The Outside Pull

We as Christians must be ever on gaurd against those things that would try to pull us out of our abiding in Christ. Circumstances can pull and tug on us and bring us to a point of introspection that we never thought existed. As saints, we must be careful of too deep an introspection lest we, in our introspection, consider ourselves and our circumstances without Christ. The moment we start to calculate things without the promises or presence of God, we move out of Christ consciousness and into self consciousness. We must keep in mind that the high aim of God is to make us one with His Son- to have every aspect of our conscious life brought into union with Him. This is the goal of sanctification and the true sense of reality for the saint. God will bring about circumstances in our lives to show us where we are not living in spiritual reality. Instead, what we will find is that circumstances will show us how self conscious we really are in places that we though we were spiritual. God does this so that we can bring these things into the reality of abiding with Him so that the consciousness of self will dissipate and the only thing we know is abiding in Christ. If you are in circumstances where you find yourself restless, it may be because you are considering your circumstances outside Christ. Let yourself find rest in the promises and presence of God- then the peace will come- the peace that can only come by abiding in Christ. This is God's goal for you in the crisis- oneness. Oneness with Christ and abiding with Him.

I found my pen

It has been a while sense I have last been on the blogosphere; but I am back. I will be writing all that is on my heart or in my head. I hope you find it interesting, intriguing, and insightful.

The Fear of the LORD

Psalm 25:14 14 The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant.


What does it mean to fear God? The answer to this question is necessary for two reasons: it's understanding is essential for the steady growth of a new convert; and it is hardly mentioned in today's Christian culture that the average Christian knows it like he or she knows a foreign language. Such speech makes no sense. Given the seemingly broad ignorance on the subject, it will do us good to investigate it. What we will see is that because modern preachers have neglected such an essential teaching of scripture, modern Christianity has become void of the idea and the benefits that come in one's relationship with God. Therefore, I wish to bring this teaching back into the spotlight. Right were it needs to be. I wish to challenge all those preachers and teachers in the ministry to dust it off again. Away with your smooth tongue and flattering speech! Put down the feather and pick up the sword! Stop tickling people's ear and start cutting into their conscience! Do you think that you are doing the kingdom of God a favor by not heralding a message that is hard to hear? You are doing more harm than good. Every time a person softens a hard truth or holds back the full council of God; every time a preacher aims for applause; they are robbing their hearers of truth and contributing to their spiritual downfall. Also, not to mention, they are usurping the authority of the one who called them into the ministry and gave them a commission to preach the word!

The apostle Paul tells the Philippian believers to "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do according to His good pleasure." (2:12). Thus, the way in which we are to carry out our Christian lives is with this attitude of fear and trembling. If not, we are making no strides in our sanctification. The lack of this attitude is why many in the modern church are in such a spiritually impotent and unholy state. Our salvation is to be worked out with an attitude which recoils at the thought of offending a holy and gracious God. An attitude that stands in reverential awe of who He is; a disposition of humility and trust the cast itself on the promises of a God who is faithful to the utmost and free from any corruption. Proverbs 8:13 sums up best what the fear of the LORD is, "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverted mouth, I hate."

We must also note that this fear does not include torment. It is not a debilitating fear- Psalm 19:9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever. The word translated "clean" denotes a purity of refined silver that is free from any type of imperfection. It is also used in reference to a "pure heart", one that is free from moral evil and wicked motives. It can also be used in a ritualistic sense of being made clean in order to come into the courts of the LORD. In the context, it means that the fear of the LORD is a pure fear; fear that has no imperfections or evil in it. It is clean, lovely, and beautiful.

