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take down the mockingbird…

A mockingbird can learn and sing up to 200 different songs, an ability it uses to mimic other birds. They are so good at what they do that it can be difficult to distinguish the fake from the real. Since the early days of Trump’s first term as president, I watched various mainstream or legacy news outlets sing the same song, their talking heads mimicking one another to the point of using exactly the same words and phraseology. In order to highlight what was going on, some put together video montages of these various news agencies saying almost exactly the same lines, day after day. It was obvious that someone or some group was giving them a script to sing to America, and it is still going on today. It’s called a narrative which is used to shape how people think. It’s also called brainwashing.

I watched former CIA director John Brennan falsely accuse President Trump of collusion with Russia. He knew it was false and he was using the news media to spread misinformation. The MSM obediently reported whatever he and other “anonymous sources” fed them. The CIA was engaging in disinformation warfare against our own country, something they routinely had done to other nations. We were in the midst of a “color revolution,” just as our country pulled off in Ukraine to replace a duly elected president with their puppet Zelensky. I told one of my liberal friends that the only possible way to account for this lock-step coordination was if the CIA was behind it, which, of course, he rejected. It was incomprehensible to him and most Americans that this could be so. It’s called Operation Mockingbird, which was begun in the late 1940s and ramped up in the 1970s. Of course, the agency denies it still exists. That is what they do. People like me who see through their subterfuge have been labeled conspiracy theorists, a term the CIA coined to discredit those who suspected JFK’s assassination was an inside job. 

Thankfully, the internet made it possible to get news that is not dictated or censored by the government. Many of these sources can be found on alternative sites such as Rumble and Telegram. The narrative pitched by the mainstream media has been completely at odds with what can be learned from non-traditional sources, forcing us to make a critical decision as to who to believe. Has our own government been gaslighting us?

We all have to decide who to believe because the big things in life require faith. God designed things so that life is mysterious and cannot be truly known apart from faith in him. Our Lord wants people to rely on him to reveal to us what is true.

Interestingly, the MSM has been caught in a lie over and over again, yet many people still rely on them to be arbiters of truth. God, conversely, only speaks truth, but many people want nothing to do with him. God wants to bless us as we trust in him and his truth, but Satan has an opposite agenda. His false narrative runs completely counter to God’s truth.

The devil’s disinformation campaign began in the Garden of Eden when he broadcast that there are no bad consequences for disobeying God. The serpent’s narrative always contradicts God’s truth and breeds death and destruction. Jesus explained that the devil…

...was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! John 8:44–45 (NLT) —

Setting the precedent for generations to come, Adam and Eve believed the devil’s lying narrative, acted on it, and reaped the deadly consequences. They failed their test, and today people across the globe are being tested regarding which narrative we will believe – God’s or Satan’s. We are being tested regarding what we will believe about the Lordship of Jesus, “Wokeness,” Covid, the “vaccine,” LGBTQ+, sex, marriage, drugs, etc.  The devil is on a rampage to overthrow God’s truth and order in the world in order to produce confusion, destruction, and death. Our public school system, the media, and our government are pushing Satan’s lies non-stop, using its “bully pulpit” to try to overwhelm the minds and hearts of the populace, especially young people. God’s truth is quieter and more difficult to find. It must be searched for by people who love the truth.

Satan’s false narrative is his most precious commodity. It is how he rules those who do not love the truth. In God’s kingdom, truth reigns in the person of Jesus (John 14:6). This makes the lie antichrist and believing it idolatry.

There is something about the siren song of Satan’s lies that many people find exceptionally alluring. When the Israelites were at the border of Canaan the first time, twelve spies were sent to bring back a report. Only two returned with God’s faith narrative that the land was good and easily conquerable. The other ten overcame the truth with their false narrative that the inhabitants were too strong to be defeated, even with God’s help. Most of the people believed the ten, and the consequence was forty years of wandering in the desert while that entire generation, except for Joshua and Caleb, died. Believing the devil’s lies kills and destroys.

When Nehemiah returned to Israel to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls after enduring seventy long years of captivity, those who hated the Jews and God’s kingdom spread a false report that the Jews were in rebellion against the king and mocked their efforts. They did everything they could to discourage the people from building.

The devil loves to mock, falsely accuse, threaten, and intimidate those who love the truth.

More and more people now know, although it was previously apparent to those who had eyes to see, that the government manipulated and coerced Big Tech to go along with their false narrative regarding the 2020 election, Hunter’s laptop, Covid, and the mRNA “vaccine.” Hired “fact checkers” falsely debunked the truth, keeping people in the dark. Twitter was one of the chief “mockingbirds” that willingly sang the government’s scripted songs, but when Elon Musk took it over, things changed, at least for now. Truth is no longer censored there, at least not as much. Hopefully this will be the case with all of social media in the future, bringing to an end government controlled speech in the “land of the free.”

Andrew Whalen, one of the prophets I listen to, recently received a word from the Lord: “Take down the mockingbird.” Interestingly, very soon after, Elon Musk announced that Twitter was changing its name to “X,” saying: “”And soon we shall bid adieu to the Twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds.”

Is God indeed taking down the mockingbird, the government’s false narrative machine? I certainly believe we should pray to that end and do our part to spread the truth.

Matthew Desmet, a recognized Belgian professor, wrote extensively on mass formation psychosis during the Covid epidemic. He compared what was taking place to the Nazi takeover in Germany prior to WWII. He said the only way to keep things from progressing all the way into totalitarianism if for the unduped minority to speak up and tell the truth. This has been going on around the world for several years now, and at last the truth is erupting all over. I believe the majority will one day “wake up” to just how thoroughly our nation was brain washed.

God will open the eyes and hearts of many to his truth. He will heal our hearts and bring us back to him.

“Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 “In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; 15 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’ 16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. Matthew 13:13–16 (NASB95) —

In the meantime, when we see MSM outlets all parroting the same lines, understand that what they are saying is either a lie or a diversion from something more important that they do not want us to notice. Find alternative sources for truth and ask God to help us all to wake up. Ask the Lord to give us all a love for him and his truth and to take down the false narrative that seeks to undermine God’s authority, his Word, and his glory.

