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People of The Living God |
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July 2024
WATCHMEN ON THE WALLS
BECAUSE
Randall Walton
What a powerful word! It is used over 1,150 times in the Holy Bible to explain the reason(s) or cause(s) for certain specified conditions to be brought to pass. “Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him,” the Lord has promised in Psalm 91:14. It is the hinge which connects two distinct and separate clauses or conditions. It tells us the reason why God will deliver certain ones – because!
It is amazing to find how many of God’s promises are based upon conditions which must be fulfilled in order for one to claim and possess said promises. By the same token, God judges or condemns upon the premise of “because.” People bring the judgment of almighty God upon themselves because they refuse or neglect to do what God has ordered them to do.
The prophet Isaiah was shown a panorama of escalating events of the last days about which he said, “Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof” (Isa. 24:1). He further described the desolation in verses 2 through 4; in verse 5, he tells us the reason, or the because. God does nothing without a reason or a cause. And He is always justified in everything He does. Whether men agree with His actions is beside the point. His prime motive is LOVE - love for His creatures, love for those who love Him - and for the preservation of His kingdom.
Corruption left undealt with becomes contagious and self-perpetuating. God is not only justified in stopping the spread of corruption, He is obligated to intervene for the sake of the continuance of His kingdom and its citizens. His judgment then becomes an act of mercy and benevolence. Iniquity and anarchy must be stopped before the entire globe and universe become corrupted by their advance.
ISAIAH 24:5
“The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; BECAUSE they have 1) transgressed the laws, 2) changed the ordinance, 3) broken the everlasting covenant.” For these three abominations, God is justified to make “the earth empty, turn it upside down, and scatter abroad its inhabitants.” Since this is reality, it behooves us to know what these three gross sins are so that we may be guiltless before the Lord who “maketh the earth waste.”
“They have transgressed the laws.”
The word “they” refers to the inhabitants of the earth, those who have defiled or
corrupted the earth with their ungodly behavior. It is a common fact that mankind in general does not care for law. This is quite understandable with unregenerate people of the world. Any sinner is guilty of transgressing God’s laws (“Sin is transgression of the law” I John 3:4). A sinner, then, is one who transgresses God’s law(s).
But the greater sin is committed by those who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ and who deny the existence of law for themselves. They suppose they can disregard God’s regulations and rules (law) and remain in good standing with Him. Such is not the case! God’s laws must be obeyed by everyone who expects to have a walk with God, or to put it another way - to be saved and to remain saved!
The lack of moral standards in society and the Christian ranks is absolutely appalling. One would expect that divorce, sexual impurity, homosexuality, abortion, greed, selfishness, cheating, lying, stealing and spouse abuse would be limited to the people of the world who claim no relationship with God whatever. However, statistics which we have read show that many of the ills which affect worldly people also plague those who profess Christianity.
Man by nature is a professional rebel; that is, he resents all restraints, standards, and laws which would impede his independence. He will gladly accept Jesus Christ as Savior, but retains the right to reject Him as Lord and Master of his life. When faced with the reality of God’s command for obedience, he will manufacture a million excuses why God will not hold him accountable.
It is most probable that we who live in this year of 2024 are in the midst of the most rebellious and stubborn generation which has ever set foot on this planet. Anarchy goes full steam ahead among the secular crowd - as well as the religious.
Much, if not most, of the blame for the lawlessness among the religionists can be laid at the feet of the clergy, those men of the cloth who have fashioned a cloak of piety to cover a multitude of sins while guaranteeing free salvation for any and all who “decide” favorably; they give the impression that they are somehow benefiting God by their admission that Jesus died on the cross.
They fit rather snugly into the category described by Ezekiel the prophet: “Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life:” (Ezek. 13:22).
God’s laws have probably never been so unpopular as they are at the present time. There is a lot of excitement going on in certain circles: so-called holy laughter, falling down, running around the perimeter of the meeting hall, make-believe dancing in the Spirit, false prophecy, etc., etc. But the word “obey” is seldom heard: it is considered stifling, “quenching the Spirit,” a hindrance to freedom and liberty.
It’s strange that God doesn’t feel that way about obedience. It is a matter of major priority with Him. And to prove it so, He has promised to make the earth empty, make it waste, and turn it upside down. These law-breakers have defiled (corrupted, polluted, contaminated) the earth with their lawlessness and the ultimate price must be paid for their iniquity.
We have heard vain explanations by preachers who should have known better about how mankind couldn’t keep God’s law, so God did away with it. Jesus, they say, nailed it to the Cross. Can you imagine any government operating without law? Of course not! The entire universe is governed by laws which provide for the safety and longevity of both the creatures and the government. It is rank arrogance to teach that the government of God can and does operate with no law(s).
To substantiate this principle, one needs to merely read the words, the sayings, and the commands of Jesus as they appear in the four gospels. The laws of the church and the kingdom of God are there for all to see - and obey.
