Heaven – Older historical thoughts regarding a timeless place.

Dancing “Cheek to Cheek” was all it took for Ol’ Blue Eyes, The Chairman of the Board, Frank Sinatra to feel emotions that he equated to being in “heaven”.  The band Led Zepplin, however, sung of a woman who went about buying a “Stairway to Heaven,” while Belinda Carlisle maintained that “Heaven is a place on Earth.” All of this didn’t impact the band members of LIVE as they weighed in about “Heaven” singing: “I don't need no one to tell me about heaven, I look at my daughter, and I believe. I don't need no proof when it comes to God and truth. I can see the sunset and I perceive.”

Dictionary.com defines heaven as:

• the abode of God, the angels, and the spirits of the righteous after death; the place or state of existence of the blessed after the mortal life. 
• a place or state of supreme happiness: She made his life a heaven on earth.

James Smith, 1958 wrote a short article entitled, “Heaven” that is far more descriptive and helpful for those of us who are interested in learning more about this currently unseen place that one day in which we hope to reside.

J.C. Ryle, 1870   In “Shall We Know One Another in Heaven?”  points out:
“Heaven, we must always remember, is not a place where all sorts and kinds of people will go as a matter of course. The inhabitants of Heaven are not such a discordant, heterogeneous rabble as some men seem to suppose. Heaven, it cannot be too often remembered, is a prepared place for a prepared people. The dwellers in Heaven will be all of one heart and one mind — all of one faith and one character. They will be ready for mutual recognition.”

Octavius Winslow, 1856  In “MORNING THOUGHTS Or Daily Walking With God – November 24” explains:
“While Jesus is in heaven, preparing a place for His people, the Spirit is on earth, preparing His people for that place. The one is maturing glory for the Church, the other is maturing the Church for glory. There He matures the kingdom, and perfects the building, and completes the temple He commenced and occupied on earth. No power shall oppose, no difficulty shall obstruct, no contingency shall thwart the consummation of this His glorious purpose and design.”

Thomas Watson, in “God is His Peoples Great Reward” insightfully points out:
“The godly, entering upon their celestial reward, are said to enter into the joy of their Lord, Matthew 25:21. Oh, amazing! The saints enter into God's own joy! They have not only the joy which God bestows — but the joy which God enjoys!”  And he goes on to say: “As long as God is God, He will be rewarding you! Hosea 2:19, "I will betroth you unto Me forever." God marries Himself to His people, and this admits of no divorce. God's love for His elect is as unchangeable as His love for Christ! "God is my portion forever!" Psalm 73:26. This portion cannot be spent — because it is infinite; nor can it be lost — because it is eternal. In God are treasures which can never be emptied — and pleasures which can never be ended!”

John Newton, in “The Present and Future Rest of True Believers” alleges:
“Our most enlarged ideas of our future glory are faint and imperfect.  Who can describe or conceive the happiness of Heaven? It will be as unlike as possible — to this wilderness of sin and sorrow where we are now confined. Here on earth, we are in a warfare — but then we shall enter into perfect rest. We now cry out, "O that I had wings like a dove! For then would I flee away and be at REST." (Psalm 55:6) Heaven will be a rest from all SIN. No 'unclean thing' shall ever defile or disturb us forever! We shall be free from all indwelling sin. This alone would be worth dying for! Indwelling sin is a burden under which all the redeemed must groan, while they sojourn in the body.”

Yet this didn’t stop Edward Payson (1783-1827) from venturing to contemplate such thoughts in “This is too much” and he concluded:

“Only to be permitted to contemplate such a being as Jehovah . . .to ponder goodness, holiness, justice, mercy, patience and sovereignty — personified and condensed; to ponder them united with eternity,infinite power, unerring wisdom, omnipresence, and all sufficiency; to ponder all these natural and moral perfections indissolubly united and blended in sweet harmony — in one pure, spiritual being, and that being placed on the throne of the universe — to ponder this would be happiness enough to fill the mind of any creature in existence!

But in addition to this, to have this ineffable Being for my God, my portion, my all; to be permitted to say, "This God is my God forever and ever!" to have His resplendent countenance smile upon me; to be encircled in His everlasting arms of power and faithfulness and love; to hear His voice saying to me, "I am yours — and you are Mine! Nothing shall ever pluck you from My hands, or separate you from My love — but you shall be with Me where I am, behold My glory, and live to reign with Me forever and ever!" This is too much! It is honor, it is glory — it is happiness too overwhelming, too transporting for mortal minds to conceive, or for mortal frames to support!”

J.C. Ryle, 1870   “from his aforementioned article above”  chimes in complimentary sentiments:

“I pity that man who never thinks about Heaven.”

“Cold and unfeeling must that heart be, which never gives a thought to that dwelling-place! Dull and earthly must that mind be, which never considers "Heaven!"”

