Author: petebeck3

Pete Beck III ministered as a pastor and Bible teacher in Burlington for over 34 years. He is married to Martha, with whom he has four children, ten beautiful grandchildren, and four amazing great grandchildren. He ministers in his local church as a Bible teacher and counselor. He has published two books - Seeing God's Smile and Promise of the Father - as well as a wide variety of Bible-related articles which he has compiled into books in PDF form.

The Last Three Things My Father Taught Me

My father, Pete Beck, Jr., taught me a lot over my 69 years, through teaching, correction, and example. The last three things he taught me came by example. I hope I will be able to follow in his footsteps in each of these three areas.

 
Live Fearlessly

Dad had weak lungs. Over his lifetime, I believe he had pneumonia three or four times. It seemed that whenever he caught a cold, it would end up in bronchitis. He had been diagnosed with mild COPD. In addition, he suffered from a bone marrow condition that lowered his hemoglobin levels and was 93 years old. He had just suffered a stroke and had survived carotid artery surgery. This combination of co-morbidities might incline some to “hole up” out of fear for the duration of Covid, but he and my Mom refused to live in fear. They did not deliberately expose themselves, but they continued to attend our small group meetings and other gatherings for the last two years and host events in their home occasionally, knowing that by doing so they ran the chance of being exposed. God kept them from that virus for two years until Omicron reared its ugly head. Even then they continued to live just as fearlessly as ever, even though Dad and Mom knew that catching it might kill Dad. Many in the church at large have caved to fear over the last two years, some churches even closing their doors for a while. Not my father.

He lived as he died – fearlessly by faith. This is the first lesson he taught me in his last days on earth.

Have the Courage of Your Convictions

Over the last two years, Dad and Mom thoroughly researched Covid and possible treatments. They decided in advance how they wanted to be treated, which went against the prevailing medical opinion. I personally happened to be in agreement with their viewpoint, but I did not convince them of anything. They independently arrived at their decision. When Dad contracted the virus, he stuck to his convictions, even when his condition deteriorated. I do not believe he ever wavered. This was impressive to me and taught me a great lesson.

King David wrote in the Psalms:

I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. 3  Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! Psalm 63:2-3 (NLT)

There are some things better than life, one of which is to live by faith and courage. The Bible says that some overcome sickness and death by faith, while others die in faith, never receiving in this life that for which they believed.

All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth. 14  Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own. 15  If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back. 16  But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. Hebrews 11:13-16 (NLT)

Faith brings glory to God, whether we get what we ask, live, or die. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Dad died in faith. I heard him testify that he was still trusting in God to heal him even when he was so weak he could hardly lift his head or turn himself in bed. That brought glory to God. When we continue to trust in the goodness of God despite everything going against us, it is a wonderful thing.

The second lesson my father taught me was that holding on to faith and the courage to live by our convictions is better than life itself.

Do Not Be Afraid of Death

At no point in his last days of suffering did I detect that he was afraid or panicking. He endured his sickness with grace, dignity, and without complaint. He must have known he was close to death. I could see it. I wondered how I would do taking care of him. Would I “lose it” if things took a turn for the worse. The answer is “no.” God gave us grace to care for him, just as God gave him grace to endure sickness and eventually to die. When we were called to the hospital to say good-bye, he was incoherent and laboring to breathe, but not looking fearful. When he finally passed, it was so peaceful that it imparted a sense of serenity to the entire process of dying.

The Bible says that Jesus endured death to set all of us free from the fear of it.

Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15  Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. Hebrews 2:14-15 (NLT)

Over the years, I have counseled terminal patients to die in a way that brings glory to God. How we live and die is being watched by others.

We learned to live fearlessly and courageously by faith through Dad’s example, and we also learned how to die well by watching his exit. These are some of the greatest things he ever taught me, for which I am extremely grateful.

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The Measure of a Man: The Legacy of My Father

My father, affectionately called Papa Pete Beck, recently died at the amazing age of 93. He experienced a rich and full life, serving God for 51 of those years as a disciple and church leader. He left behind the love of his life and wife for 71 of those years, four sons, fourteen grandchildren, twenty great grandchildren, and two great-great grandsons, along with countless friends and partners in the ministry. Many regard him as a kind of legend. For us in the family he was Dad, granddad, or something similar. It is pretty difficult to be a legend among those who see you often and know you well, but he was highly respected and well-loved by his family.

I have been thinking about how to measure his life, not that any human being is truly capable of doing such a thing. What is his legacy? The first thing that comes to mind is his family. Secondly, perhaps, we should consider his many accomplishments.

What I would like to focus on in this short article is the idea that legacy can be measured by what those we mentored or fathered are able to accomplish after we are gone.

Moses did a lot in the forty years after he turned eighty. He confronted the most powerful ruler in the world and witnessed God’s power humble and eventually destroy that man in order to liberate God’s chosen people. He led Israel through the wilderness for forty long years and brought them to the brink of the Promised Land. As great as all that was, the one he appointed to take over after him accomplished even more. Joshua led God’s people to victory over the inhabitants of Canaan and oversaw the distribution of the land to the twelve tribes. Moses’ legacy has to be measured in terms of his own victories and those of his protege. If all Moses had done was bring them to the brink of the promise, he would have been somewhat of a failure.

What we accomplish through our heirs or disciples is just as meaningful, perhaps even more so, than what we personally achieve.

Another fine example of a disciple carrying on the legacy of his father in the faith is the Elijah – Elisha relationship. Elijah accomplished some amazing things during his stint as a major prophet in Israel, but he eventually came to a point when he was ready to call in quits. In a state of unbelief and despondency, God gave him three things to accomplish before his death, one of which was to pass on his ministry to a successor named Elisha. In addition, he was to anoint or appoint new kings over Syria and Israel.

Interestingly, his first step of obedience was to call Elisha to be his disciple. Elisha dropped everything to follow him and remained faithful to the very end of Elijah’s life, at which point he was granted his request to be given a “double portion” of Elijah’s anointing. Elisha was the one who anointed the two kings in Elijah’s stead. In addition, over his lifetime and in one case after his death, Elisha performed exactly twice as many miracles or signs than his mentor. Elijah accomplished more through his successor than he did through his own ministry. Elisha became an important part of the measure of Elijah’s life.

Jesus also accomplished and is accomplishing amazing things through his disciples. Jesus only spent three years in active ministry. He had no biological children who could be thought of as a legacy. Our Lord’s ministry is measured by what he accomplished through his death, resurrection, ascension in the heaven, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and his coming return as the glorious Son of Man to judge the living and the dead and subsequently rule over all creation. That might be enough, but our Lord’s purpose was always to include us. He has given birth to multitudes of disciples through the gospel, all of whom have become part of the family of God. Therefore, part of Jesus’ legacy is his heavenly family, which keeps growing. A third part of his legacy, which is also still going forward, is the ongoing ministry of the church, his disciples, whom he said would do even greater works than he was able to do in his lifetime. (John 14:12)

My father’s legacy will be proved and expanded through the ministry of those he left behind.

Now that he is gone, it is time for us who remain to pick up the baton and run with passion and endurance our leg of the race and eventually to pass that baton on to the next generation. That is the enduring legacy that will honor my father’s memory and bring glory to God.

