What's the Most Important Thing You Can Do With Your Short Life?

Photo: FRANK DUVENECK

oil ...Portrait of a Bearded Man...

What is the most important thing you can do with your short life?  It is to please God by doing what He wants. 

And God wants us to influence others to do the same.  Who would these “others” be?  First, my family.  As an adult, my spouse and children and later grandchildren are my first responsibilities -- in that order.  I must serve my parents and carry a prayer burden for my extended family too.  I am also responsible to be a faithful epistle to others.  My spiritual flock must be cared for.  How can I best accomplish that?

First by fulfilling the two greatest commandments.  (Matthew 22:37-40)  I must ask God to fill me with perfect love for Him.  I prove that love by obedience to His precepts.  His Word, the Bible, teaches us what He wants us to do.  I seek God in His Word, in prayer, and by walking before Him with a humble and contrite heart.  

And the second greatest commandment is loving my neighbor.  I love them by praying for them.  By giving them no occasion to fall or stumble in faith by my example.   And by seeking their greatest good, first to my own household, to those found in the household of faith, and thirdly to others 

Often what I do or talk about becomes an amplified priority in the lives of those following me.  Is this what I want -- in my children, my grandchildren, or in my little flock of influence?  I must not let even good become enemy to the best.

Micah 6:8  He hath shown thee, oh man, what is good and what does the LORD require of thee, but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God.

- Phillip

Is Fervent Prayer Necessary?

The other day a young person asked me something to the effect of, “Is it really necessary to pray really hard like holiness people do?” This is not the first time a young person has asked me that. I'm glad that they asked me.


My answer in essence follows and applies to not just prayer, but to all aspects of spiritual sacrifice. 

The the greater the sacrifice or the more that is given up as an offering to God and others, the greater yield that God will cause its seed to eventually bring forth. Although others may look at such as foolish or as a waste.


Jesus for our full salvation laid aside His glory, left His rightful place to humble himself and take upon himself a body like ours, and then he offered up prayers and supplications to God in the garden with “strong crying and tears.” And He later gave up his life for us, for those who didn't even want Him.


God says, “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”


Should we pray like this only when we feel the urge. No, we take ourselves by the nape of the neck and willfully do that which we know we ought to do. If we wait til we “feel so moved” our ease-loving, sluggish human nature may never do what's best.


Souls are even now dropping into hell. There is spiritual warfare to wage. Christ came to set the captive free, and I in prayer and in life must fight to release souls from destruction. So should I spend my days in wonderful “quiet times” of staring out the window at the peaceful scenery over a steaming mug of coffee telling God how wonderful He is? I'm not saying that this isn't good, but is this the best that God wants from us? What soul saving, sin killing, fire baptizing revival has ever broken out with this kind of prayer?


The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force. If a building is ablaze and people around me are sleeping, this calls for more than cool contemplations. God uses us to set up His kingdom, and His hard soldiers give all their strength to serving Him and others. And when they reach the end of their strength, He pours out His grace and His strength is made perfect in their weakness. 

Again, the greater the sacrifice offered up in the will of God for Him and for others in His name, the greater yield its seed will eventually bring forth, even though it seems to others a waste of effort.


Abraham left his father's house and country. He wandered aimlessly as a foreigner in obedience to God. Though he and Sarah were old, he expected a son for years because God had promised him such. He later offered that son back to God in the deepest act of worship when it made no sense at all.


Robert Murray McCheyne, I understand, excelled in sports and academics and loved studying Biblical languages and theology. But even as a young man he left sports and laid aside the other intellectual and spiritual pursuits to pray for revival and weep for souls. Like his Saviour, he poured out his life as a sacrifice for others. He died at the young age of 29 during an epidemic, but God sent revival to his church in answer to his prayers and today many years later, and his life still continues bearing ever more fruit, much more fruit than if he would have lived is life pursuing his own good interests. (A note of interest, I've found out that a good number in Chinese churches and other churches across the world follow the Bible study schedule which he laid out.)