They have “changed the ordinance.”
Strong’s Concordance says an ordinance is “an appointment (of time, space, quantity, labor or usage).” There is but one edict which perfectly fits this definition: the fourth commandment which is concerning the Sabbath of the Lord. God said He blessed, sanctified and hallowed the seventh (or the last) day of the week (Gen. 2:2,3; Ex. 20:8-11; Lev. 23:3; Mark 2:27,28; Heb. 4:4-6,9).
God set aside the seventh day of the week and sanctified it. But religious men, who claim to be loyal to the living God, have changed the observance from the seventh day to the first day, the day which was held in reverence to the sun by the ancient sun worshippers.
Who changed the ordinance?? “Sunday is not the Sabbath day; no man dare assert that it is…I will give $1,000 to any man who will prove by the Bible alone that Sunday is the day we are bound to keep...The observance of Sunday is solely a law of the Catholic church…The church changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and all the world bows down and worships upon that day in silent obedience to the mandates of the Catholic church.” (T. Enright, Css. R., a Roman Catholic priest in Hartford, Kansas, Feb. 22, 1884; reprinted in “A Word to Protestants,” by E.E. Franke.)
Mr. Franke also cites another Catholic priest, A. Gerritsma of Manitoba, as saying: “…Now every child in school knows that the Sabbath day is Saturday, the seventh day of the week, yet with the exception of seventh day keepers, all protestant denominations keep the Sunday, instead of the Sabbath day, because the Catholic Church made this change in the first ages of Christianity. (Winnipeg Free Press, April 21, 1910)
Who then changed the ordinance? The Roman Catholics claim to have the authority to do so and the majority of protestant denominations stoutly defend the anti-Biblical stand of the Romans. The Protestants then bear as much responsibility for changing the ordinance as do the Romans. They have concocted a whole litany of false “proofs” why Christians should observe Sunday rather than the Sabbath. And they have the unmitigated gall to refer to Sunday as “the Lord’s Day.” We must admit that the R.C. church has been more honest about this issue than have the Protestants.
While it is true that all of the Ten Commandments are routinely abused and broken, the fourth is the only one which has the distinction of being both broken and changed. It is as if mankind in his ignorance and distaste of truth has tried to improve on God’s dictates and laws, thereby substituting a pagan holiday in place of God’s holy day. Seen in this light, it is easy to understand why God is upset (angry) because unscrupulous men have changed the ordinance; and He will, therefore, make the earth waste, and turn it upside down.
Let it be understood that the keeping of the Sabbath is not “the seal of God.” Observing that holy day does not secure one’s salvation. However, refusing to observe it could cost you your salvation, just as committing adultery, stealing, killing, and lying can separate a person from God. It is a very serious matter to strike out or rail against any of the commands of God, and it is even more of an insult to make a substitution for any of the laws or ordinances of the Lord. God accounts such behavior as being worthy of desolation.
They have “broken the everlasting covenant.”
Throughout man’s history, God made several covenants with different individuals, most of which were temporary or covered a specific period of time, i.e., circumcision. But we read in the book of Hebrews that the Lord promised to make a NEW covenant (an agreement or a contract) with His people: “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord (quoted from Jer. 31:33,34), I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Heb. 10:16,17).
In addition to the above, Jesus made this statement: “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and SHALL BE IN YOU” (John 14:16,17).
Every Christian, then, has been the recipient of the laws of God and the Holy Spirit. Indeed, Bro. Paul reminds us that we are the “temple” of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in us (I Cor. 3:16). This, then, constitutes this covenant which God has made with those who are redeemed by the blood of Jesus. The Holy Spirit was given as a guide and helper, One who would aid the believer in obeying the laws written in his heart and instilled in his mind. His presence would sustain through the difficult times, and bring joy and gladness in place of sorrow and despair. And the promise was an “everlasting covenant.” (forever)
This does not assume that the covenant could not ever be broken. On God’s part the covenant is sure and everlasting. On the believer’s part, however, there are certain conditions which can cause this wonderful agreement to come to an end and for the Holy Spirit to vacate the temple he once inhabited.
This horrible condition is mentioned by both Jesus and the apostles. In Matt. 24:15 Jesus warned of the “abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place. Mark 13:14 says, “standing where it ought not.”
The “holy place” referred to here is the believer’s body: “for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (I Cor. 3:17). The abomination which makes desolate is that condition where the temple becomes inhabited by another entity, other than the Holy Spirit; this other being or entity stands in the temple of God “where it ought not,” or where it should not be. The person so defiled is no longer the habitation of the Holy Ghost but has become the dwelling place of a wicked spirit or spirits.
This is described in II Thess. 2:3 as a “falling away,” or apostasy, and is called by Isaiah “breaking the everlasting covenant.” The cause for such a condition as this lies with the believer himself. He breaks the covenant - not God. Paul calls this the “mystery of iniquity” and states that because they receive not a love of the truth, “God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (II Thess. 2:10-12).