But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 (NASB95) —
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Chapter 30: Christ’s Finished Work – Glorification Part 2

The final part of our salvation which is called glorification will transition us from earth to heaven and make us suitable for dwelling with God for eternity.

I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed-- 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 (NIV)

Our glorification will be the final defeat of death and sin’s power in our lives and in God’s creation.

Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21  the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22  For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23  And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. Romans 8:20-23 (NLT)

At the new birth, through forgiveness and justification, we were delivered from the penalty of sin. Jesus took the consequences of our sin upon himself, releasing us from our unpayable debt to God and giving to us His righteousness in exchange. This relates to the salvation of our spirits.

Through our identification with Christ’s death and resurrection we have been set free from sin’s power and its ability to dominate us. Even though we still have an inherited propensity to sin, called the “flesh,” it has been rendered “inactive” or “ineffective” and otherwise stripped of its intimidating and oppressive power to dominate our lives. The salvation of our souls, or spiritual transformation, requires that we apply this great truth to our lives by faith so that we can experience the victory Christ won for us through reliance upon the Holy Spirit. It is an ongoing battle that must be fought every day.

Glorification will be the grand finale which removes sin’s very presence from our lives. After resurrection, we will no longer have an inherited propensity to sin because our “flesh” will have been replaced by that which is eternal and without corruption.

Afterward, we will no longer have to struggle with the battle between flesh and spirit because that great enemy called the self-life will have been destroyed forever!

Glorification takes care of the problem we now have by our being creatures caught between two worlds. We have been uniquely created to intersect the spiritual world and the natural one, but because sin brought death to our natural bodies, we are no longer suited for eternity without having a major overhaul. The resurrection and glorification provide just that. Every hindrance to experiencing a blessed eternity will be removed in one glorious moment!

Work of Christ

Justification

Transformation

Glorification

Definition

We were declared not guilty by God and given Christ’s perfect right standing with him.

Jesus freed us from the enslaving power of sin, which allows the Holy Spirit to work into us what Christ has accomplished.

Our bodies are set free from the curse of sin and death. Our souls are released from the struggle between flesh and spirit.

Timing

Past – once for all (immediate) at the cross

Past and present. Although, we were redeemed at the cross, each day we appropriate grace for transformation by faith and reliance upon the Spirit.

Future – The resurrection will take place at the return of Christ which will fulfill our great salvation. We now live in hope of this great event.

Result

We were delivered from the penalty of sin.

We are overcoming sin’s power to rule us.

We will be delivered from the very presence of sin.
Click here to see the other articles in this series.

 

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • God created us to interface with both the natural and the spiritual dimensions. How comfortable are you at present with navigating both realms?
  • Why do you think it was necessary for God to first deliver us from the penalty of sin before we can experience freedom from its power? (Hint: Romans 8:1-2)
  • How do you imagine our existence will be minus the downward pull of the flesh?
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Chapter 29: Glorification

This chapter will cover some important points about glorification, which is the final installment of our great salvation.

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. Romans 8:16-25 (NASB)

Christians have a confident expectation, which is the definition of hope, that our salvation is not limited to what we experience here on earth. At present, we are very much “under construction;” so, if we are not happy with what we see in ourselves and other believers, we should never give up. The best is yet to come.

By way of review, however, it is important to remember that our salvation is threefold. It pertains to past, present, and future, with reference to the spirit, soul, and body. The chart below provides a quick overview of what we have covered so far in the previous lessons. I include transformation as a subset of redemption. Because we have been forgiven, justified, and reconciled to the Father, we are capable of being transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit as we cling to God’s promises in the Bible. Whereas the works of propitiation, forgiveness, reconciliation, and justification were accomplished at the cross in the past, transformation requires our partnership in the process and are a combination of believing in what Christ already accomplished and yielding to the ongoing work of the Spirit in our lives. It is a daily process rather than something accomplished “once for all.”

Glorification, however, is completely in the future, even though God reckons it to already be done.

Work of Christ

Propitiation

Forgiveness

Justification

Redemption

Glorification

Definition

God’s wrath against our sin has been appeased.

Our debt toward God has been erased.

Our guilt has been removed and we have been given Christ’s right standing with God.

We have been bought back from slavery and set free.

Our bodies are set free from the curse of sin and death through the resurrection.

Timing

Past – once for all at the cross

Past – once for all at the cross

Past – once for all at the cross

Past and present. Although, we were redeemed at the cross, each day we appropriate the grace for transformation.

Future – At the return of Christ, the resurrection will take place. We now live in hope of this great event.

Result

We can now enjoy God’s love without fear.

We can now forgive others as God forgave us.

We can now come boldly into God’s presence without condemnation or shame.

We are now free to serve God and others.

The bipolar conflict between flesh and spirit is solved. We will be whole at last and fit to rule and reign with Christ.

We have already covered the past and present aspects of our salvation, which refer to our spirits and souls. This chapter  further examines the salvation of our bodies, which is still in the future. We will use the opening passage above as our text.

  • The first point we will make is that we will be glorified “with Him,” which means we will have no glory that is inherent in ourselves. Ours will be a reflected glory. Just as the moon’s light reflects the sun’s, our glory will reflect the Son’s.
  • Secondly, glorification is linked with suffering. This is not something we like to dwell upon, but it is true. Christians are called to suffer with Christ. Of course, we do not share in his atoning work on the cross, but we do share in the suffering associated with His rejection and persecution. As we identify ourselves with Him through our witness here on earth, we will partake of His sufferings. Paul wrote: “Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” 2 Timothy 3:12 (NLT) God promises that these sufferings will be directly compensated in glory. We do not earn glory, however, because it is only by grace that any of us can share in Christ’s sufferings with faith and joy.
  • Thirdly, the glory that awaits us is far superior to anything we can imagine here on earth. Once again, Paul wrote: “That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT) It takes faith to embrace suffering and discipline here on earth for the sake of God’s kingdom in order to receive a better reward in heaven. The author of the letter to the Hebrews wrote: “It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be treated as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of the Messiah than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the great reward that God would give him. 27 It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt. He was not afraid of the king. Moses kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. Hebrews 11:24-27 (NLT) Only those who have properly evaluated the exchange rate will pay the cost.
  • Fourthly, all of creation will be affected by the glorification of God’s people. Our glorification will take place in concurrence with Christ’s Second Coming and the establishment of a new heaven and new earth. Not only will we believers be transformed, but God will finish the salvation of His universe, too! This will be a “God thing” that will bring Him immense pleasure and glory.
  • Fifthly, in the present time, we must endure contradiction by faith. From Scripture we know what is to come, as least in part, but we must live in a sin-filled world in bodies that are still subject to decay and with souls that are conflicted by the battle of “flesh” and spirit. It takes faith and perseverance to endure. God’s grace, however, is sufficient, as we keep our eyes on our Lord Jesus!
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God's throne in heaven. Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT)
Click here to see the other articles in this series.