Certain things can only be attained by the fear of the LORD. It is the very beginning of knowledge and wisdom. Thus, if you never have it, you cannot even begin to obtain genuine knowledge or wisdom: Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. True intimacy with God cannot be obtained without it: Psalm 25:14The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant. The Hebrew word translated "secret" gives the idea of intimacy with the LORD. God will only reveal the depth of Himself and His covenant to those who fear Him. Sure, a person can have knowledge of facts about God and about his covenant. But that is all it will ever be. It will never be knowledge of experience with God. We live in a day and age where there is so much theological knowledge and information, yet we are as spiritually impotent in our knowledge of God as the Catholic Church was in the years before the Magisterial Reformation. The LORD will also fulfill the desires of those who fear Him: Psalm 145:19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him. The reason He does so is that the person who fears the LORD loves what He loves and hates what He hates. Thus, their petitions and desires are Spirit born and are a request of the will and desire of God. Finally, God favors those who fear Him: Psalm 147:11 11 The LORD favors those who fear Him, Those who wait for His lovingkindness. God takes delight in and shows His divine favor towards those who fear Him.

We have only begun to scratch the surface. In other places the Bible also says that the angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him; He shows His compassion to those who fear Him, and His covenant loyalties are towards those who fear Him. In light of this very brief and incomplete overview, we see that the fear of the LORD is not something we should neglect nor take lightly. Back to the reference in Philippians 2:12. Our salvation is to be worked out not half heartedly; not flippantly; not in a manner of selfishness, pride, or luke warmness, but in awe and reverence of a Holy God. For it is this Holy, Jealous God that is working with in us giving us both the will and the ability to do according to His good pleasure.

What will the life of those who fear the LORD look like? One word-obedience. A conformity to the will of God in passion, motive, action, and speech. There will be an ever-increasing likeness of the Son of God in their life. They are enthralled with the Holiness of God, humbled by the Grace of God, and passionate about the Glory of God. They are people of prayer, boldness, love, compassion, and sincerity. They are truthful in their speech and show integrity in their teaching. They know that one day the quality of their work will be measured-all the way down to the motive in which they carried it out. Knowing the omniscient eye of God, they bow in poorness of spirit to the Eternal King of the Ages and throw themselves upon the power of Christ to carry out His life through them. This is the man who fears the LORD and delight in His way. All others are pretenders.

I'll close with the words of Moses: Deuteronomy 10:12-13 "Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the LORD'S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?

Rejoice in the Lord part 2

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again, rejoice- Phil. 4:4

The soul of the saint has been united with the immortality and resurrected power of the Living Christ, thus giving him the ability to find his joy in the power and majesty of his Savior and Lord. Notice the word ability. Ability is a term of untapped power. For example, one may have the ability to accomplish a thing, but out of lack of motivation and an undisciplined spirit, the ability never manifests itself as an accomplishment. This also applies to the believer in terms of rejoicing, and brings me to my second point of this divine command. Since it is a command to be obeyed, it involves a desire of the will. The Christian has the ability and the resources to rejoice in the Lord, but out of stubbornness, laziness, unbelief, or a lack of discipline, which are all manifestations of an unwilling heart, the saint comes into disobedience in this manner. If the believer would by any means doubt the seriousness of such a command, the Holy Spirit, through the apostle, lays great importance on this command by repeating it.Why is it of great importance that the Christian rejoice always in the Lord? Here are two reasons I would like to suggest.

First, there is nothing more confounding to human nature, opposed to the wisdom of the world, and frustrating to the wiles of the devil than the ability to have joy while everything around you is being brought to nothing. The societal ideal of happiness and joy is based solely on a materialistic, circumstantial basis. This is why true joy eludes those who are perishing, and even some of God's elect. When hopes and dreams are built out of castles of sand, the destructive waves of tragedy leave its inhabitants left with nothing but the bitter taste of the salty wave that just destroyed their life's selfish pursuits. It proved that their reliance on such things was indeed futile. However, when the world witnesses a saint in suffering, she has the chance to encounter the glory of God. The saint must forever and always remember this one thing- that the glory of God is always at stake in his or her life, every second and every hour. One will either glorify God in his suffering of unfair circumstance or he will slander Him. The watching world needs to behold the obedient saint in the midst of his suffering. They need to see him with his head held high and his arms lifted in praise, and hear from the utterance of his lips, "though He slay me, I will yet praise him, for the Lord gives, and the Lord takes away, but blessed be the name of the Lord. For this one thing I know, and of this one thing I am certain, that I have entrusted my life, my soul, and my all, into the hands of the living God, and I shall not be moved. For the same hand that holds the universe in its expanse is the same hand that has gripped my soul with a grasp of grace and love, and I will never be snatched away." Such words, reflected from an attitude of humble reliance, dumbfounds a world that thinks it deserves an easy, trouble free life.

