The Shadow of the Cross by Annie Johnson Flint - A Poem and A Thought

 Worth Repeating

I have heard some sermons recently that made me want to pull this post forward and repeat it. (Originally posted Oct. 2021) In the volatile world we live in at present it is so important not to throw away our one precious life on something that has no worth in the bigger picture of God's perfect plan.

The Shadow of the Cross

O Christ! who once has seen Thy visioned beauty -
He counts all gain but loss,
And other things are naught if he may win Thee
And share with Thee Thy Cross

And he on whom its shadow once has fallen,
Walks quietly and apart;
He holds the master-key of joy and sorrow
That opens every heart.

The burdened souls that pass him on the highway
Turn back to take his hand,
And murmur low, with tear-wet eyes of anguish,
"You know - you understand."

And yet no other can his heart interpret,
His life is hidden, lone;
A holy seal is set upon his forehead,
And he is not his own.

O Cross of Christ! on me thy shade is resting,
Thy sacred marks I bear;
Earth holds for me no more of grief or gladness,
No anxious thought nor care;

Only henceforth, the bliss and pain commingled
Of sharing woes divine,
Of knowing I am called to eat His portion,
To drink His bitter wine.

Keep me forever, Lord, beneath that shadow,
Lest, haply, I should lose
My life for something less than Thy sweet service,
Or one dear pang refuse.

by Annie Johnson Flint

Philippians 3:7-10 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Galatians 6:17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. 

Do others see the sacrificial mind of Christ in you and me? Do they see His tenderhearted compassion and His pleasure in seeing people do the will of His Father? How does the shadow of the cross fall upon your own life? What are you willing to give up that Jesus Christ and His love may be shed abroad through your life to others? 

Romans 5:3-5 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

This is a tough calling to live up to. Of course, we can't without the help of the Holy Ghost enabling us.

One of the most horrifying things that has come to light among Christians over the last few years is the unbelievable selfishness. There is so much about "my rights," "my autonomy," "my body," "my choice," "my family," "my president," etc. If we stop to consider how the shadow of the Cross might affect our thinking we can't help but realize that the mind of Christ is often opposed to these things.

Jesus gave up His "rights" as God. Philippians 2:6-8 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 

He gave up His autonomy to become a man limited by the physical world and to die in agony in a human body. Hebrews 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

He gave His body to be broken as a sacrifice for us. 1 Corinthians 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you... 

He chose to humble Himself (Php. 2:8), and to do the will of the Father, no matter what it cost Him. John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. Luke 22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

He gave up His home in heaven. Matthew 8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. He gave up communion with His Father while on the cross. Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And He gave up His earthly family to do the work God gave Him. Matthew 12:46-50 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

He gave His allegiance to God alone and did not take shortcuts to power. John 2:24-25 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. Luke 4:5-12 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

You see, Jesus' objective from before He arrived on earth was to die on the cross for our sins. He came to serve others, not to be served. Matthew 20:25-28 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

This is the example we are meant to follow. 1 Peter 2:21-24 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

This is what it means to walk in the shadow of Jesus Christ's cross, as Annie has called it. It is to live in remembrance of that great sacrifice, knowing that because He rose from the dead we have the power through His indwelling Spirit to actually live this way. Is it hard? Yes. Will there be sacrifices? Absolutely. Will it sometimes be painful? Without a doubt. But the thing is - He is worthy. Our rights, our families, our autonomy, our political leader, even our bodies, are not worthy. 

Does that sound counter-intuitive? Unreasonable? That's because our thoughts are not His thoughts (Is. 5:8-9), and we are the ones who need to change our thinking to reflect the mind of Christ. We are not called to defend our rights, to force the world to be good or to make any nation "great again." We are called to be burden bearers (Gal. 6:2) like Jesus and to carry the glorious gospel of Christ to every creature (Mark 16:15, Luke 19:10). 

Romans 12:1-3 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

It is our reasonable service because Jesus Christ is worthy. Were it not for Him we would have no hope and no relationship with God. Ephesians 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:  

The cares and troubles and complications of this life should not trouble us like they often do. We should be pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Php. 3:4), and striving to walk worthy of Him. We should be showing the marks of Christ's suffering and love in our lives as we point others to Him. 