 

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • Can you think of a reason that suffering and glory are linked?
  • Why do you think our glorification is linked to the renewal of the entire creation?
  • Does the hope of the resurrection motivate you to serve Christ?
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Escape from Religion

 

 

 

 

Since almost everyone is religious, why would we want to escape from religion? The English word religion derives from Latin religare, which means to bind. Perhaps the reason why we might wish to escape religion is because we want to be free from its fetters. On the other hand, many people want to be religious. It is the only way they know how to navigate this mystery called life. So much of life cannot be proved. It has to be taken by faith. Even those people who deny God’s existence do so by faith, since they cannot prove their basic presupposition that God does not exist. Whether we are part of one of the major worldwide religions or a devotee of materialistic Darwinism, we are religious and accept things as being true without being able to prove them. If you believe in heaven and hell or that we cease to exist when we take our last breath, you are presupposing what you cannot prove.

God created us to relate to him by faith. We are not supposed to know everything, just Him. We are not supposed to trust in anything except Him.

If you ask the average person how to get into heaven, he or she will likely say that we need to live a good life and try not to hurt anybody. This is a simple form or religion. It accepts by faith that God exists and that he accepts us based on our adhering to a certain set of requirements. In this case, the bar is set pretty low, low enough for most of us to easily get over it.

Religion is man’s attempt to measure and feel good about our relationship with God. It is our way to gain and maintain acceptance with Him and his blessing on our lives.

The trouble is that it’s really difficult to be good enough to earn a right standing with God. That is why so many religions provide some way to address our many failures. In the various forms of the Christian religion, which is derived from Judaism, those who make a real try at living a holy life by keeping the Law and all the rules, find that it is unattainable. Sometimes we just want to take a break, relax, let our guard down, and have some fun.

By its very nature, the Christian religion is an attempt to gain and maintain a right relationship with God by living according to rules and regulations and keeping prescribed rituals. I grew up in the Roman Catholic church, which takes this to an art form. Religion can be formal, liturgical, beautiful, and reverent or it can be informal, iconoclastic, plain, and irreverent.

Regardless of what form it takes, at its heart, religion is always the same – rules, procedures, regulations, evaluations, and judgments.

Every religious system has its own way of measuring success and failure, which all goes back to the first sin. Adam and Eve were not content simply doing what God told them: they had to know good and evil for themselves. This was the beginning of religion, in which man makes the rules instead of God. We have suffered from an incurable disease called religiosis ever since. We think that if we keep our own or our group’s rules, we can feel pretty good about ourselves vis a vis God. If we fall short of the prescribed norm, we may feel condemned or we might try the opposite tactic and dismiss the rule as unimportant. One way or another we must deal with the tension of our failure to keep our adopted religious rules.

What Religion Promises to Do for Us

It takes something extremely powerful to break the average person free from the pull of their chosen religion. So, what is it about religion that makes it so attractive?

  • Religion offers to provide a way for us to be “right” with God. Religion supposedly offers a way to make that happen, which seems to be within the grasp of the ordinary person. The older the religious tradition, the greater the authority it may claim to have.
  • Religion offers a way to measure where we stand with God and how we are progressing spiritually.  Religion provides a system of rules and regulations, which give us some feedback. If we keep the rules, we receive positive feedback. We also know where we stand when we break the rules.
  • Religion offers an effective way to connect with God. Churches that are more liturgical offer an ambience, sacraments, and ritual to produce a “holy” atmosphere. Often the more liturgical the setting, the greater the desire of the attendee to have someone else, a priest perhaps, draw near to God for them. Hence, the clergy has a more noticeable and sometimes exalted role as a mediator between the average person and God.

Interestingly, some people use “going to church” as a way to shield themselves from the need to have a personal connection with God.

If they are asked about their faith, they may say, “I go to church,” as a way to deflect. In fact, they have no personal connection with God. It is all done for them by the clergy. Non-liturgical religions have their own versions of what it means to “experience” God, which is usually more subjective and personal. Personal religious experience can also fall under all kinds of rules. Many feel that being quiet in “God’s house” is a rule that must not be broken. Others have certain ways of preaching and acting out what it means when God’s Spirit “falls” on them. For others, dressing in one’s best clothes for meetings is a necessary way to show reverence and holiness. For a great many, the stage must be properly set by a time of praise and worship, in which the “anointing” is felt. Many depend on the feeling they have when “the presence of God” is there. The list goes on. All this is done to try to reach God or to measure how well we have connected with God.

  • Religion offers to be an “authority,” to tell us if we are on the right track or not. The more liturgical churches have all sorts of traditions and hierarchy that provide this service. When the “powers that be” say we are “okay,” it is supposed to give us some confidence. Even non-liturgical churches often embrace strong authority figures, who tell them what to do and not do. For evangelicals, the Bible is the highest authority,  but we often depend on other authorities to tell us how to properly interpret and apply Scripture. Many people like this sort of “fence” around their lives to keep evil out and to keep them from straying outside accepted boundaries.
  • Religion offers stability and structure to give us peace in a very precarious and confusing world. Religion offers some version of this. Old line churches, brimming with history and tradition, offer something historically stable in a world where religious fashions come and go. More recent forms, traditions, denominations, or non-denominations of church offer their own versions of stability and structure, perhaps in the form of size, popularity, old hymns, old translations of the Bible, and that “old time religion.” Some fashionable churches today provide stability to modernists by being relevant and up to date with methodology, technology, fashions, music, and phrasing. Everyone gravitates to his or her own personal “comfort zone.”