David Brainerd gave his short life to much and fervent prayer while serving some wicked Indians. He carried such a burden it carried him to pray much in spite of those bitter cold colonial New Jersey winters. He was known to have prayed so much and so fervently that the snow around him melted. Often deprived of needful food he had little to eat due to lack of missionary support. Yet he carried on pouring out his life in offering to God and others. Near the end of his life God mightily answered his prayers and changed the drunken, God despising Indians to the point that they feared God, left sin, began worshiping God, and weeping at even the mention of God. I've heard others criticize Brainerd burning out his life for God at only 29 years of age, but many of the greatest of modern missionaries took with them a Bible and Brainerd's journal to inspire them while counting all things but loss to gain Christ. I believe that millions of souls will have found Christ in part due to Brainerd. Like his Saviour, he also ministered in a small location. Like his Saviour, he offered up prayer to God with strong crying and tears. Like his Saviour, he poured out his life in death. What an offering to God, an offering which others may say was a waste! What a harvest God will bring forth!


“Except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone...” Jesus is that first seed. And we also may be crucified with Christ? Have we offered up ourselves once and for all a holy, living sacrifice through faith? And now do we like Paul offer up ourselves and die daily?   “... and if that seed die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”


Our heritage of great prayer, fervency, revival, and sacrifice is much more than that of the holiness movement. It is born of the heart throb of passion and hunger and more so from Christ himself. And such has been shared throughout the history of Christ's church by those who have shared the same fervent burden of prayer which was also in Christ Jesus.


If you lay aside something of value to spend that time with God in costly, fervent prayer. You will reap much more than you can yet know. If you lay aside popularity or favor to obey God or to lift up Christ to others, you will reap from that seed planted. Some may not understand your heart cry born of a fervent hunger for God. But God understands. For He created that burning in your heart for His glory. He fuels it. And He intends to answer such prayer. Give much; you will reap many fold.

                           -Phillip

A Dream That's a Challenge To Buckle Down In Prayer

This morning (7-1-2015) I dreamed.

I was at an inter-church gathering.  After the service Heather and I were at the back of the sanctuary talking with a dear holiness pastor and his wife.  They faithfully labor without pay in a church plant and are faithful servants of God.  We were talking about a problem with one of the pieces of church furniture on the platform. 

Out the corner of my eye I saw someone behind me so I turned with a big smile to greet the person.  Durenda Bley stood there with tears running out of her eyes which were red from weeping.  Her husband Lloyd Bley stood near her crying too.  Bro. and Sis. Bley are a precious Godly couple in Nebraska who are holiness heroes of mine. 

I felt silly being light when they had been crying.  I didn't know why they were crying, so without a word I raised my hand to take his hand and I just held it.  As I held onto his hand my heart began to be touched by God and I cried with him and I cried more and more with him as I held his hand. 

Then I let go of his hand. 

I suddenly and spiritually heard a horrendous, agonizing voice which cried out from somewhere outside.  It reverberated so loudly and so realistically that it startled me and I began to wake up.

I thought, "What in the world?  That didn't make sense." 

Then I was told, "That was the cry of the wicked who just died."  That was followed by, "And they (Brother and Sister Bley) are praying for the wicked while you are talking."  Then I completely woke up.   

"As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked..."  -- Ezekiel 33:11a

"But the wicked shall perish..."   -- Psalm 37:20b

"And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none."  -- Ezekiel 22:30

"Oh, God, help me to be faithful in prayer for lost souls, so as to help bring as many into the safety of Christ as possible."  Conviction upon the wicked comes through the prayers of God's saints.  May I not be negligent and let them go to hell, but may I do my part to rescue them.
                     -Phillip
                   

President Barack Hussein Obama's Prophetic Words Regarding The Supreme Court's Judgment In Favor Of Abomination

With Words from that Most Sure Word of Prophecy the Bible, Regarding Justice for National Sins.

In our country's early years, when deciding how to determine the population of each American State, the delegates of the Constitutional Convention came up against the issue of slavery. At this Convention, many great voices were raised in favor of abolishing slavery everywhere in the Union, but other voices were raised in opposition. To present a united front to the world of the eve of Independence, the Continental Congress in 1776 postponed the handling of this explosive issue. (Under the Confederation, however, it did abolish slavery in all areas north of the Ohio River, and later formed states were “free states” where slavery was not permitted.)

Not much later, during Congress, the slavery issue arose again when debating the question of controlling interstate and international commerce. Charles Pickney and John Rutledge of South Carolina spoke up in favor of continuing the importation of slaves. At this point George Mason of Virginia could contain himself no longer. He rose and sternly warned his fellow delegates:

“Every master of slaves is born a petty tyrant. They bring the judgment of heaven upon a country. As nations cannot be rewarded or punished in the next world, they must be in this. By an inevitable chain of causes and effects, Providence punishes national sins by national calamities.”