“The man who is about to sail for Australia or New Zealand as a settler, is naturally anxious to know something about his future home, its climate, its employments, its inhabitants, its ways, and its customs. All these are subjects of deep interest to him. In the same way, you are leaving the land of your nativity — and you are going to spend the rest of your life in a new world. It would be strange indeed if you did not desire information about your new abode. Now surely, if we hope to dwell forever in that "better country, even a heavenly one" — then we ought to seek all the knowledge we can get about it. Before we go to our eternal home — we should try to become acquainted with it.”

He invites us to currently reconsider afresh:

“Think, Christian reader, of seeing your Savior, and beholding your King in his beauty! Faith will be at last swallowed up in sight — and hope in certainty.”

So beloved brother & sister in Christ, fellow ambassador of the faith, and fellow harvester working out in Our Father’s harvest fields, who revere Christ as Lord in your very hearts….

With all that was said by all of the people referenced above, do you consider yourself prepared to field the question, “What does the Bible say about heaven?”

Are you currently prepared to give an answer that explains the reason for the hope that you have?

CORAM DEO,
2Timothy 4:2

Thoughts on Holiness

“The life of holiness is the only excellent life; it is the life of saints and angels in heaven; yea, it is the life of God in himself.”
- Matthew Mead

In speaking to you on the topic of holiness, please bear in mind that I am a sinner.  As I speak to you, I am also speaking to myself.  I have found that in this pursuit of holiness, the more knowledgeable I become of God, godliness, and His holiness, the less I am able to feel that I really know God in an experientially emotional manner.

In order to provide some context: An example, that I believe we can each relate with, is our own past experiences with primarily one sided relationships. Primarily, those in which we have made ourselves vulnerable and openly loved another, whom not only didn't reciprocate these feelings, but also, has heartlessly spurned and mocked us. Or, even worse, those in which a loved one took advantage of our goodwill only to at some point callously betray us when it suited them. Whatever hurt or pain we felt as an imperfect creature, subject to a sinful nature, is only a small taste of what a perfect and Holy God feels when He attempts to fellowship with each and every one of us. If we then insist on declining to share the deepest interests of our God, we need not wonder if our relationship with Him falls far short of what it should be.

For those that recognize that holiness is not an option, but a primary life pursuit, this is where the Christian life truly begins.  It begins with the recognition that holiness has to be priority number one.  And that for the rest of our lives. That being said, I have experienced the following confusing dynamic: I find that the more I draw closer to God, and the closer He actually draws to me (James 4:8) the farther away I actually feel from Him and His presence than I did at the start. It has been sort of like walking along a never ending hallway.

As a newborn Christian, I have experienced God taking away what I considered were the big obstacles (i.e. sins) that kept me from Him. Iin my case,  I was held captive in the prison of a completely depraved mind given over impure thoughts as well as the arrogant pride of believing that I was better, smarter, and more worthy than most other, if not all other people, allowing me the excuse of callously using foul language as I went about selfishly pursuing self-serving goals, interests, and pleasures.

After these obstacles were removed, I was once again granted a humbler, more respectful, mind that could better reason because I no longer was completely dominated by impure thoughts. I grew spiritually. God then started working on what I considered were smaller obstacles (i.e sins). For example, being curt or openly rude to others when I felt wronged by them, in my immediate attempts to seek justice for myself.  What I've come to learn is this, the big obstacles were really small sins and the smaller obstacles were really bigger sins, and that the holier I become, the less holy I actually feel because I’m more aware of how truly sinful and unholy I really am, even after two decades of being a disciple of Jesus. This sense of growing humility over time is evidenced in the ministry of Apostle Paul as well: 1Corinthians 15:9 (least of all Apostles) written 55AD, Ephesians 3:8 (least of all the saints) written 60AD, 1Timothy 1:15 (foremost sinner) written 63-65AD.

As we try to work out our salvation (Philippians 2:12) and keep ourselves in God's love (Jude vs. 20), this dynamic leaves us susceptible to falling into a couple of very serious pitfalls:

• one of legalism: where we attempt to become holy by following the rules we set for ourselves and thus fall victim to believing God owes us for the good works we accomplished for Him 

• the other of antinomianism: where we wrongly believe that grace indemnifies us from the obligation of actually observing God's laws. In other words this is where we wrongly have no remorse or godly sorrow over our own sins because we mistakenly undervalue the sinfulness of those sins due to the notion that we're saved and that is the very reason why Jesus died.

NOTES:
1) Apostle Paul addressed this in Romans 6.
2) A video: The Garden of Eden, Legalism, and Antinomianism

Attempting to accurately judge our own selves, can be extremely difficult, considering that our own hearts are deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:9). This is reminiscent of the song Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd. This simply is one reason why we true Christian believers truly need to avail the means of grace that Our Father God has lovingly provided for us in the church. Only in the bonds of the very real friendships that are developed among one's spiritual family, of adopted brothers and sisters of Christ, can one get a clearer, and more accurate, external view of one's self.