Why Religion Fails

Those of us who have seriously pursued a religious way of trying to be right with God have found that it is extremely frustrating and discouraging. The one thing we learn is that we are far more seriously affected by sin than people who are not religious know.

We have to try to be good to find out how bad we are at a very deep level.

It is important for us to understand the reasons why religion can never give us a right relationship with God.

  • Since we are flawed at the core of our being, any system that relies on our performance will fail.
I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die. Galatians 2:21 (NLT)

According to the Bible, there is only one way to be in right standing with God – by fully trusting in Jesus the Messiah and what he accomplished for us on the cross and by his resurrection. Jesus had to die for us because no one is able to keep the requirements of religion, in this case the Law of Moses and all its derivatives.

Rules and regulations only point out to us how unable we are to be good enough.

...For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. 22  But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Galatians 3:21-22 (ESV)
  • Religion only gives us false readings when it offers to measure how we are progressing in our relationship with God.

If a religion makes its rules too difficult, people will give up, which, by the way, is what we are supposed to do. (Galatians 3:23-24) It is only when we give up on trying to be right with God in our own strength that we can come to Jesus as spiritual paupers (Matthew 5:3) and receive what he offers freely. On the other hand, if religion makes its rules easy enough for most of us to keep them, it gives us a false sense of security. God’s Law is impossible to keep because we are so sinful at the core of our beings.

I think it is important for us to define sin in a very general way at this point, since many might object my previous statement. The Bible indicates that sin, at its root, is a defiance and betrayal of God, our Creator, coupled with a determination to live on our own terms, without reference to God or his commandments.

Simply put, sin is living independently from God.

Using this definition, even the most high minded and noble among us will be classified as sinners, which is the actual way God views us. As the prophet and apostle said, “There is none righteous, no not one.” (Romans 3:10)

Religion is our attempt to recreate Adam’s sin in the garden, when he decided he had to know for himself all about good and evil. Religion tries to create a framework in which we can know if we are good or bad, right with God or not, going to heaven or destined to hell. True Christianity, not the man-made religious variant, is God’s way to restore us to his original intent. He wants us to trust in him alone. That is why Jesus had to die.

When we relate to God by faith in Christ, there are no outward measurements by which we can confirm our right standing with God. The only anchor to which we can hold is the promise of God, and that is enough.

God wants us to be satisfied in Christ’s offering, the eternal Word of God, and in the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence. That is all we need.

The apostle Paul firmly resisted any and every effort to introduce an outward measurement of righteousness. He knew this door leads down to a deadly legalistic path away from relying upon and experiencing the true grace of God.

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2  Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3  I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4  You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5  For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. Galatians 5:1-6 (ESV)
  • Instead of giving us access to God’s presence, religion actually blocks the way.

The New Covenant gives us only one way to connect with God by faith, through his Son, Jesus the Messiah. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to the Father, except through him. (John 14:6) The vehicle (actually, the Person) through whom this connection is made is the Holy Spirit. The door is wide open to those who thus approach him.

Jesus said:

Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.” Luke 11:52 (ESV)

The reason many people resort to religion as a means to experience God’s presence is because they have never experienced the reality of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Once we experience God in this way, it becomes crystal clear that religion has nothing to do with it.

  • Religious authorities almost always will let us down. 

By nature, all man-centered authority, religious or otherwise, tends toward establishing and maintaining power for itself. The religious authorities of Jesus’ day were the chief architects of his crucifixion. Despite their knowledge of the scriptures, their desire to preserve their own position and privilege pushed them to deny Jesus’ claim that he was and is God’s promised Messiah. Because they prioritized maintaining their own authority, they refused to submit to God’s. This leads us to the inescapable conclusion, which was confirmed by Christ himself, that any religious leader that accrues power and prestige to himself or herself should be avoided.

Religious authorities which do not bow the knee to Christ become architects of legalism and propagators of death.

A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25  And he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26  But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. Luke 22:24-26 (ESV)
  • Religion cannot provide the peace and security that only comes directly from God.

Religion will always fail in this regard because religious rules and laws work exactly opposite to their desired intent. Instead of helping us, they excite rebellion in us.

Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.” 8  But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power. 9  At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, 10  and I died. So I discovered that the law’s commands, which were supposed to bring life, brought spiritual death instead. 11  Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me. 12  But still, the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good. 13  But how can that be? Did the law, which is good, cause my death? Of course not! Sin used what was good to bring about my condemnation to death. So we can see how terrible sin really is. It uses God’s good commands for its own evil purposes. Romans 7:7-13 (NLT)

Self-effort is always a frustrating exercise in futility. Those with the strongest wills are the last to be convinced. They may rise to the top of the religious establishment and end up being harsh taskmasters, venting their frustration on others who fail to measure up to the level they have attained.

Faith alone connects us to Jesus, the Prince of Peace, the only One who was able to live in perfect obedience to God. Unless we come to him, we will never know the meaning of true security, peace, and rest. Jesus told his listeners that he would give them rest, if they would come to him. The offer still stands. The rest he spoke of comes from faith in his what he accomplished on the cross. We rest because Jesus already won our salvation. He lived the perfect life, so that we do not have to try and fail.

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)

Escape from Religion

Jesus came to offer something very different. One day he invited his listeners to make their escape from the tyranny of religion by coming to him.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)

How does a person leave religion and “come” to Christ in order to find rest? What does it mean to rest in the way Jesus meant it?

Religion is a man-made system, but true faith opens the door into a divinely orchestrated relationship with God. Religion kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Cor. 3:6) Religion puts people in bondage, but following Christ sets people free. (Gal.5:1) Being a follower of Christ means we are experiencing a relationship with a real, living person. His indwelling Spirit transforms us internally and helps us to live according to our Lord’s teachings. Jesus invites people to run from religion into the glorious freedom and responsibility of being his followers. (Romans 8:1-2)

Following Christ allows a person to pass through the portal of faith into an amazing new world of freedom in the Spirit.