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Part 4: The Table Has Four Legs

This is the ninth article in a series entitled Wonderful Counseling. I sometimes use other names for this ministry, such as Personal Prayer Ministry and Biblical Healing and Deliverance. The adjective "wonderful" is used because Jesus is the "wonderful Counselor" of Isaiah 9:6. This ministry attempts to make room for Jesus to personally counsel people by means of the indwelling Holy Spirit, with the human ministers acting as facilitators. This makes it different from most counseling. It is highly effective at teaching the recipient how to hear the voice of the Spirit and to receive his life giving words.

A strong and stable table needs to have at least four legs. Remove one leg and the table will fall over, spilling all its contents on the floor. Shorten one or more legs, and the table will lean. Experiencing spiritual freedom depends on four essentials being in place in the believer’s life. Remove one, and the process gets short circuited and will produce less than desirable results. The four “legs,” so to speak, are the following:

  • Understanding, believing, and obeying God’s Truth found in the Bible,
  • Relying on the power of God’s Spirit in our lives,
  • Having a genuine fear of the Lord, and
  • Developing a heartfelt love for God.

Believing and Obeying God’s Truth Found in the Bible

Jesus told his disciples:

…“If you continue to follow my teaching, you are really my disciples 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (NET1)

To continue in Christ’s teaching means that we study, meditate upon, and obey. When we do this, freedom is an automatic by-product. Freedom, according to the Bible, is not doing what we please, but doing God’s will. Doing what we please, if it is out of line with God’s will, always leads to bondage. Sin always produces slavery. Obedience to God through the power of the Spirit always yields liberty.

Unless a person commits himself to learning, meditating upon, and obeying God’s Word, he or she will never experience true and lasting freedom.

Prayer and ministry from others may temporarily liberate us, but remaining free depends to a great extent upon our willingness to pursue God with all our hearts. If we do not commit to reading the Scriptures on a regular basis, we are not serious disciples. If we do not read the Bible devotionally, that is, asking the Spirit to show us what he wants us to get from our reading, we are missing out on something wonderful. If we do not ask God to help us to put his truth into practice, we are only playing at being Christ’s follower. We cannot be free while persisting in behavior that produces bondage and without embracing what God says will make us free.

Living by the Power of God’s Spirit

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NET1)

God’s Spirit is in complete unity with God’s Word, just as Jesus is one with the Holy Spirit. The Word of God was inspired by the Spirit of God. For the written word to have any transforming impact upon a person’s life, the Holy Spirit must “breathe” upon it to make it “come alive” via faith, causing it to become the Living Word for us.

The Holy Spirit causes information (the written Word) to become revelation (the Living Word) that produces life and transformation (the obeyed Word).

A person must know, trust, and rely upon the inner working of God’s Spirit to experience true freedom. The Spirit lives His life through us as we trust in His indwelling power. This is a huge secret of the Christian life.

The Fear of the Lord

Thirdly, for a person to experience freedom in Christ, he or she must have a deep and abiding fear of God. Proverbs says:

The fear of the Lord is like a life-giving fountain, to turn people from deadly snares. Proverbs 14:27 (NET1)

We can have understanding of God’s Word and the reality of the Spirit in our lives, but unless we fear God, there may be little heartfelt motivation to turn away from evil. Repentance means to “change our mind”. When this happens, we acknowledge that God is right and we are wrong. True repentance produces an emotional component of heartfelt sorrow and alarm, which motivates us to change.

For see what this very thing, this sadness as God intended, has produced in you: what eagerness, what defense of yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what deep concern, what punishment! In everything you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. 2 Corinthians 7:11 (NET1)

While we acknowledge that our heavenly Father’s love for us is unchanging, we also realize that this same love is what provokes him to discipline us as needed when we sin. Every small child who is truly loved by his or her natural father nevertheless sincerely fears that father’s discipline, if his father is doing his duty. So we should fear God not only because he will discipline us, but also because of the law of sowing and reaping. Sin has consequences, and all of them are bad. Without the fear of the Lord, sinners go on sinning.

The fear of the Lord is our motivation to depart from evil. Without it we will never be truly free.

It is important to realize that the fear of the Lord is a work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. We cannot gin it up on our own, but we can ask God to develop it in our lives. Wise people cherish the fear of the Lord. Foolish people do not really care.

A Heartfelt Love for God

The fourth leg of the table I mention here is perhaps the most important one. Fear is a good motivation to avoid evil and its consequences, but fear will not suffice as a proper motivation to serve God. Fear-based service is akin to slavery, and sometimes develops grudging obedience. But God has made us beloved sons (and daughters). His Spirit resides in us. We are one with Him, and consequently the Spirit of God’s Son motivates us to serve God out of a heartfelt love for him.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery leading again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness to our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 And if children, then heirs (namely, heirs of God and also fellow heirs with Christ) — if indeed we suffer with him so we may also be glorified with him. Romans 8:14-17 (NET1)

We are to serve God as a son serves his father, out of love, respect and a vision for the future. The son knows that one day he will inherit from his father; so, everything he does to build with his father will one day result in his own enrichment. So it is in God’s kingdom. God allows us to serve out of love and gratitude, out of our respect for Him, and because he has made us co-heirs with Christ.

Love is the only pure motivation to serve God.

Freedom always has a purpose. One reason the United States is in such trouble today is because we have separated freedom from its purpose and have used it to pursue sinful and selfish ends. The reason God brought us into his kingdom is so that we can serve him, bring glory to his name, be used as ambassadors of the gospel of freedom, and rule and reign with Him forever in the new creation. Unless we understand and embrace this heavenly purpose for our lives, we will be deficient in our motivation to serve God, with a resulting lack of freedom. All of this should motivate us to love him more and more.

If we desire to experience all the freedom that Jesus died to give us, we should carefully consider the four legs of the table. If one of them is missing or not very strong, ask God to do whatever is necessary to give us strength in that area. Our future depends on it. And be sure that God is more interested in helping us than we are in getting his help. He is waiting for us to ask and move toward him, expecting his participation.

For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 (NET1)

Go back to Part Three: The Basis of Our Freedom

Read Part Five: The Salvation of the Spirit

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Part 3: The Basis of Our Freedom

 

This is the third article in a series entitled Wonderful Counseling.

We got ourselves into the current terrible situation by turning our backs on God, as I explained in my previous article, and we can only escape with God’s help. In fact, our deliverance, healing, and restoration depend entirely upon the graciousness or grace of God; although, we do have a part to play. Without his initiative and intervention, we would be hopelessly and eternally lost. Without his continual sustaining power through the indwelling Holy Spirit, we cannot keep ourselves free. But through him, we are able to experience all that Jesus died to provide for us.

Jesus came to restore us to God’s intended way of living in complete harmony and partnership with God. It is a gloriously freeing way to live!

All things begin, continue, and end with God. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. It is crucial for us to understand that each Person of the triune Godhead contributes to what the Bible calls our “great salvation.” (Hebrews 2:3) Our heavenly Father, the first Person of the Godhead, is the One who has loved us from before the creation of the world and who planned our salvation before we ever took our first breath.