The false idea of “once saved, always saved” is a lie which is sending many to destruction because such a premise as this is construed to mean license, freedom to live in sin and rebellion, and still maintain unconditional eternal salvation.
Hebrews 6:4-8 speaks of a certain class of people who cross the line of unforgiveness from God, a horrible situation: “impossible to renew them again unto repentance.” The Holy Ghost is given to a person to “guide him into all truth” (John 16:13). When a new born Christian embarks upon his heavenward journey, the Holy Spirit will attempt to reveal to him, through the Word, the splendid and glorious truths of God. The person is required to make a decision: accept truth, receive it, walk in it, obey it, or reject it, ignore it, disdain it. In rejecting truth, the person rejects the guidance of the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of truth) and becomes a candidate for the abomination of desolation.
It is no secret that multitudes of people are more interested in pleasures, fun, entertainment, prosperity, affluence, and possession of goods than they are in serving God with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength. They attend their church as if it is a sort of fire insurance. They do not seriously plan to yield themselves to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit within them, nor do they intend to obey the laws which God has put in their hearts and minds!
The result? “they have broken the everlasting covenant.” “Therefore,” or because of this, “hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left” (Isa. 24:6).
Is this a description of some of the catastrophic events which seem to be looming on the horizon? Will God really allow such a devastation to come upon the inhabitants of this planet? Indeed - and He is completely justified to do what He said He would do. Fortunately, we have a little time left to rectify ourselves and get right with God.
But if we fail to take heed to the words of the Lord, it will soon be too late; why? Because!!!
EVIL SPIRITS
Harry Miller
One of the signs of “latter times” is the extreme activity of spiritualistic manifestations. The ninth chapter of the book of Revelation tells of the opening of the “bottomless pit” and describes how the sun and the air are darkened by the smoke of the pit, and that out of the smoke shall come the “locust” which will give men a deadly sting. The warning of the Lord is given concerning this terrible condition that will befall multitudes. The terror and the torment of the victims of the “locust” are so horrible, we are told, that these stricken people will actually “seek death.” That is, they will try to commit suicide in an effort to escape from their captors, but the prophecy says “death shall flee from them.”
WHY DOES DEATH FLEE? The king of death is called Apollyon (verse 11). When he has gained possession of a body he does not want it to die. The body is a spirit’s vehicle of expression in this world. If the evil spirits are able to overcome the keeper of this house of clay, they can take possession. The soul and spirit of the man are still in the body, but they are not alone. The maniac of the Gadarenes was so filled with evil spirits that he was a walking community of evil entities who even gave themselves the name of “Legion” (Mark 5:1-15). Mary Magdalene also, once had “seven devils,” or evil spirits, within her (Luke 8:2).
Demons are not imaginary beings such as fairies and gremlins. They are rational entities who are ever seeking to break through the human barrier and take active part in the affairs of men. Demons, or evil spirits, are the enemies of man and of God.
Many material-minded people scoff at the idea of demon spirits, and class such things as so much superstition. But the Holy Scriptures give many accounts of demon activity, and the words of Christ and of the apostles affirm the fact of the existence of evil beings in a realm very near that of humanity.
Jesus spoke of the evil spirit which was cast out, saying that “he walked through dry places,” and this evil being was trying to “find rest.” Later, the vile spirit, or demon, persuaded seven other demons to help him make a concentrated assault against the man who had formerly been his host; and when they had made a successful attack they entered the man’s frail tenement and “the last state of that man was worse than the first” (Luke 11:24-26).
Humanity and the powers of Hades are constantly in a deadly conflict. Evil spirits are working continually to possess mankind. The influence of such power is beyond man’s wildest imagination. Many “good” persons have been caught unawares by the evil one, and in a moment of weakness been moved to perform wicked things, which upon later contemplation were incomprehensible to them.
Many people have even committed murder and later testified that they couldn’t understand why they had done it. Many sadists, and others who are driven by some mania, in their sane moments regret their improper conduct, and cannot understand why they do such things. Materialists of science claim that these people have “relapses of insanity.” It is true that the normal functions of that individual’s mental powers have been thrown into confusion, and he could not reason rationally; But why? What brought about the confusion? The answer to this is evil spirits.
Show me someone who is in rebellion against the convictions of his own conscience, and I will show you a person who is in confusion. Such an individual is a perfect subject for demon influence or inspiration. All sinners are rebels against God, truth, and their own consciences. They are subjects of hell’s influence and inspiration.
When Peter denied the Lord, he was not possessed by an evil spirit; but Satan had tricked him, and the influence of hell was such that he was momentarily swept by the forces of unbelief. When he realized what he had done he “went out and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:62).