This happens when we are “born again” or “born from above.” Until the Spirit does this in us, we will be merely religious people, who are on the outside looking in, having little or no understanding of the spiritual dynamic of true Christianity.

In this new experience called following Christ, we learn to accept that Christ did for us what we could never do for ourselves.

He paid off our enormous debt to God (because of sin), and gave us a free gift of being in a right relationship with his heavenly Father. We don’t have to earn it or be good enough to maintain it. All Jesus expects us to do is believe in his promises and follow the lead of the Holy Spirit, who internally motivates and empowers us, something totally foreign to religious people.

When we fail, and we surely will, we will not be condemned. (John 5:24 and Romans 8:1) Instead the Spirit helps us to our feet again and encourages us to keep going.

In this brave new world of faith, we have no external measurements of our religious performance because they are no longer needed.

We do not measure ourselves or our progress, since Christ totally fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Law of God for us. (Romans 10:4) Instead we fix our gaze upon the Perfect One and trust him to transform us more and more into his glorious image. Trying to “be good” drops off our radar screen.

Focusing on Jesus changes us from the inside out, often without our even being aware. Relationship replaces religion. We make our escape.

Accepting Responsibility

For those of us who have grown weary of the religious treadmill, it’s time to make a break. If we are tired of feeling frustrated, it’s time to jettison false religious hopes and come to the Author of hope, the Messiah, Jesus the Lord. If we want security and peace, we must approach the One who promises that he will give us rest. If we need a permanent break from unforgiving rules and harsh rulers, we are invited to come to the Shepherd who is gentle and lowly of heart and gave his life for us. If we want to be able to enjoy God’s life-giving presence, we can receive the One called “the Resurrection and the Life.” We have the opportunity to invite God’s life-giving Spirit to take charge of our lives. If we do these things, we will end up being happy, fulfilled, and passionate for God, something religion can never give us.

But Christ’s victory on the cross does not end with our escape. Rather, Jesus sets us free so we can fulfill our destiny. Our greatest privilege as born again followers of Christ is to partner with God in the great adventure of being Great Co-Missionaries.

God wants his mission to become our overwhelming purpose in life. Freedom is not for its own sake. It is so we can join God in his glorious enterprise.

Jesus was the Sent One. He sends us as his representatives to a frustrated religious world. We have the message of freedom, the gospel.

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” John 20:21 (ESV)

Prayer

Jesus, I am weary of religion and I want You. I turn myself over to you. I repent for attempting to earn my way to God, instead of relying on what you did for me. I accept that you died and rose again so that I don’t have to struggle with trying to be “good enough.” Holy Spirit, I ask you to come into my life. Empower me to live for Jesus. Teach me your truth. Make me a loving servant to others and a passionate witness for Jesus. Give me peace and joy. Father God, thank you for accepting me as your child and loving me past comprehension. Amen.

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Worry about Money and the Fear of Abandonment

Many of us worry about money. Will we have enough? What if I lose my job? I just retired from being the lead pastor at our church, which means an end to my salary. We managed to put aside some savings over the years, and we have social security, as long as that is solvent, but will it be enough? I recently asked one of my physicians who is in his sixties when he plans to retire. I am sure he is well off, but he still has some things to pay for before he feels as if he can retire. How much is enough? Maybe you grew up having little and fear that lack could come your way again. Where does this fear about having enough money come from? Is there anything we can do to get free?

I remember one time many years ago when our church finances took a dip. Even though I know all the scriptures about God being my source, I worried a bit. Knowing that such fears are usually based on lies we believe at a heart level, I asked the Lord to show me why I was worried. Instantly he gave me a surprising answer. I saw a picture in my mind of a young child being hugged by an older man. Instantly I realized that my worry about the dip in our church finances was based on the lie that such a downturn meant that God was not pleased with me/us. From the vision, I understood immediately that his affection for me had nothing to do with finances and would not change, which of course is biblical. That day I was delivered to a great extent from worrying about money. We have always had enough, even more than enough.

Recently I read the following verses which reminded me of the vision God gave me years ago.

Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” 6 so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5–6 (NASB95) —

Relying on money instead of God is rooted in the fear that God will abandon us, which he promises us he will never ever do.

One of his compound names in the Old Testament is Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord who provides. God revealed this name to Abraham when he provided a ram to sacrifice in place of his son, Isaac. At the place of his testing, Abraham discovered God’s provision.

If we keep our focus on and faith in God, he will always provide. It is not merely something he does: it is who he is.

Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son. 14 Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide, as it is said to this day, “In the mount of the Lord it will be provided.” Genesis 22:13–14 (NASB95) —

God is more committed to provide for us than we can imagine. To believe otherwise is an insult to his character. So, the next time we are tempted to worry about having enough money, let us remember who God is. He is our faithful provider who promises to never ever abandon us. We can take that to the bank.

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The Effect of God’s Kindness Is Peace

 

 

 

 

One of the most important effects or fruit of the operation of the Holy Spirit in our lives is peace. Peace is the direct result of God’s showing loving kindness to us through Christ.

Peace with God is the root of all other forms of real peace. It is a treasure freely given to all of God’s born again children that came at an incalculable cost to God.

Jesus, the Prince of Peace, suffered and died on the cross and rose again to make our peace with God a reality. Our Lord’s peace was ripped from him during those horrible hours so that the peace God gives to us can never be snatched away.

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. John 14:27 (NLT)

Paul wrote:

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Romans 5:1 (NLT)

The technical term for being made right with God is justification, through which we were given Christ’s very own righteousness. When Jesus died on the cross, the Bible says that he actually “became sin.” He was completely identified with our sin so that we might be likewise one with his righteousness. Not surprisingly, theologians call this identification.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

Some Bible readers imagine this is merely a poetic way of saying that Christ substituted for us by dying in our place. Substitution is another tremendous truth connected with our salvation, but that is not what Paul is writing about here. This verse refers to something much deeper, something C.S. Lewis called “deep magic” in his Chronicles of Narnia. It is the secret wisdom God used to rescue us from the Prince of Darkness.