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. 4 For he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world that we may be holy and unblemished in his sight in love. Ephesians 1:3-4 (NET1)

Abba Father is the kindest and most loving Person we will ever know.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, 5 even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you are saved! — 6 and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7 (NET1)

But He is also completely just, holy, and righteous, and our sin created a huge obstacle to our ever being able to enjoy the fellowship and intimacy that Father God originally planned for us to share with Him. We distanced ourselves from Abba through our sinful breach of his righteousness, as I described in my previous article. His desire to show mercy to us stood opposed to the requirements of his truth and righteousness. How could God’s righteous anger at our sin ever be reconciled with his tender mercies?

Abba’s amazing plan manifested wisdom which is beyond human. It is…

...the wisdom of God, hidden in a mystery, that God determined before the ages for our glory. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it. If they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 1 Corinthians 2:7-8 (NET1)

Abba’s solution was for His only begotten Son, the eternal Word of God, to become a human being and offer Himself as a perfect substitutionary sacrifice in our behalf.

Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We] saw his glory — the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father. John 1:14 (NET1) 

But when this priest [Jesus] had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 where he is now waiting until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are made holy. Hebrews 10:12-14 (NET1)

In addition, by the genius of what theologians call “identification,” God caused us to participate in Christ’s death and resurrection, having placed us “in Christ”, in whom we have been blessed with all spiritual blessings.

God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NET1)

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. Ephesians 1:3 (NET1)

To make the solution perfect, our heavenly Father sent His Holy Spirit to indwell each believer. God’s Spirit lives Christ’s life in and through everyone who is born again. He is the Great Helper and Enabler. He is our life and power source. He is the One who transforms us into the people God always wanted us to be. He is our guarantee that God will complete what he began.

Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever — 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he resides with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17 (NET1)

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. 21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. 2 Corinthians 1:20-22 (ESV)

Every great team has unity, clearly defined job descriptions, and superlative abilities. The Trinity is no exception. In fact, the very concept of team originates in God. The Father is the planner. The Son is the executor who carries out the Father’s plan. The Holy Spirit is the administrator who works behind the scenes to assure the success of Father’s plan and the Son’s execution of that plan. Another way to put it is that the Father chose us to be his very own. The Son died and rose again to ensure the outcome, and the Spirit draws us to faith in Christ through the Gospel and applies the benefits of the finished work of Christ to our lives, bringing the Father’s plan to fruition. This plan will be completed at the Second Coming of Christ, when we will experience the final installment of our great salvation, the resurrection from the dead.

Paul tells us that:

When all things are subjected to him [Abba Father], then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. 1 Corinthians 15:28 (ESV)

God is our final destiny, the goal or end of salvation. To Him belongs all glory forever and ever.

It is extremely important to understand and believe that our salvation begins and ends with God.

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 (NASB) 

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34  For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? 35  Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? 36  For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:33-36 (NASB)

Our salvation began with Father’s plan to bring us into his family. The conclusion will be when we receive our resurrected bodies and heavenly reward. The in-between, the time in which we now live, is also dependent on God’s graciousness; although, as I said before, we play a vital role. The coming of our Lord, his death, burial and resurrection, and the sending of the Holy Spirit were all accomplished before we were born. None of us had any “say” in that plan or the accomplishment of it.

As Paul wrote,

So then, it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy. Romans 9:16 (NET1)

Our part arises when we hear the gospel and respond. If we are among those who believe, something happened in our hearts when we heard the gospel message. The Bible tells us that it was a result of the inner work of God’s Spirit combined with the outer call of the gospel that produced in us the desire to surrender our lives to Christ. Jesus made it clear that God is the initiator, not us.

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:44 (NET1)

Yes, we indeed must make the choice to believe in and serve Christ, but the mystery of God is at work beneath the surface of things, so that we can all agree that God deserves all the glory.

For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them. Ephesians 2:8-10 (NET1)

The reason I have gone to such great lengths to show God’s integral involvement with every aspect of our salvation is to give us a solid foundation for hope.

If our salvation rests on our shoulders and faithfulness and depends on our abilities, our will power, our holiness, or our goodness, we are in big trouble. But if our salvation rests upon the Father’s choice to love us, the Son’s finished work, and the power of the indwelling Spirit, we are in good shape.

If we are going to experience true freedom, we will need to come to terms with acknowledging and relying on the God who works through his freely given grace. We cannot approach him through our own goodness or performance. Likewise, neither our lack of goodness (apart from Christ) nor our poor performance thus far, is any deterrent to our being able to experience God’s ability to set us free. We come to God solely on the basis of Christ’s righteousness. We have none of our own. We must make it our goal to..

.. be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness — a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness. Philippians 3:9 (NET1)

Only when we learn to rely on God’s love, kindness, righteousness, grace, power and authority can we experience all that Christ died and rose again to give us. We dare not short change ourselves and “frustrate the grace of God” by trying to save ourselves. It will never work and will only leave us confused and frustrated.

Jesus did not come to help the religious and the self-sufficient. He came to save sinners who acknowledge their spiritual poverty. (Matthew 5:3)

We must answer Christ’s call and come to Him with no pretended ability to save or liberate ourselves, but with full confidence that freedom can be experienced by grace alone. Jesus said:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry. Matthew 11:28-30 (NET1)

God’s promise is that when we learn to live by faith in the power of the Spirit, believing what the Bible says is true, we will be able to live in a way that brings glory to God.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4 (ESV)

If we will make it your goal to rely on God’s grace, believe his truth, operate in Christ’s authority, and live by the power of the Spirit, we too can experience freedom in Christ. That is the basis of our freedom.

Go back to Part 2: Understanding the Components of Bondage

Read Part 4: The Table Has Four Legs

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Part 2: Understanding the Components of Bondage

This is the second article in a series entitled Wonderful Counseling. I sometimes use other names for this ministry, such as Personal Prayer Ministry and Biblical Healing and Deliverance. The adjective "wonderful" is used because Jesus is the "wonderful Counselor" of Isaiah 9:6. This ministry attempts to make room for Jesus to personally counsel people by means of the indwelling Holy Spirit, with the human ministers acting as facilitators. This makes it different from most counseling. It is highly effective at teaching the recipient how to hear the voice of the Spirit and to receive his life giving words..

 

I believe any sane person would agree that the world is in a seemingly hopeless situation. We cannot even agree on the nature or root of the main problem, and we fight over how to solve it, believing that the other side’s “solution” is actually making matters worse. Human “fixes” generally have side effects that introduce a whole new set of unintended consequences. Individuals, families, corporations, people groups, and nations pursue selfish agendas at the expense of the less fortunate and less powerful. Ignorance, poverty, sickness and disease ravage the human race. Wars, genocide, infanticide, and general inhumanity to others abound. Religions vie for “top dog” status, their adherents often being willing to kill and oppress “non-believers”. Prisons are filled with those who flaunt the laws of civilized society, and those who believe in Biblical values find themselves in a “Twilight Zone” world where what was considered vile a generation ago is now paraded and applauded as good and normal. How did we get here? Is there a way out, either corporately or individually?