Holiness is neither an emotion, nor a manufactured product. It cannot be made by following a specific list of rules, like some master chef following a recipe for an exquisite meal or fancy dessert. Rather, holiness is something that naturally happens to a child of God as long as we ourselves choose to not impede upon it.  (Philippians 2:13) Becoming holy is more akin to the process of brewing a craft-beer or making wine. It is a natural process that occurs when we take care to ensure all the necessary environmental conditions exist and are properly maintained. We can measure our progress by substituting our name for the word “love” in 1Corinthians 13:4-8.  As we appropriately show our love for God by obeying His Word in seeking out His kingdom and righteousness (Matthew 6:33), searching for wisdom & understanding (Proverbs 2:1-5), and submitting to His Word over our own worldly logic and rationale (Proverbs 3:5-6) and as we follow the call to renew our minds (Romans 12:2) we cannot help but become more holy, but we must realize and come to terms with the fact that as we get a better look at ourselves in the mirror of God's word (1Corinthians 13:12, James 1:23-24) we will better notice all of the fresh, and not-so-fresh filthiness that comes from our continued wallowing in this worldly muck of sin.

This unpleasant realization is a necessary step that should prompt us to immediately repent, come before God in humble prayer, being thankfully grateful for Jesus, the root of our salvation, where we can draw upon the memory of our conversion and subsequent baptism as the line in the sand where we knowingly died to sin and rose in Christ, a new creation with a new nature in possession of the ability to simultaneously say "no" to the temptation of sin and ungodliness, and reject and put off our old nature as we choose to put on our new nature, live in the spirit, and walk with Him.

Sadly many Christians, myself included, often confuse the root with the fruit - in that obedience to Scripture is NOT the root to a right relationship with God, but rather it is the fruit that results from the root of Jesus' willing selfless sacrifice to obtain His bride - the church; as God had the prophet Hosea poetically depict for us in the OT book bearing his name. (Romans 1:5, Romans 16:25-26)

In summary, Godly living is not role playing.  It is not a performance.  If our Christianity is just a matter of doing our best to follow a list of do's and don'ts then we are nothing more than Christian Pharisees. Holiness begins in the heart.  It is a matter of motives. What do I want? What are my goals? What are my desires? Fixing what's broke here requires real transformational change. This can only be done by, and through the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. He alters the desires of our heart. The Lord changes us from the inside out. (Hebrews 4:12-13, Philippians 2:13) Our prayer should therefore be:

Lord – Our Rock and Redeemer, Merciful, Gracious God, You who heal the broken hearted, give sight to the blind, and raise the dead to new life,

Lord we call upon you asking O Gracious God, that we your children would hear your Holy Voice, through the pages of your Word, as we humbly study it with fellow adopted brothers and sisters.  We give you thanks O Lord for your faithfulness that even when we’re faithless, You remain faithful. We thank you that You are unchanging and we ask O Lord for Grace and Mercy to currently abound in our hearts and minds. Please guide us in all truth.  What we do not know, teach us. For the things we do know but do not live, empower us by your Spirit. Please cause your word to be illuminated to our hearts that we may live a life for your glory. Please provide us with proper motives, and establish righteous desires in us. Please help us set goals that stem from your Living Spirit and not from our old, dead, sinful natures that still actively wages war within us. Please make our words honest & true, economical & few, as well as wise and well chosen. Above all, grow in us a passion for your honor and praise above our own desires for a a more consistent happiness based on not our current circumstances, but rather in a right relationship with You, that provides us true comfort, peace, and security, incorruptible and beyond the reach of evil. Please let us know and never forget that these rewards can only be eternally experienced in an appropriate saving relationship with You and that anything apart from this is only this world’s
worthless pyrite which will ultimately one day be fully consumed and destroyed by your righteous judgmental fire. Therefore today please break our hearts for what breaks Yours and bring us whatever brings You glory!!

In Jesus name,
Amen

In the words originally penned by Matthew Mead, “The mighty God, whose prerogative it is to teach to profit, whether by the tongue or the pen, by speaking or writing, bless this tract, that it may serve you as a cloud of rain to the dry ground, dropping fatness to your soul, that so your fleece being watered with the “dew of heaven,” you may “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” In whom I am your Friend and Servant,”

Carmine DiLello

Got Faith?

From “The Almost Christian Discovered; or The False Professor Tried & Cast” written by Matthew Mead:

“Many deceive themselves with common grace instead of saving, through that resemblance that is between them. As many take counterfeit money for current coin, so do too many take common grace for true... ...though every saving work of the Spirit be supernatural, yet every supernatural work of the Spirit is not saving; and hence many deceive their own souls, by taking a supernatural work for a saving work.”

“Many mistake a profession of religion for a work of conversion, and outside reformation for a sure sign of inward regeneration. If the outside of the cup be washed, then they think all is clean, though it be never so foul within. This is the common rock that so many souls split upon, to their eternal hazard, taking up a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.”

“There are some lusts espoused in the heart, that hinder a hearty close with Christ. Though they bid fair yet they come not to God’s terms: “The young man would have eternal life;” and he bid fair for it: a willing obedience to every command but one, but only one; and will not God abate him one? Is he so severe? Will he not come down a little in his terms, when man rises so high? Must man yield all? Will God yield nothing? No, my brethren, he that underbids for heaven, shall as surely lose it, as he that will give nothing for it. He that will not give all he hath—part with all for that “pearl of price”—shall as surely go without it, as he that never once cheapens it. The not coming up to God’s terms is the ruin of thousands of souls; nay, it is that upon which all that perish, do perish. A naked sinner to a naked Christ; a bleeding, broken sinner, to a bleeding, broken Christ—these are God’s terms.”

Considering all that Matthew has shared with us regarding these biblical principles, with Hebrews Chapter 11 in mind, and as each of us realize that despite the fact that it is NOT IN ME   to be Christ-like, yet HIS MERCY IS MORE; can we bravely & honestlypray with sincere humility: 

“Lord, Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine. Take myself, and I will be, ever, only, all for Thee. (Frances R. Havergal, “Take My Life.”) Break my heart with what breaks yours (Jesus, Friend of Sinners, Casting Crowns )   and bring me anything that brings you glory?  (Bring the Rain, Mercy Me)” 

If not, then please consider reading the chapter, Comfort in the Wilderness, in the book “Alone with God, Helps to Thought and Prayer, for use of the sick” by Francis Bourdillon 

CORAM DEO

1 Peter 4:7-11

Carmine

The Way of Holiness

  

 

 

“The life of holiness is the only excellent life; it is the life of saints and angels in heaven; yea, it is the life of God in himself.” - Matthew Mead

 

The first time the word "holy" appears in the Bible is in Genesis 2:3,  where we learn that the Sabbath, i.e. Saturday, the last day of the week in which God rested had been set apart and declared "holy" by God. In Leviticus 11:44 we learn that God is holy and that He calls us to consecrate ourselves in order to be holy as well. So, it can be safe to say that holiness has to do with something God has chosen to separate from the whole and set apart. Holiness is something that is wholly God as well as something wholly of God in which we are called to participate. 

 

From Arthur Pink, "The Godhood of God!:"
"The God of Scripture is infinite in Holiness. The "only true God" is He who hates sin with a perfect abhorrence, and whose nature eternally burns against it. He is the One who beheld the wickedness of the antediluvians, and who opened the windows of Heaven and poured down the flood of His righteous indignation. He is the One who rained fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and utterly destroyed these cities of the plain. He is the One who sent the plagues upon Egypt, and destroyed her haughty monarch together with his hosts at the Red Sea. He is the One who caused the earth to open its mouth and swallow alive Korah and his rebellious company. Yes, He is the One who "spared not His own Son" when He was "made sin for us — that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." So holy is God and such is the antagonism of His nature against evil, that for one sin . . .

 

He banished our first parents from Eden;

He cursed the posterity of Ham;

He turned Lot's wife into a pillar of salt;

He sent out fire and devoured the sons of Aaron;

Moses died in the wilderness;

Achan and his family were all stoned to death;

the servant of Elisha was smitten with leprosy!

 

Behold therefore, not only the goodness, but also "the severity of God" (Romans 11:22). And this is the God that every Christ-rejector has yet to meet in judgment!"

 

From Arthur Pink, "Sin's Presence:"

"In this life, holiness, my reader, consists largely of pantings after it—and grievings because we feel ourselves to be so unholy. What would happen to a man still left in this world—if he were full of sin one day and then made absolutely sinless the next? Let our present experience supply the answer. Do we not find it very difficult to keep our proper humble place, both before God and our brethren, when the evil within us is subdued but a little? Is not that evidence we require something to deliver us from self-righteousness? Even the beloved Paul needed "a thorn in the flesh" lest he "be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations" given him (2 Corinthians 12:7). The man after God's own heart prayed, "O Lord, open you my lips; and my mouth shall show forth your praise" (Psalm 51:15): as though he said, "If You, Lord, will help me to speak aright, I shall not proclaim my own worth nor boast of what I have done—but will give You all the glory." As God left some of the Canaanites in the land—to prove Israel (Judges 2:21-22), so He leaves sin in us—to humble us."