It is tragic that Mason's timely warning went unheeded by a sufficient number of delegates. Again, this explosive issue was shelved. Congress gained the right to regulate the interstate and foreign commerce which had been causing so much friction between the states, but pro slavery forces achieved a deplorable victory: They succeeded in preventing Congress from even considering abolishing the importation of slaves until 1808! The handling of the slavery issue was unquestionably a serious blot on the work of the Constitutional Convention which opened itself up to divine direction in so many other ways and accomplished so much of enduring worth. It should serve to remind us what Madison understood so well: the sin nature of man often prevents him from accomplishing all that God would have him do. But God is not mocked. Although it took a disastrous Civil War, His providence achieved the abolition of slavery through blood when it could so easily have been achieved by the pen. It is a lesson that God blesses us to the extent that we rely on Him – in regard to slavery we did not. It's also a lesson that God will eliminate evil through judgment if we will not willingly rid ourselves of wickedness.

George Mason's words about national sins today ring more clearly: “They bring the judgment of heaven upon a country. As nations cannot be rewarded or punished in the next world, they must be in this. By an inevitable chain of causes and effects, Providence punishes national sins by national calamities.”

Today the guilt of other sins bloody our nation's hands. Just one of these sins is abortion. In 1860 there were over 3,950,000 slaves, which was more than 12.5 % of the US population then. Today just since 1973 when the US Supreme Court legalized abortion we have aborted nearly 60,000,000 babies. That is nearly 20% of our current citizenship of 320 million, and that is babies just in our country alone. (Nearly 2 billion babies have been aborted worldwide; this blood cries out for global judgment. Will it be a WW3?) We also send tens of millions of dollars annually to fund abortions internationally. We also outlawed Prayer (in 1962) and the Bible (1963) in our schools, we produce, consume, imitate, and export and corrupt the world with wicked movies, abominable pornography and satanic gaming. Our country's trade treaties with the world also push “diversity education” (read: aberrant sexuality teachings) in the schools in order to trade favorably with us. I learned this when living in Colombia and our country was pushing Latin American countries to join the free trade agreement with us. Space does not permit to discuss more about the blood of multitudes on our hands. But in it all, the US church in general has often courted and eventually consumed rather then confronted the world's wantonness. Our multitudes of false prophet libertines along with her sheep-goats have embraced sin while naming it spiritual liberty and praising God's grace.

The very, black Friday night of 6-26-2015, I discovered that the US Supreme Court had announced their decision to force all US States to recognize same-sex marriages. Our country's president celebrated the decision of pronouncing a blessing on the sin of Sodom by lighting up the White House with the colors of the rainbow, that lovely and sacred symbol of God's promise that in spite of man's sin – pride, sexual freedom, lawlessness, and violence – He would never again destroy all the earth with a flood. President Obama while celebrating the judgment passed by the Supreme Court proclaimed, “sometimes justice arrives like a thunderbolt.” I immediately thought, “Our president has just spoken prophetic words.” 

 In spite of fasting and praying before the court's decision, I have cried and have had an even heavier heart since then and I spoke to Heather about this the same night. I shared our President's quote and told her of this verse that came into my mind upon reading Obama's prophetic words. “Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.” 

 The next morning my mind was still troubled by the decision to promote this abominable sin. As I prepared to read my Bible for the morning I prayed and hungered for a word from the Lord about this situation. I then opened up my Bible and perhaps the first thing my eyes fell upon was the same verse that God had brought to my mind the night before upon reading that Mr. Obama said in so many words that judgment sometimes falls like lightning. With out even looking for it, immediately God gave me the same verse as the night before. Isaiah 30:13, “Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.” “Oh, God, in wrath remember mercy,” has been my cry since then! “Save and sanctify as many souls as possible before destruction.”

Speaking of destruction. It makes me nervous when someone says that they are proud of anything. But it scared me when so many of our country's leaders said that they were proud of the Supreme Court's decision and then the millions celebrated not only in our land but around the world. For we know that “pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

“Woe unto those who call evil good.” The man who lives in what is now a soiled White House said that the ruling "will strengthen all of our communities" by offering dignity... to all same-sex couples. The president calls the ruling "a victory for America." All this is opposite to the truth found in God's Word the Bible. It will weaken and endanger our communities while offering shame. And it was a downfall for America and a smashing blow upon the world.


After reading Isaiah 30:13, I immediately read the chapter and these words also stood out to me.

Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: (Isaiah 30:1)

[Rebellious – we used to follow God but have rebelled. Our chief men have deliberated and passed counsel and judgment to reject God and sin even more.]

That walk to go down into Egypt... (30:2)

[Egypt – represents sin, bondage, slavery, and is always down.]

...this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: (30:9)

[We've known the truth, but are willfully rebelling, speaking lies, and are trying to shut up God's Law.]

Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:
Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. (30:10,11)

[We try to ignore, shut up, intimidate, and even threaten God's prophets the preachers proclaiming truth. And we promote, quote, and reward those ministers who speak only a non-confrontational Gospel and that which makes us feel good.]

Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon: (30:12)

[Sin and especially the sin of Sodom involves: "Oppression" – violence, injury, fraud, distress, cruelty, extortion, and enslavement.  "Perverseness" -- iniquity, a literal and figurative departing, frowardness, a distortion and twisted change.] 
 

Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant. (30:13)

[A high, stone wall with a crack which has a swelling bow in it will at any moment and when least expected suddenly fall.  Such will be the judgment for this sin. Sudden and unexpected judgment.]

And he shall break it as the breaking of the potters' vessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth, or to take water withal out of the pit. (30:14)

[Complete ruin and destruction.  A smashing which leaves the vessel completely useless for even the most menial tasks.  These are the vessels prepared for destruction.  We must make sure that we are through the power of the blood of Jesus Christ vessels of gold and silver which will survive and only be purified by the judgment to come.] 
 

For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. (30:15)

[For years God has been offering salvation from sin's bondage and destruction by returning to God, but these sinners are rejecting God's rest.]

But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift. (30:16)

[Such says, “No, God. We have a plan. We'll do things our way and we'll be able to work out our own escape from judgment.”]

One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill. (30:17)

[Judgment will be so terrible, brutal, and fearful that in sheer terror a thousand will flee with just one threatening them.  So many will be killed that only a few of God's children will escape.] 
 

And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him. (30:18)

[In all this judgment as well as afterward, God still waits with His arms open with grace and mercy. Those truly waiting on God will be blessed in this.]

Notice more Scripture on this Suddenness of justice arriving like a thunderbolt, according to Mr. Obama, or “a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant,” according to God in Isaiah.

Psa 62:3 How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.
Psa 62:4 They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.

Jer 6:26 O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.

Isa 47:11 Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know.

This same sudden judgment will come upon the sinning “Christians” in the churches too:

Isa 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
Isa 33:15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;
Isa 33:16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.

“Fearful surprise” means to suddenly be caught with no time to prepare. Dwelling with fire, dwelling on high, defense, and surety comes only from HOLY, PERFECT living before God. No amount of prepping can save you if God says “enough” to putting up with your sin.
(Notice that for the Christian, judgment fire will reveal the worth of his work:
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.  - 1 Corinthians 3:11-15)

(Some Christians will be taken away too, but in mercy.)

The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. (Isaiah 57:1)

Children of God, take comfort.  For God promises to protect and provide for His who are holy in the midst of this sudden, terrible judgment. In the previously mentioned sudden judgment chapter 30 of Isaiah, it is also full of comforting promises to those who in times of judgment are seeking and obeying God with all their heart.

Isaiah 30:19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee. [Comfort and answered prayer.]

Isa. 30:20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: [Just enough bread and water in hard times, and true spiritual leadership present.]
 
Isa. 30:21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. [God's extraordinary guidance in every step we take.]

Isa. 30:22 Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence. [Judgment will cause God's people to abhor and to cast aside that which takes God's place or grieves God.]

Isa. 30:23 Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures. [God will send rain upon our seed <preaching of the gospel, our children, our converts, and that which we plant> when we are able to sow the ground. Our flocks will be abundant, healthy, blessed of God, and feed in large pastures.]

Isa. 30:24 The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan. [pure and plenteous; the best feed and an abundance of feed for the even the lowliest of beasts after the calamities of war. In the dark days ahead, remember this hope. It will end and God will heal even the food source as also mentioned in Malachi 4:2-3 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.  4:1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. ]

Isa 30:25 And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. [Fountains for the thirsty even on the normally dry and barren mountains when God's many enemies are slaughtered and the great, the mighty, the cities, the glory of man falls to the ground. What abundance of water, like that in the days of Elijah after the drought and standoff on Mt. Carmel.]