The Bible teaches us that God created a world in which there was order and goodness. He placed the first couple in a ideal situation where all their needs were supplied with a minimum of work. They were commanded to increase and multiply. Those first humans enjoyed the privilege of walking and talking with God. They were naked and unashamed, apparently clothed with a sort of aura of glory. They “had it made”, but since they had nothing with which to compare their situation, they were prone to think something might be wrong. God gave them amazing freedom and only one prohibition: they were forbidden to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

God created us to be dependent beings who only need to know what God reveals to us. If we could be satisfied to know him, be with him, and depend on his continual grace and lovingkindness, we would be happy and thrive.

You probably know the story. Satan cleverly deceived them into doubting God’s goodness and motives and to desire more than God had given them, which set them up to do the unthinkable. They did the one thing that could bring down the whole system of blessing and life. They turned away from God, choosing to try to live independently from him by relying on their own wits, discernment, and strength.

That rebellious act of disobedience set in motion what we see today. It opened the door to the horrific consequences of living apart from God and gave the keys of authority to our archenemy,

Satan. Instead of being under God’s protection, mankind was now victim and prey, contributing to his own demise by continuing to be deceived and cooperate with our new tyrannical master.

Romans 5:12-21 teaches us that Adam’s sin opened the door to death, condemnation, and the reign of sin in the human race. Let’s examine this in more detail.

God built within humanity the ability to procreate, that is, to reproduce after our own kind.

Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27  God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28  God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." Genesis 1:26-28 (NASB)

We are much more than physical beings. The Bible teaches that we are a unique and marvelous combination of spirit and flesh, the joining of which produces the soul (translated “living being”) and personality.

The Lord God formed the man from the soil of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7 (NET1)

Not only do we pass on our physical DNA when we have children, we also pass on spiritual “genetics” – the sin nature and proclivities toward evil that were “encoded” into Adam and Eve when they first transgressed. That sin nature has been passed to each successive generation since the Fall.

This inherited indwelling propensity to sin is the root of most of our problems.

This means that people who have never been born again by the Spirit of God have for their “default” mode to live counter to what produces goodness, life, and order. No one has to teach a baby how to be self-centered. It comes naturally. No two-year-old needs a course in how to be defiant. It comes naturally. No adult needs to learn how to be tempted to do all manner of evil things. It just comes with the package.

In addition to this huge problem is the additional compounding effect that sin has upon people, families, people groups and nations.

Just as a stone thrown into a perfectly calm pool causes ripples that spread outwardly and eventually destroy the tranquility of the entire pool, sin also has a ripple effect.

To get a better idea, imagine throwing two rocks into the pool simultaneously and watch what happens. The ripples will go to the edge of the pool and then rebound back causing an intersection with other ripples. Now throw several more rocks into the pool in different places, including a couple of really big ones. Now imagine that the number of rocks thrown into the pool increases geometrically in size and number. I hope you get the picture. Sin’s ripple effect eventually produces a turbulent, choppy, and disordered world where once there was serenity and peace.

When people are born, they come into this confusion that sin has created, fully equipped with a sin nature. They are impacted by sin from within and from without.

The sin within propels us to do our own part to contribute to the already existing mess. The impact of sin from the outside further exacerbates things, often doing incredible damage to our already marred personalities. It is as if, in many cases, that little ones are born into a virtual landslide of evil that carries them right over the cliff into the abyss.

For example, children from broken homes never get the chance to experience family life the way God intended. They have missing or broken pieces in their personalities and flawed ideas about how to be a man or woman, a husband or wife, or even a child. Think of the little girls and boys born into families where generations of sexual abuse and incest have been the norm. What are their chances of growing up with any sense of normalcy? What about the little babies born in war ravaged and poverty stricken areas of the world? What about those born into political and religious systems to resist and prohibit the true gospel from even being heard? What are their chances to experience the life that God desired for us at creation? The list of examples goes on. Some people call this progression of evil generational sin. Regardless of the label, it is real.

Individuals and families pass on problems and proclivities to their offspring without the intervention of God.

Things are actually much worse because there is also a being, who commands hoards of like-minded beings, who has a master plan and insatiable desire to ravage and destroy humanity. As you know, his biblical name is Satan.

The devil has a plan for your life – to kill, steal, and destroy you. He is a master deceiver, accuser, and intimidator. He does not play fair and uses any and all means to oppress and harm human beings.

When Adam sinned in the garden, the authority God gave to humans was effectively transferred to Satan. For centuries Satan has used his rule to drag multitudes into hell with him and make life here on earth intolerable for countless people. Although, Jesus dealt Satan a death blow on the cross, he is still being allowed to  deceive those who will listen to him. He is still leading people astray. He is still stealing, killing, and destroying, and, if you are a follower of Christ, he hates you and is working against you.

As a result of his activity and the inner workings of sin and our sin-impaired ability to think, we end up afflicting ourselves by choosing to believe lies which are a form of idolatry. They are more important to us than the Truth, whose name is Jesus. They propel us to disobedience and keep us locked up in spiritual prisons of our own making.

The Bible calls these self-inflicted inner prisons of lies “strongholds.”

I call them lie-based strongholds, and Paul teaches us that they keep us from knowing, believing, and acting upon the truth about God and life.

For though we live as human beings, we do not wage war according to human standards, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not human weapons, but are made powerful by God for tearing down strongholds. We tear down arguments 5 and every arrogant obstacle that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obey Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NET1)

These strongholds stand between us and the freedom that could be ours through Christ via the gospel. Notice that here for the first time I mention that there is a way out of this mess!

The gospel is all about Jesus Christ, who is the Truth, and what He did to accomplish our deliverance.

Satan operates in the milieu of the Lie. If we are going to get out of this quagmire of death and deception, we must allow God to tear down any lie-based strongholds that we have embraced. And, believe me, everyone has them.

Working in tandem with these deeply held lies, many people have experienced enormous hurts in their lives, which have deeply traumatized them and, in many cases, produced a fertile seedbed for growing lies about God.

For example, if a young girl was sexually abused by her grandfather over several years, as an adult she will most likely question the goodness of her heavenly Father. After all, could not He have prevented this horrible evil? And if He did not protect her then, how can she know that He is worthy of her trust now? So, we see that the pain inflicted by evil can easily set us up to believe lies about God, which in turn can block us from believing the truth which is able to set us free.

and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32 (NET1)

The good news is that Jesus is the great Healer and is well able to heal those deeply wounded areas of our souls, but usually it requires us to pursue him for that healing.

Lastly, many individuals are harassed and oppressed by demons.

The Bible is unclear regarding the origin and exact nature of these malevolent beings, but makes it clear that they are real and, when relevant, their oppression must be removed for people to experience complete freedom. Jesus continually encountered and removed these pests from those to whom He ministered while He walked the roads of Israel.

you know what happened throughout Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38 with respect to Jesus from Nazareth, that God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him. Acts 10:37-38 (NET1)

Demons gain access by various means. Often we open the door through participation in some sin, especially sexual sin and occult practices. Sometimes demons seem to be passed on through families, which somewhere along the line opened the door to them. Sometimes they gain access when people undergo trauma.

In other words, sometimes it is our own fault that we are demonized and sometimes we are victims of collateral damage resulting from the sins of others. The devil does not care. He will jump through any open door he can find.

Many are tormented today because of these creatures and don’t even know it.

You may have noticed that I began this paragraph describing the worldwide mess sin has produced and have concluded by focusing on the problems that individuals face. This is because I want you to see that people’s problems and issues are bigger than their own situation. However, the gospel focuses largely on the individual.