 

From J.R. Miller, "What is a Christian Life:"
"Men talk about holiness and pray for it, as if it were something entirely apart from their everyday life, something that has nothing whatever to do with their conduct in their domestic, social and business relations. They sing, "Nearer, my God, to you," with glowing fervor, but do not realize that the prayer can be answered only by the lifting up of their own lives to the plane of God's requirements. Holiness is not a mere sentiment, not a vague vision of glory overhanging us like a heavenly cloud; not a rapture or an ecstasy; not something which God sends down to wrap us like a garment in its radiant folds. Holiness is the most real and practical thing in this world! If being holy means anything at all, it means being true, honest, upright, noble, pure, gentle, patient, unselfish. Holiness is not all prayer and church-going and hymn-singing; it is life and conduct. It is not a Sunday religion, but a week-day lifestyle. We really have no more religion than we get into our everyday life, at home, in business, in all our conduct. We are Christians only so far as the Christ living in us, is manifested in a Christlike life."

 

The narrow road that we redeemed, adopted, children of The Lord are called to traverse during this mortal life’s journey is the Way of Holiness that starts in the Garden of Eden in Genesis and will end in the city of New Jerusalem in Revelation.

From: “What is Spiritual Warfare?,” Stanley D Gale:

"The pursuit of holiness to which our God calls us is waged on the battlefield of spiritual warfare. We are holy in the Lord; therefore, we are to be holy. We enjoy a positional holiness as saints of God by virtue of our union with Christ. We practice progressive holiness at the command of our God and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit." 

 

Ephesians 5:8 (cf. Longman, God is a Warrior, 61, for characteristics of spiritual warfare). Note: This indicative-imperative of holiness is juxtaposed in Paul's salutation to the Corinthians in 1Corinthians 1:2. 

Therefore, what does it really mean to be holy?

And, how does one pursue holiness? 

 

John Calvin was a 16th century French Theologian and Pastor.  He was also a major figure in the Protestant Reformation.  He lived from 1509 to 1564 dying at the age of 55.  Calvin was a very accomplished writer having published commentaries for almost the entire Bible.  He wrote catechisms, church liturgy, and a few Reformed confessions.  His most notable work however would be his Institutes of the Christian Religion. In his book, “A Little Book on the Christian Life,” he makes the following claims:

“The goal of God’s work in us is to bring our lives into harmony and agreement with His own righteousness, and so to manifest to ourselves and others our identity as His adopted children.”

“We have been adopted by the Lord as children with this understanding—that in our lives we should mirror Christ who is the bond of our adoption. And truly, unless we are devoted—even addicted—to righteousness, we will faithlessly abandon our Creator and disown Him as our Savior.”

“God has manifested Himself as Father to us. If we do not manifest ourselves as sons to Him in turn, we prove ourselves to be extremely ungrateful (Mal. 1:6; 1 John 3:1).”

Calvin goes on to say:

“To begin with, what better foundation can Scripture give for the pursuit of righteousness than to tell us we should be holy because God Himself is holy?”

“When we contemplate this relationship between ourselves and God, let us remember that holiness is the bond of our union with Him. Not, of course, because we enter into fellowship with Him by the merit of our own holiness. Rather, we first of all cling to Him, and then, having received His holiness, we follow wherever He calls us. For it is characteristic of His glory that He has no fellowship with sin and impurity. Holiness is the goal of our calling. Therefore we must consistently set our sights upon holiness if we would rightly respond to God’s calling.”

 

“To what purpose did God pull us out of the wickedness and pollution of this world—wickedness and pollution in which we were submerged—if we allow ourselves to wallow in such wickedness and pollution for the rest of our lives?”

 

“It’s not right that the sanctuary in which God dwells shouldresemble a filthy stable.”

In “My Utmost for His Highest”, Oswald Chambers discusses “The Supremacy of Jesus Christ”and makes the following comments:

 
“The holiness movements of today have none of the rugged reality of the New Testament about them. There is nothing about them that needs the death of Jesus Christ. All that is required is a pious atmosphere, prayer, and devotion. This type of experience is not supernatural nor miraculous. It did not cost the sufferings of God, nor is it stained with “the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 12:11). It is not marked or sealed by the Holy Spirit as being genuine, and it has no visual sign that causes people to exclaim with awe and wonder, “That is the work of God Almighty!” Yet the New Testament is about the work of God and nothing else.”

 

We’ve been given the following instruction a very long time ago:   

Leviticus 11:45: I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.

 

Do you agree with Calvin’s inference that without understanding & consistently focusing on "holiness," we cannot rightly respond to God's calling on our lives....and that we (either consciously/unconsciously) are allowing ourselves to wallow in sin described as "such wickedness and pollution"?

 

Do you feel confident that you could accurately explain the concept of "holiness" to either a new or an unbeliever?

