Ice Cold Hearts - Hostility
towards God’s Word – Purity 686
Purity
686 03/23/2022 Purity 686 Podcast
Good
morning,
Today’s
photo of the setting sun nestled between two snowy peaks at the Sterling Shores
Nature Center in Sterling NY comes to us from Celestial Blue Photography who
shared this snowy sight back on January 26th of 2022.
Well
It’s Wednesday again and I thought that today’s sunset photo was a good
representation of our arrival to the midweek hump and as most of the white
stuff has vanished from sight I thought that it might be safe enough to fondly remember
the snows of January without the fear that my sharing this photo would jinx us
and cause another snow storm to come. As I posted this, I sort of “fearfully looked
over my shoulder” by checking the latest weather forecast, something I am not
in the habit of doing, just to make sure snow wasn’t already forecasted in the
next week, and it isn’t. So I think we
are safe, but if we get hit by an unexpected snowstorm I apologize for causing
the Lord to prove me wrong and to send us snow again.
The
inconsistent weather patterns in our area has caused some people to share memes
that state that we are in the “spring of deception” which will be followed by “third
winter”. So if snow should return, I know… Don’t SAY IT! If snow should fall again, It’s not like it
would be totally unprecedented and would be a direct result of me sharing a
photo that featured snow. That’s
superstitious, right?
Man’s
desperation to see meaning in events that happen simultaneously, and to make
sense of what can seem to be a chaotic universe, can make us believe in jinx’s
and become fearful of what we will say, believing that our words will change
reality itself. However, our words do not create reality.
The
only word’s that do that are the words of God as He spoke the universe into
existence which is detailed in the book of Genesis. However, some people would sooner believe in
jinxes before they would believe that the Bible is truly the word of God.
I
saw a friend comment on a meme that asked us to “Name something that people
think is in the Bible but isn’t”. While my
friend’s comment pointed out what the Bible actually said regarding a certain
topic, that may support their personal agenda in that area more than the spirit
of what the word actually points, I was more concerned with the comments other
people had made than theirs.
While
the choice of my friend’s example may indicate they subscribe to a point of view
that is twisting the word of God a
little bit to support their personal beliefs, at least they recognize what a Bible
verse literally says and that the Bible holds a place of authority as it is the
inerrant word of God.
Which
brings us to the comments that made my blood run cold with fear and trepidation
for the people who posted them. While
some may grow hot with righteous indignation towards those who deny that the Bible
is God’s message to the people He created, I tend to become almost fearful
because I recognize that I held similar opinions of disbelief in the past and
know beyond a shadow of doubt that my unbelieving ways had me on a course of
destruction and the road to perdition.
The meme
asked us to “Name something that people think is in the Bible but isn’t”.
One
commenter stated: “The word of God”
Another
said: “The accumulated words and intentions an actual deity.”
A third
stated: “One single solitary word written or said by Jesus….”
This
third commenter then shared some statements about the New Testament Scriptures
that just weren’t true that I won’t repeat.
A
few Christians did choose to present the facts regarding the truth and reliability
of the eyewitness accounts of the New Testament Scriptures to refute and educate
this person but their responses seemed to indicate that they simply refused to
accept the preponderance of the evidence presented to them that would cause
them to admit that the Bible accurately reflects the events of Christ’s life,
death, and resurrection.
With
that said, this is not an apologetic website or podcast. If you want that
information, I would direct you to Frank Turek’s https://crossexamined.org/ or invite you
to watch Lee Strobel’s original documentary: The Case for Christ: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abLATf6Q9Ls
for free on YouTube. Those two resources
provide more than enough information to support the Christian faith for those who
have a open mind to accept where the evidence will lead them.
No,
my purpose is to encourage people to seek the Lord for themselves and to
encourage Christians to follow the Lord everyday of their lives by renewing
their minds with the truth of God’s word and by applying its wisdom to their
lives.
I
was outside the faith guys. I was essential an atheist at one point in my
life. I was a practicing Buddhist for
about 5 years of my life. So I know the
smug rebellious attitude of superiority that lies behind comments like these
that disbelieve that the Bible is the inspired word of God.
But
I wasn’t as “religious”, bold, or daring as these deceived prophets for the
forces of darkness.