Isa 30:29 Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD, to the mighty One of Israel. [In the darkest of nights God's presence and grace will give joy as we tarry in His presence in worship, in prayer, and in the Word.   Like Job, God's people will say, “the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord.”]

As the universal law of justice for sin comes to pass, this involves not only ever increasing natural disasters, catastrophes, and plagues as we see now. But God's Word teaches that Justice demands certain sudden and fearful retribution against sin.

I sincerely think that aside from a miraculous intervention of God, for the USA this involves the sword both internally and from without. For we have sinned against our own and against others. And remember the wolves who are watching from the outside hope for a civil internal bloodshed to weaken the beast enough to pounce and consume.  Why do I mention killing and war?  Because Divine Law speaks of this.

“So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.” (Numbers 35:33)

Divine laws will come to pass.  If life for life is required and it is, justice demands nearly 60 million for murdered babies alone, and many more millions for the many little ones offended by our anti-Christ laws and for offending the least of these little ones. Let us continue to fast and pray that, like Nineveh, our whole nation might turn to God in repentance.   And like Noah, let us warn the world as we forsake all and labor to bring ourselves, our families, and others into the only ark of safety, Jesus Christ.

Regarding war, I recommend that parents try to win their family, teach their children Bible, lead their children in the charge to fast and pray for an awakening, and to learn to cry out for God's mercy and learn to depend on God's mercy. This is the only sure refuge for our land.

For if [the judgment] be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God. (Acts 5:29) Lest he who lives by the sword die by the sword. And perhaps God might mark those who sigh and cry for the sins of the people and spare them. [Eze 9:4 And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city... and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.   9:6  Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.] We must teach others to take refuge in a close obedient walk with God and to tarry before God in prayer and in obedience to the Word of God. The next World War would likely be nuclear and the dead would likely be counted in billions not millions like last time.   In this occasion, not even a bunker would be safe for the self-made-man who is out from under God's protection.

I fear lest we Christians get too caught up in the entertainment mindset and forsake our duty as priests to weep between the porch and the altar. The attitude of, “let us live it up today because tomorrow things are going to crash,” is a sin unto death. “And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth: And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we shall die. And it was revealed in mine ears by the LORD of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.” (Isaiah 22:12-14)

We should cultivate joyful Christian homes and try to give our children an innocent, happy childhood, but we must also be vigilant, sober, Biblical, prayerful, and walk in the fear of God. In fact, God wants us obedient Christians to not even fear what we see coming. “Say ye not, A conspiracy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A conspiracy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.” Isaiah 8:12-13

We dare not say, “It's not my problem; for I didn't create those unGodly laws.” We must remember that God often gives tyrannical, sin loving rulers to nation of people who forsake Him in order to cause them to cry out to God and repent of their evil ways. Am I all that God wants me to be? Am I earnest pressing forward to obey God's laws with all of my heart? Do I delight greatly in God's commandments? (Psalm 112)

Let us read Isaiah 30 and the rest of God's prophecies, take heed to God's warnings, and flee from the wrath to come by taking refuge in Jesus our Ark of salvation. These great, precious promises of God are sandwiched between predictions of horrendous judgments, death, slaughter, and crumbling of all the glory of man. Truly God will bless, purge, and prosper His holy children even through worst of times. “Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.” (Hosea 6:1)

............................

* I recognize that the context of Isaiah 30 is to the Jews. But the principle of judgment for sin there remains the same and applies to all cultures. And it certainly applies to the USA, for as Peter Marshall and David Manuel prove in their history of the USA, The Light And The Glory, many early Christian Puritans settling our nation purposefully felt they were creating a covenant with God as a new nation and asked for God to bless them as a people as they remained Christian and chastise the people as they wavered. Their history proved such to be true as drought, crop failure, pestilence, economic failure, slaughter by “Indians” and war, and death overtook them as they forsook God, and blessing and abundance came upon them as soon as they turned to God in repentance, obedience, prayer, and fasting. We can do the same. I am not saying that America is the new Israel. We are not. But John W. Whitehead's research reveals that when the constitution was adopted the population of America was a bit over 3 million and the Christian population numbered at least 2 million. And we saw mighty revivals of Christianity before and after that. Our spiritual leaders and government mandated days of prayer and thanksgiving. We prayed to the God of the Bible and taught the Bible in our schools. Our nation's Congress even mandated that thousands of Bibles be imported for use as textbooks in learning.