 

The Ultimate Jehovah’s Witness uses the one version of the Bible that we can all agree that is best! 😉😜

Below is an article, obtained at Christian Classics Ethereal Library, that points us to the only one who can clean the sinful predispositions of our thoughts that muddy the living waters that flow from the new hearts our Father has given us.  Enjoy!!

“And ye shall be witnesses unto me.”

Acts 1:8

“In order to learn how to discharge your duty as a witness for Christ, look at his example. He is always witnessing: by the well of Samaria, or in the Temple of Jerusalem: by the lake of Gennesaret, or on the mountain’s brow. He is witnessing night and day; his mighty prayers are as vocal to God as his daily services. He witnesses under all circumstances; Scribes and Pharisees cannot shut his mouth; even before Pilate he witnesses a good confession. He witnesses so clearly, and distinctly that there is no mistake in him. Christian, make your life a clear testimony. Be you as the brook wherein you may see every stone at the bottom—not as the muddy creek, of which you only see the surface—but clear and transparent, so that your heart’s love to God and man may be visible to all. You need not say, “I am true:” be true. Boast not of integrity, but be upright. So shall your testimony be such that men cannot help seeing it. Never, for fear of feeble man, restrain your witness. Your lips have been warmed with a coal from off the altar; let them speak as like heaven-touched lips should do. “In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand.” Watch not the clouds, consult not the wind—in season and out of season witness for the Saviour, and if it shall come to pass that for Christ’s sake and the gospel’s you shall endure suffering in any shape, shrink not, but rejoice in the honour thus conferred upon you, that you are counted worthy to suffer with your Lord; and joy also in this—that your sufferings, your losses, and persecutions shall make you a platform, from which the more vigorously and with greater power you shall witness for Christ Jesus. Study your great Exemplar, and be filled with his Spirit. Remember that you need much teaching, much upholding, much grace, and much humility, if your witnessing is to be to your Master’s glory.”

The ultimate witness for Jehovah is none other than the true disciple who faithfully walks with the Lord, as the new creation, that revels and delights in their relationship with their Triune Creator, not only reading, but making use and application of the Word of God, which is undeniably the best version of the Holy Bible regardless of it potentially being a word for word, or a paraphrase translation! Here are a couple of quotes that stress this point:

“I love to see a beautiful Bible in a home--especially if it is not kept too clean and unsoiled. But the most beautiful form in which a household Bible can be bound, is in the holy life of godly parents. There is no tinted, gold-edged paper so fair--as the pages God gives us on which to write our daily record.”
- JR Miller

“For one thing, begin reading your Bible this very day.  The way to do a thing — is to do it; and the way to read the Bible — is actually to read it! It is not merely meaning, or wishing, or resolving, or intending, or thinking about it — which will advance you one step. You must positively read. There is no royal road in this matter, any more than in the matter of prayer. If you cannot read yourself, you must persuade somebody else to read it to you. But one way or another, through eyes or ears — the words of Scripture must actually pass before your mind.”
- J.C. Ryle, “Profiting from the Scriptures”

No time to read it yourself?  Here’s a link to use in order to listen someone read it to you!!:  AudioBible link

Please remember that we are each on our own individual spiritual journeys through this life and each of us is at our own unique spot along the way. Therefore let’s be cautious and considerate of this fact prior to passing judgement on another person’s spiritual condition.  The below words originally penned in 1856 from Octavius Winslow comes to mind:

“Two brethren in the Lord of widely different sections of the Church, and of much dissonance of sentiment on some points of truth, meet and converse together. Each wonders that, with the Word of God in his hand, the other should not read it as he reads it, and interpret it as he interprets it. But they drop the points of difference, and take up the points of agreement. They speak of Christ—the Christ who loves them both, and whom they both love. They talk of the one Master whom they serve; of their common labors and infirmities, trials and temptations, discouragements, failures, and success; they talk of the heaven where they are journeying; of their Father’s house, in which they will dwell together for ever; they kneel in prayer; they cast themselves before the cross; the oil of gladness anoints them; their hearts are broken, their spirits are humbled, their souls are blended; they rise, and feel more deeply and more strongly than ever, that they both belong to the same family, are both of the “many brethren,” of whom the Son of God is the “Firstborn,” the Elder Brother. Oh, blessed unity! What perfect harmony of creed, what strict conformity of ritual, what sameness of denominational relation, is for a moment to be compared with this? Have you, my reader, this evidence that you belong to the “many brethren”?”

For more:  Daily Walking with God by Octavius Winslow

My prayer is that we may each be true witnesses for Our Creator, boldly living a sincere, full, abundant life of productively accumulating true heavenly treasures and rewards because we have had our lips warmed with coals from His altar, our spirits nourished from every Word that has come from His mouth, and our muscles strengthened by continually putting off our old selves while simultaneously putting on Christ as we actively take and make every thought captive to His will!!

