God is mindful of our lives–every detail.  David knows that it is God that keeps him from falling.  It is God who delivers him from his enemies whether it be Saul, or the Philistine inhabitants of Gath.  Sometimes our wanderings bring us to tears or because of them we cry.  Pain can bring tears, suffering can bring tears, mistakes can bring tears.  God has bottled them up.
    One more thing I want to point out.  “Vows made to You are binding upon me…” (vs 12)  Have you ever made a vow to God.  Perhaps gone to an altar, and promised that you would never do such-and-such again.  The next day you find yourself “in Gath” and act mad and break the vow.

         “When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you.”
                   –Deuteronomy 23:21(NKJV)

         “When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools.  Pay what you have vowed—
Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.”
                   –Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 (NKJV)

Oh, my, what happens if you do not pay your vows?  Woe, and a double-Woe!  Just because you do not keep your vow on one day does not negate it the next.  God I promise not to do such-and-such, you vow, but then do it.  That does not do away with the vow; it is still valid.  Get back up, dust yourself off, and determine to keep the vow.  Through all the ordeal, trust in God for He is there for you watching, helping, and reaching down.

         “My wand’rings, all what they have been
          Thou know’st their number took;
          Into thy bottle put my tears;
          Are they not in thy book?”
                   –Old Scottish Psalter

Here’s a primary rule of life on the frontier:  every threat, veiled or not, will be taken seriously and challenged.”
              –Stephen Bly  (Shadow of Legends)

    “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
              –1 Peter 3:12 (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 the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.”  –1 John 5:19 (NKJV)

I keep adding the Key Verse for it is vital for us to know, to realize, and to act upon if we are to survive in this wicked world.  Whether you like it or not, whether you realize it or not–you are a target!  Get that in your minds and etched into your heart.  The enemy would like nothing better than to destroy you spiritually first, then physically and mentally if he cannot get into your spirit.

         “As Christian people, as soon as we come into the Christian life we become part of this mighty conflict between the forces of God and the forces of hell, and we are involved in it whether we like it or not.”
                   –D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

    There is a danger if we do not remain alert and aware of our surroundings.  By surroundings I mean anything that can affect you physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually.  True warriors live their training.  However, there is always the temptation to let down.  
    Curiosity killed the cat, so goes the old saying.  Curiosity can also lead to casualties in life.  “Try it, only once will not hurt you,” the enemy whispers.  You wonder what “it” will be like.  Wham!  Out of nowhere, you or someone near you become a casualty and the devil laughs with glee.
    People tend to become complacent.  I have heard many say, “where is the coming of the Lord?”  They have heard this all their lives and then begin to become complacent, they no longer live their training.  They have forgotten to keep oil in their lamps for the day of His appearing.  So often, instead of standing on their convictions they follow the majority.  Woke sounds like the way to go so they become curious and become complacent and then comes sudden destruction.  And the devil laughs with glee.
    One of the biggest dangers that we face is that of compromise.  Just give an inch.  Don’t worry about cleaning your weapons today; don’t worry about reading your Bible today–the Lord will understand.  Come on, what’s wrong with meeting the opposition halfway?  Compromise is dangerous, compromise leads to pessimism.  The person who compromises will look around and come to the conclusion, what’s the use?  The devil smiles, and giggles with glee.
    Then there is the novice.  The new Christian who if not trained properly is a target for sure.  The enemy has several traps for them.  There is the lure of power and success.  There is the enticement of wealth and prestige.  There is the zeal of rushing into battle not heeding the words of veterans nor understanding all the pieces of their equipment and how they are to be used.  They must get busy to save the Church and all they do is wear themselves out, or make foolish mistakes, or do not take notice of their surroundings–they fail to hear the devil laughing at them and they get angry at those veterans who try to dampen their zeal.
    Abide in Him, abide in His teachings, don’t go out half-cocked, but be fully prepared knowing that there is a devil out there ready to wound or kill you.  Read the verses of yesterday and continue on through verse 28.  (1 John 2:18-28)  Don’t be alarmed (even at a pandemic), don’t wither in despair.  If you do these things then you are not reading the Scriptures.  In reality our faith should be strengthened.  Do not be one who falters at the troubles of these end times.
    This is not a study in Spiritual Warfare, however, one must understand and be ready to get into the warfare if one is to survive in this evil world.  I love some of the writings of J. Stuart Holden and will close with two of his quotations.

         “Opposition?  But that is what I am for!  That is what Christ saved me for!  Conflict?  But that is what I enlisted for!  The fact that there is likely to be trouble is the hallmark of the open door!  It assures me as to Whom has opened it!  Of course I will take care, God helping me.  But what am I to take care of?  Of myself or my entrustment?”

         “If I am in Christ’s way, how can I keep out of harm’s way?  They are practically synonymous, just one and the same thing!”

Do not be curious concerning the things of the world, do not become complacent in your life–your training, your first love–do not compromise the truths of the Bible.