Judas, on the other hand, was so filled with greed and treachery that he was an open vessel for evil spirits. The Scripture says that after Jesus gave him the sop “Satan entered into him.” From that moment on Judas was actuated by demon inspiration. When he connived with the priests he was inspired. When he accepted their money he was inspired. When he led the constabulary to the place of prayer to betray his friend, he was inspired. For hours, no doubt, Judas felt the thrill of this inspiration, his mind seemed fantastically clear, his whole body surged with exhilarating power, and his steps were light and springy. He was inspired. But after the devil left the traitor, he plunged into the depths of despair and remorse. As he viewed the stark nakedness of his treachery, his whole being shuddered in horror. In desperation he rushed back to the temple, and casting the price of his Lord at the feet of the hypocrites, he tried to atone to his own conscience for his horrible crime. But this brought him no relief, and, driven by the desire for complete oblivion, he went out and hanged himself.
Beware of demon inspiration. What the individual receives in return for the prostration of his faculties is nothing in comparison to what he must pay. Demons are the demoralizing influences of this world. They plunder and destroy character and body. They are definitely enemies of both God and man. Again and again the Lord has warned men not to play with familiar spirits.
We are at war with the spirits of evil, and warfare is a deadly affair. With these enemies of unrighteousness there can be no compromise. Never can there be a condition of peaceful co-existence. They hate us, and we ought to hate them. As the sons of God, our task is to bind, cast out, and cast down every demon spirit. This authority has been given to us through Jesus Christ.
Never presumptuously tamper with evil spirits. Many presumptuous souls have fallen into bondage by making a sport out of spiritualistic practices. Millions of Pentecostal people are excitement addicts who run to and fro seeking another thrill. Even as a drunkard seeks his whisky, these emotional excitement lovers seek the effervescence and exhilaration of spirit manifestations. They love the jerking, shivering, shaking, quaking, jumping, twisting, writhing, stammering, blubbering, bodily manifestations of spirit inspiration. Many of these people are addicts. Night after night they can chase from one place to another, and even though many of them must carry on manual labor all day long, they can spend half the night in spirit orgy, without any physical exhaustion.
Bear in mind that these people are not heathens. Many of them are intelligent people who think that they are doing God service. But the fact is that their public worship and their lives are a reproach to God. In their religious antics they disgrace the temple of the Holy Ghost by all manner of incongruous postures. With insane smirkings they prance about, making sport of God’s dwelling place by shakings and spasms. So violent are some of the reflexes that bystanders can actually hear the “cracking of bones” in necks and spines. People of the world turn away in disgust and conclude that such folks are just fanatics. But these antics are something more than fanaticism. Such demonstrations often border on demonism.
Oh, yes, the people honor God with their lips. They praise the Lord Jesus by the hour and sometimes chant His name half the night. As a matter of fact, they often seem to glory in His name. But don’t be fooled by their WORDS; look at their WORKS. The lives of many Pentecostals and certain other religious fanatics are proof of the breed. Jesus said a “good tree will bear good fruit.” Are these people examples of morality, truthfulness, kindness, mercy, and brotherly love? You won’t have to dig deep to find the answer to this question. But the next question surely puts the label on this so-called Holy Ghost movement: What is the attitude of these religious excitement-loving fanatics regarding the LAW of God? If any religious person hates God’s law, there certainly is something drastically wrong with him, for the law of the Lord is perfect. Furthermore, it will “convert the soul.” Now a converted soul will honor the Lord and seek to obey His every command.
The joy of the true child of God is in walking in complete obedience to the Lord. Such a person does not need to continually feel the tingling of his flesh to let him know that he is a Christian. Every true child of God knows the Lord, and he knows that the Lord has accepted him. This knowledge is not derived through a flesh experience.
Demons, and all manner of evil spirits, can give men flesh experiences. Carnal thrills are satan’s coin for paying sinners. The fact that anyone feels spirit movement, and experiences spirit power is no proof that he is a child of God. “Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Gal. 6:7,8).
WORSHIP vs SELF-GRATIFICATION
Alfred King
In regard to the article above written several years ago by Harry Miller, I would like to add some thoughts and observations, since the Pentecostal movement has changed considerably over time and the Charismatic movement has grown numerically and in popularity.
To give some sort of reference to the growth of these two movements, I offer the following information from the Pew Research Center:
According to the Pew Research Center, Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians numbered over 584 million worldwide as of December 2011. (I could not find a recent update.)
“Christian Movements and Denominations According to a Pew Forum analysis of estimates from the Center for the Study of Global Christianity (CSGC) at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, there are about 279 million Pentecostal Christians and 305 million Charismatic Christians in the world. … This means that, according to this analysis, Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians together make up about 27% of all Christians and more than 8% of the world’s total population.” (Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life • Global Christianity, December 2011).