Colossians 1:10-14 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 

Forgiven - Updated Article

 

I have been working on a couple other projects that are rather intense and not finished. This is an article I wrote years ago and updated a couple times. The most recent update was this month. It is a subject that is good to repeat because we are so needy of God's forgiveness and also so tempted to doubt that He has given it.

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1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Psalm 51:7 ...wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Simple Confession and Godlike Forgiveness

In 2 Samuel chapter 11 we read the ugly story of David's sin. The sweet psalmist, prophet, and king who was called a man after God's own heart by the Lord Himself (1 Sam. 13:14) proved what Jeremiah, the wise prophet, later declared. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9 Not only did David descend to the folly of adultery, but he followed it up with murder.

God sent Nathan, the faithful prophet who loved David, to tell the king to his face that he was wicked. The parable was given. The king condemned himself in judging the selfish rich man worthy of death. Nathan spoke the judgment of the Lord clearly, Thou art the man...Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. 2 Samuel 12:7 and 9. He then continues to describe the consequences that this sin will bring upon David and his family.

What follows would hardly qualify as a great revival among most professing Bible believers and Baptists. The Bible does not tell us that David went up to the altar to weep and pray. He did not even fall on his face before God and Nathan and beg for mercy. Instead we are told in 2 Samuel 12:13, And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

The simplicity of it is almost shocking to minds that have been nurtured in the idea that only with great wrestlings, tears, and lamentations can we gain forgiveness from God. Yet, there it stands. Direct, plain, and with no frills. David said "I have sinned against the LORD," and immediately God not only put away his sin, but delivered him and Bathsheba both from the death penalty (see Lev. 20:10). Dear friends in Jesus, if we can grasp this thought what liberty in Christ we might enjoy!

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Short Thought - How Are Others Using Your Time?

 

"A man who has nothing to do with his own time has

no conscience in his intrusion on that of others."

Jane Austen

Colossians 4:5-6 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. 

Sometimes when we really need to get things done we may need to avoid people who have no respect for other people's time. Of course, this is not speaking of your children or those for whom you are directly responsible, but those whom you may actually avoid. It can come at us in a lot of ways - text messages that distract us, phone calls, chats online or in the store, family members that interrupt and expect our undivided attention (while not helping with the tasks at hand), etc.

This may sound harsh is some ways, but Jesus did not always allow the multitudes to consume His time. Sometimes He avoided them. We need to be attentive to His leading as to whom we are really meant to communicate with and spend time on, and whom we should avoid in specific circumstances. Sometimes it will even be necessary to excuse yourself so that you can get on with the things that need to be accomplished. Some people find this hard to do and then are stressed because they didn't get something done when it should have been done. Learn to politely, but firmly, disengage when it is necessary. 

I remember my parents struggling with people interruptions sometimes when my dad was a pastor. There were times when it was difficult to know who was really needing help and who was just looking for attention or an ear to monopolize. There were a couple times when my dad had some man coming to him over and over for "help" or to talk out his struggles, but the man never actually did anything my dad told him he should do to resolve things or live more biblically. Eventually I think my dad told both those men that if they weren't going to do the (biblical) things he suggested, then he didn't have time to talk to them.

In John 4 Jesus Christ went out of His way to meet the woman at the well, and yet in Mark 3:31-35 when His own mother and brethren stood outside the group and sent someone in to call Him away, He refused to go - without apology. Mark 3:31-35 There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him. And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren? And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

Sometimes family will be the hardest to walk away from, but if they are interrupting things that you know are the Lord's will, you have to do it. It won't be easy, and it may not feel good at the moment, but it's about doing God's will and honoring Him with our time and energy.  

By the way, shoving everyone out of your life so you can do your own thing isn't the answer to interruptions. If you are the one who lacks skills in stepping back graciously at appropriate times, you need to work on that, not just push everyone away. We are called to serve and minister. But, there has to be a balance that is in accordance with God's will. Ask the Lord to give you wisdom if this is something that is a struggle for you.

James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 

Evening Song - Sin Will Take Your Farther

John 8:34-36 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. 

Romans 6:6-8 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 

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L. M. Montgomery - Delightful or Dangerous?

Over the last few years I have done fresh research and rewritten this article. It does not make me happy to have to address this as I have enjoyed L. M. Montgomery's Anne books very much in the past. But, what we like or love should always be subject to the word of God and truth, so no one and nothing is above examination.