And every nation can be a nation under God if it chooses to follow Christ (Psalm 2:10-12; 33:12) Out of the group of Christians who met together off the coast of New England, covenanting with their God to form a nation that would glorify Him and spread His Gospel, many others came and restated and strengthened their initial compact. From this covenant with God and their willingness to apply His Word to all areas of life came a Christian republic that has promoted the greatest expansion of the Gospel since the early church, if not in the history of man. We cannot rest now. Let us also forsake all to obey Jesus Christ and His Word fearlessly before those who hate Christ and hate us His followers. And when the dust settles, we will find that we have inherited Christ's promises mentioned here and throughout the Bible.

** Slavery history here as well as some other words used are from The American Covenant: The Untold Story. By Marshall Foster and Mary-Elaine Swanson. 1993, The Mayflower Institute. ISBN 0-941370-00-3

-pd, The end of June through July 25, 2015

Self Promotion: The Trap

"And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." - Jesus in Matthew 23:12

Guard against falling into the trap of self promotion. This causes self delusion, for one blinds himself to God's ways when he seeks the glory of men.

"How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?"  (John 5:44)  

The trap that many fall into is that of trying to make themselves look good, bragging on self, self exaltation, creating an image, pizazz and show, trying to impress others, and seeking to be noticed.  

Not only individuals but organizations and even churches can easily fall prey to this trap.  May God ever keep our church in teaching against recruitment practices.  Let us pray and labor to see the lost saved and the Christians brought into perfect love, but let God alone chose who is a part of whose church.  This guards against a lot of posturing and PR type tactics which leads us dangerously close to pride and depending on the flesh rather than God.   

Self promotion also evades God's plan and God's timing. This is never good.  

And it promotes pride and pride inevitably causes a fall.  For God cannot extend grace to pride, for "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble."  God goes on to say through James (4:6-7) "Submit yourselves therefore to God."  Let God choose your standing be it high or low in the eyes of men.  Seek to be low before God and He will pour out His grace.  How precious is God's grace, and how dangerous is high honor.

Any supposed good that comes of self promotion, even supposedly sought after "for the glory of God,” is in the end is lost.   

At the very best self-promotion is vain and is depending on one's own arm of strength. “For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.  But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another."  (Psalm 75:6-7)  

It's not doing things God's way, so it is unwise.  Letting God chose your lot in life is wise.  "The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools."  (Proverbs 3:35)  And I long for God's glory!  

What's worse, is that self promotion sets a wicked precedent.  It seeks to play the role of God and it Satanically seeks to usurp God's glory.           
                                                                                -Phillip 

Note to Wise Parents: Learn from King David

Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:
Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood:
That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:
Happy is that people, that is in such a case:   -Psalm 144:1,11,12,15a

King David: Beloved of God and of God's people.

Back when David was a young man, God said that he was a man after His own heart (of course when David later took it easy, lusted, schemed to commit adultery and followed through with the sin, and then plotted and ordered the murder of an innocent man to hide his own wickedness, God could not say that of him).

But David repented and aside from this black blot on his life, David was a great man of God, a faithful servant, a righteous and humble king, a praying man as well as a songwriter, a fearless warrior and long-term soldier, a sacrificial giver, and an industrious and a successful man.

All this takes much time and it came out of David's short life.  Military campaigns alone could take dad away from the home for weeks or months at a time.  So sadly, David was an often absent father and therefore woefully ignorant.

Of one of David's sons Adonijah, God makes us know that David had never displeased him at any time.  Note this example of a father who made a sad mistake here that later caused him grief and troubled God's kingdom.

But David feared God and knowing the toll that war exacted upon the home earnestly prayed for God to raise up good sons and daughters. (See Psalm 144 below.)

And God heard his prayer for David feared God.  And God did bless his descendants, but many still lost their way and were very wicked.

If only David could have dedicated his energy and time to training his children as much as he gave of his strength to his other enterprises for God, I believe that he would have seen even more of his descendants fear God as their father did.

I cannot be a father absent from the life of my children and expect God to do all of my work for me.

But I do need to humbly and earnestly pray and fast as David did for God to save our children.  For training and teaching without God's great intervention is never enough.