Jesus came to set the human race free one person at a time. When enough people experience the liberation found in Christ through the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit, families, communities, and nations will be transformed.

The following articles in this series will be an attempt to explain how Jesus can and will set us free from every layer of bondage.

You can personally experience freedom in Christ, and you can move from being part of the problem to being part of the solution.

Go back to Part 1: Introduction

Read Part 3: The Basis of Our Freedom

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Part 1: Introduction to Wonderful Counseling

 

This is the first article in a series entitled Wonderful Counseling. I sometimes use other names for this ministry, such as Personal Prayer Ministry and Biblical Healing and Deliverance. The adjective "wonderful" is used because Jesus is the "wonderful Counselor" of Isaiah 9:6. This ministry attempts to make room for Jesus to personally counsel people by means of the indwelling Holy Spirit, with the human ministers acting as facilitators. This makes it different from most counseling. It is highly effective at teaching the recipient how to hear the voice of the Spirit and to receive his life giving words.

 

The Almighty God of the Universe sent his Son Jesus to the earth on a mission to rescue and set people free from the awful tyranny and hopelessness of sin and its consequences. Human bondage began when Adam and Eve opened the floodgates of evil by abandoning and betraying their Creator and Sustainer, having been duped by the lying serpent into suspecting that God was a liar. Their decision to make a go at living independently from God proved to be the downfall of the entire race.

Adam and Eve separated themselves from the life of God when they sinned. They were still physically alive, but the death process had begun to work. Their spirits were cut off from the Holy Spirit, their minds and hearts were darkened, and their bodies began to die through what we call the aging process. Sickness – physical, societal, emotional, and spiritual – entered the picture. Satan’s promise of their becoming like God turned out to be a horrendous lie.

One of the things we learn from their fall is that humans, even newly created, did not possess an innate immunity to Satan’s deception.

Afterward, because our minds were darkened by sin, we became even more susceptible to the lies of Satan.

The Bible says that the entire creation took a nosedive that day, being subjected to bondage as a form of God’s judgment.

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21  that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.  Romans 8:20-21 (ESV)

As bad as that day was, it is important that we see that God offered hope to the human race from the very beginning of his judgment upon our sin. God’s punishment was meant to be restorative ultimately, but for that to happen, his Son would have to die and rise again.

When the Law was later introduced at Mt. Sinai, it exposed how deep our sinfulness runs. It also brought upon the human race a new problem, what the Bible calls the curse of the Law, which is God’s specific judgment upon sin. Protection against evil spirits also was removed as a result of our rejecting God and his ways.

When Jesus arrived on the planet, things had been spiraling into a deepening darkness for centuries because generation after generation had drunk deeply from the poisoned cup of sin. The ripples of our lawlessness and rebellion escalated into a mad torrent of crashing waves of destruction and judgment.

After patiently waiting for God’s appointed time for thirty years, Jesus launched his public ministry with these words.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to tell them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled even as you heard it being read.” Luke 4:18-21 (NET1)

The above passage is the closest thing to a mission statement that Jesus gave us. For the next three years, Jesus went about “doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him.” (Acts 10:38 NET1)

During his public ministry years Jesus made withdrawals upon a future deposit he would make into heaven’s bank.

The authority and power to he used to heal, to release people from demons, and to forgive sins was based upon what he would accomplish later through his death and resurrection. Each time he set a person free, he drove the nails a little deeper into his hands and feet. There was no way out for him. He had to pay the price, having made himself a debtor to God’s system of justice, which he did obediently and without complaint. When the innocent Lamb of God gave himself over to death, he defeated Satan, the one who had previously held the keys of bondage and death.

When our Lord rose from the dead, the power of sin, Satan, and death was effectively smashed. And yet we see people, even followers of Christ, still living in all sorts of sin and bondage. What gives?

God’s plan was always for his people to rule and reign alongside the Lord Jesus. After he ascended into heaven where he sits at God the Father’s right hand, Jesus delegated his authority to us who represent him to the world. He has given us his Holy Spirit to indwell and empower us. Now those who make up the church have the privilege and responsibility to proclaim his message of redemption and reconciliation to the Father and to release people from what holds them prisoner.

Jesus’ mission statement is now our mission statement. What he did on the earth during the short period of his public ministry, we are now to accomplish until he comes again to wrap things up.

The Great Commission involves more than just telling people about what Jesus did for them and asking them to believe on him as Lord and Savior. Christ’s followers are to demonstrate the power of the Kingdom of God as well as proclaim the words of the Gospel. Paul made it clear that the Good News is meant to be delivered in the power of the Holy Spirit.

We know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 in that our gospel did not come to you merely in words, but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction … 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 (NET1)

God has given us, the church, the authority, the power, and the tools to accomplish this mission. In the following articles under the general heading of “Finding Freedom in Christ,” my desire is to present an overview of what I call Wonderful Counseling (WC), because it depends on the ongoing ministry of Jesus, the Wonderful Counselor. (Isaiah 9:6)

Wonderful Counseling integrates the truth of God’s Word, the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the basic principles of repentance and faith to help people experience a real and growing freedom from sin and bitterness, deliverance from what I call lie-based strongholds, healing for inner hurts, and release from demonization, as needed and desired.

I will do my best to base all of this solidly on God’s Word and give practical applications based on what I have seen work. God has done some amazing things through this ministry, and I hope you will be encouraged that God cares deeply about you and wants you to be free, too. The best revenge we can get against the devil for all he has done to us is to allow God to set us free and use us to help others walk free from his clutches.

Go to Part 2.

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Why Am I Having Such a Hard Time Trusting God?

 

 

 

 

 

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)

The Bible clearly teaches that God is looking for faith. Faith is closely allied with trust and is rooted in God. Boiled down to its basic components faith is the conviction that God’s character is impeccable, his promises sure, his power unlimited, his love beyond comprehension, and his wisdom boundless. Faith produces faithfulness, which can also be described as loyalty or allegiance.

People who are full of faith trust God and obey him through the most difficult and confusing situations because they are completely convinced that God is trustworthy. They trust God from the heart, even if the mind cannot comprehend the “why” of their situation.

I don’t often quote the Message Bible, but in this case I think it is very good.

Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Proverbs 3:5 (MSG)

Unbelief is the polar opposite of faith. Unbelief and its twin, doubt, have great difficulty trusting God because there is no assurance that God is deserves to be trusted. Will he keep his word and show love to us, or is he capricious? Does he even have the power and ability to keep his promises? Perhaps he is impotent.

Unbelief is a loud slap to the face of the Creator.

Faithless (disloyal) people have great difficulty when trials and tests come because they have no anchor. They are what the Bible calls “double minded,” wavering between two opinions. James says that such people are unstable in all their ways and cannot receive anything from God. (James 1:8)

The New Testament teaches us that no one is good enough, holy enough, or righteous enough to earn God’s favor and acceptance.

The only way we can please God, according to the Bible, is to trust him with all our hearts.

Specifically, we are invited to trust in the gospel, the good news that Jesus earned for us a right standing with God through his perfect life, death, and resurrection. God accepts the most imperfect people into his family when they decide to put their faith in Jesus. Conversely, when people refuse to trust him or believe the gospel, they throw away the one possibility of being accepted and blessed by God.