Secondly, it causes the saint to realize the only source of true joy in life. In our times of greatest distress, things that we thought were once so important and things that we thought brought delight to our soul all of the sudden have no ability to sustain our heart with strength, or fill our soul with joy. It is in these times that the saint comes to realize that the only thing that will satisfy his hungry soul, quench the thirst of his dry and cracking heart, and strengthen his legs for the journey is the joy of the Lord.The saint always has occasion for rejoicing, which is why it is to be a constant thing with a child of God. The scripture declares that we are more than conqueror through Christ, and that nothing in all of God's created order can separate us from his passionate love. One who has been promised such power and love has no reason to hang his head or be embittered or overcome by his present afflictions. For I have never seen the victor with his head down and his arms hanging, nor have I never witnessed the one who is loved unconditionally with no reason for hope.

Rejoice in the Lord part 1

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again, rejoice- Phil. 4:4

Rejoice, in the Greek, is an imperative of command. As a command, rejoicing for the Christian becomes an issue of obedience. If the Christian is not rejoicing in the Lord at all times, and under all circumstances, it shows that the object of his faith has ceased to be the Lord Jesus, and he has become preoccupied with the tragedies and uncertainties that surround him. His mind begins to entertain such incredulous thoughts of doubt and discouragement, rendering him impotent in all manner of rejoicing. Only when he is able to fix his eyes upon Jesus, and refocus his wandering mind on the certainty, that God, in his sovereign, predetermined will, has orchestrated this event for the sanctifying of his faith, will he be able to find true joy. Only then will he embrace the suffering of Christ and find comfort in the Father of Compassion. Then, the Christian will find that rejoicing in the Lord is not only his strength, but also his privilege. Notice that the rejoicing is in the Lord. Again, this rejoicing is made possible because of its object. The rejoicing is not in the hope that one will ever be delivered from his present circumstance. For Paul had no certainty that he would ever be brought out from his Roman cell, nor did he find time to worry over it. The apostle himself penned with his own hand just how he felt about his present circumstance, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me, and I do not know which one to choose." (Phil. 1:21-22). The attitude of the apostle is a reflection of one who finds his rejoicing in the Lord no matter his present state. For in his situation, he had the heavenly mindset that his time in prison could be used for fruitful service. He was content that deliverance from his situation may not come, save death or the return of Christ. Was his rejoicing in the chains around his feet, or the dampness and coldness of his prison cell? No, his rejoicing is in the Lord himself- for to live is Christ. With the Lord as one's focus, rejoicing is made possible in the midst of dire circumstances. The Lord of glory is able to fill the saint with a joy inexpressible and full of glory, because of the living hope that Christ has risen from the dead. This is a hope and a joy in the soul’s darkest hour and the saint’s greatest travail. The reason being is that the Christian has a Savior that has passed through the waters of despair, and has come out dry. He has walked through the flames of affliction and temptation, and has been found perfect. He has experienced the sting of betrayal, and the crushing blow of being abandoned by all whom he called his friends. He faced the cross with courage, knowing the joy that would soon be his afterward. He conquered the greatest enemy, death, showing that there was nothing in all creation that He could not subdue. Therefore, because of who Christ is and what he has done, the saint can know with absolute certainty that he will not be overcome, nor will he be swept away by whatever vexes his mortal soul.

Our Noble Ambition

Philippians 3:8-11

8More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.



In the carnal realm, ambition is to be appalled. Yet in the realm of the spiritual it is the driving force of identification with Christ and knowledge of God. Ambition for the glory of God is a virtue, not a vice, and may God permit that we as saints embody it in an ever increasing fashion.