CORAM DEO,
Hebrews 10:19-25, Romans 15:5-6

One Christian’s Hateful Thoughts

Does anyone remember Ugly Kid Joe or their song, "Everything about you?" This band made it seem that it is actually "Cool to hate," which, by the way, is an actual song title composed by the band The Offspring.

David, a man after God’s own heart, confessed in prayer that he hated those that hate God. This appears to be in opposition to Jesus’ call to love your enemies. Was David’s prayer petitioning God to slay the wicked, whom he hated with a perfect hatred, sinful or was it ok?

Psalm 139:19-24

19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked!

    Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!

20 They speak of you with evil intent;

    your adversaries misuse your name.

21 Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,

    and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?

22 I have nothing but hatred for them;

    I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, God, and know my heart;

    test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive way in me,

    and lead me in the way everlasting.

I believe that hate is a very strong word that should be reserved in usage in order to discuss a very strong God-given emotion that, in and of itself, is good. For it would be against the very nature of Our Almighty Loving Triune Creator to give us anything that would be either bad or evil.

Scripture says that when God finished His creation, He saw everything and declared it "very good" (Genesis 1:31). Many Scriptures affirm that God is not the author of evil: "God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone" (James 1:13). "God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all" (1John 1:5). "God is not the author of confusion" (1Corinthians 14:33)—and if that is true, He cannot in any way be the author of evil.

John Calvin wrote:
“. . . the Lord had declared that "everything that he had made . . . was exceedingly good" [Genesis 1:31]. Whence, then comes this wickedness to man, that he should fall away from his God? Lest we should think it comes from creation, God had put His stamp of approval on what had come forth from himself. By his own evil intention, then, man corrupted the pure nature he had received from the Lord; and by his fall drew all his posterity with him into destruction. Accordingly, we should 
contemplate the evident cause of condemnation in the corrupt nature of humanity-which is closer to 
us-rather than seek a hidden and utterly incomprehensible cause in God's predestination.” [Institutes, 3:23:8]

John MacArthur states:
“It is helpful, I think, to understand that sin is not itself a thing created. Sin is neither substance, being, spirit, nor matter. So it is technically not proper to think of sin as something that was created. Sin is simply a lack of moral perfection in a fallen creature. Fallen creatures themselves bear full responsibility for their sin. And all evil in the universe emanates from the sins of fallen creatures.”

In respect to King David, I’m not personally certain that his prayer was sinful? Therefore I can neither fault, nor judge, David for hating others with a “perfect hatred,” since they hate God. (Proverbs 10:18, 28:13, Job 31:33, Isaiah 29:15) Rather, I find myself impressed and inspired by his example of both, identifying, and honestly confessing his heart openly before the Lord, while trusting God to search and judge his motives.  David could have tried to ignore, conceal, or excuse away this emotion from both himself and God, but he did not!

David was faced with the same challenges that Cain (Genesis 4:7) and every other human being is faced with - to either control and master his emotions or be enslaved by them and carried away from God to be drug off and dumped into the very pits of hell itself, one in which we would find Cain, eternally suffering, for his own failure to do so.

Hating someone else, or others, seems inconsistent with Jesus’s call and command to “love your enemies” is just that - “seems”.  This is because that love is more than just an emotion. Love is a perspective, documented in 1Corinthians 13:4-8,  that encompasses a series of deliberate actions that can and should be expressed and extended even to the most unlovely unlovable people of this world that we do not appreciate, particularly like, or even in certain circumstances, dare I say... hate.

As redeemed believers continue to walk with the Lord, slowly growing more Christ-like along the way in this life (2Corinthians 3:18), it should then be no surprise that we should find our desires, interests, and preferences either completely different and changed, or continually transforming into a growing love for all that God loves and a growing hatred towards all that God hates. Is this not a healthy sign and mark of a true disciple of Jesus, proving to be a redeemed child of God?

This is not being said in order to cover over or excuse any example of a hypocritical person who is using Christianity as a justification to carry out their own selfish, self-righteous, and sinful actions. This would be nothing short of blasphemy to God, because they are misrepresenting our Creator through misuse, abuse, and defilement of His Holy name and character. One future day, they will be called to give account and righteously judged aright by Our Triune Creator.

David was a man after God's own heart because he took all his thought to God in prayer.  The good, the bad, and the ugly.   In most instances, at the end of the prayers to smite his enemies, he came to a place of peace with God and trusted the matter to the Lord. His prayers, therefore, are not a license to hate, but rather an example to take your hates to God for healing.

Therefore, I maintain that the good God-given emotion of hate should be mastered and ruled over, just like any and every other emotion Our Loving Father saw fit with which to equip us. Let us be reserved to use hate as God expects us to use it. Our Christlikeness can be checked and measured by asking some of the following questions:

What is it exactly that God hates?

Do I currently share in the Lord’s abhorrence of and hatred for the same things He does?

