If I allow God’s kingdom to keep living in me, while I live in this temporal body, then I will have ‘the right’ to live with Christ in a body like His, within God’s eternal kingdom.
If I am “in Christ” I will not be able to live the selfish sinful life and get away with it. No true father would hold back the painful discipline that corrects and trains his child to live a full praiseworthy productive life. God will do all He can to make us so miserable living in sin, and to cause everything and everyone to fail us – to rescue us. He will set up road sign after road sign after road sign before the crash comes.
There are NO secrets with God; none that we can keep from our Father God. Nothing is hidden in His sight. If God is our Creator, and He is, then how could we ever think that we can keep anything secret from Him. If we don’t believe there is a God and Creator – then we are self-deceived thinking our secret thoughts and desires that we want to keep hidden from others – can be.
We can think our secret life of thoughts and desires are hidden, and even believe we can get away with the resulting actions we take (that are not right in God’s view) but the day will come when ALL will be revealed and judged by Him, and we will get what is due us. That day will be too late to do a thing about all that we will have regretted doing or tried to keep secret. Therefore, we are told by God and His servants: “NOW is the time to repent; now is the day of salvation!”
TODAY, even NOW – is the time to fully come clean before the Lord. For the Lord is for you, not against you! God’s favor, His mercy and grace, have a time limit with one’s own death, and if you live in this day – with the ‘second’ coming of Jesus Christ.
Marriages, families, friendships, and partnerships will all fall apart because of “secret” hypocritical criticism, “secret” self-serving motives, and “secret” immoral desires. We are to “take every thought (and desire) captive to make it obedience to Christ.” Our thought life is under attack by the devil and his demons. We see it in how we have so many things to keep us from getting quiet and still before the Lord; devices that do the thinking for us.
We are fooling ourselves if we think we can keep a secret from the Lord. If we try (because we are ashamed to admit, or simply aren’t willing to give up a sin we enjoy doing), it’s a matter of time that our secret sin will expose us, destroy our good future, and take others down with us.
An evil secret desire will eventually ‘act out’ if YOU do not do the judging, which our God-given ‘conscience’ is there for. (But it can be hardened and useless as we continue to ignore it.) With honest repentance and God’s forgiveness by Christ’s own sacrifice on the cross, we can, with His help – overcome every wicked thought and evil desire as we feed on God’s Word and stay in fellowship with Him day by day, walking with Him to the end. This is how our evil thoughts and desires are prevented from ‘taking action’ and becoming guilty of outward sin that harms not only ourselves but others. It’s a battle worth fighting and winning with God fully on our side.
When I first met my Savior Jesus Christ and invited Him to live in me – I was inviting in His kingdom life. If His kingdom is living in me – then I will eternally live in His kingdom with Him. What I love about my Father God, is that He does not hold my thoughts and desires against me, no matter how shameful, when I daily bring them before Him. I want the desire to please my Father God to be greater than my desires to do that which displease Him. Then I know I have His full attention and power with His Word and His Spirit in me.
As I read and study God’s Word, His words correct my thoughts and God’s indwelling Holy Spirit does the work of a transformed heart and will, a heart and will like God’s. When my mind/thoughts and my heart/will is united with the Lord – my actions and behavior are bound to be acceptable to God, no matter what anyone else may think. But what I’ve learned is that this only works when I start my day fellowshipping with the Lord, in prayer (over my thoughts, fears, desires), meditating on His Word to hear from Him, and with thanksgiving – offering myself to Him to be used in any way He can that brings Him the glory He deserves.
God’s kingdom begins in me, the house of Carol, where every room He will light up, help me to clean out and make ready to have every room filled with my Father God’s eternal treasures.
“Since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly/fleshly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Put to death therefore, whatever belongs to your sinful earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.” Colossians 3:1-6
Reading about a godly priest, Jehoiada, who cared for and wisely counseled a very young king Joash in the Law and ways of God – up to the day Jehoiada died, I thought of how Billy Graham – until the day he died faithfully prayed over and counseled all America’s presidents. Then Franklin, his son, took up the same position after Billy died, but unlike with Billy, not all the churches in America were united behind Franklin Graham. Why? Because Franklin supported the agenda of the man God put in the White House: Donald J. Trump.