The discussion of evil spirits in religious services must be entered into cautiously, prayerfully, and free of preconceived ideas which might warp or prejudice one’s approach to this vitally important subject. We must examine how God fits into all that is being promoted in modern Pentecostal and Charismatic movements. The important question here is: how much is inspired by evil spirits as Brother Harry Miller alludes? How much is from ignorance of God’s order? How serious are the demonstrations and actions that take place in these movements in God’s eyes? And at what point do evil spirits gain entrance into worship services? These are serious questions, and those who address them must be careful that we do not dishonor God and that we approach these questions with scripture as the authority for one’s conclusions. Therefore, let us begin with scripture.
Matthew 12 records Jesus casting out a devil (evil spirit) from a man blind and dumb, which restored both his sight and his voice. The Pharisees present began to say that Jesus was casting out devils by the spirit of Beelzebub, prince of the devil. Jesus gives the Pharisees a little lesson on the topic and then He makes this statement: “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.”
The implication here is that claiming a move of the Holy Spirit is not of God and accrediting it to Satan is blasphemy and is unforgivable. If this be the case, we must be extremely cautious when attempting to discern what is genuinely from God and that which is the working of evil spirits (Matt. 12:31-32).
What took place on the day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2 was, at that time, criticized by some onlookers who thought the people involved had been drinking new wine and were drunk. Apparently, the receivers of the Holy Spirit were behaving in an abnormal manner. It is for this very reason that we need to be able to discern what spirit is working in a given service.
CESSATIONISM
Cessationism is the belief that the baptism and infilling that the early church experienced on the first Pentecost after Jesus was risen from the dead was only for that time as the means which God used to “jump start” Christianity. Up to this point, salvation came through the Jews (Israel) by the sacrifices God ordered through His servant Moses. It was necessary then for a new move of God to bring in the New Covenant, “established upon better promises” (Heb. 8:6). According to Cessationists the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as recorded in the book of Acts (especially Acts 2) ceased and is no longer viable or necessary for Christians today.
This issue was addressed very seriously during the Protestant Reformation, and Cessationism was strongly supported and promoted by Calvinists. There were several other reformers who held to the same theology.
Although the doctrine of Cessationism was the most accepted doctrine for centuries, there have always been those who did not hold to this teaching and some received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. However, in the latter part of the 19th century there were some Christians who began to receive what is called by many Pentecostals and Charismatics, “the Second Blessing” or “the Second Work of Grace”.
It was at this time that Charles F. Parham began teaching and apparently experiencing the Baptism of the Spirit. However, it was one of Parham’s students (William J. Seymour) who had moved to Los Angeles, California, and began having services in a little horse stable on Azusa Street who is credited with the commencement of today’s Pentecostal movement. According to reports at that time, the Holy Spirit fell upon those few believers gathered at Azusa Street. As the news spread, thousands from all over came to observe and receive what was taking place and many experienced the move of the Holy Spirit and various healings and miracles took place. This is what is said to be the beginning of the modern Pentecostal Movement.
It is obvious that even today many Pentecostal gatherings include some of the antics mentioned in Brother Harry Miller’s articles. However, I want to present one very important issue that is present in almost, if not, all Pentecostal and Charismatic services: it is the music genre used. The music is pretty much the same as that used in rock concerts, bars, in many fast-food and other restaurants as well as department stores and supermarkets. Much of the music used has a very strong beat and, in many cases, has drums that are overbearing. Between the drums, electric and bass guitars the words are barely understandable. And even when they are understood, they are often repetitious and have more of a hypnotic effect than creating genuine praise and worship. The most obvious sign of how the volume and beat of the songs affect people is to observe the audience at a rock concert. The people have their hands raised while swaying back and forth and drifting into some sort of fantasy land of sensuality; the same as you see in many Charismatic services.
Rock music is sensual and is intended to be so. It has been instrumental in the moral breakdown of American society. This is one reason we find so much immorality among the youth of America. Unfortunately, the church has taken the world’s music and brought it into the church in order to attract young people. With this music which breaks down one’s inhibitions, churches today, instead of holding on to Biblical standards, are succumbing to the demands of the world allowing gay pastors and gay elders to lead the church. Why do we see so many pastors falling into fornication and adultery? At the present time pastors are stepping down from their pulpits because some impropriety was discovered in them. How did this happen? How much effect did the music play a part in their fall? Why is the divorce rate among Christians in America nearly the same as that of those who never attend church?
TRUE WORSHIP OR SELF-GRATIFICATION?
Those who attend a secular rock concert go because it is self-gratifying. They are influenced by the beat, the volume, the words, and the atmosphere, all of which satisfies and appeals to the flesh and their sensuality. Part of that which pleases the flesh is the evil influence that is present at such events.
