Who am I, O Lord that I should presume to direct Thy Hand?
Who am I to think I know what’s best for my life and at what point did it become my life?
It is Thine and Thine alone.
For Thou hast purchased me. Thou hast paid such a heavy price for me. I am Thy possession.
I have no rights except to obey Thy holy commands.
Who am I, O Lord to think my suffering is unbearable?
Have I resisted sin to the point of blood?
Have I borne such reproach for Thy Name that I have become physically marred by persecution?
Have I had to watch loved ones massacred before my eyes because I would not recant my faith?
Although my sighing is not hidden from Thee, help me to remember that my affliction is light and Thy grace restrains that which rages against me.
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What is this call that sounds my name? What is this affliction that awaits my soul? Ay, it is the cross of my Lord. It is the cross that He has chosen for me.
Shall I run? Shall I hide from its hideousness? Shall I beg of Him another way?
Terror grips my soul! The sight of it repulses me. My flesh recoils at the suffering I know I am to endure. I cry to Him, “Have mercy, Lord! Deliver me!”…But the cross remains. He insists that I bear it.
My cheeks are stained with tears; my heart, in deep agony; my flesh trembles at the beam that awaits my back.
Mocking and insults are thrown upon me as I consider the cost. Doubt ravages my soul. Insanity threatens and whispers comforting sounds in my ear. Images of compromise pressure me to turn back. The noise rises to a deafening pitch! I cry out to God, “Deliver me!”…. But the cross remains. He insists that I bear it.
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One day, outside of a store I frequent, stood two boy scouts – one at the entrance and one at the exit.
The boy at the entrance was speaking toward people, however, because he was rather sheepish and his voice so low; no one paid attention to him. They walked right past him into the store.
In contrast, the boy at the exit, being very bold, was not afraid to confront people. Making sure he had their attention, he then began to plead his cause.
The situation struck me immediately that what I was witnessing was a profound analogy of the preachers in this land.
The god that has been preached in our pulpits – this god who is effeminate and repressively tolerant, is not the true God. This god who is a wish granter and life coach is not the God of the Bible. This god who coercers you into sowing your seed into the most successful ground for the sole purpose of you having all your wealthy dreams come true, is not the same God who told us to store up our treasures in heaven!
Oh how these false ministers have fleeced God’s flock!
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I will be the first one to challenge what our modern churches have defined as the “love walk”. It seems to be nothing more than simple tolerance, weak and unbalanced, at best. However, we can never by any means cast off love or ignore its command to believers.
I have been deeply burdened, as of late, at the constant bickering and viciousness of fellow believers. Never before have I witnessed such a willingness to tear people apart if one does not believe exactly like the other.
My friends, these things ought not be. Read the rest of this entry »
The Lord always brings man to a place of brokenness. He requires utter reliance upon Himself. There is no other way. There is no other option.
I have been taught that weakness is a sure sign that you don’t know who you are in Christ. For you would never confess you are weak if Christ lives in you because He is not weak. There is some truth to that, of course. However, over time, I have personally found this type of thinking plants such a garden of pride because you forget that it is not you who is strong – it is He and He alone.
We must never forget, and I’ll even go a step further to say, we must constantly be reminded that we are nothing without Christ. We need to be reminded of the state He found us in. We need to be reminded that if He were ever to remove His grace from our lives for one second, we would instantly become that wretch of a person all over again. Sin crouches at the door. It waits to make its move upon us. Our only protection from its repulsive grasp is Christ Jesus. Our only safe refuge is Christ Jesus. And Christ Jesus must be everything. Everything!
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“…every devoted thing is most holy unto the LORD.” Lev. 27:28
Devotion. What does it mean?
Devotion: Appropriated by vow; solemnly set apart or dedicated; consecrated; addicted; given up; doomed; consigned. – Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
Devoted thing: The primary meaning of the Heb. word חרם chērem is something cut off, or shut up. Its specific meaning in the Law is, that which is cut off from common use and given up in some sense to Yahweh, without the right of recall or commutation. – Albert Barnes Notes on the Bible
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What is this being proclaimed from our pulpits? Never have I heard such a conglomeration of psychology mixed with paganistic beliefs! These purveyors of false doctrine continue to spew their vile regurgitations of Hellenistic half-truths to the multitudes.
Do our American pastors pray and seek God for their messages? Or do they surf the purpose-driven websites to find their prepackaged sermons? What works this week may not be what works next week. After all, we must stay in tune with our culture.
However, no matter what our culture tells us, the Word of God (the Bible) is still the correct tool to use to discern both good and evil. It is a mirror that reflects our thoughts and intentions. It is a sword that divides truth from error. It is the very breath and life of God that we should judge all our actions by.
If there ever was a time that we must be careful what we listen to, it is today. Seducing spirits and doctrines of devils have invaded the pulpits without much contention from those who should be students of the Scriptures. The sheep continue to swallow this great tasting poison without so much a flinch.
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What is this call that sounds my name? What is this affliction that awaits my soul? Ay, it is the cross of my Lord. It is the cross that He has chosen for me.