No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. 8  But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. 1 Corinthians 2:7-8 (NLT)

Abba Father caused all our sins to fall upon his Son (Isaiah 53:6) so that we will never have to carry them again or suffer their consequences – the terror of separation from God forever. There is no peace for the wicked (Isaiah 48:22), but the effect of righteousness is peace.

And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. Isaiah 32:17 (ESV)

Because God unleashed the fullness of his wrath against sin upon his Son, we will never have to face it. He was appointed to wrath so that we are forever released from that appointment. (1 Thessalonians 5:9)

Isaiah beautifully wrote about this wonderful truth of the New Covenant.

Just as I swore in the time of Noah that I would never again let a flood cover the earth, so now I swear that I will never again be angry and punish you. 10  For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the LORD, who has mercy on you. Isaiah 54:9-10 (NLT)

Paul said it another way in his letter to the church in Rome.

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32  Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33  Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34  Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. 35  Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36  (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37  No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38  And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-39 (NLT)

What an amazing peace producing promise! God’s kindness toward us is eternal, which sparks the desire in us to love him back and willingly serve him with all our hearts. Generosity elicits gratefulness in the heart of the recipient.

Here is one of the most beautiful verses in the Bible.

I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. John 5:24 (NLT)

Jesus endured death for us. When he died, we died. When he rose again, we rose with him to life eternal. This is essentially the message of Romans Chapter Six. This is why Paul could write.

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2  And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. Romans 8:1-2 (NLT)

The reason we can experience victory over sin is because it no longer has the power to condemn us or rule us. Paul wrote in another place that the strength behind sin is the Law. (1 Corinthians 15:56) As long as we are subject to condemnation, sin has power over us. Because Jesus took our condemnation, sin lost its power to rule over us.

Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Romans 6:14 (NLT)

So, not only did Jesus provide us with everlasting peace, he also delivered us from the power of sin by taking our condemnation upon himself. How glorious!

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Encounters with God’s Kindness

 

Our sin produces inside us an expectation of an encounter with God’s judgment. The Bible tells us that…

...the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NLT)

Our sin “earns” death; so, anything less than that is an encounter with God’s kindness.

Every time we come face to face with God’s kindness instead of his judgment, it reminds us that Jesus absorbed God’s wrath for our sake to make this possible.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24  Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25  For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, Romans 3:23-25 (NLT)

Since God is not bound by time but exists outside of it, he sees the entire panorama of history – past present, and future – all at once. It is all the same to him.

What Christ accomplished on the cross happened at a certain point in history but its effect is eternal.

The benefits go backward in time to cover those who lived and trusted God before Christ and forward to cover all those who would be born and believe the gospel after him. His sacrifice was accomplished once for all time.

And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, 28  so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him. Hebrews 9:27-28 (NLT)

This means that even though we deserve to face an awful encounter with God’s wrath, we now can expect a meeting with the kindest Person we will ever know who delights to show us mercy.

Here are a few biblical examples of those who encountered God’s kindness instead of his wrath.

  1. Adam and Eve betrayed their Creator in spite of being warned that their disobedience would result in death. In the midst of being judged for their sin, God made Eve a most wonderful promise that one of her descendants would defeat Satan, which was fulfilled by Jesus on the cross. (Genesis 3:15)
  2. Jacob deceived his father Isaac and brother Esau to obtain the blessing normally intended for the elder son. Afterward Esau determined to kill Jacob, prompting him to flee to Haran where he married his cousins Leah and Rachel with whom he had twelve sons. Eventually God told Jacob to return to Canaan, the land of blessing, which required him to finally face up to Esau. After wrestling with his fears, he met his long estranged brother who had come with 400 armed men to do who knew what. Instead of encountering his brother’s anger, he was warmly embraced. Jacob said: “…what a relief to see your friendly smile. It is like seeing the face of God!” (Genesis 33:10 (NLT))
  3. Jacob loved Joseph more than his other sons, which made them jealous and full of hatred. They eventually sold him into slavery into Egypt. Later, after Joseph had been elevated to the second most powerful position in that land, Joseph’s brothers came to him to buy food. In dramatic fashion he revealed to them his true identity, which caused them to fear for their lives. Those brothers expected to encounter judgment but instead came face to face with forgiveness. The kindness Joseph extended was so unbelievable to them that after Jacob died they begged him not to punish them for their past behavior, prompting this response from Joseph. ” …Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? 20  You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. 21  No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children…”  Genesis 50:19-21 (NLT)
  4. David committed adultery with his good friend Uriah’s wife and had Uriah killed in battle after she became pregnant, both offenses being punishable by death. When Nathan the prophet confronted him about these sins, David repented, not knowing what might lie ahead in terms of judgment. Nathan announced that David would reap many negative consequences for his sin but that God chose to show mercy, saying: “…the LORD has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin.” 2 Samuel 12:13 (NLT) 
  5. In John chapter 8, the woman caught in the act of adultery was hauled before our Lord expecting to be stoned to death as required in the Law of Moses. Drawing an advance upon what he would soon accomplish on the cross, he extended mercy to this woman and set her free. When all her accusers had departed, Jesus’ words have gone down in history. “Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11  “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” John 8:10-11 (NLT) This woman expected to encounter God’s wrath at the hands of men but met face to face with his kindness and mercy.

Every single one of us is just like that woman. We have all sinned and deserve to experience God’s wrath. No one is righteous before God. (Romans 3:10) We all have a “fearful expectation of judgment.” (Hebrews 10:27)

Instead God sent his Son to encounter that wrath on our behalf so that we might come face to face with God’s smile.

The only way for us to avoid our appointment with judgment and death is to accept God’s generous offer to be reconciled to him through faith in Christ and what he did on our behalf. It seems like a “no brainer” to me.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, Creator of the universe, I stand before you now well aware that I deserve to encounter your judgment and wrath against my sin. Thank you for sending your Son to die in my place so that I might be forgiven and reconciled to you. I receive that amazing gift right now and give my heart and life to you. Holy Spirit transform me on the inside and help me to live the rest of my life for Jesus. Thank you for being so kind. Amen.

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The Inexhaustible Kindness of God

 

What we believe about God’s kindness will greatly influence how we experience him.