The apostle Paul pursued the knowledge of God and union with Christ with a holy conflagration. He saw the knowledge of Christ as being the most valuable thing that a human being could ever have, and he was willing to disregard everything that would hinder obtaining such a precious possession. He wanted to be "found in Him" and "know Him in the power of His resurrection and fellowship of His suffering". Paul wanted nothing less than total identification with the life of the Son of God. The Greek word translated "found" gives the idea to "learn the whereabouts or location of something". In other words, if someone where on the hunt to find Paul, he hoped that they would discover that his whereabouts, the totality of his life, is in Christ Jesus. This is the same idea that Paul speaks of in Col. 3:3, "we are hidden in Christ in God." Paul wanted this hiddeness to be a reality in his life. He wanted to be invisible; totally absorbed and overflowing with Christ. He wanted nothing of himself to be visible: "not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ." All this man wanted was Jesus. Paul wanted to participate in the fullness of Christ resurrection and suffering. Again, he wanted absolute identification with Christ. Nothing less would do.

God wants us to pursue him with this kind of holy ardor. To pursue anything else is idolatry. In our culture of selfism and human exaltation we indeed know about passion; we know about ambition. However, the type of passion and ambition is one that is self-centered and worthy of judgment in hell. This type of consumer mentality has knocked on the door of the church, and people are letting it in without ever questioning its origin. "Christians" pursue God for all the wrong reasons. Ministers pursue worship numbers, fame, building programs, baptism numbers, and church growth methodology. The idea that "Christ is first" in all of this is used as a misnomer. It is a statement that they use to justify their selfish ambition, all the while the church becomes more and more "professionalized" and less and less "spiritualized". Oh we say that we believe in prayer! Oh we say that we pursue Him! Yet if you examine our vocabulary, the way that we do church, and the things that we emphasize, you will be left asking "do we really believe these things we confess?"

In the pews it is no different. People pursue God as a means. He becomes their source, but not their ambition. They hold on to their selfish ambition and pursuit of the world, and try to use the spiritual resources of God to help them reach their end. We say that we believe that God is the center, but again this is a misnomer. We say that God is the center of the universe, and then imply that this One who is the center of the universe, exists for me! We present Christ not as one to be pursued because He is worthy; not as one to be pursued because this is what He requires; not one to be pursued because it is all about Him and His glory and fame. No, God is to be pursed as the center of the universe because I won't be happy with out Him; my marriage won't work without Him; my life won't be fulfilled without Him; I'll never reach my potential without Him; I'll never have a great ministry without Him; I'll never reach my goals and aspirations without Him. God exists to fulfill me, comfort me, and help me. No He does not! God exists to be worshiped! To be pursued! To be sought after and obeyed! Salvation is not about me, but about God! He chose us, we did not choose Him. He chose us not to enhance our lives or fulfill us, but to form the image of His Son in us (Rm. 8:28-30). All of these other things are a by product of my pursuit of God. The end goal; the prime product, is God Himself. Paul understood this, and saw identification and knowledge of Christ as things that were of surpassing value.

The apostle John said in his first letter that the world and all its lust are passing away, but the one who does the will of the Father abides forever. So, pursue God, not the world. Serve Him and stop trying to use Him to help you get all that you can out of life, because in the end, you will have nothing.

I am tired of this "new religion". I am tired of seeing God defamed. I am grieved at all the deadness and compromise and apathy. We need holy fire. We need God to open people's eyes and stir their hearts. We need awakening.

So, what is your life going to be about? Are you going to keep it for yourself, or are you going to lay it on the alter of God and let Him consume it with holy fire. If you lay it on the alter, you can be sure of one thing: That because so few are alive and burning, the light of your fire will shine brightly with the glory of the Lord. If you hold on, you'll be like all the rest. So, you can try to use God or serve God. Calculate Him into your pursuits or make Him your pursuit. It is time for a decision. Stop playing games and wasting your time; either serve God or serve the world. Either worship God or use Him. Stop wallowing in compromise. If you are His, separate yourself and get on with God. Stop loving the world and fondling it! Stop cheating on God!!!!!!! Stop committing adultery against your one husband, Christ. You were previously an adulterous whore whom He ransomed from your depravity. Why go back to it? Why? Leave the world and its lust and its sparkle alone. Pursue Christ as your most noble ambition. Whatever you do, at least do it with all of your might! You can rest assured of this, that there will be a day of judgment that will bring everything to light. Where will you be found? In Christ? I pray so.

