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Articles

Guarding Against Deception

Pete

Deceptions in the Last Days

The love of many is waxing cold in the world as everything seems to be turned upside down.  The love of God and even the mention of His name and His commandments are hard to find.  And where Christ is preached, most are offended in these darkening times, as foretold.  Those precious few in the faith need to remain vigilant and endure the many deceptions and evils we confront daily.

Mat 24:11  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 

Mat 24:12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 

Mat 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

The Lord is separating the sheep from the goats in this day of the Lord.  Today is that day if we belong to the Lord and have the living Word, the sayings and commands of Jesus Christ working its work in us.  We best heed all apostasy warnings lest we, too, fall away.

1Co 10:12  Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 

An expanding deception is the perversion of the meaning and intents of the word Love.  The relentless promotion of unnatural relationships between men and women impacts all nations.  The so-called gay lobby has successfully promoted the lie that not accepting their abominable behaviors is akin to hate, and by agreeing with their views, one would be deemed to be siding with “love.” Those so deceived have it entirely backward and flip-flopped as prophesied.

Isa 5:20  Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 

My purpose in this article is not to get entangled with those in the world nor contest what the Lord is doing, as He is ultimately responsible for everything we witness.

Isa 45:7  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. 

Rather, the Lord quickened me to write a follow-up to my last post, “Heeding the Lord’s Commandments in Faith.” The goal is to expose a related perversion of love, a growing apostasy that has ensnared brethren who previously stood firm in the faith.  Godly love shares some attributes with the love that those in the world know, but it is distinctly different in one key component.  What sets it apart is that love must be tied to doing the Lord’s commandments and sayings.  Any action contrary to what the Lord has commanded of us is not love in the eyes of Christ.  May these words the Lord gave me, sharpen our senses to be on guard.

Joh 15:10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. 

The further we walk with the Lord, the more the warnings and admonishments about falling away and deception take on a more significant meaning.  When you experience it firsthand, then it becomes a louder wake-up call to stay vigilant.

1Pe 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 

1Pe 5:9  Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 

Many are fallen into apostasy, going beyond what is written in their doctrine and selectively adding to or taking away from the Scriptures. If not corrected, such departure removes one from the Book of Life and entrance into the Holy City in this age.  Be forewarned.

Rev 22:18  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 

Rev 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. 

The commandments are the power of the Gospel; apart from them, we have no part with the Lord, instead building our spiritual house on sand.  Do not be deceived.

Mat 7:26  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 

Mat 7:27  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. 

We need to be circumspect in testing the spirits and trying the doctrines others bring to us.  As the Scriptures show us, carnal minds (Satan) are good at speaking half-truths and making spiritual writings or talks that, on the surface, appear godly to the undisciplined.  The Word of God is pure, and no lie is found in what is spoken to be the Truth.

1Jn 2:21  I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 

The spirit of Satan is the spirit of man’s carnal mind which is opposed to the commandments of the Lord.  The father of all lies is a proud and lying spirit that sways many with their smooth words and a forked tongue.  A recurring experience is seeing brethren forget and now dismiss the Lord’s commandments and replace them with a mantra of “let us just love everyone” and accept everything.   Such a doctrine is not the way of Christ and most certainly is not what the Scriptures, the sum of them, teach us as doctrine.  Following these seductive lies keeps one from having eternal life and entering into the Holy City that is Jerusalem above.

Rev 22:14  Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 

Rebellious children are brethren (Israel) who have been ensnared by the lie and have no desire or ear to hear about the Lord’s commandments [The Law of the Lord].  A smooth sounding “feel good” gospel is their spiritual bread full of leaven, which leads away from the true Gospel.  All flesh wants to hear the wide and tolerant easy road versus the narrow path defined in the Scriptures.

Isa 30:8  Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:

Isa 30:9  That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:

Isa 30:10  Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits

In our day of the Lord (the latter times), we experience more brethren departing the faith and giving way to lies, such as the perverted concept of love in the world.