If we think he is hard to please, judgmental, and angry, we will relate to him based on that lens or filter. (Luke 19:20-23) Conversely, if we understand just how much he loves us and the inexhaustiblity of his kindness, it will transform our lives. (Psalm 18:25-27)

Paul wrote about God’s kindness in the first chapter of his letter to the church located in Ephesus in what is now Turkey.

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5  that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6  For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7  So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7 (NLT)

One of the ways to understand the depths of God’s kindness is to contrast it with his wrath. Kindness toward us is only possible because Jesus absorbed God’s wrath against our sin on the cross.

Paul explained it like this.

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7  Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8  But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9  And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10  For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11  So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. Romans 5:6-11 (NLT)

But what about when life is difficult and if we get wobbly in our devotion to God? Paul wrote in another place.

Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. Romans 11:22 (NASB)

Depending on our theological perspective, we may understand this verse as a threat that God’s child can be separated from God’s goodness and kindness by falling from grace. It is certainly a stern warning to us all, but there is another way to view what it means. Paul said that nothing can separate us from the love of God. (Romans 8:39) Even when we are running from God, we can never get away from him. David, who spent at least nine months rebelling against God, wrote the following:

I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! 8  If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. 9  If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, 10  even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. 11  I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— 12  but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. Psalm 139:7-12 (NLT)

We may encounter God’s stern discipline, if we continue in rebellion, but we will never exhaust his mercy and kindness.

What is called the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints teaches us that God’s grace and Spirit will work in us so that our faith will not fail when we are tested.

Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. Jude 1:24 (NLT)

The apostle Peter verbally denied even knowing our Lord when he was put to the test during Jesus’ passion. He even spoke a curse over himself on the third time. But Jesus had foreseen Peter’s failure, warned him that it would happen, and promised him that he would eventually come around and be restored.

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift each of you like wheat. 32  But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:31-32 (NLT)

After Jesus’ words came true, Peter was devastated by the revelation of his own weakness and faithlessness. He could have despaired and given up on God, but he did not because Jesus had given him a reason to hope. Peter never ceased to continue in faith in God’s kindness toward him, and when the opportunity came, he ran to the Lord to get things right with him again.

Judas Iscariot, on the other hand, had no such hope. After betraying the Lord for money, upon realizing the gravity of his sin, went out and committed suicide. I am convinced that, in spite of being with Jesus for three years, he never really understood who Jesus is or believed in him. Therefore he had no anchor, nothing to fall back on, no revelation of the inexhaustible kindness of God. In his hopelessness, he took his own life.

Another great example of the inexhaustibility of God’s loving kindness is the parable of the prodigal son. This young man cared little for his father or brother. He only wanted to have a good time without regard for God or family. In other words, he turned his back on his father. Nevertheless, he was a son; so, the father never turned his back on him.

Nothing can break the relationship between father and son, even though we may go through times of difficulty and separation.

Ultimately, sons will come back to the loving embrace of the father and be fully restored. Those who are not sons, such as Judas, have no anchor, no confidence in being restored, because they do not know the loving kindness of God.

If we wander away from God, we will find out that we are on a hard path of our own making. (Proverbs 13:15)

If we backslide, we will eat the fruit of our rebellious ways (Proverbs 14:14), but even this is a kindness from God. Our pain wakes us up and reminds us that walking close to God is much better.

The prodigal son finally had enough of the suffering he brought upon himself and returned to his father’s house. Little did he expect the warm welcome he received. His father’s kindness exceeded anything he had imagined.

The elder brother was put off by his father’s extravagant show of love because he had not yet come to grips with his own need for mercy.

God is so great that he can take even the worst things that happen to us and work them for our good and his glory. (Romans 8:28) The prodigal son could have beat himself up for wasting his father’s money and treading upon his love, but that would have been counterproductive.

The only way the prodigal could receive the revelation of what his father was like was through his own failure. On the other side of his sinful wandering, he had a better understanding of his father’s love than the ever faithful elder brother.

This is not to say that we have to sin extravagantly to know God’s mercy. Far from it. But we do have to come to grips with our need for God’s kindness on a day to day basis.

How do we see God? Is he an austere demanding judge who always finds fault with us, or is he a loving and kind father who delights in us and encourages us to trust in his unchanging love and faithfulness? If you wish to know him better as the latter, Jesus will show you.

No one has ever seen God. God's only Son, the one who is closest to the Father's heart, has made him known. John 1:18 (GW)

Nothing makes Jesus happier than to tell us all about his Father’s amazing love and the inexhaustible riches of his kindness.

Prayer

Father in heaven, I want to experience your love and kindness. Jesus,  you are the One who knows Abba perfectly. Please reveal him to me so that I can trust him completely. Teach me always to rely on God’s loving kindness. Amen.

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Believing a Lie Can Kill Us

In the 1970’s many experimented with LSD, a popular psychedelic drug. It caused users to experience strange mental fantasies. Some even believed they were butterflies and jumped out of windows to their deaths. Believing a lie can kill us.

Adam and Eve believed the serpent’s lie that disobedience to God’s clear command would not result in death. Believing and acting upon that lie killed them and introduced death into the human race. Jesus taught that Satan’s mission is to “kill, steal, and destroy.” (John 10:10) Our Lord’s purpose, on the other hand, is to provide us with a rich and satisfying life. The only way we can have the latter is by believing the truth of the gospel message and declaring allegiance to the One called “the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)

Satan’s lies always lead us down a destructive path. He is never satisfied unless he can destroy what God has created. His main weapon is lying. Jesus called him “the father of lies,” saying that no truth resides in him at all.

For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44 (NLT)

If we have been paying attention, we have observed that lying has become an art form in the mainstream media, Big Tech, Big Medicine, Big Pharma, and our government. And it’s not the sort of lying that we have always known. In the past, politicians have always been dishonest, saying what they think we want to hear in order to secure our vote, while having no intention of following through. Today, however, the lies we are told in some cases are much more sinister.