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Lucy Maud Montgomery is perhaps best known for her classic Anne of Green Gables series. While these stories have generally been accepted as sweet and decent reading for children (girls in particular) there are some serious questions that arise about this author's life and the things that she presents in her stories.

Many people who were not familiar with the books before, were exposed to the Anne of Green Gables story as it gained renewed popularity in the U.S.A. and Canada through the mini-series on T.V. in the 1980s. More recently Anne with An E on Netflix has gotten its share of attention, partly because of its heavy-handed high-jacking of an old classic to turn it into a propaganda vehicle for political correctness, especially the LGBT agenda. (This was a wide departure from Montgomery's own writings and should not be held against her personally.) The books themselves have also been embraced by the homeschool community in general which generated a lot of interest. Also, in the 1990s Road to Avonlea, a program which aired on the Disney Channel, was loosely based on a number of Montgomery's novels, including Chronicles of Avonlea and The Story Girl books; and Emily of New Moon was aired in Canada and based on her books by the same name.

Having been given my grandmother's set of the Anne books as a girl, I grew up with them and they were among my favorite childhood stories. However, as I grew older and came upon some further knowledge of the author, I realized that there were problems. It does not make me happy to have to address this, but all things must be examined by the scripture, even our favorite sources of "entertainment."

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

It was in the late 1980s that my mom and I began to collect some of the other books by L. M. Montgomery. These were books that my grandma and my mom had never read. Some of the things in them bothered me as I knew that they were very contrary to scripture. Because of this I eventually began to examine and reconsider the Anne books as well, and the Lord brought some disturbing things to my attention.

Continue Reading.

Is It Our Christian Duty to Wear A Mask?

 
This article has not been easy to write. It is one that I have been hesitating over for awhile. I have tried to be reasonably straightforward without being too harsh. Please know that I have tried to restrain my feelings quite a bit in order to hopefully make this more useful. This is a subject which I'm actually feel very deeply because it affects so many of us in ways that it ought not. I have seen few, if any, churches that take this seriously and require masks for services regardless of what the local laws say. This makes me sad because it keeps some of us from the fellowship of the believers that we otherwise might enjoy. Please prayerfully consider what I have to say.

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Galatians 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

In the book of Genesis after Cain killed his brother Abel, we read, "And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?" Genesis 4:9 In verse 10 the Lord answers him, "...What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground."

One of the outstanding and well known facets of Christianity is that we are supposed to be our brother's keeper. In addition, we are meant to do good to those who are not even of the household of faith. That was the point of the story of the Good Samaritan, wasn't it? And yet, we hear people regularly making excuse for disregarding the basic kindnesses that will help to stop the spread of a terrible sickness. Worse, there are too many who are denying the seriousness of it, mocking those who do the responsible thing, and even claiming that COVID-19 is a hoax and doesn't exist. (Some of those people are ending up in the hospital now terribly sick and confused how it could happen to them since it wasn't even "real." Yeah, true story.)

The thing that eats at me and gives me grief is how people who profess to love God and His word have strayed so far from it in the matter of basic Christian love and kindness. I know, you have your rights - maybe your "American rights" - to do what you want to do and no government can stop you. But what if Someone higher than the national or local government has spoken to this issue? Because He has, and it is dumbfounding how quickly and completely so many have turned their backs on Him and sought their own way and will (Prv. 14:12).

Continue Reading.

Benefits of Fewer Toys for Children

1 Timothy 6:6-8 But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 

We don't have kids, but as I've looked sometimes at the possessions of other people's children, I've felt that there was a serious problem with how many toys they own. This video makes a lot of sense to me. I had quite a bit as a kid, from my perspective, but compared to some kids now my family didn't have a lot and we were told "no" on a regular basis. We were also encouraged to think long term as we got older. We were told to think about saving for something more expensive rather than spending our little money on cheap junk. We were encouraged to ask for gifts that would last us into our teens and possibly beyond rather than age-limited play toys.  That might be something you could add to your thoughts, if you haven't already. 

And kudos for the point about parents dealing with their own clutter first. The best way to lead is by example. Child hearts need a leader, not someone who just wants to throw out their stuff because they're in charge. My grandmother was pretty much scarred for life by parents who threw away all her stuff except one doll every time they moved - and they moved often.