Do I find myself either apathetic or sympathetic towards others or myself, in regards to these things that God hates?

Note: Please actively search His Word in order to ensure you are able to accurately answer these questions for yourself.

CORAM DEO
1Thessalonians 5:23-24
Carmine DiLello

P.S.
I hope that you don’t hate me for prompting you to do a little biblical research.    ;-)

CARPE DIEM!!

I’m inspired by the below thought penned initially by Charles Naylor and hope that you also will enjoy and be helped by the below sentiment as well…….

“Some men live a long time, in a little while. Others live only a little, in a long time. The head of John the Baptist was cut off when he was less than thirty-five years old, yet John the Baptist had  accomplished more than all the prophets before him. Jesus Christ was crucified when he was not yet thirty-five, but what amazing things he accomplished in those few short years. 

The value of life is not reckoned by its length, but by its accomplishments. There should be a purpose in every day of life—a purpose for the whole life, and a purpose for each day of the life. A life without a purpose, can never be a full life. It is not living—it is merely existing. The person without a definite purpose in life, is like a ship without a rudder. Such living is mere drifting—not accomplishing anything worthwhile. Such a person is the plaything of circumstances. The ship drifts in whichever direction the wind is blowing. So a life without a purpose—drifts, drifts. 

We should put something of value into every day of our life. If we ourselves do not put something into our lives—they will contain nothing.”  (For more on this idea: How Old was Methuselah?)

In Ephesians 5:15-16, Apostle Paul encourages us to wisely be intentional on how we live life, in order to make the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. Jesus, being fully aware of evil days, and man’s tendency to mis-spend time focused on wrong and selfish endeavors; while speaking to a number of Jewish leaders said, “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (John 5:39-40)

We need to be intentional about appropriately knowing THE WORD, who was not only with God in the beginning, but is God! (John 1:1) We must learn to more consistently refuse to simply be content remaining lost in His words; just increasing our accountability and degree of offense, guilt, and subsequent punishment due to learning more about Him, while failing to be able to live it out because we foolishly forge ahead in our own power pursuing our own goals, without consideration for and the benefit of His Spirit to empower, enable, and assist us to see God’s will for us fulfilled and accomplished to God’s glory and our joy!!

We need to be intentional about being connected as a part of His body (1Corinthians 12:12-27), in corporate worship as well as frequent and continual fellowship with other believers, (Acts 2:42) in order to purposely encounter, worship, and commune with THE LIVING GOD, as we enjoy the gifts and benefits of living life in Christian communities, as we repent of the faithless and anti-biblical ideas of either, not needing Church, or going to simply enjoy caroling with fellow believers as we’re entertained by a good sermon.

Therefore,  let us live lives that inspire, invite, and help other people choose to come to the Father through Jesus His Son, before the appointed time in which six strong men are called to personally escort them into one of His church services.

CARPE DIEM !!!

A Calling Voice from amongst the “Cloud of Witnesses”

Many of us look to Revelation 7:9 as support for heaven being a place of diversity:

Revelation 7:9 "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,"

Yet JC Ryle from his 1870 piece, "Shall We know One Another in Heaven?͟" aptly reminds us:

"͞Heaven, we must always remember, is not a place where all sorts and kinds of people will go as a matter of course. The inhabitants of Heaven are not such a discordant, heterogeneous rabble as some men seem to suppose. Heaven, it cannot be too often remembered, is a prepared place for a prepared people. The dwellers in Heaven will be all of one heart and one mind — all of one faith and one character. They will be ready for mutual recognition.͟"

And he questions us:

͞"But, are we ready for Heaven? Shall we ourselves get to Heaven?"

And makes the following statements in order to arouse and wake our sleepy minds to attention:

͞"I pity that man who never thinks about Heaven."

"Cold and unfeeling must that heart be, which never gives a thought to that dwelling-place! Dull and earthly must that mind be, which never considers "Heaven!"

"͞The man who is about to sail for Australia or New Zealand as a settler, is naturally anxious to know
something about his future home, its climate, its employments, its inhabitants, its ways, and its
customs. All these are subjects of deep interest to him. In the same way, you are leaving the land of
your nativity — and you are going to spend the rest of your life in a new world. It would be strange
indeed if you did not desire information about your new abode. Now surely, if we hope to dwell
forever in that "better country, even a heavenly one" — then we ought to seek all the knowledge we can get about it. Before we go to our eternal home — we should try to become acquainted with it."

In order to invite us to currently reconsider afresh:

"͞Think, Christian reader, of seeing your Savior, and beholding your King in his beauty! Faith will be at last swallowed up in sight — and hope in certainty."

And encourages us to read: 

“Shall We know One Another in Heaven?”

CORAM DEO
2 Kings 7:3-11

What are your thoughts? Let's discuss. Thank you for your comments.