When self ambition, plans, and pastimes are laid aside by the father (or mother) in obedience to God and when they might hinder teaching and leading the family in God's ways, God can repay by doing what dad (or mom) could never do in his own lifetime of strength.  When God works there's usually a longer wait, however it is always worth the wait.         -pdd

Multi-Generational Christianity

The error which many Christians make out of a desire to continue advancing and prospering spiritually is to think that multi-generational Christianity comes from right methods.  Methods such as isolation, recruitment, having a cause, busyness, better ministry / missions philosophy, better mission statement, highly tuned doctrine, resources, the right ministry team, correct alliances, influence, aggressive evangelism, and a plethora of other good things.  Some of this has its place.  But the only way to secure a spiritual future is for each generation to obediently and humbly walk with God and to cry out to God all of their days for Him to fully perform His work in their hearts and lives as revealed in His holy Word.  -Phillip

Resurrection Life, Thanks to Jesus.

But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.  (1 Cor. 15:38)

Jesus, thank you for taking on a body, so that I might someday be raised with a new and perfect body.


Thank you for becoming corruptible yet without corruption so that we might be made incorruptible.


Thank you for becoming earthly yet without a bit of worldliness so that we might become heavenly.


Thank you for becoming flesh yet without following the flesh so that we might be of the Spirit.


Thank you for becoming dishonored yet staying most honorable so that I could be raised in glory.


Thank you for becoming weak yet staying faithful so that I can be filled with your power.


Thank you for becoming flesh and blood and then being broken and spilled out so that we might become celestial.


Jesus, thank you for dying in victory and then resurrecting so that we might die to sin and enjoy eternal life. You died to save your people from their sins. Your people are all those who believe in Your name.


Lord Jesus, I thank you for conquering sin and death so that I through faith in you might be delivered from all my sins, original and actual, past and present sins “of the flesh and of the spirit,” and from the guilt and from the power of all sin. “For by grace we are saved through faith.”  It is not only, “by grace we will be saved.” I thank you, Lord Jesus, for present salvation and victory over all sin in my life today. This miracle is only through Your infinite power.


- Phillip, based on 1 Corinthians 15:37-57 and Ephesians 2:8

A Biblical and Holiness Perspective on Strong Drink

Here's a work in progress that I started in Colombia in 2013. Maybe later the dangers of drinking can be covered.  

Should I as a Christian Drink Wine or Strong Drink?  What Does the Bible Say?  What Do We Holiness People Believe?  Why? May the Holy Spirit of God help you find answers to your questions here.


First notice what God says in Holy Scripture. For the reader, I listed in no particular order just some of Bible verses on this subject:

And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,   Deuteronomy 14:26

And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.
Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.                                Judges 13:3-5

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;  Ephesians 5:18 

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.            1 Corinthians 6:9-10

His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.
Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.
Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.        Isaiah 56:10-12

Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!                    Isaiah 5:11

Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.   Proverbs 20:1 

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:
Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.
Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.         Proverbs 31:4-6

Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:
And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;             Leviticus 10:9-10

Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:                Isaiah 5:2

Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!    Habakkuk 2:15

But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.    Isaiah 28:7

For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;   Titus 1:7-8

For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.   Luke 1:15

Convincing evidence has been given that in the Bible times, fermented wine was used as a means to sanitize water. Just enough alcoholic wine was mixed with water to kill organisms which might cause stomach problems such as dysentery or parasites, but it was not enough alcohol to cause drunkenness. This resultant mixture would be called wine also. This would be similar to us adding chlorine or iodine to our water today. This by some is believed to be what Paul is referring to when He recommends that Timothy drink a little wine for his stomach’s sake. Timothy could have experienced chronic cramps or diarrhea caused by drinking unsanitary water. This still happens to missionaries today on some mission fields, due to bad water. This advice to Timothy also applies to other Christians as well. “Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre.” (1 Tim. 3:8)


To say that whenever the Jews drank wine or strong drink in the Old Testament, they were drinking this purified water, I cannot. I believe that God overlooked several things that the Jews did in the Old Testament of which the New Testament Christian ought not stoop to do, due to our higher spiritual standard of living though grace and the coming of the Holy Spirit.

But the wine then wasn't nearly as alcoholic then as it is now.  Vic Reasoner stated in his commentary on Romans, “Until recent times the yeast used in making fermented beverages died off quickly at relatively low levels of alcohol – probably about 4%. Thus, the alcoholic content was low. Today wine has about 12% alcohol content. In addition, the wine was diluted with water in the ancient world. Only the uncivilized drank their wine unmixed.” [p. 554] This addition purified what might have otherwise been unhealthful water.  Once diluted, it would have been nearly impossible to drink enough to make one drunk.