Unbelief is an extremely serious heart condition, which imperils our eternity.

Multitudes are afflicted with it. In fact, without the Holy Spirit’s intervention, it is the default condition of humanity. We were created to believe and depend on God. Everyone believes something, even if it is the conviction that there is nothing worth believing in. Without the Spirit’s help, however, we are programmed by sin to resist trusting in our Creator – Sustainer – Redeemer. What is the root of this condition of the heart? Is there a way out?

The Root of Unbelief

Unbelief is a plant that can only grow in the soil of a hardened heart.

Unbelief and doubt may seem to be rooted in the  mind, but the Bible teaches us that they really reside in the heart, which is the seat of our affections and being. When Jesus encountered unbelief in his disciples, this is what he said.

At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. 17  Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? 18  ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all? Mark 8:16-18 (NLT)

Jesus, the one who created us, knows that the root of unbelief is a heart that has grown hard against God.

People call unbelief by nicer sounding names – realism, cynicism, science… but the underlying reality is that unbelief reveals a heart that is hard and easily repels the entrance of truth, revelation, and faith.

The Greek adjective in this verse is translated “hardened” or “calloused.” When we build up callouses on our feet or hands, we lose feeling in those areas. Calloused hearts have severe difficulty feeling proper emotions relating to God and detecting the gentle nudging of the Spirit.

Whatever the reason for our hardened heart – disappointment, disillusionment, traumatic pain, bitterness… – it is the poisonous ground that grows the one thing that is able to block God’s grace to us – unbelief.

He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, “Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?” 55  Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. 56  All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?” 57  And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family.” 58  And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief. Matthew 13:54-58 (NLT)

The reason that those people were deeply offended at Jesus is the same reason humans in general are deeply offended at God – pride. They thought Jesus had no right to assume such high and mighty notions about himself as being a distinguished prophet and teacher and, dare we say, Messiah. Imagine: they refused to acknowledge the Creator come in the flesh! Our unbelief is just as stark and offensive to God.

The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10  He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. 11  He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12  But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:9-12 (NLT)

Rather than being drawn toward Jesus by the Spirit, they chose to reject him. This is what happens to people with a hard heart.

Pride robs us of being able to believe. It is offended by the requirement of acknowledging Christ’s lordship.

It takes humility to admit that we are created beings who only exist through the continuous sustaining power of God.

The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. Hebrews 1:3 (NLT)

The hardened heart will not – cannot – bow to the Lord Jesus.

The Antidote

Jesus warned those with hardened hearts in his audience that their heart condition was blocking them from life.

This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. 15  For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ Matthew 13:14-15 (NLT)

The only antidote to a hardened heart is to turn to Jesus through a combination of the inner working of God’s Spirit coupled with our choice to surrender our offenses and pride to God.

The Bible uses the word “repentance” to describe this surrender. In the New Testament, it literally means to “change the mind.” Repentance takes place when we admit to ourselves and to God that we have been wrong and that God is right. It means we stop leaning on our own understanding of things and start accepting what God says in the Bible. It means we lay down our offense against God and admit we need him desperately. It acknowledges that we are spiritual paupers who have nothing to offer God except to trust him completely.

Maintaining a heart that is “soft” toward God is a lifelong challenge. We must learn to forgive readily and freely; otherwise, our hearts begin to grow hard. We must learn to obey God swiftly and completely, lest our hearts start to harden. It takes the Spirit of God’s assistance to get started on this discipleship journey, and it takes his continual help to complete it. But take heart, that is what Jesus sent him to be and to do. He is our Helper!

"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17  that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17 (NASB)

If we are having a hard time believing and trusting in God, we should acknowledge that we have a hard heart and ask forgiveness. We should ask the Holy Spirit to show us where we need to repent and to work in us to restore us to a place of trusting God from the heart.

Prayer

Jesus, I now understand that my doubt and unbelief come from a heart that has a problem with trusting and submitting to you. Please forgive me. Holy Spirit, show me any particular areas for which I need to repent. (Anything that comes to mind should now be confessed to God.) Work in me a deep seated ability to fully trust and surrender my life to Jesus. I depend on you. Amen.

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Signs of the Last Days: The Mystery of Lawlessness

 

 

 

 

 

There is a fierce form of lawlessness sweeping through America and around the world. We all know that this is not “normal,” but is it a sign that things are rapidly progressing toward what the Bible calls the Last Day? According to the Bible, there is a certain mystery behind evil. It lurks behind the scenes conspiring to destroy everything good. Its ultimate purpose is to try to overthrow and dishonor God and hurt those whom God loves. This is the height of insanity, but the devil has no wisdom.

The Holy Spirit used the apostle Paul to give us some valuable information about these times.

Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. 4  He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God. 5  Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you? 6  And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. 7  For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. 8  Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming. 9  This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 10  He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11  So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 12  Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 (NLT)

Here is what we learn from this passage.

  • Mankind has been rebelling against God since the Garden of Eden. Inspired by Satan, the greatest rebel of all, the inhabitants of planet earth who do not know God are ramping up for one final push to dethrone the Creator. (Psalm 2:1-6)
  • A person will emerge who will be the very personification of rebellion. Some call him the antichrist. Paul called him the man of lawlessness. Mystery surrounds this person. He will be motivated and empowered by Satan to do his murderous mission to defame God and destroy God’s people.
  • Something has been (is?) holding him back, but, when that restraint is removed, all hell, literally, will break loose. Until then, evil is working in a hidden way behind the scenes.
  • After the man of lawlessness has his way for a season, our Lord Jesus will destroy him at his Second Coming. So much for Jesus being a pacifist! Logically, then, the man of lawlessness will be revealed at the very end of time.
  • The man of lawlessness will be able to deceive multitudes using “every kind of evil deception,” including counterfeit signs, wonders, and miracles. The only way to escape is by loving God’s truth as revealed in the Bible and confirmed by the indwelling Holy Spirit. This incredible level of deception will clearly distinguish between those who truly know and love Christ and those who are counterfeit believers, which Jesus called “tares” or weeds growing among the true wheat.

None of us know exactly where we are on God’s timeline, but we see a ramping up of deception, the likes of which most of us have never experienced. The coordination between government, Big Tech, the legacy media, Big Pharma, and the medical establishment is breathtakingly scary. The capitulation to tyranny of “elected” representatives in both parties is mind numbing. The power of the entrenched bureaucracy seems incapable of being removed, and the audacity of the way our current administration is trampling on our constitutional rights is almost unbelievable. And this is not happening only in the United States. Things are even worse in many other countries. Truly this is an evil initiative being orchestrated on a global scale. What will be the outcome?