We were told that there was no help against Covid except the government’s “safe and effective” experimental vaccine. The safe and affordable interventions discovered by some doctors were maligned and resisted, resulting in the deaths of many whose lives could have been saved by using hydroxychloriquine and ivermectin. When the so called mRNA “vaccine” was rolled out without going through safety trials, our government, doctors, the mainstream media, and Big Tech all collaborated in promoting the big lie that “nothing could go wrong.” Many who believed this lie are now dead as a result of various reactions, myocarditis, immune system malfunctions, blood clots, and runaway cancers. And we do not yet know what long-term side effects the jabs may have. Yes, believing a lie can kill us. (To watch Dr. Peter McCullough, a widely acclaimed and published cardiologist, testify before the Pennsylvania Senate, click here. Dr. Ryan Cole, a renowned pathologist, testifies to the link between “turbo-cancers” and the vaccine here.)

Not only are we being inundated with medical lies, we are now having transgenderism rammed down our throats by the government and a complicit media. No amount of lying to ourselves about what gender we are can change the gender God gave us. Surgery, hormone therapy, and pretending cannot transform anyone at the chromosomal level.

We are who God made us to be.

Suicide among those who have tried to change their genders is through the roof.

Data indicate that 82% of transgender individuals have considered killing themselves and 40% have attempted suicide, with suicidality highest among transgender youth. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32345113/)

Believing a lie can ruin our lives and kill us.

It is one thing to destroy our physical lives, which are going to end eventually anyway, and quite another to destroy our eternity.

One of the devil’s favorite lies is to tell people that there is no God and no ultimate accountability to anyone but ourselves for what we do with our lives.

Believing this lie will ruin us in eternity. The Bible says that only a fool believes that there is no God. (Psalm 14:1) Fools can be extremely intelligent and well-educated, by the way.

When any of us abandon God’s truth and cease having a proper respect and awe for our Creator, we become biblical fools.

Jesus told us that God hides himself from the arrogant but reveals himself to the humble.

Then Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. I am thankful that you have hidden these things from those who are so wise and so smart. But you have shown them to people who are like little children. Matthew 11:25 (ETRV)

Multitudes of those who smugly trust in their own intelligence have rejected God and doomed themselves to hell.

No amount of believing that there is no God or hell can save us from the truth.

Jesus said:

Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. 5  But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear. Luke 12:4-5 (NLT)

These words from our Lord tear down another favorite lie of the devil. Many have fallen for the idea that God is so loving he would never consign someone to hell. What right do we have to declare that another person is wrong since God approves of everyone and everything they do? Paul warned us that in the last days people will not be open to the truth, but will gravitate toward those who teach them what they want to hear.

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 2 Timothy 4:3 (NLT)

The truth will stand on its own two feet. God’s truth is embodied in a Person, who is the Truth, our Lord Jesus the Messiah.

When we believe a lie, it is a form of idolatry. Lies are intended to destroy us, but the truth sets us free.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32  and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." John 8:31-32 (NASB)

Jesus is the Truth. (John 14:6) When we invite him to be Lord of our lives, the Holy Spirit, who is also called the Spirit of truth (John 14:17), comes to live inside us. The Bible says that he will guide us into all truth (John 16:13). One way he does this is by opening our understanding to the truth found in the Bible, God’s Word (John 17:17). Only those who love God’s truth can be saved.

This man (the antichrist) 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 2:9-12 (NLT)

Satan has been allowed to test humanity with deception to reveal those who love God’s truth.

It will probably only get worse as we draw closer to the end. Make the decision to become a lover of truth and a follower of Jesus, who is the Truth. Here is a prayer you may wish to pray right now.

Prayer

Jesus, please forgive me for rejecting you in the past. I now come to you and acknowledge that you are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Forgive me for embracing lies and trying to live apart from you. I ask you to come into my life right now. I declare allegiance to you. Holy Spirit, please help me to live for Jesus every single day for the rest of my life here on earth. Thank you for the gift of eternal life and the promise of being with you forever. Father God, thank you for accepting me into your eternal family. I want to know you and your amazing love in an ever increasing way. Use me to help others come to know you, too. Amen.

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The Chicken or the Egg?

 

Those who enjoy conundrums love to pose the question, what came first, the chicken or the egg? For those of us who are creationists, the answer if easy. God created chickens, giving them the ability to reproduce themselves. We face a similar question when it comes to our relationship with God.

Does Father God delight in us because we do the things that please him, or do we do what pleases him because he delights in us? The Bible gives us the answer: the chicken comes before the egg.

John tells us that we are able to love God because he first loved us.

This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 1 John 4:10 (NLT)

Paul wrote that God loved us when we were still his enemies.

For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. Romans 5:10 (NLT)

In fact, God loved us before he created the world, predating anything we might ever do to win his favor.

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. Ephesians 1:4 (NLT)

There is only one way for us to be without fault. God exchanged our sin and guilt for Christ’s perfect righteousness.

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NLT)

Since God accomplished all this on our behalf before we were ever born, we know that his delight in us has nothing to do with our performance and everything to do with his beloved Son. God first loved us to enable us to love him back. The chicken came before the egg.

Father God declared his delight in his Son before he began his public ministry.

After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. 17  And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” Matthew 3:16-17 (NLT)

Father God’s love and delight in his Son launched him into a ministry that further delighted his Abba. Jesus delighted to do Father’s will and only did what pleased him. (John 8:28)

When we are born again, the Spirit of Christ indwells us, motivating us from within to please God, but first we must understand that we are already pleasing before we ever do anything.

Our ability to bring pleasure to our heavenly Father is based on the perfect right standing we have with him because of our position in Christ. What is true of Jesus is true for us.

God delights in us because he delights in the One who lives inside us.

The Holy Spirit works inside each born again person transforming us into people who love God and desire to please him.

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13 (NLT)

We try to please God, not to gain his favor, but because we already have his favor.

This is the profound difference between grace and legalism. Legalists become weary and frustrated by the vain attempt to be good enough to please God. God renews the strength of those who trust in his free gift of righteousness and operate out of the resting place of faith.

When we learn to rejoice in God’s delight in us, we will be motivated to serve him.

Likewise, we parents must make it a first priority to let our children know how much they delight us just because of who they are. We may not like everything they do, but our love for them transcends all that. The better job we do at communicating delight to to our family, friends, and co-workers, the more likely they are to respond positively. All of us desperately need to be loved. Do unto others…

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