1Ti 4:1  Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 

We continue to pay a high price to walk with the Lord in terms of what we lose in this carnally-minded world.  It is such a blessing to be called and chosen to receive the blessing of the Lord.   We continue only as the Lord disciplines us to guard our gates and protect our crowns from the prevalent liars, thieves, and antichrists.    The last days are upon us now, and many antichrists IS COME disguised as angels of light.  We need to be on guard, try the spirits, and test the doctrines espoused by those who claim to be the Lord’s people.

1Jn 4:1  Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 

1Jn 4:2  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 

1Jn 4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 

The Apostle John gives us many warnings and encourages the true church [The Elect Lady] explicitly to stay focused on loving the Lord [which is obeying the Lord’s commandments] and beware the many deceivers out there who would bring in false doctrines to lead us astray.  In this powerful Scripture from 2 John,  the Apostle defines godly love for us and starkly reminds us of a specific commandment we need to be exercising in faith to keep the prize of salvation.

2Jn 1:4  I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father. 

2Jn 1:5  And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. 

2Jn 1:6  And this is love, that we walk after his commandments.  This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. 

2Jn 1:7  For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.  This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 

2Jn 1:8  Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. 

2Jn 1:9  Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God.  He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 

2Jn 1:10  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 

2Jn 1:11  For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. 

Flesh is naturally opposed to obeying the Lord [Gal 5:17] and resists the law of the Lord at every turn.  Jesus Christ, The WORD, is inseparable from His commandments.  Denying Jesus Christ is come in one’s flesh is denying that His commandments are alive and working righteousness by His divine power within us.   Those not staying the course will stray from the commandments, while those being saved in their day of the Lord will be pressing into those same commandments.

The Lord is surely creating these experiences as part of the all things He is working in the lives of every man.  Christ brings division in one realm as He winnows down His little flock in this age who are promised the kingdom of God.  In this age, there will be few given to endure to the end on the narrow way of salvation.  This feat is impossible with man, but with God, it is possible.  We should always pray for wisdom and discernment and keep our hearts on the commandments of the Lord.  Those commands include requirements to take action and do things contrary to what the carnally-minded world thinks about the meaning of love.  But we are not here to please the world or men, but only the Lord and the Scriptures say this.

Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments. 

Jas 4:4  whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. 

The mark of a true disciple [“disciples indeed”] is the one keeping His commandments.  Staying our minds on those commands is how we are making our calling and election sure in the day of temptations.  If we want the Lord to come the Lord will put a spirit of obedience within us that will make the commandments, the true love of God, the focus of our walk.  Nothing else matters without this true love and this is how we know who belongs to the Lord and who does not.

Joh 14:21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 

Joh 14:24  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me. 

It is so important that the Scriptures give us many warnings not to be deceived about who enters and who does not enter the kingdom of God.  We best remember the warnings to obey the Lord’s commandments, including not partaking in the apostasy of others.

Further Witness of the command to separate:

The fable of false love, which calls for accepting everyone and just going along to get along, is an insidious lie that steals one’s reward [the mind of Christ] in this age.  Twice rejected, we as Christ need to move on to be obedient to the Lord.

1Co 5:11  But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. 

It is not “love” or “godly” to hang around and argue and contend over the most fundamental truths.  Instead, godly love is our obedience to the commandments to not engage with those the Lord has deceived.  We are to separate.

Tit 3:9  But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. 

Tit 3:10  A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;

When we are given to love God more than flesh feelings and emotions, we have the steadfastness to stand firm even amid great opposition.  We won’t give an inch and waver not in exercising our love [obedience] for God.  Separating even from brethren bringing false doctrines and polluted gospels is not just wise to do; it is a commandment of the Lord.

Rom 16:17  Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

Entering the kingdom of God is impossible by the will or strength of man.  It is all God’s work in the brethren; remember, it comes by us being caused to pay a high price.  This includes losing relationships and engaging contact we once valued with brethren we have walked with for years.

Luk 18:29  And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, 

Luk 18:30  Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting. 

When this happens in our walk, Lord willing, we are obeying the commandments and not being trapped by the insidious lies of another gospel.  We yearn for reconciliation and repentance to our fallen brethren and know whether now or in the age to come; we will be reunited and be ONE in the faith.

The True Christ, the Commands is Not Attractive

The Babylonian or orthodox definition of love is attractive to flesh and draws people towards it.  Yet the true Christ and His Word are contrariwise NOT ATTRACTIVE to the flesh, and one is only drawn to Christ by the power of God.