The following is from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia regarding “strong drink,”
“Its immoderate use is strongly condemned (Isaiah 5:11, Isaiah 5:12; Proverbs 20:1; see DRUNKENNESS).  It was forbidden to ministering priests (Leviticus 10:9), and to Nazarites (Numbers 6:3; Judges 13:4, Judges 13:7, Judges 13:14; compare Luke 1:15), but was used in the sacrificial meal as drink offering (Numbers 28:7). It is commended to the weak and perishing as a means of deadening their pain; but not to princes, lest it might lead them to pervert justice (Proverbs 31:4-7).”


Proverbs 31 mentions that King Limuel’s mother told him that wine was only for the perishing or those with a heavy heart. Regarding this Adam Clarke said, “Inebriating drinks were mercifully given to condemned criminals, to render them less sensible of the torture they endured in dying. This is what was offered to our Lord; but he refused it.” “Of heavy heart” in the Hebrew means “bitter of soul” according to the Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge. Today we have drugs, tranquilizers, anesthetic, and many other medicines to alleviate those who are dying or in agony or pain. In ancient days wine served this purpose. And as wine or strong drink can be abused in this purpose, today many abuse drugs likewise.


In Jeremiah 35 God gave us a powerful illustration of the blessings which come from very careful living. The Rachabites were commanded by their ancestor Jonadab son of Rachab genarations earlier to drink no wine them nor their sons forever. God tested them by having His prophet Jeremiah set wine before them and tell them to drink. They refused to drink. God pronounced judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem who later perished or were scattered due to not heeding His commands.   But God commended the Rachabites for their carefulness in listening and obeying.  Furthermore God pronounced a blessing upon them by proclaiming, “thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever.” Oh, as for me and my house with all our future generations, let us fear God and obey Him in this and in the very smallest of God's precepts!

Points to Ponder:

• God says that drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of God. I want to stay as far away from the line of getting drunk as possible. I will not drink to be “cheered” by a strong drink; the Lord is my joy.              
• God says that those who are deceived by wine are “not wise.” I want to be as wise as possible. I will stay as far away from intoxicating drinks as possible. I won’t even put it to my lips.
• God says that it is not for kings. It is my hope to sit with Christ on His throne someday. And even now through prayer and obedience I must exercise dominion and subdue the earth for the glory of God.
• God says that it is not for ministering priests nor Nazarites. A Nazarite was a Jew who professed extraordinary purity of life and devotion. As a holy Christian, I am not only a New Testament priest before God, but I am a special priest before God and a modern day Nazarite – one separated unto God. I am one of the holy people, the careful, the earnest, the revivalists, a possessor of Perfect love, and I desire to be the most like the church of Pentecost. I am filled with the Spirit and I minister to others in the Spirit. 
• God says that it is not for princes. We Christians are the sons of God; we are princes in the noblest sense of the word.
• We are not to do anything that could cause someone to fall. If were to yield to a sip of wine others would lower their resistance too. I want NOT ONE person to drink strong drink and fall.

It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.   Romans 14:21 

And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.    1 Corinthians 8:11-13

And I will drink NO intoxicating wine or intoxicating drinks while the world standeth.


Some would say, “But what if you were offered such during communion. I have been offered such during communion, and I have quietly asked if it was alcoholic wine, and when affirmed such, I politely said in a kind and none judgmental attitude, “No thank you, this is no judgment against you all, but I cannot drink alcoholic beverages. Please don’t worry about me, I am okay.” Those who say that this will offend the brother, are wrong. This will not cause a brother to loose his soul. Yea, it might save a brother or cause a brother to live more carefully due to a courageous stand and a blameless testimony of his fellow brother.


Another might say, “What if you are offered such at a wedding, will you offend them by refusing to drink?” I have been served such at a wedding, and I have politely refused. But know that even among the world’s etiquette, it is completely proper to not taste the wine. If offered wine, you may politely say, “No, thank you.” And if there is already wine at your place setting you do not have to drink it. Those who do not drink, but feel that they must toast to the couple’s well being, may raise their glass in the air to health, long life, et cetera, and then set the glass back down at its place without drinking.


I repeat, I will drink NO intoxicating wine or strong drink while the world standeth, for…

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.       Romans 15:1

Please follow my example in this. And in doing so you might have the honor of restoring a fallen brother as mentioned in James.

Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;
Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.    James 5:19-20

Lovingly,
Phillip Dave Dickinson