In a “Christian” service where the music, the volume, the beat, the lights, and the antics of the performers are all present, it appeals to the flesh, much like that of a secular rock concert. When Christians come to worship God in a service, God must be the center, not the music, the beat, the volume, or any of the other gimmicks all too often seen in Pentecostal and Charismatic gatherings. True worship is when one does not look to be gratified but rather focuses upon Jesus Christ and exalts Him. True worship is when one removes the crown from his own head and places it on Jesus Christ, recognizing that He is King and worthy of all honor, praise, and glory. True worship is humbling. It is sensing the holiness, the power, the beauty, and all the attributes of His character and standing amazed that this God would reach down for sinners such as we are.
If self is the center of Christian worship and praise, then the worship is not for God but for self. It is through the desire for self to be satisfied that evil influence can find entrance into a Christian service just as it does in a secular music fest. The music and its accompaniment gratify and satisfy the baser elements of men’s nature and can lead one into sin.
It seems that the louder the music, the more lighting effects, the heavier the beat, and the more professional the performers the wilder the congregants become.
I love music and find it useful in Christian worship services. However, it is the words of the songs that bring praise and worship to God when they are sung with understanding. The force of the words coming from one’s heart is that which is true worship. Music enhances worship by moving the worshipper into a state of awe from which his soul flows out praise that truly exalts God in a most marvelous way. A Christian can worship God with no music accompaniment at all, and maybe it’s time that we drop all the musical fanfare and see how much true worship actually exists in the church.
A COVENANT SEALED IN BLOOD
Jimmy Windham
On a lonely mountain a teenage boy lay wonder-eyed on an altar as his elderly father stood over him with a sharp pointed knife in his hands. All his father could say after he had bound his son’s hands with a leather cord was, “Son, you know I love you, so trust me, for this is for the God I’ve always told you about.” Isaac had absolute faith in his father’s God and Who was now his God. Isaac obeyed his father even though he could have easily taken the knife from his aged father. But disobedience wasn’t an option, for he knew his father was a godly man. The night before, when he asked his father where the sacrifice was to go with the wood he carried up the mountain, his sweet old father kindly told him, “God will provide” (Jehovah Jirah).
From the time he sat on his father’s knee as a child and throughout his teenage years, his father Abraham had meticulously and methodically taught and instilled every promise his eternal, all-creating God had given him. Isaac was very familiar with the events that surrounded the miracle of his birth and the natural impossibility of it. So Isaac knew very well that Jehovah was his father’s God. He also understood the implications of God’s promises as they applied to him. In order for God to bring forth nations from his elderly father, God would also bless him and his seed. He grew up as a teenager trusting in his father’s God. So, as he lay on this crude altar unsure of what was transpiring and how this act would affect God’s promises, his childlike faith was strong in his father’s words, “Trust me, son, God will provide.”
Abraham was a man of faith and never once doubted that God would not raise Isaac up if he indeed plunged that knife into his chest. The writer of Hebrews records: (Abraham) “Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure” (Heb. 11:19).
Men in Abraham’s day and era were not known for keeping their word. Because of the dishonesty among men, a covenant became a way to be certain that men would remain true to their word. A blood covenant involved an agreement between two people that was breakable only by the death of one of the two parties involved. If either broke the covenant that was sworn in blood, it resulted in a death penalty to the one who broke the covenant by the executor of the covenant and who was the third party to the agreement. The example of one man’s integrity of those days is seen in the dispute that developed between Abraham’s herdsmen and Lot’s. God blessed the flocks of both men and the land became too small for both herds which resulted in contentions between Abraham’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen over the land as well as the wells of water.
Abraham, being a righteous man, gave Lot the greener, well-watered land in the valley, while he moved his possessions and flocks to the more arid mountainous land away from Lot. There were many disputes between wealthy landowners whose agreements didn’t turn out as well as that between Abraham and Lot, and at times war would break out between one landowner and his neighbor. This always resulted in property damage and often produced loss of life in the families involved. The solution to this was to call for a truce in which a blood covenant was instituted.
In elementary school, most of us studied the Indians of North America and read about the Indian “blood covenant” in which both parties would cut their hand with a knife and then shake, thereby making them blood brothers.
Among ancient men, the procedures and ceremonies involved in blood covenants varied in different cultures. I read a few years ago in one culture, where a blood covenant called the executor to bring both families to the boundary line of their properties. Both families brought a young lamb from their flocks, which lamb was to be spotless without blemish. The executor then slew both lambs and within a trail of twenty feet on the boundary line of the properties, he poured out the sacrificed lambs’ blood. This was called, “the blood trail.” The head of each family, standing at the end of the blood trail, was handed, by his oldest son (heir), his weapons and his coat. The elder of one family walked down the trail of blood and handed the elder of the other family his weapons and his coat. He would then walk back to the middle of the trail of blood where the executor stood. While his family, his servants, and the other family with their servants all looked on. He would swear, as he stood in blood, that his weapons were now his neighbors and would never be used against him or his family, and his coat, representing his goods and necessities, were now his neighbors if he needed anything. He would complete the ceremony by walking over to the other family’s side to be hugged and kissed by all, for now he took their name. In turn, the head of the other family followed the same ritual. As they all knelt, the executor would proclaim, “Today you’ve exchanged weapons, coats, and names as you stood in blood before both families and these witnesses. From henceforth, there will not be anything other than peace among you, for whosoever breaks this covenant will be put to death.”