Walking with God

Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him. Gen. 5:24

By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. Heb. 11:5


In Genesis 5:24, the Hebrew word for walk indicates the idea of "walking to and fro". The implication is that wherever God was, Enoch was there also. If God went left, Enoch went left. If God stood still, so did Enoch. He was caught up in the great way of God. The word is also used with the connotation that the one who would walk before Yahweh be blameless and pleasing to Him (cf Gen. 17:1) The author of Hebrews quotes the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) which picks up on this idea of the Hebrew word and translates it with a Greek word that can mean "to please someone". The way that the Greek is used in both the Septuagint and the New Testament gives the idea that the sum total of Enoch's life was one that was pleasing to God.

How does one walk with God in such a way that the Most High finds pleasure and delight in him? The author of Hebrews tells us in verse 6 that it is by faith, and that without this faith it is impossible to please God.

The great aim of the sanctification of the Spirit is to get us walking with God. He desires to pull us out of ourselves and get us caught up in the Great Way of God. Enoch was caught up in the Great Way of God. He was in stride with Him and only did what He saw God doing. He only went where God told him to go. Thus, he was pleasing to God.

When we turn to the New Testament, we see that this type of life finds its zenith in the Son of Man. Jesus himself said in John 5:19 "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise." There it is! Do you see it? It is the bravura of His relationship with God. Jesus shows us this dazzling display of what it means to truly walk with God.

The next question we have to ask is "what does faith have to do with all of this?" Indeed this is an important question, for without it, we are unable to live in a manner that is pleasing to God. It is a given that saving faith is a gift that can only be granted to a person by God (Eph. 2:8-9). In the context of Hebrews, it is not saving faith that the author has in mind, though it can certainly not be excluded. Based on verse 6, the faith has to do with "diligently seeking". In other words, a life that is pleasing to God is one that takes Him for who He is, and expends itself to following hard after Him and getting caught up in His Great Way.

In order to walk with God, you must come to your own funeral. Paul went to his when he said in Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." As long as the idol of self is allowed to co-exists next to the ark of God, there will be divided loyalty. You cannot be focused on God and walking in stride with Him as long as you are self conscious. You will always factor yourself into the equation. There is no place in the spiritual highlands for a saint, who like the Levite that served Micah and his household gods for 10 shekels and a shirt (Jdgs 17), that will compromise. The inclusion of self will always lead to compromise.

To be in God's Great Way is impossible without faith. Once we come to our own funeral, we have to trust in the life of the Son of God to carry out this stringent lifestyle through us. He was the one who had perfect vision and insight to what God was doing, and the power, by faith, to carry out what He heard. Since Christ now lives in us, He wants to live that same type of life through us- the life in stride with God. It is the life that only does what it sees the Father doing. This requires vision of God, and vision is only obtained by standing in the presence of God.

So many today have no concept of what it means to stand in the presence of God. The majority of Christians today both behind the pulpit and behind the pews have become like blind Eli, not perceiving the workings of God. There is dullness of heart and mind, because self is still in the equation. Prayers are empty of power and wonder, because there are few who know what it means to stand in God's presence. Few know what it means to walk to and fro with God. What is the life that is pleasing to God? It is the life of faith that turns all of its being to the face of God, and allows the Son to bring him or her into the blessed fellowship and wonder of the Triune God.

So, are you walking with God? Do you stand in His presence? Heed His counsel? Know His voice? Recognize His groaning? Feel is heartbeat? Understand what He is speaking to the churches? Or are you self deceived, kindling your own fire and walking in your own artificial light. Are you serving Micah for 10 shekels and shirt, living in compromise, or are you serving the living God, walking in stride with Him?