The Unfruitful Works of Darkness

An Australian friend of mine brought this statistic to my attention recently. Americans are expected to spend $8,000,000,000 on Halloween this year. Yes. That says 8 Billion dollars. Think: enough money to put a big dent in involuntary homelessness if it were donated appropriately.

I also found this:

Percentage of Americans who plan to decorate their homes for Halloween: 53%.

Those who plan to dress up (in spite of Covid limitations): 46%.

Are you getting a picture here? There is no remorse or repentance going on due to the COVID19 drama this year. Based on those numbers, I would guess that very few of the Christians who celebrate Halloween have even bothered to re-evaluate their behavior and make changes that honor Christ. This despite all the calls for us to follow 2 Chronicles 7:14 (If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.) 

Do you know what true repentance looks like? It looks like turning from wicked ways. It looks like renouncing evil deeds and discarding the works of darkness.

Acts 19:17-20 And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed. 

Just to be clear, fifty thousand pieces of silver in that ancient economy was a tremendous amount of money, each piece of silver representing a day's wage. Based on an average day's wage today of $247 that comes to about $12,350,000. Definitely not pocket change. Yet they willingly burned those things for the glory of God. They cleared themselves from their previous involvement in Satanic arts and practices. 2 Corinthians 7:11  For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter. 

By the way, this is the New Testament church equivalent of the 2 Chronicles passage, but the two are not exactly the same thing. 2 Chronicles was written to the Jewish nation. We, the church, don't seek to heal our land. We strive now to show ourselves approved unto God. It isn't the same thing.

But, I digress.

For years and years now there have been people crying out against the Satanic history of Halloween. My own parents were confronted with it when I was a child and made the choice to leave it behind. Many of their generation would not make that choice.

Yet here we stand, in 2020, with nation in decay and Christians of various persuasions calling for America to turn back to God and become a "righteous nation," but so few who are willing to give up the works of darkness and lead the way by example.

And it isn't just Halloween. I poke around the web. I see and hear things. People often tell you a lot more about themselves than they probably wanted you to know.

For example, there are professing Christians who claim they are not bothered by the violent sex scenes in shows like "Game of Thrones." Really? That makes me wonder what sort of stuff they watch that has anesthetized them to such vile filth. I guarantee you that it isn't the Holy Spirit doing this, who guides us into all truth (Jn. 16:13-14) and glorifies Jesus Christ. Jesus is not making them comfortable with scenes of rape and sex that are so disturbing even one of the actresses is reported to have been bothered by it. No, I've never watched it. I don't have to. There is plenty to read about it without filling one's mind with the visual depravity of it. And, may I just say? I'm not really that keen on having men (or women) like that being "on my team" in allegedly bringing the U.S. to a righteous place. In fact, to be blunt: it isn't possible for people with those proclivities to bring anything or anyone to the righteousness of God because they don't understand it themselves.

Many Christians have embraced the adventures and wizardry of Harry Potter and justify it as good reading for kids because "good wins out over evil in the end." But it isn't God's good winning over Satan's evil, no, it's Satan's good wining over Satan's evil. Much as in the Star Wars movies. 

Oops. Did I just say that? Yes, at the risk of being told I'm no fun and too picky. It is definitely not popular to say this among today's Christians, and yet it's still true. The golden calf of Star Wars is a shrine at which many bow. But have you ever considered that the "the Force" can be used for both good and evil? That both good and evil are supposed to be different sides of the same entity? That isn't God. That is Satan. That is the basic principle of so-called "white" and "black" magic or witchcraft. It all goes back to the same "source," and that is the devil. So, yeah, Harry Potter and Star Wars are Satanic at the most basic level. How can I say that?

How can I not?

1 John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 

Psalm 5:4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. 

Any entity or power that has "two sides" - both dark and light - isn't God. Never has been. Never will be.

And while I'm on this little jaunt, may I bring up the subject of Superheroes? Especially Thor? Oh, yeah. The  heathen god of thunder from Germanic mythology who has become a Marvel superhero. And, to be clear, all of the superheroes portray god/goddess-like attributes that remind one of the idols of various religions - counterfeits of the one true God and Jesus Christ, His Son. Isaiah 42:8  I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

Now I understand that it can be easy to pick up something not realizing the origins or connections it may have. I have learned the hard way to check the other books of authors that are new to me to see what other types of books they may be writing. Sometimes we may accept something that seems innocent only to find out later that it has evil connections.