Reading
these comments reminds me of the thief on the cross passage in Luke, where one man
being crucified with Christ, blasphemes Jesus by saying “If you are the Christ,
save yourself and us!” Causing the other
condemned man being crucified with Christ to say:
Luke 23:40-42 (NKJV)
40 …, "Do you not even
fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly, for
we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing
wrong."
42 Then he said to Jesus,
"Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."
I relate
to the second thief because, I was Him: a rebellious criminal who deserved
condemnation, death, and an eternity in hell. But just like that thief, I was
given a divine revelation to see the truth of who Christ is and received His
mercy and grace when I finally admitted to what is painfully clear to those who
seek the truth: that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Son of God and God the
Son, and it is only through faith in Him that we can be reconciled to God.
So
when I saw those comments, I didn’t get angry, I got scared for the people that
wrote them and I prayed that the Lord would be merciful to them the way that He
was merciful to me and that one day their eyes would be opened to the truth
that the Bible is the word of God and everything it says about Jesus is true.
As
someone who has walked out of the darkness of disbelief, the bondage to
addictions, and who has experienced the reality of the influences of the forces
of darkness, I know that these people have been deceived and have chosen
themselves, and most likely their personal sins, over the truth that there is a
God who has a purpose for their lives.
The
enemy has influenced them to chose themselves, and not only that, to encourage
others to choose themselves, by denying the existence of God, denying the Bible
as His word, and denying the truth regarding Jesus Christ.
The
thought that these people would have to one day face the Lord and explain their
comments and face His wrath fills me with terror. That spirit of rebellion that would tell the Creator of
all things “that I know better” is comically ignorant but is absolutely sinister
as it would put us in alliance with Satan himself.
The Old
Testament prophets often cried “Woe…” when they referred to those who were to
face God’s judgment and wrath. Their proclamations of doom were often joined by
heartfelt impassioned cries for the rebellious to repent and turn to God to avoid
their destruction.
When
I see people make comments like these or say things that reveal their cold
hearts toward God I am filled with fear for them and the revulsion that comes
from knowing just how evil the spirit of disbelief is at its core.
But
these people have no idea what they are talking about and if they don’t turn
from their views and make peace with God by placing their faith in Christ they
will be eternally lost and fully responsible for their own destruction.
So
instead of shouting condemnation at those who blatantly deny God and trample
the name of Jesus, pity them and pray for them to be saved. They are just like how I used to be,
although even I didn’t have the gumption to say things like this with any
degree of certainty and certainly not in a public forum.
Why
would they do that? They can’t know that they are correct in their assumptions,
without any degree of doubt, right?
No
they can’t, so them speaking out in public to deny the word of God, His existence,
and His Son, is their desperate attempt to proclaim their “wisdom” and “self-sufficiency”
but unwittingly they are sharing the propaganda of Satan and if they don’t
change their tune there will be hell to pay.
Woe
to these people, for they know not what they do. Are they literally evil, no
probably not at all. They probably have capacity for being kind and loving but
they are deceived, are speaking lies, and will be held accountable.
As
scary as it is for these outspoken commenters, it is just as scary for those
who don’t speak out against God but who have still chosen to disbelieve and not
place their faith in Jesus. Whether you
are a militant atheist, believe in another religion, or are just “meh” about
the things of God, your fate will be very similar as all of these options will
result in eternal separation for God in hell.
All
roads don’t lead heaven. Only one path does and that path, the narrow path of
Jesus Christ, that leads to eternal life, is only truthfully presented in the
Bible.
So
if you hear someone deny the word, the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit, you can be sure they are in mortal danger of
eternal torment.
So
be compassionate to those who hate us and who hate God’s word. They know not what they do or the seriousness
of their situation. So as we walk
through this world “walking and talking with God”, if you get the chance,
gently encourage others with the love of God to examine the Bible for themselves
and to seek the Lord and all the evidence for Him. If they seek Him, they will find Him but they
need to know that there is hope that they can.
We
pray for those are spiritually blind, that their eyes be opened to the truth of
Jesus Christ and that they would be saved.
In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.
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Today’s Bible verse comes to us from “The NLT Bible Promise Book
for Men”.
This morning’s meditation verse is :
James 1:12
(NLT2)
12 God blesses those who
patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown
of life that God has promised to those who love him.
Today’s Bible verse speaks of the crown of life that is promised
to those who love Him and how that loving relationship effects our walk on the
earth.