One thing that is happening is that people are waking up to the reality of the enormity of evil in the world. This is a good thing. For decades most of us have lived under an illusion that things were generally going well and world was generally a fairly nice place, barring a few atrocities here and there. The 1950’s were the Leave to Beaver utopian years, but even then the mystery of lawlessness was hard at work behind the scenes bringing us to where we are today. The evil plans hatched decades or even centuries ago, shall we say millennia ago, are playing out today. We are seeing close up now what evil looks like. What is happening before our eyes confirms Jesus’ words.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10 (ESV)

The mystery of lawlessness has produced a fierce and lawless generation that sees nothing wrong with killing unborn babies, enforcing injections of experimental drugs on unwilling people, and all manner of sexual perversion, including pedophilia and sex trafficking of children. Modern “woke” district attorneys refuse to prosecute criminals but go after decent citizens who try to defend themselves against mobs. Certain groups get a pass when they burn down cities, while people of the wrong political persuasion are locked up as political prisoners without due process after being falsely accused. Those who pretend to be “tolerant” are actually only so toward those who participate in their own deviant behavior and sinister rush to totalitarian oppression. Paul warned us that these days would come.

You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2  For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3  They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4  They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5  They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NLT)

So What?

What does this have to do with me? Maybe you think you can be a neutral observer in the Last Days. That will not be possible. Either you will be on God’s side or the devil’s.

Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me. Luke 11:23 (NLT)

If we do not make a strong decision to become a follower of Christ and stand for truth and righteousness, we will be swept off the cliff with all the other lemmings by the tsunami of deception that is enveloping the earth in the last days.

None of us knows if we are very close to the end or if this is simply another chapter along the way. Either way, God will triumph, and we want to be firmly on his side. The love of the truth, who is a Person named Jesus (John 14:6), is our only defense. We cannot be neutral or passive. We must take a stand. Now is the time to bow our knee to Christ and publicly declare that he is Lord of your life. Now is the time to embrace Truth. Do it today, before it is too late.

Prayer

Jesus, I see that things are progressing toward what the Bible calls the Last Days. You are coming back, just as you promised. I want to be ready. I want to know that I have nothing to fear at the Last Judgment. Thank you for dying for me so that my sins might be forgiven. I receive all that you died to give me – forgiveness, redemption, reconciliation, justification, and sonship. Thank you for giving me eternal life and sending your Spirit to live in and through me. Thank you that now I can be your representative on planet earth, telling others about your amazing offer of life instead of death. I surrender myself to you as best I know how. You are my Lord. Help me to live in such a way that I will bring you glory. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, I now encourage you to join a Bible believing church that focuses on making disciples and proclaiming the gospel. Get water baptized as a public declaration of your allegiance to Christ and share your testimony often. I encourage you to be baptized in the Holy Spirit in order to be a strong witness for Jesus. Learn to worship and give thanks to God. Trust in him with all your heart. You will never be disappointed.

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The Key to Stress Free Living

 

 

 

 

 

 

The author of the Letter to the Hebrews listed repentance from dead works as one of the six foundational doctrines of Christ. (Hebrews 6:1 NASB)

Dead works can be defined as our human efforts to make ourselves look good in God’s and people’s eyes through our words and behavior.

People are unable to put themselves in a right standing with God (justify themselves) through human effort. The prophet Isaiah warned us that the attempt to do so is repulsive to God.

For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. Isaiah 64:6 (NASB)

Nevertheless, we deceive ourselves into thinking that we can make a few adjustments, try harder, and turn things around spiritually, not realizing that everything originating out of self is a dead work.

Anything that does not originate with God’s Spirit and derive from faith is a dead work.

Sin is much deeper than words, acts, and attitudes. It infects us to the core and is part of what we inherited from our forefathers due to the Fall. When we are born, we come into this world as little sin factories. No matter how hard we try to overcome this inherited condition, we will fail.

For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. Romans 7:14 (NASB)

That which originates in our own human effort is called the “flesh,” as opposed to that which originates in God, which is called the Spirit.

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. John 6:63 (NASB)

Religion is mostly man’s attempt to gain and maintain a right relationship with God through human effort, which is a dead work. Religion approaches the sin problem and its resultant separation from God in one of two ways. It might deny there is a problem, as do Eastern religions which insist that both good and evil exist in God (Yin and Yang) and should not concern us. (e.g. Star Wars “the Force,” Buddhism, modern psychiatry, and various perversions of Christianity). This approach insists that God does not condemn anyone and salvation consists in coming to that realization. Basically, I’m okay and you’re okay. We don’t need a Savior because we are not separated from God. It is all an illusion, and Jesus died needlessly.

Those who deny that sin is a problem may gain a counterfeit and illusory form of peace, but will still have to account to God for their sinful condition and acts.

The other end of the spectrum is found in the Jewish Law of Moses. Under this system, by keeping God’s laws we gain access to God’s favor and blessing. This approach recognizes that sin is real, separates us from God, and causes death, but insists that we can work hard at keeping God’s commands and earn a right standing with God.

But the Apostle Paul explained that the purpose of the Law is to reveal our hopeless condition and the impossibility of gaining a right standing with God through keeping its requirements.

Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. 22  But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23  But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24  Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. Galatians 3:21-24 (NASB)

Those who fall for the deception that a right standing with God can be achieved through self-effort either become religious zealots and intolerant of those who fall short of their standards or demoralized when they finally come to end of their striving with the realization that it is a hopeless endeavor.

When we choose this second option, there is no possibility of rest for our souls because we can never be good enough to clear the bar of God’s perfect holiness.

That is why we need a Savior and repentance from all self-effort.

The Essence of Sin: The Self-Directed Life

At its core, sin originates in a mistrust of God. Satan induced Adam and Eve to doubt God’s goodness. The result was their attempt to become independent from him. Sin is a rebellious self-aggrandizing attempt to make our own decisions, run our own lives, and impose our own rules – to be little gods. Satan deceived Adam and Eve into thinking that they could throw off the Creator’s built in limitations on our lives and “be like God” – needing nothing.

Because of the generational aspect of sin, the allure of living a self-directed life pulls at the heart of every person and is the essence of sin.

Repentance and the God-Directed Life

The gospel calls people back into alignment with God’s original plan – living in harmony with God and his will.

Through faith in Christ, we can be forgiven of our rebellion and come back into God’s family and blessing. We can experience his life inside us through the indwelling Holy Spirit. But for this to happen, we must repent. Because of our pride, it is deeply humbling for us to admit our need for God and to obey him; nevertheless, it is the most rewarding way to live. We think that becoming servants of God will strip us of our dignity and freedom and deprive us of some of the things that bring delight to our lives. This is the lie that Satan set up with our first parents and still pulls at us today.

Jesus, the perfect God-man, lived the way God intended. In his own words:

...“I tell you the solemn truth, the Son can do nothing on his own initiative, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. John 5:19 (NET1)

When Jesus calls people to repent and enter God’s kingdom, he challenges us to turn away from the vain attempt to direct our own lives and to embrace His rule.

Repentance requires us to stop playing God and to acknowledge the rightful ruler, Jesus the Lord.

The Gospel and Christ’s Lordship

Paul understood that Jesus is both Lord and Savior. He calls us to confess that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that he is the risen Savior – the Lamb of God.

The gospel challenges and invites us to repent (make Jesus Lord) and believe (receive salvation) – to surrender our “rights” and receive God’s blessings.

...because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 (NET1)

Confessing that Jesus is Lord is the most fundamental act of repentance. Doing so opens the door to receive all the benefits he died and rose to win for us. That begins a lifelong journey of daily surrender to God’s will.

The Restful Life

Attempting to direct our own lives creates stress that we were not designed to carry.

We do not have the wisdom, knowledge, or power to live self-directed lives. Repentance opens the door to life as God intended it to be. Jesus invites us to:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NET1)

Confessing that Jesus is the Lord is the gateway into the blessings he won for us on the cross, which include a life of rest by faith.

We are able to cease from religiously striving to be right with God when we accept that he won that privilege for us through his own perfect life.

So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. 10  For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. Hebrews 4:9-10 (NLT)

The Lordship of Christ is an absolutely crucial part of the Gospel, requiring us to repent from the self-directed life, which Paul calls the “flesh,” which God refuses to bless, since it is an abomination to him.

So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13  for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body [repenting], you will live. 14  For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Romans 8:12-14 (NASB)

The only life that can receive the fullness of God’s blessing is the life that we live in cooperation with and dependence upon the Holy Spirit. Surrender to Jesus the Lord is the narrow door through which Gospel blessings are accessed.

Application

If you have never made a conscious decision to surrender every aspect of your being to Jesus, now is the time. This will include the following: relationships, time, money, health, your future, security, provision, self-image and fulfillment – everything, even life itself. Do this and you will begin to experience true freedom and a new level of rest.

In the same way therefore not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions. Luke 14:33 (NET1)

The Greek word translated “renounce” means to “say good-bye.” Say good-bye to everything that stands between you and a full surrender to Jesus. Say hello to the Spirit-led life and the rest that comes from being in a right relationship with God.

Prayer

Jesus, I am tired of trying to direct my own life. Please forgive me for living independently from you. I surrender myself and all I have to you. Thank you for forgiving my sins and including me in your forever family and blessings. Thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to live inside me. I look forward to seeing what you will do with my life. Have your way in me from this day forward. Amen.

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Faith in God’s Sovereignty, the Gateway to Peace

 

The longer I live, the simpler some things become, even though much of life will never completely be understood this side of heaven. By his wise design God has reserved many “secret things” for himself, which requires us to trust fully in him without always understanding the “whys.” This is the essence of faith.

When suffering enters a person’s life, it is only natural to wonder why. Why me? Why now? Did I do something wrong? Is God still in control? Does he still love me? Did he abandon me? Can I really trust him?

In the book of the Bible that bears his name, a man named Job asked these kinds of questions when God allowed his life to be wracked with physical pain and the emotional suffering of losing his family and fortune and even his good name. He and his friends believed that “bad” things did not happen to “good” people. If we keep the rules, we get blessed, right?

After chapters that recount his struggle to understand why God allowed him to suffer and his anger against what he believed was God’s injustice, eventually Job was granted what he asked for – an encounter with God. Face to face with his Creator, he became speechless. All his arguments dissipated. These were the first words he spoke.

I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; 6  therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:5-6 (ESV)

God never answered his questions or gave any sort of explanation for the suffering Job had endured. Instead our Lord revealed to Job his absolute sovereignty and greatness, and that was enough to ignite his faith and give him peace.

Faith in God’s Sovereignty, the Gateway to Peace

Why is it that faith in God’s sovereign power and wisdom is the gateway to peace? I know a man who went through a terrible ordeal with his wife, who had an advanced stage of cancer. Eventually she was healed and delivered from the cancer, but in the middle of the crisis, his testimony is that God spoke to his heart, saying, “I know about this.” Knowing that God knew gave him peace and revitalized his faith to believe for a healing. To the logical mind, this may not make sense; but, faith’s rationale is in the heart.

We don’t have to have all the answers. We simply need to know that God knows about our situation and has things under control.

Faith in God’s sovereignty means that we believe he ultimately controls everything and is working all things out for our good (Romans 8:28) and his glory (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12). This is the foundation of our peace. This, by the way, presupposes that He loves us. Presuppositions really matter. We all have them; so, make sure yours are biblical and true.

When we choose to worship God in the midst of tribulation and suffering, we glorify the Lord by acknowledging his loving sovereignty over our lives. We follow in the footsteps of those men of faith of old, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, when they stood before King Nebuchadnezzar. He threatened them with a fiery death unless they bowed down to the idol of his own glory and sovereignty, but they refused.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17  If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18  But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Daniel 3:16-18 (NIV)

Those who firmly believe in God’s loving sovereignty over their lives will make seeking God’s glory their top priority,  whether it results in deliverance or death.

When this faith is coupled with the knowledge that God’s love for us is beyond comprehension, our peace is unshakeable.

For clarity’s sake, let me restate the above.

  1. If we determine to bring glory to God through our response to whatever life throws at us, then we don’t have to have any particular outcome, except that God be glorified. He can be glorified by delivering us from evil or by our going through suffering without wavering in faith. Either way, God and we “win.” (Philippians 1:20)
  2. If we add to our determination a confidence that God is sovereignly overseeing our affairs and is ultimately in control, it allows us to yield ourselves completely to his will. Nothing will happen to us that he does not allow. The devil cannot slip something in on us behind the Lord’s back. (Daniel 4:34-35)
  3. If we also know that he loves us beyond comprehension, we understand that we have nothing to fear. Perfect love casts out all fear. Paul wrote that no test or trial can separate us from God’s love. (Romans 8:37-39)
  4. None of the above should be interpreted to mean that we should passively accept attacks from the devil or do nothing to remedy our situation. Consigning ourselves to God’s will includes doing everything reasonable, as led by the Holy Spirit, to fight against evil and to work for our deliverance.

Now I will give you a bit of wisdom. When we desperately cling to the answer we want God to give us, it works against our peace. However, when we surrender ourselves to the sovereign God who loves us past comprehension and works all things for good in our lives, our peace is rock solid. As we stop demanding a certain answer from the Lord, our hearts can more easily hear what the Spirit is saying to us. When that happens, we can pray in line with God’s will in a specific way, all the while remaining at peace.

When we trust in God’s loving sovereignty and hold on to the Bible’s precious promises, while letting go of the fear that he will not work things out as we want, we will have peace beyond comprehension.

Application

So, how do we get started on our journey to peace? Here are some steps you and I can take.

  1. Surrender to the Lord Jesus. This means we let go of all “rights” to direct our own lives and make demands from God. Whoever heard of a slave making demands? We learn to give God the reins and relax as he drives.
  2. Worship God in all situations. We thank God even for the most difficult, confusing, and challenging things in our lives. We thank him not because those things are good in themselves, but because we believe that he will work them for good in his loving sovereignty. (Romans 8:28)
  3. Listen to the Spirit as we worship. This is anti-passivity, even though it does not seem like it. The Holy Spirit will give us insight as we worship. When this happens, we are to pray and act according to those specific instructions. Proclaim aloud what God tells you in your heart. Prophetic proclamation is a big part of the prayer of faith. It goes without saying that what the Spirit tells us will always agree with God’s written word in the Bible. We must put into practice what he tells us to do.
  4. Hang on to God as we wait for the answer. Faith immediately receives God’s promises and is willing to wait as long as it takes for the fulfillment. Biblical hope is the confident expectation that God will keep his promises, no matter how long we have to wait.
  5. Enjoy God’s Peace!
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5  Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-7 (NASB)

 

If you want to read more about how to survive and thrive in the midst of life’s difficulties, you can purchase my book on the subject: Seeing God’s Smile When Life Is Difficult. It’s available on Amazon.

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