But how hard is it so figure out that Harry Potter is about witchcraft and is essentially dark in its origins? How hard is it to realize that Thor is a heathen god? Or to figure out that Game of Thrones is a vile show? Or that Halloween is a festival of death and darkness? Not that hard, really.

Ok, I'm done venting. But, just let me finish with this. I find it very strange to hear and see Christians talking about turning the U.S. around for God and making it a God-fearing nation again, a righteous nation, when they aren't willing to give up the patently evil things in their very own lives. Halloween is just one of many.

Hosea 10:12  Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

Ephesians 5:8-11  For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

Hard Questions - Should You Obey the Government?

This sermon is by a pastor in Australia whose testimony is well known to some of my family. I found this message very encouraging and also such an urgent reminder for this time we're in now. The Lord commands us to obey the powers that be, which He has ordained (Romans 13). In this message Brother Hyland makes it clear from God's own word how much we are to be subject to the governments God has set in place and the limited parameters of when and how we can disobey. It may not be at all what you think. Have a listen.

Short Thoughts - One Stick At A Time

African woman carrying load of sticks.

Here is a short quote that really spoke to me. How often we hold onto things that we were not meant to carry! As we continue through this year let us remember to not carry more than the Lord would give us each day.

Matthew 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. 

“I compare the troubles which we have to undergo in the course of the year to a great bundle of sticks, far too large for us to lift. But God does not require us to carry the whole at once. He mercifully unties the bundle, and gives us first one stick, which we are to carry today, and then another, which we are to carry tomorrow, and so on. This we might easily manage, if we would only take the burden appointed for us each day; but we choose to increase our troubles by carrying yesterday's stick over again today, and adding tomorrow's burden to our load, before we are required to bear it."
- John Newton

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This poem goes well with this thought:

The Heaviest Cross - by Annie Johnson Flint

Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 

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Original photo by my grandfather, Glenn Hoover.

The Cult Next Door - A Documentary on Bill Gothard and the Institute of Basic Life Principles

This is a short documentary on a very large subject. Having done some of my own research on this as well as reading things others have written, listening to the experiences of others (both positive and negative), and watching the Duggar's shows and also one or two video exposes, I feel that it is an important subject to address. Bill Gothard's teachings have wormed their way into Christendom in many areas and ways that many of us are not even aware of. People from almost every Christian denomination and cult have attended his seminars at some point and carried his teachings back with them, thus spreading ideologies and beliefs that appear biblical on the surface but most definitely are not.

Clear back in the 1970s my own dad rejected the teachings of Bill Gothard because of the fact that his brother who was living in gross sexual sin assisted in writing the early materials, but when he was exposed for his sin the book(s) was not pulled back and re-examined and rewritten. Bill Gothard chose to continue using material written with assistance from a man who was living in significant defeat in the very areas that Gothard was so interested in - sexual purity, character, authority, etc.

Furthermore, while there is nothing wrong with a single man doing some teaching on the family and marriage and raising children (the apostle Paul did), it is completely unbiblical for a single man to become an expert, a spiritual authority so highly esteemed, whose words are followed so religiously. In the position into which he has pushed himself with his claims to have the "perfect plan" for having a perfect godly family ("perfect plans" dependent upon a man's teaching are always a big red flag), he absolutely should have been the husband of one wife. Based on the exposure of his sexual harassment of young women who worked for him at his headquarters, we might wonder if he had entirely honorable motives in his choosing to never marry.

1 Timothy 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife...

Titus 1:6-7 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop must be blameless...

Mr. Gothard is disqualified on more than one point here. He is not blameless, nor is he the husband of one wife.

The Cult Next Door (Official Short Film) from Youngman Films.
[I have no control over ads or suggested videos.]