King Joash fell away from the Lord, after Jehoiada died, and listened to his ungodly officials, abandoning the Lord God and worshipping idols of other gods. Although the Lord sent prophets to bring them back, they would not listen. Then Jehoiada’s son, Zechariah, was sent to the people of Judah and King Joash, saying: “Why do you disobey the Lord’s commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the Lord, He has forsaken you.” (2 Chronicles 24:20) But they plotted against Zechariah (as we see with Franklin Graham) and by order of the king they killed Zechariah, God’s messenger. They have not killed Franklin Graham, just his God-given message to America and the churches – have they rejected and used against him to shame him and discredit his ministry and message from God.
King Joash had forgotten all that Jehoiada, God’s priest, had done for him; the kindness he had shown to Joash in his growing up as the king of Judah – until Jehoiada died. So God sent an army against King Joash to invade Judah and Jerusalem; an army that killed all the leaders of the people, so that judgment was executed on King Joash for forsaking the Lord and the Lord’s messenger priest. God allowed Joash’s own officials to kill him. Amaziah, Joash’s son, succeeded him as king. And ‘for a while’ he did right in the eyes of the Lord. You can read what happened to him in 2 Chronicles.
Just like God’s servant Jehoiada and his godly son Zechariah, whom God sent to guide and help the king of Judah to rule over God’s people – God has done the same for America’s presidents with Billy Graham and his son Franklin Graham. But just like what was done to Zechariah – we see being done to Franklin Graham, and it being done by a great amount of God’s own people – mind you. The church was divided, and still is divided, not only over Donald Trump as president these last four years, but over Joe Biden now succeeding Trump as POTUS. (We’re learning how this was done – which again is God’s way of allowing evil to succeed to chastise a nation for turning their back on God.)
We have made God very angry not seeing His purpose for Donald Trump in the White House to uphold and protect what was being lost and taken from us little by little. Great deception prophesied now being fulfilled in America! The Lord told us in His Word that if a house is divided – it will not stand. And, if the house of the true and faithful church of America does not stand – the nation is handed over to the wicked, and the wicked will severely persecute God’s cowardly blinded people. But as we know, persecution has a way of chastising and shaping up the Lord’s people; forcing their eyes open and motivating them to desperately worship the One True God – as they should’ve been doing – obeying His will in our lives.
Not all our presidents whom Billy Graham prayed over and gave counsel to – followed the laws and principles of God, and we’ve seen a slow deterioration of our nation because of it. But now with what has happened with Franklin Graham supporting Donald Trump’s godly agenda in the White House, we will get the full result of disunity in God’s American Church. Unless…..unless God’s people unite, humble themselves, turn from their wicked ways, and pray with the mind of Christ for our nation.
God showed Franklin Graham the battle we have been in with a divided church and nation. Franklin Graham and God’s prophets along with Graham – have been fully aware of what/who America’s enemy is in battle: Socialism/slavery of Satan and his puppets vs. America’s godly heritage of faith and freedom supported by God’s faithful people in America.
As I thought about why the “disunity,” it came to me that without the “mind of Christ” that all Christians are to have since the same Holy Spirit and Word of God indwells them, there WILL be great disunity, even with angry hostility, fighting against each other. Jesus warned us this would happen when He talked about what must come before He returns to reign. The faithful believers in Jesus Christ will be hated by the church of apostacy, even turning the faithful over to the authorities to be arrested – thinking they are doing a good service for their country. Those of us who hold to our faith and obedience to Jesus Christ, and who will never deny God’s Word to us and over us – will be seen as a threat to society.
Over the century we’ve had ‘peaceful disunity’ with all the various denominations of religious churches that may preach the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus Christ but have remained disunited because of their man-made rules and regulations for worship.