Sometimes I like to examine the word of God to remind myself
of what the Bible actually says. Like
that meme suggests, some things we believe the Bible says aren’t in there. But
this verse is. So what does it say?
First and foremost we should understand that this is written
to the “church”, those who have faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. It applies to them and them only. But even if we are in Christ we have to be
careful with the word of God because we can wrongly assume how to apply
it.
This verse tells us “God blesses those who patiently
endure testing and temptation.”
He sure does. We
are blessed when we say no to sin. Not
only do we not suffer the negative earthly consequences of sin, by not sinning
we also show God that we love Him by obeying His commandments. When we endure testing and resist temptation,
we become spiritually mature disciples, another blessing.
And the next
line tells us that “Afterward, we will receive the “crown of life” that God has
promised to those who love Him.”
Here we have to
be careful, because we could fall into the trap that it is because of our
enduring testing and temptation that we are given the “crown of life”.
I know it says “Afterward”
there and that could make us believe that the reception of the “crown of life”
is contingent on enduring testing and temptation. If we believe that then we would believe the
opposite too. If we don’t endure testing and temptation, we don’t receive the “crown
of life”.
But that’s why
we have to keep reading and consider the whole counsel of God’s word. This verse tells us that the “crown of life”
is promised to those who love God, not to those who endure testing and temptation.
It is promised to those who love Him, period.
The rest of
scripture tells us that it is through faith alone that we are saved. It is not because
of our works. So receiving the crown of
life is not based on our ability to endure testing and temptation, it is promised
to those who love God, the expression of which is shown through our placing our
faith in Jesus.
We show our
love for God by putting our faith in His Son. That gives us the promise of the
crown of life.
So what about
the word “afterward”, well “after our lives of Christian discipleship on earth
come to an end, we will receive the crown of life.
When we are
called into eternity, we receive that eternal “crown of life” but we receive it
because it is promised to those who love God, not because of our skill or proficiency
at enduring testing and temptation.
So rejoice,
that crown of life was promised to you the moment you put your faith in Christ
and although you will certainly be blessed by God for enduring testing and
temptation, you don’t have to worry about your performance preventing you from
living with Him forever.
As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.org
where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and
counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk.
Today we continue sharing from June Hunt’s Overeating:
Freedom from Food Fixation.
As always, I share this
information for educational purposes and encourage all to purchase June Hunt’s books for your own private study and to
support his work. This resource is
available on many websites for less than $5.00.
B. What Are Some Causes for Compulsive
Overeating and Bingeing?
Binge eating typically starts in late
adolescence or early adulthood, usually following a major attempt at weight
loss. Like the alcoholic who can’t say no
to a drink, binge eaters can’t seem to say no
to food. In truth, it is not that they can’t say no but that they believe
they can’t say no. This lie becomes
their truth and thus dictates their experience. How a person behaves has
everything to do with what a person believes. If you are persuaded that you are
powerless in a situation, you will act powerless, thus reinforcing your initial
persuasion.
To change
behavior, you need to first change the beliefs behind the behavior. The same
applies to triggers associated with behaviors. The power of a trigger lies in
the strength of the belief behind it. This is one of the reasons God places so
much emphasis on knowing truths, believing truths, and rejecting lies. In fact,
30 times in the Gospel of Matthew alone Jesus is recorded as saying, “I tell you the truth.” No wonder He
said …
“God
is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
(John 4:24)
Numerous reasons are cited as to why a
person chooses to eat food to excess. A feeling, mood, event, thought, or
action can propel people into an eating frenzy. Some common causes and typical
triggers include …
• Abnormal functioning of the hypothalamus
region of the brain, which controls appetite
• Chemical imbalance in the brain
• Childhood or current abuse
• Conclusion of a diet
• Consumption of too much alcohol
• Critical parents or caregivers
• Depressed or agitated mood
• Genetic factors
• Isolation, loneliness, or detachment
• Impaired metabolism of food
• Parental modeling
• Peer, family, or cultural pressure
• Poor judgment
• Self-rejection
• Uncomfortable feelings, such as anxiety or
stress
• Victim mentality
• Weak impulse control
Regardless of the myriad of causes
behind someone’s developing an eating disorder or the multiple triggers that
set off the troublesome behavior, the same solution—Jesus Christ—and the truths
of His Word apply to all.…
“If
anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is
here!… It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us
wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.”
(2
Corinthians 5:17; 1 Corinthians 1:30)[1]
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Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship
