Word for 1-9-2021

 

“Now GODliness with contentment is great gain.” 1 Timothy 6:6

“The root of faith is the knowledge of a Person and one of the biggest snares is the idea that GOD is sure to lead us to success.” Oswald Chambers

 

I am hearing conflicting messages from the Church:

One is that 2021 is going to b a great year for Believers and the Church for prosperity and evangelism; like it was prophesied for 2020.

The other is that at any moment the anti-christ will rise and the Church will be raptured.

The first cannot happen if the second one does – unless the Church is not raptured.

 

Be at peace in CHRIST!

GOD Bless, Bob

 

“And I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; neither will anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and The Father are One.” John 10:28-30

 

“If JESUS is not LORD of all, than He is not LORD at all.” Pastor Bob Harris

What Now?

 

What Now?

 

Yesterday I heard Marcus Lamb say that The Bible teaches that in His Sovereignty GOD raises up and takes down governments to accomplish His Will; and He has given humanity free will and when it is not His Sovereign Will He allows our will to be done.

 

I agree!

 

GOD used Israel’s enemies to bring judgment on them for their unrepentant sin.

 

Today I heard Rick Renner say that the problem with the Church today is that they do not teach the Bible verse by verse anymore.

 

I agree!

 

This result is believers who do not have the foundational understanding of GOD and His Word that they need to live their live in submission to His Will.

 

As I’ve watched CHRIST’s Church and our nation over the last four years I have not seen the Church repent and seek GOD and I have not seen our nation repent and seek GOD. 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If My People who are called by My Name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways; then I Will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Most times I heard it being quoted they quoted, “If My People will humble themselves and pray, I Will hear from Heaven and heal their land.”

 

GOD’s Judgment has been against America for at least sixteen years; if you think about the weather and economic patterns that our country has endured as well as the whole world; it is easy to see. There are some Christians who say that GOD is not judging America, but to me the evidence is clear.

 

Now after four years of a presidential administration that was supportive and protective of the Church and Christians, the Church has not done what GOD commanded. (Study the context of 2 Chronicles 7:14) Therefore, unless there is a supernatural intervention we will have a Government that wants to make America a socialist state

 

What Now? Is it too late?! No! But, we had better stop looking for the signs of the rapture and state interpreting the signs of the times in which we live! As individuals, families, fellowships and communities of Believers we had better stop waiting for a rescue and start preparing for service to our King, JESUS, and doing the works of GOD’s Kingdom in the earth according to The Father’s Will for us. After all, He did not Gift and Call us from our mother’s womb so that we can do what we want, how we want, when we want and where we want!

 

Seek GOD first and His Righteousness and you will be blessed no matter what is happening in the world and your life!

 

GOD Bless, Bob

My New Year Resolution for 2021

 

My New Year resolution is to not have to pray this prayer at the end of 2021!

 

LORD, forgive me as one called by Your Name that I do not repent of my wicked ways!

LORD, forgive me that I do not seek first Your Kingdom and Your Righteousness!

LORD, forgive me that I seek for my own benefit and not Your Glory!

LORD, forgive me that I seek for my own desire and not Your Will!

LORD, forgive me that I do not seek Your Face!

 

LORD, You have made me a living Temple: a residence of Your SPIRIT and Your WORD!

LORD, forgive me for the open way the adversary has entered in and brought darkness!

LORD, drive out the adversary! LORD, restore me, Your Temple!

 

We cannot redeem ourself!

We cannot make ourself righteous!

We cannot sanctify ourself!

We cannot heal ourself!

We cannot deliver ourself!

We can make ourself holy!

Creepy Sin!

 

Creepy Sin!

 

“Then YESHUA addressed the crowds and His talmidim: ‘The Torah teachers and the P’rushim’, He said, ‘sit in the seat of Moshe. So whatever they tell you, take care to do it. But don’t do what they do, because they talk but don’t act.’” “The talmidim, in crossing to the other side of the lake, had forgotten to bring any bread. So when YESHUA said to them, ‘Watch out! Guard yourselves from the hametz of the P’rushim and Tz’dukim.’ they thought He said it because they hadn’t brought bread. But YESHUA, aware of this, said, ‘Such little faith you have. Why are you talking with each other about not having bread? Don’t you understand yet? Don’t you remember? The five loves of the five thousand, and how many baskets you filled? Or the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many baskets you filled? How can you possibly think I was talking to your about bread? Guard yourselves from the hametz of the P’rushim and Tz’dukim!’ Then they understood – they were to guard themselves not from yeast for bread but from the teaching of the P’rushim and Tz’dukim.” Matthew 23:1-3, Matthew 16:5-12 CJB

 

There is obvious sin, the Ten Commandments cover them, but how do they get into our heart so that we commit them? “Kefa said to Him, ‘Explain the parable to us.’ So He said, ‘Don’t you understand even now? Don’t you see that anything that enters the mouth goes into the stomach and passes out into the latrine? But what comes out of your mouth is actually coming from your heart, and that is what makes a person unclean. For out of the heart come forth wicked thoughts, murder, adultery and other kinds of sexual immorality, theft, lies, slanders… These are what really make a person unclean.’” Matthew 15:15-20 CJB

 

Sin creeps in, like yeast in dough, slowly changing the makeup, so sin creeps into our heart slowly changing our desires. How? Someone or some circumstance puts us in a place where doing something wrong seems right or necessary or fun or whatever. People tell and show us by their words, actions and life style that sin is ok, fun, profitable or even good. James teaches us the process, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he had been approved, he will receive the crown of Life which the LORD has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by GOD’; for GOD cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:12-17 NKJV I call this LSD: lust, sin, death. Study Proverbs 23:17-18; James 1

 

Rebellion, selfishness and pride come naturally, children act this way instinctively. We have to teach children to behave, obey and share. That’s why GOD gave us the Ten Commandments and told us to practice them, live them and to teach our children them. Study Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5:1-22, 6, 30:11-20; Joshua 1:8-9; Proverbs 22:6, 23:13-14; Ephesians 6:4

Prayer of Repentance for America

 

Prayer of Repentance for America

 

“Please, ADONAI, Great and Fearsome GOD, who keeps His Covenant and extends Grace to those who love Him and observe His Commands! We have sinned, done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled and turned away from Your Commands and rulings. We have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your Name to our presidents, our leaders, our founding fathers and to all the people of the land.

 

To You, Adonai, belongs righteousness; but to us today belongs shame – to us, the people of the United States of America, it’s Territories and Washington DC, including those nearby and those far away, throughout all the countries where they are; because we broke faith with You. Yes, ADONAI, shame has fallen on us, our presidents, our leaders and our ancestors; because we sinned against You. It is for ADONAI our GOD to show compassion and forgiveness, because we rebelled against You. We didn’t listen to the voice of ADONAI our GOD, so that we could live by Your Laws, which You presented to us through Your servants the prophets. Yes, all of America flouted Your Law and turned away, unwilling to listen to Your voice. Therefore the curse and oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of GOD was poured on us, because we sinned against You. You carried out the threats You spoke against us and our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us disaster so great that under all of Heaven, nothing has been done like what has been done to Washington DC. As written in the Law of Moses, this whole disaster came upon us. Yet we did not appease ADONAI our GOD by renouncing our wrongdoing and discerning Your Truth. So ADONAI watched for the right moment to bring this disaster upon us, for ADONAI our GOD is just in everything He does, yet we didn’t listen when He spoke.

 

Now, ADONAI our GOD, who brought your people out of Europe with a strong hand, thereby winning renown for Yourself, as is the case today – we sinned, we acted wickedly. ADONAI, in keeping with all Your Justice, please allow Your anger and fury to be turned away from America and Washington DC; because it is due to our sins and the wrongdoings of our ancestors that Washington DC and Your people have become objects of scorn among everyone around us. Therefore, our GOD, listen to the prayers and pleadings of Your servants; and cause Your face to shine on Your desolated Church, for Your own sake. Our GOD, turn Your ear, and hear; open Your eyes and see how desolated we are, as well as Washington DC. Therefore we plead with You not because of our own righteousness, but because of Your Compassion. ADONAI, hear! ADONAI, forgive! ADONAI, pay attention, and don’t delay action – for Your own sake, our GOD, because Your nation and Your people bear Your Name!”

From Daniel 9:7-19

Psalm 26

 

Psalm 26 by David

CJB

 

Vindicate me, ADONAI, for I have lived a blameless life; unwaveringly I trust ADONAI.

Examine me, ADONAI, test me, search my mind and heart.

For Your Grace is there before my eyes, and I live my life by Your Truth.

I have not sat with worthless folks, I won’t consort with hypocrites, I hate the company of evildoers, I will not sit with the wicked.

I will wash my hands in innocence and walk around your altar, ADONAI, lifting my voice in thanks and proclaiming all Your Wonders.

ADONAI, I love the house where You live, the place where Your Glory abides.

Don’t include me with sinners or my life with the bloodthirsty.

In their hands are evil schemes; their right hands are full of bribes.

As for me, I will live a blameless life. Redeem me and show me favor.

My feet are planted on level ground; in the assemblies I will bless ADONAL.

 

David must have written this early in his life or He had such a relationship with ADONAI that he understood the coming Messiah and His redemptive life and death. He either wrote this psalm before he killed Goliath or his relationship with GOD was more than the scholars can understand. In David’s time the Israelites only had the 5 books of Moses and maybe Joshua and Judges. Samuel was the last prophet-judge and none of the Messianic prophets had lived and spoken yet.

 

David had such a personal and deep relationship with ADONAI that he prophesied of the coming Messiah, Psalms 2 and 22 plus others clearly tell of YESHUA’s experiences as Messiah. And yet he committed adultery and murder. We cannot reconcile those two natures because they are so opposed to each other. The nature of the flesh which easily gives in to sin and the nature of GOD that calls us to live to and for GOD.

 

This has and still is the greatest danger to every Christian; that we can walk and live in obedience and harmony with GOD through His Word and His SPIRIT. Yet, we can sin! JESUS tells us this in Matthew 7:13-29 and Peter, James, John and Paul all tell us the same thing. Just before His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane JESUS chastening the three disciples for sleeping when they should have been praying said, “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”

 

David did not become an overnight adulterer and murderer, first pride and laziness rose up in his soul. All Christians have to be on the alert for small subtle things that work their way into our soul. We can never let our guard down especially against thinking that we know all there is to know or that we know enough to not fall; Paul warns about both of these is 1 Corinthians 8:2 and 10:12. We have to balance faith (trusting GOD) and works (obedience to GOD’s Will) so that we do not become religious. Andrew Murray said that “pride is the root of all sin”.

 

It is easy for us to enjoy our successes in ADONAI but we have to maintain a humble spirit, David in Psalm 22 prophesying JESUS’ words says, “But I am a worm not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people.” Isaiah describes JESUS’ humility and obedience as The Son of Man who redeems humanity in accord with GOD’s Will.

 

JESUS taught us to pray to The Father, “Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done in the earth as it is in Heaven.” GOD’s Will is like His Righteousness or His Justice or His Mercy; it is established in Heaven and must be worked out in the earth. It is not a matter of do we want it, we will get it willingly or forcefully; His Will is being done and will be completed according to His timing and purpose. Pastor Robert Morris made the point that we are made of the dust of the earth, so when JESUS says “in the earth” He is referring to humans!

The Battle Hymn of The Republic - The End of Days?

 

The Battle Hymn of The Republic – The End of Days?

 

Mine eyes have seen the Glory of the coming of The LORD;

He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;

He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift Sword;

His Truth is marching on.

 

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!

His Truth is marching on.

 

I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps;

They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;

I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;

His Day is marching on.

 

I have read His fiery Gospel writ in rows of burnished steel!

“As ye deal with My condemners, so with you My Grace shall deal with you!

Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with His heel.”

Since GOD is marching on.

 

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;

He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;

Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him; be jubilant my feet!

Our GOD is marching on.

 

In the beauty of the lilies CHRIST was born across the sea,

With a Glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me;

As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free!

While GOD is marching on. [Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management]

 

Julia Ward Howe, an abolitionist wrote the lyrics in November 1861 to the music of the song, John Brown’s Body by William Steffe written in 1856. It was first published by the Atlantic Monthly in February 1862. The song links the judgment of the wicked at the end of the age (through allusions to Biblical passages such as Isaiah 63 and Revelation 19) with the American Civil War. [Wikipedia]

 

The other night as I was getting ready for bed the tune and pieces of the chorus and first verse started playing in my head, by the time I got in bed I remembered the first verse and chorus but not the name of the song. It would not stop repeating in my head so I got up and wrote it as a memo in my phone, today I saw the memo and so I looked up the song.

 

This was written during a very dark and trying time in America, the forces of evil wanted to control and destroy America, not unlike today. It was not just about slavery, it was about the economics of an elite class living off the labor of a working class that was prevalent in both the north and south. Today we have the socialist who believe they are the elite that know how to rule the world best and they need a large working class to support them. Historically you can look at every country that has been ruled by communist and socialists and see what has happed, a small elite ruling class over a large oppressed working class; power and wealth for the elite and poverty and struggle for the working class; and a large standing police and military to control the populace.

 

Many Christians believe that we are living in the end times and that if we just hold on we will be taken out of the earth before it gets really bad. I do not believe either that we are living in the end days or that we will be rescued before it gets really bad. My study of the scriptures and seeking The LORD cause me to believe that there is a couple of hundred more years before the end of days and that Christians will go through the Great Tribulation that leads up to CHRIST’s thousand year reign over the earth from Jerusalem.

 

An interesting side note is that Howe wrote new words to the music of an existing abolitionist song which caused it to have a familiar ring but with a better message. Martin Luther is purported to have done the same thing with popular drinking songs of his day when he wrote some of his hymns, the familiar ring with the better Gospel message.