The “mind and body of Christ” will carry on with the ‘faithful few’ who have left the churches of apostacy. They will continue to gather together discreetly. We see what Jesus meant by this “apostacy” reading His 7 letters to His churches. (Revelation 2 and 3) Five out of seven, the great majority, are rebuked by the Lord for things HE WILL NOT PUT UP WITH IN HIS CHURCH, AND WILL PUNISH BY TAKING FROM THEM WHAT THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD WITH HIM. This is serious.
I’m pretty certain, that what we will see now is the result of widespread Christian apostacy. Franklin Graham and God’s prophets to America were God’s last warning to America’s Christians. Jonathan Cahn, being one very loud voice of truth and warning, has spoken to Congress even, but have they listened to him. (Cahn wrote “Harbinger” after 9/11, and now “Harbinger II” about America’s future as well as Israel’s.) Many other of God’s prophets are giving us warnings too, but sadly, most churches of Jesus Christ refuse to believe that God is still using His office of prophecy with His prophets today.
When kings and presidents do not care anymore what God thinks or says, even though they think they do, and want us all to believe they do, pretending to represent God as they lead and rule over us (hypocrites and self-serving), God gives our enemies the freedom to take our nation down and remake it any way our enemies want. God blessed America because of the faith and obedience to Him by our Founders and presidents after who had their same faith and desire to obey the Lord our God as they govern a nation God started for His purpose with imperfect but faithful men.
As we’re told in the Bible, ALL the nations will and must align under the ‘last’ anti-Christ with his evil one-world-order. Then the end will come, meaning “the end of evil and rebellion on the earth” with the second coming of Jesus Christ as KING of kings and LORD of lords. “He will strike the nations down the double-edged sword coming out of His mouth. He will rule them with an iron scepter, and He will tread the winepress (bloody battle) of the FURY of the WRATH of GOD ALMIGHTY.” (Revelation 19:11-15) Jesus told us to pray to our Father in heaven: “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth – as it is in heaven.” This is the result of the second coming of God’s Son.
The whole world will be totally deceived by the devil ‘personified.’ But, his reign is shortened to his surprise by the return of Christ. And, as we live and breathe, the whole world is being conditioned and programmed for this one-world-order with an extreme hatred of everyone and everything representing the GOD of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; extreme hatred for those who will not deny Christ Jesus and God’s written Word to mankind.
Jesus taught His disciples that we should not fear this day, but simply be prepared for it in both practical ways and spiritually – making ready a people prepared FOR HIM. (Luke 1:17)
I hope and pray that God will surprise us all with keeping Donald Trump in the White House another four years to uphold and preserve our Constitution/God-given rights/Independence under God, but if not, then it will only confirm to me that Jesus is coming sooner than we thought. Hallelujah!
WORDS
Proverbs 13:3 “Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.”
Lord Jim: “There is a weird power in the spoken word, and a word carries very far, and can give destruction through time as the bullets go flying through space. We are to re-talk God’s talk. We are the Butler, not the chef. God has already spoken; we need to re-speak what he spoke.”
How often we have heard in growing up “that sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Sounds good, but we know that this is not true. I have dealt with many people over the years who had words spoken to them that caused damage to their emotional stability and even after many years still haunts them.
Words motivate others and can make us a better communicator and so we need to keep in mind that communication is key – no matter what we might want out of life.
I have found with my wife, because of her brain damage through an aneurysm and a lost coil that caused a stroke, that some simple words are beneficial in helping her.
Words, even simple words, have tremendous power. For example, the word ‘but.’ An amazingly simple one syllable word, however, the word ‘but’ is known as either an ‘eraser’ or ‘enhancer.’
What do I mean? When we see the word, ‘but’ it erases what was said before and brings in something new after. A good example of this is found in Ephesians 2. Paul is describing what man is like and how he is like a puppet in the hands of our spiritual enemy. After he describes man outside of Christ, in comes the word ‘but.’ “But God,” in His grace mercy gives us a way out.