Like the American Indians, Abraham knew well what a blood covenant meant and the seriousness of this covenant. Although the procedures were somewhat different in his culture from that written above, the principles were the same. The covenant made between God and Abram is found in Genesis 15. Reading in Genesis 15:9-10, “And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.” Once this was done, it left sort of an isle between the animal parts through, which we see in verse17, the Spirit of the Lord passed between those parts establishing His covenant with Abram, whose name was then changed to Abraham.
Now before Abraham stood on that hill ready to confirm the covenant, he had the gospel declared unto him. In Galatians 3:8, reading from the Amplified Version, “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify (declare righteous, put in right standing with Himself) the Gentiles in consequence of faith, proclaimed the Gospel (foretelling the glad tidings of a Savior long beforehand) to Abraham in the promise, saying, in you shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” Verse 9: “So then, those who are people of faith are blessed and made happy and favored by God (as partners in fellowship) with the believing and trusting Abraham.”
Abraham was given the gospel of a Savior coming to die for all his family. Abraham entered into a blood covenant with God and stood on that mountain with you, me and all his children in his loins, ready and willing to do his part in sacrificing his only son of promise, because he had received the gospel and knew God would sacrifice His Son in fulfilling His part in a blood covenant with mankind.
Now the blood of God’s only slain firstborn Son is shed and covers our hearts if we let God bring us to the blood trail of Calvary’s hill. We all were God’s enemies by nature of our flesh, but if we will stand in this shed blood and make our promises to God and His family, trade him our weapons for His weapons and our filthy (coat) rags for a robe of pure white (righteousness) His coat, we enter into this covenant with God.
I promised God that if He’d save me and forgive me of all my terrible sins I would present my body to Him as a sacrifice. My father, Abraham’s God heard me as I knelt there and the Holy Spirit, who is the executor, heard my vows and sealed them in the blood covenant I have with God. But when it was God’s turn, He spoke so many promises to you and me, that they had to be written down in a Book that has 66 smaller books. His promises to you and me include eternal life. He knew we wouldn’t keep our end of the covenant we made with Him, which, if broken, was punishable by death. Therefore, He slew His firstborn Son in order that we might live.
Now, what does that mean for you and me? We can go to any promise written in those 66 books and we can stand on it because God, Who cannot lie, sealed it in blood! His blood! He has given us His weapons: “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God” (Eph. 6:13). He’s standing in the trail of blood holding them out for us. Why? So we’ll be able to withstand all the tricks and darts of the enemy. Our weapons can’t defeat the devil but His can and He has given them to us. Our weapons are carnal, but His are mighty, “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God” (Eph. 6:13-18).
We also received His name as part of our blood covenant with God. Are you sick? In one of the books with promises, His covenant says (and remember it’s sealed in blood), “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed” (Isa. 53:5). Do you want to live forever and never die? He promised you in blood, that if you’ll “confess (repent with your whole heart) to the Lord Jesus and believe with your whole heart that God raised him from the dead, you’ll be saved (Rom. 10:9). In His scripture, He asked, “Why will you die?” For it is not God’s will that any would perish, but His will is that all will come to repentance (II Peter 3:9).
I spent over 35 years in prison doing a life sentence. I was incarcerated in 1984 until 2020 and I’m so unworthy of this blood covenant with God. But God wants us all to repent and turn to Him, for it was in love that He died and shed His blood, to guarantee you and me eternal life. Today is the day that He’s speaking to your heart and asking you to find someone whom you are certain knows God and will pray with you, or get alone right now and pray and repent until you know God has forgiven you. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done or what sins you have committed in the past, God will forgive you. If He had mercy on me He’ll have mercy on anybody, for I know as Paul that Jesus Christ came to save sinners of whom I was chief. You have opportunity today to enter into a covenant with the Almighty God, a covenant sealed in His own blood. God’s own Son died for you so you can live. Time is running out on the earth, so make your peace with God today. I’m praying for you! Pray for me also. A Prisoner of Jesus Christ.
A Little Space for Grace
Larry Ax
As I contemplate the events that are taking place and have taken place in the world today, I am impressed by the fact that we serve a "gracious, merciful Father" (Joel 2:13).
As I read in Ezra, it seems very similar to our condition now, iniquities, trespasses, and transgressions were rampant. Ezra was so grieved he was ashamed and blushed to lift up his face to God, but he prayed (Ezra 9:6), "And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens": and in verse 9:8 our gracious heavenly Father responded to a humble prayer. "And now for a little space grace hath been showed from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape and to give us a nail in His holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes and give us a little reviving in our bondage." Even after this divine intervention the people returned to their sin.