For more information on this please visit:

RecoveringGrace.org

The Wartburg Watch: Category Bill Gothard

   Specifically: Bill Gothard's Umbrella of Protection

Thoughts on Discipline and Purpose

Luke 14:27  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

Jesus called us to be His disciples because we need discipline. Having a "purpose" may sound good, but it won't get the job done without discipline to follow through. Discipline is what it takes to do things when you're excited or when you're not, when you are motivated or when you're not, when you're full of purpose or when you're not. Discipline is what it takes to live day in and day out for the Lord. It's what is needed to overcome the hard things, to walk in victory, to walk after the Spirit.

Romans 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Excitement, enthusiasm, and "revival" wear off. The meetings end and we go back to every day life. The trip to camp is over and after a few weeks it isn't as fresh and meaningful as it was when we were sitting there. The thrill of "conviction" and the emotion of the invitation doesn't go with us through the weeks and months that follow. These are not the things that make us strong to LIVE daily in the Spirit, to take up our cross daily and follow Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 9:25-27  And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Discipline is a way of living that reaches to every hour of every day. It is a way of life.

I am not talking about the so-called "spiritual disciplines." Those have their roots in mysticism and monasticism. They have more to do with the denying of the flesh which has a show of wisdom, but is not real. Colossians 2:20-23  Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,  (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

We need to get under our bodies and bring them into subjection to Christ so that we can be doers of the word and not just hearers only (James 1:22). It is the thing that will carry us through the times when we are weary in well doing and all the enthusiasm, excitement, purpose, willingness, revival, etc. have died or lost their shine.

Someone once said something like this to me, "I don't want to have to have revival to live for the Lord. I don't want to get all excited and be up here and then it wears off and I'm down here. I want to live steadily for the Lord all the time." This is what we should want. The roller coaster of experience based Christianity will never truly satisfy or bring consistent progress in following Christ because it is a closed circuit and only repeats itself over and over - euphoric highs and miserable lows followed by sluggish climbs back to the highs.

To be Jesus' disciples we need to follow His example. Sitting at His feet, reading His word and learning of Him. Walking in truth. Being edified among the saints. Looking beyond this life to that blessed hope and not being bogged down in the moment, while still dealing with it.

Philippians 3:12-14  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

We should never think that we have "arrived." We should be continually pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Pressing requires consistent action. Discipline. It means pressing steadily through the things that make us want to quit, without the artificial stimulant of excitement, enthusiasm, etc.

A perseverance driven life is what we should be looking for, not just a purpose. One may acknowledge a purpose and yet not follow through in doing it, but if one is disciplined to persevere there will be a faithful forward movement over all in the Christian life regardless of circumstances or the struggles with the flesh. We will find Jesus Christ delivering us from the body of this death even when we feel like we are doing more that we don't want to do than what we want to do.

Romans 7:19-25  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

While having a purpose is a good thing, one also might find that the purpose one chose to follow was not a God-given purpose. There are so many apparently good "purposes" that are available today in Christendom - fighting abortion, political activism, exposing "conspiracies", caring for the homeless or suffering, and much more. If these things are not done with eternity and salvation in view, they can  be and often are nothing more than a good purpose in an earthly sense. Whatever good they accomplish is "under the sun." It is not the gold, silver, and precious stones that will stand the fire at the judgment seat of Christ. There are many ways that people waste their lives doing "good works" that aren't really eternal in the economy of God. They tend more toward laying up treasure on earth than treasure in heaven.

1 Corinthians 3:12-13  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.

Then there are the "purposes" of "following your dreams" and "doing what you love" and many similar worldly philosophies. These also are not things of eternal value unless it is something that we are told to do in scripture.

1 Peter 2:21  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

Strive to be a faithful and disciplined disciple of Jesus Christ and you will be one who more consistently walks after the Spirit and not after the flesh. When we follow his steps we can know that we are walking in purposes that are glorifying to God. All the rest of life will fall into order and take care of itself when we discipline ourselves do this.

Acts 4:13  Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

When we obey Christ and walk in the ways He has showed us, when we sit at His feet and hear His word (Luke 10:39 and 8:35), our lives will show that we are His disciples. But, it is something for which we must strive, and it requires discipline and perseverance. A quiet consistent life governed by discipline will go farther than one swayed by emotions and Christian fads.

Let's run the race before us with patience (Hebrews 12:1), and be temperate (not given to extremes) in all things (1 Corinthians 9:25), showing that discipline that is necessary fight a good fight and finish our course to the glory of God.

2 Timothy 4:7-8  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.