Another important word is the word ‘yes.’ We need to learn to use this word more, in a right way, and the word ‘no’ less. It is a known fact that one thing we all fear is rejection and because of that we find the word ‘yes’ ingrained in our makeup, not wanting to be rejected. It does not mean that at times we do use the word ‘no,’ but what I mean is that ‘yes’ brings in a more positive attitude, because our brains are made for the positives and not the negatives concerning the life and purposes that God has given us.
Another important word is ‘because.’ It can help people to see the reason before they act, or that which is behind what they think or believe. ‘Because’ gives us a reason for what we see or go through. When we have a reason, we are more confident and prone to act.
‘If’ is another important word. This word helps to guide people through a decision in the proper way. We find people often coming and saying “I cannot do this (whatever it might be),” but we can come along and say: “What would you do ‘if’ you could…..?” This word can guide people’s thinking in a certain direction.
One thing that my wife and I are learning is the word ‘help.’ When someone asks for help it gives a sense of importance and being needed. It has the tendency to keep the motivation high.
Another amazingly simple word, but important is the word ‘thanks.’ This word makes people feel more valued as well as motivated. When I do something for my wife in her 24/7 care, she will respond by saying “thanks.” To be honest, it makes me feel important and needed and motivates me to keep on keeping on.
The last three years since my wife’s aneurysm I have been doing a lot of reading and research on how best to help my wife and see her brain rewire itself. It is taking time, but I have found that amazingly – simply words – have a powerful impact, and these are some of the words that I am using with my wife.
I had mentioned at the beginning: “We are to re-talk God’s talk. We are the Butler not the chef. God has already spoken; we need to re-speak what he spoke.”
We are to live not by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. While reading and meditating on the Word, there will be a sentence, paragraph or even a chapter that will speak to me and when it does I will speak it out loud, knowing that God’s Word will not come back to Him without accomplishing that for which the Word was sent.
Let us remember the words of Martin Luther: “I STAND ON THE WORD OF GOD.”
Three years ago, last month (October of 2017), the life of my wife and I changed. Anneli had a brain aneurysm and October 8, 2017 she went through a five-hour operation where the aneurysm was secured with coils. However, one slipped and went to another part of the brain that caused a stroke affecting her left side-leg, arm, left peripheral vision and short-term memory.
My wife needed 24/7 care and I became the main caregiver. I started to learn what Paul was saying in Ephesians: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.” Ephesians 5:25
Moving from a busy preaching schedule to being house bound became quite a transition. Anneli was learning the lesson to being waited on instead of waiting on others and I was learning what it meant to give myself to my wife. Precious lessons were being learned.
I was asking the Lord how to pray for my wife and the phrase ‘little by little’ came to mind. I thought that was rather strange way to pray that she would be healed ‘little by little.’
Over the next couple of years, I was asking the Lord to heal my wife and He was doing that ‘little by little.’ At times it seemed we moved ahead three steps and then two steps back and even other times it was two steps forward and three steps back. But there was some improvement.
The phrase ‘little by little’ brought to mind the verse in Exodus: “Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land.” (Exodus 23:30) This we know was a reference of the Children of Israel going into the Promise Land and how God would deal with the seven nations that were there.
The verse in Exodus referring to the Children of Israel taking over the Promise land was becoming a more personal verse to Anneli and me in the situation that we found ourselves in. I could not fully understand why the Lord would ask me to pray for my wife to be healed ‘little by little,’ but then He began to show us another part of the verse: “I will drive them out.” What spoke to us and what the Lord was showing us was that in the process of healing Anneli ‘little by little,’ the Lord was wanting to drive things out of our life that was not pleasing to Him.
This became a Rhema word for Anneli and me and we began to pray for the Lord to reveal what it is that He is wanting to ‘drive out’ of our lives. King David said: “But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.” (Psalms 19:12) We were realizing afresh that God wants truth in the inner man. The Lord has been revealing issues (the hidden errors and faults) in our life that need to be driven out. We discovered what a blessing it was to see and understand in the midst of suffering what the Lord was doing.
Later in this journey, the Lord gave more revelation in this verse by the word ‘increase.’ For the Children of Israel, the word increase meant having children (increase in population) in order to inherit the land.
The Hebrew word for increase is: parah (paw-raw’); a primitive root; to bear fruit (literally or figuratively): KJV – bear, bring forth (fruit), (be, cause to be, make) fruitful, grow, increase. So, Anneli and I saw that in her healing ‘little by little’ things in our life that were not pleasing to the Lord could be discovered, confessed, and driven out. Result? That we might be fruitful (both internal fruit of the Holy Spirit as well as external). What did Jesus say? “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:2
This is a personal journey that Anneli and I are sharing with you. We always have a tendency to look at ‘suffering’ in a negative light and we forget that part of our armor is what Peter said: “Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.” 1 Peter 4:1
Suffering is a normal part of life – even a part of a good life, and the suffering teaches us how to be patient, kind, and loving.
However, we live in a world today, especially in the West, that unhappiness is slavery and freedom is liberation from the burden of unchosen obligations.
In the book called “Live Not by Lies” it says: “A 2019 NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found a distinct minority of young American adults believed that religion, patriotism, and having children are an important part of life, while nearly four out of five said ‘self-fulfillment’ is key to the good life.”
The question is are we ready when suffering does come our way? Like it says above: “Suffering is a normal part of life – even a part of a good life, and that suffering teaches us how to be patient, kind, and loving.”
Only Limited and Carefully Defined Powers Should Be Delegated to Government – All Others Be Retained in the People
This goes along with the 10th Amendment: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.
Proverbs 28:4-5 “Those who abandon God’s teachings praise wicked people, but those who follow God’s teachings oppose wicked people. Evil people do not understand justice.” (from GOD’S WORD)
This was one principle that our Founding Fathers felt was very important and that was to prohibit the federal government from having too much power. This principle was to help balance the powers between the federal government and the states. The federal government could keep the states in check and the states could do likewise with the federal government.
The Founding Fathers knew from their study of history that the tendency was always to move towards absolute control to where governments would become corrupt and abusive, this principle was designed to keep the power between the states and the federal government in check with one another. It was designed to reinforce the principle of limited government.
The Founders knew that unless there was a healthy relationship between the federal government and the states that each would begin to deteriorate and one or the other would begin to dominate. In other words, if one or the other began to dominate it would either mean the end of local self-government and the security of the individual or the federal government becoming so weak that the structure of the nation would begin to deteriorate.
The Founders knew – by keeping a strict balance between the state and the federal government – that it would give the individual recourse if abuse came by one or the other. For example, if the states encroached upon the rights of the individual the federal government was there to overcome and if the federal government encroached upon the rights of the individual, the states were there for recourse.
Alexander Hamilton says: “Power being almost always a rival of power, the general government will at all times stand ready to check the usurpations of the state governments, and these will have the same disposition towards the general government.”
One problem that has arisen is the election of our U.S. Senators. What would our Founding Fathers think (according to the 17th amendment) when our senators are elected by popular vote rather than appointed by the state legislatures? If the House of Representatives passed something the U.S. Senate could always block it, but because the U.S. Senate has been appointed by popular vote they often are kept in power by what they can ‘bring home’ to the state or constituents.
For example, I read an article in our last elections that one of the reasons why a voter in the state of Nevada voted for Harry Reid is not because he thought he was the best representative for the state, but because he was able to ‘bring home’ what is known as “pork.” Because of this the question does arise: Are the states able to stop the might of the federal government if the Congress began legislating against state’s rights? At the moment it seems doubtful.
Another danger that is lurking in the back-ground is what is known as “Executive Orders” that while a president is in office He can initiate. Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu1 said: “There can be no liberty where the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person.” Todd F. Gaziano Director, Center for Legal & Judicial Studies Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies remarked: “A President who abuses his executive order authority undermines the constitutional separation of powers and may even violate it.”