The Word tells us to study the children of Israel as an example (I Corinthians 10). We also fall into the sin that so easily besets us (Hebrews 12:1). There are so many distractions in our "Babylon society" - TVs, computers, videos, cars, and sports, to list a few. They are not sins in themselves, but we must guard our hearts so the enemy can't slip in unawares.
Many times I feel like Isaiah in Isaiah 6:5, "Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips . . . "Yet in I John 1:9, it states that, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The congregation in Ezra confessed their sins and our awesome God forgave them.
James 4:8 tells us, "Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you." Let us fulfill Hebrews 4:16, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
If we follow the example set by Ezra and the children of Israel, our Father will forgive our iniquities and give that little space of grace and some reviving that we so desperately need.
To God be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
EXPECTATIONS
Beverly Layman
Expectations: 1. a strong belief that something will happen. 2. a belief that someone will or should do something.
Expectations can let you down! Example: When you expect people to act in certain ways, that’s what you will see - regardless of what they do. Also, expecting them to be what you want will not always be true and let you down hard.
Expecting yourself to be perfect or what others expect can be unrealistic too.
Sometimes we imagine that things are expected of us that are not so. We try to please them when it is not necessary.
When you expect things to go your way instead of asking God for guidance, you can be disappointed and even angry or hurt if they go otherwise.
If you expect others to know how you feel or what you want, they really have no idea and can disappoint, or even hurt you, without even meaning to do so. They cannot read your mind. Realize they battle expectations, too.
If you expect all wants and wishes to be met, you will experience many let-downs, hurts, and unreasonable anger at others for failures and losses.
INSTEAD
Expect people to be people ... with all the oddities, behaviors, quirks, and dysfunctional behaviors that even you display. They are imperfect humans just like you!
Count only on Jesus to know your wants and needs. His Word is constant and true. God loves us as sons and daughters.
Let go of your expectations of life and take one step at a time and one day at a time, focusing on Jesus as your guide and Savior. Expect Him to pick you up when you fall. I Peter 5:6-7 states, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” Let Him supply all your needs. And Phil. 4:9 informs us, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Let Him protect you. Psalms 46:1: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Let Him love you unconditionally. John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Focus on what you need to do, what others need, and what you can do for them. Phil. 2:3-4: “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.”
Put others first but don't expect them to do the same. Remember they are human and may not be as far along.
Expect life to have ups and downs and use every down as a stepping stone to draw closer to Jesus. Pray through it and focus on Him. Please Him. “Draw nigh unto God and He will draw nigh to you” (James 4:8).
Withdrawing from life will pull you away from God, too. You cannot expect to heal or progress unless you try to draw close to the Lord. He won't let you down. Expect that!
“And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed” (Deut. 31:8).
“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5).
Expect the devil to try to stop you! He wants you to fail. So, we can expect lessons and attacks from Satan. He doesn't want us to learn and grow in the Lord. He will put obstacles, deceptions, lies, and evil temptations in our way.
But we don't have to fail: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” (1Peter 5:8-9) “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13). “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:11). “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Rom. 8:37).
We can overcome unrealistic expectations and trust in God's truths and promises. If we want to be like Jesus, we can expect trials. But it's up to us to choose to grow from them ... not throw up our hands and cry.
David wrote many laments about trials and tribulations but ended with praises to God. Psalms 43 and 46 for example.
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things (Phil. 4:8).
MORAL GOVERNMENT
All government is, and must be, either moral or physical; that is, all guidance and control must be exercised in accordance with either moral or physical law; for there can be no laws that are neither moral nor physical…Physical government is the administration of physical law, or the law of FORCE.
Moral government consists in the declaration and administration of moral law. It is the government of FREE WILL by motives as distinguished from the government by FORCE…Moral government includes the dispensation of rewards and punishments…It is indispensable to the highest well-being of the universe of moral agents. The universe is dependent upon this as a means of securing the highest good. This dependence is a good and sufficient reason for the existence for moral government. Let it be understood, then, that moral government is a necessity of moral beings, and therefore right.
Our nature and circumstances demand that we should be under a moral government…There must, therefore, be in every community, some standard or rule of duty, to which all the subjects of the community are to conform themselves. There must be some head or controlling mind, whose will shall be law, and whose decision shall be infallible, by all subjects of the government. (And only God is able and worthy of such a position. The Editor) This will must be authoritative, and not merely advisory. There must of necessity be a penalty attached to, and incurred by every act of disobedience to this will. If disobedience be persisted in, exclusion from the privileges of the government is the lowest penalty that can consistently be inflicted. The good then of the universe imperiously requires that there be a moral governor.
- Charles Finney