Thomas Sowell in his book THE VISION OF THE ANOINTED made the comment that government expansion comes through crises. They can be real, created or imaginary, but the results are the same. The solution to the crises is more government offices (expansion) in order to fix the problem. When Rahm Emanuel (was the mayor of Chicago) was Obama’s chief of staff he made this famous statement: “We cannot allow a crisis to go to waste.”
Outside the archive building in Washington DC is a monument that declares: “ETERNAL VIGILANCE IS THE PRICE OF LIBERTY.”
Are we losing our freedom (liberty) because of a lack of vigilance??? We see what is happening in our present election.
A System of Checks and Balances Should be Adopted to Prevent the Abuse of Power
In the early days of our Constitution many people wanted the separation of powers to be absolute, but in his Federalist Papers (numbers 47 to 51) James Madison explained the separation of powers between the executive, legislative and the judicial. In other words, he did not want something that was absolute, but for each to hold all in “check and balance.” He said that “the trick was to separate the powers and then delicately lace them back together again as a balanced unit.”
Christopher Demuth Sr. of the Hudson Institute said: “The struggle for power and advantage is a constant of human society.” Our Founding Fathers knew the frailty of human nature and the checks and balances that they came up with in the three branches of government has provided a very stable government for over two centuries. However, looking at what is happening today we see the abuse taking place as one branch tries to take precedent over the others in order to get its way.
The idea in back of the three branches of government is that none of them ought to possess or have an overruling influence on the others. Madison went on to say: “It will not be denied power if of an encroaching nature and that it ought to be effectually restrained from passing the limits assigned to it.”
In second Corinthians 10:13 the apostle Paul said: “We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you.” Paul did not want to go beyond the limits that God had assigned to him. In the same way this applies to the three branches of our government. They should not go beyond the limit that has been assigned to them. However, as I mentioned before we see how the executive is trying to override the legislative by issuing executive orders, and the judicial going beyond what the Constitution provides by creating ‘new’ laws (called judicial legislation) by pretending to be merely interpreting old ones. We see the legislative branch imposing taxes that were never contemplated by the Constitution.
The cost of freedom is eternal vigilance. And because in our Republic, we the people, have not been vigilant to keep a close watch on our representatives to make sure that they are operating within constitutional boundaries, we now find our freedoms slowly, but surely, eroding.
The checks and balances set up by the Founding Fathers were to protect the people, but how do we now protect ourselves? When Framers put together the Constitution they made the three branches of our government separate as to their “assigned” function, but also made them dependent upon one another. Undersecretary of state, J. Reuben Clark, Jr said: “the Framers had no direct guide in this work, no historical governmental precedent upon which to rely. As I see it, it was here that the divine inspiration came. It was truly a miracle.”
We see the checks and balances set up between the three branches of government at the same time the people have a check on their congressman every two years; on their president every four years; and on their senators every six years. The problem in our Republic that we have today is that we have become lazy, ignorant and careless when it comes to voting (or have not voted) and have put in people that should not have been put in places of power. President Washington said “the habits of thinking in a free country should inspire caution entrusted with its administration”, but so often, we, the people have not taken the time to really ‘vet’ those that we vote for to see what their true intentions are. Just like the apostle Paul said that when he departs that there will be many false teachers, false Christs coming in like the real thing, but having their own agenda. So it is with our government today.
For over two centuries that this Constitution has been in operation it has carried this nation through a number of crises. Other countries that copied our Constitution, but did not put in the checks and balances found that their presidents have suspended the Constitution and have used the Army to stay in power.
A good example of this here in our own country is the “Watergate” where a president went beyond his authority and under the threat of impeachment, although he was the commander in chief of the Armed Forces, resigned and made no attempt to keep himself in power. The transfer of powers took place quietly and in order.
Over the last 60 years I have had the privilege of traveling and visiting many countries, and often I have seen the turmoil, confusion and mass killing that has taken place because of a lack of adequate government with proper checks and balances to restrain the frailty of human nature.
Thinking this morning as I was talking to my Father God about what His Son hanging on the cross – meant by saying, “Father, why have You forsaken me?!” So many people don’t understand why God the Father would turn on His own Son making Him go through all that we read in the Bible about Jesus being severely beaten and then made to carry His own cross to where He would be nailed to it and then set up to hang there suffering a slow and painful death. To them it is simply evil and not acceptable, but that’s because they don’t understand what was really happening that is for each of us PERSONALLY.
We need to recognize how sinful we are and that we are in desperate need of the Savior of the world! If you don’t recognize that you are a sinner with a serious sinful nature – then you will NEVER understand God’s way of the Cross of Redemption and Restoration of Life. You will naturally set yourself up as a judge of God and His Word, and see Jesus as just a man whose life ended in death, having only one purpose as a good teacher and moral example. But what shall you do with what Jesus claimed of Himself: “I am the Truth, the Way and the Life eternal – no man comes to the Father except by Me!”?
If Jesus’ death on the cross was all there was to what His purpose on earth was – then what will you do with what was said of Him as the One who returns to REIGN on the earth for one-thousand years as KING of kings and LORD of lords? If you don’t understand that Jesus was raised from His physical death (in the tomb) to revisit His disciples and show them that what He promised them He would do; and if you don’t know what happened to Him after He was laid in the tomb – to be joined back to His Father in Heaven where He stands as our High Priest until all His faithful children are joined to Him in Heaven and then to return with Him to the earth for His full purpose in the world as both Lamb and Lion, then you will only see Jesus Christ in part, not in whole, and miss what THE CROSS was all about.
When the Father turned away from His Son hanging on the Cross, God the Father did not reject His Son; the Father was rejecting the “sin of the world” that was placed upon His Son – because Jesus is the Savior of the world.
I can’t even imagine what the Father felt for His Son at that point – knowing that the love of God is so much greater than any kind of human love. The Father knew that His Son had to suffer and die for no fault of His own – bearing all our wickedness and rebellion – so that we who believe in the Son of God would become the true sons and daughters of God.
Some tend to stop at the Cross when we think about Jesus Christ, but Father God, like God the Son, knew the JOY of what it would all produce; the outcome of why Jesus Christ came into the world as a baby, and why He lived like He did on the earth for 33 years, and why He called certain men to Himself, and why He was sent to the cross as the only perfect man that ever lived, and with His resurrection from death to life – what all THAT would mean for the world, especially for each of us ‘personally’ who would believe in Him and give up our own life – for His life in us – because we love Him.
When we try to understand why Jesus, hanging on the cross, cried out to His Father, “Father! Why have you forsaken me!” we need to understand ALL about Jesus Christ. The Bible tells ALL! The Holy Spirit is the One who will reveal ALL to us and remind us of ALL that Jesus said and taught that is recorded in the Word of God.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the JOY that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding YOUR OWN blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? ‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son/daughter whom he receives.” Hebrews 12:1-6
“All this is clear evidence of God’s righteous judgment. And so you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God – for which YOU are suffering.” 1 Thessalonians 1:5
“What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? If is God who justifies. Who is there to condemn us? For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God – and He is interceding for us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation – will be able to separate us from the LOVE OF GOD THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD!” Romans 8:31-38
Today, when I look at the future generation that will lead America I see one fundamental flaw. They want to take the two most powerful standards, which are really one, that made America great, and change them. They think these two standards are living and allowed to be changed with the “changing times” of each generation. What are these two standards? The Bible, and the Constitution of America. Neither one of these standards were ever meant to be changed. Why? If they can be changed then they loose their power. Their power derives from the fact they both speak of God’s truth and love, laws and order, justice and faith in God. This is what will keep America great. UNHOLY FEAR IS WHAT WILL ALLOW THE CHANGING OF BOTH OF THESE STANDARDS. (Jeremiah 12:17)