Joh 6:44  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 

The commandments of the Lord [The Word,  Christ] are not esteemed by the carnally minded.  There is nothing about Jesus Christ, the WORD that flesh desires, and His Words were never intended to profit our flesh.

Isa 53:2  For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 

Isa 53:3  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 

When we heed His Word and begin to do them (obey the commands), we enter into newness of life and start reaping the promises of salvation.

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. 

As we mature, we more readily move beyond our sadness when brothers and sisters are swept away in apostasy.  We are also commanded to try to snatch them back from strange fire.  Yet if our words regarding the commandments are not received, we are commanded to move on as we saw above.  If we deny the Lord, He also denies us until repentance is granted. As our Lord is, so are we as His Christ in the world.  We are commanded to do the same as our Master does when the commandments are rejected.

2Ti 2:12  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 

We learn that it is impossible to wake brethren to errors unless the Lord has mercy and opens their eyes to see it.  All we can do is preach the Gospel boldly; the rest is up to the Lord.

2Ti 4:2  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 

2Ti 4:3  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 

2Ti 4:4  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 

Let those who have been given ears to hear, hear these Truths and remain vigilant in the walk of faith.

Grace and peace to the Saints.

Pete & Ronel

peterjwilson56@gmail.com

Articles

Heeding the Lord’s Commandments in Faith

Pete

Heeding the Lord’s Commandments in Faith

In giving us many of His reformed commandments under the Law of Faith, the Lord asks us why do we call Him Lord if we do not do what He says [e.g., obey Him].

Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? 

This is a good question the Lord asks of us, and we should ask ourselves often if we find ourselves not conforming our behavior to His spoken commandments.  While we by no means save ourselves [from sin], the narrow way of truth tells us we very much will need to be focused on doing the WORD, which means being obedient to the commandments the Lord has spoken.

 This exhortation is written with great humility and godly fear, as we are fully aware of our own shortcomings and failures.  We are thankful the Lord is merciful to awaken us to our deceit and sloth that has crept into our walk of faith.  As His called, chosen, and faithful ones, we are to be saviors to those in the world, but we cannot be saviors if we do not hold onto the Lord’s law and His precious Gospel.    The Lord is waking us up and putting His light in us, and the glory of the Lord is rising up within those He is saving.

Isa 60:1  Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. 

Isa 60:2  For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 

Isa 60:3  And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. 

We all fall asleep and grow weary.  But now is the time to arise.

Eph 5:14  Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. 

Eph 5:15  See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 

Eph 5:16  Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 

The resurrection of Christ in us is His very commands and words that are Spirit [Joh 6:63] rising up in power within His kingdom within us.  This is the power unto salvation to all who truly believe.  The rising up of Christ’s commandments with power is the heart of the Gospel and we are not ashamed to proclaim it to anyone.

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 

Rom 1:17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 

The further we progress with the Lord, the few disciples walking with us become even fewer.  Their falling away coincides with the increasing demands the Lord makes on us as we grow in knowledge and maturity.  Eating His flesh and drinking His blood by giving up our life in obedience to Him is not for many.

Joh 6:66  From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 

When the Lord comes, He brings division and, over time, calls out a tiny escaped remnant onwards to maturity.  All Jews first believe in the Lord, but amazingly so, the Lord can quickly take away the truth, and most wander away.  We have seen this manifest before, with many mighty in the faith falling away.  The Lord has empowered us to write boldly so we may snatch those sleeping from the fire that is taking them away from the Lord.  Lord willing, some are given to continue in His word who keep and hold dear His commandments, thus becoming “disciples indeed.”

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 

Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 

Many have become confused over strivings over the law of Moses and how it applies under the law of faith.  If we are in Christ, that law is gone and has no application in our walk, having served its purpose of bringing us to Christ.

Rom 10:4  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

The end of the carnal law for a carnal nation is not the end of the Lord’s reformed commandments that raise the bar for righteousness.  A walk of faith is the very beginning of the application of the new commandments of the Lord. We fear some have drifted from the truth in this age of separation and no longer believe in specific commands we must obey.  The words of Christ and the truth that is found in the “sum of the word” betray such a belief.

Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Our freedom from the law of carnal ordinances that defined the Law of Moses is not a license to sin.  True worshippers in truth, need to be loving God and others, which is defined as obeying the Lord’s commandments.

Gal 5:13  For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love [1Jo 5:3 – obeying the Lord’s commandments] serve one another. 

Failing to embrace the Lord’s commandments, many have departed from the Lord and reject those bringing the truth in hopes of awakening them from their slumber.  This is not a new experience as it is all warned about and foretold in the prophets.

Jer 44:10  They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers. 

Jer 44:11  Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, and to cut off all Judah. 

 

Isa 5:24  Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel

The eternal law of the Lord never passes away.  This law referred to the law of Moses in the shadow of the OT, but it speaks of the law of Faith and the Lord’s commandments for the true spiritual Jews to come.   The entirety of the Old Testament ministration was not for the benefit of the Jews that lived back then; instead, it was all done for our benefit [1Pe 1:9-10], who would be born of the Spirit many years later.

1Co 10:11  Now all these things [the entire OT events] happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the age are come. 

Only the carnal law and ordinances (said to be “not good” and was only a means to bring us to Christ) were done away with on the cross.  If one is dying daily with Christ on the cross, they are following the law of the Lord of hosts.  Otherwise, we become castaways, says the Lord, who will cut us off.  Paul warned about being lazy and that we need to run the race to obtain the prize that is salvation.

1Co 9:27  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. 

Seeing how quickly the Lord can take away the truth from His priests that were once cherished in our hearts is a fearful thing.  We have seen the Lord cut off many once mighty in the Lord, so we best be on guard to ensure the Lord’s commandments do not leave our consciousness.

Eze 7:26  Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour shall be upon rumour; then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients. 

Our professed faith is dead without the accompanying good works, and those works the Lord has purposed is that we obey His commandments.  New Testament witnesses also show that we must diligently walk the walk of faith [evidenced by our obedient works/deeds] all the way to the end, or else we will not make it.  Our love waxing cold is our obedience waxing cold; thus, we fall away slowly but surely.  Be on guard.

Mat 24:12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love [obedience] of many shall wax cold. 

Mat 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 

All the Apostle letters and the Gospels consistently warn us that we must stay the course and be careful how we walk.  It is fearful seeing how such an essential truth and understanding as “we must obey the Lord’s commandments” can be taken out of one’s mind.

Heb 3:12  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 

Heb 3:13  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 

Heb 3:14  For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 

Do not forget the lessons we have been given to learn.

Jud 1:5  I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. 

We are called to do everything in the ability the Lord has given us to be conformed to His righteousness.   If we lose the zeal to engage in the fight, we have fallen from grace, and our faith is now dead and devoid of works.  Our obedience is a key part of the light others see in us when we exemplify Christ in our behavior.   We are to be a light unto the world, and here is how that is done.  Christ says to love all men as He has loved us, which means giving to all who ask.  Here more specifics are provided in a commandment that lives to this day.

Mat 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 

Mat 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 

Mat 5:46  For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?  do not even the publicans the same? 

Mat 5:47  And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others?  do not even the publicans so? 

James gives an example of the commandment to do good to others, witnessing that our obedience to that command is the work the Lord seeks to prove our faith.   Faith in action manifests these works, which is the fruit of obedience.

Jas 2:14  What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works?  can faith save him? 

Jas 2:15  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 

Jas 2:16  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 

Jas 2:17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

Jas 2:18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 

Some want to argue that we do not save ourselves through our own works.  That is absolutely true, but we must embrace the sum of the Scriptures to find the whole truth that in harmony.  Yes, It is true that whether we rise or fall in obedience or disobedience, ultimately, that is still His work as salvation is of the Lord!  Yet we are admonished to strive/work for the higher calling.  The harmony of this is exemplified well in these verses.

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 

Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 

We work out our own salvation [Phi 2:12] under the greater truth that the Lord is working all things, even our salvation [Phi 2:13].  Admonishing one another to be holy and resist that which causes us to disobey the Lord is the truth that is not contrary to the sum of the word.  Christ, Paul, John, Peter, and James all said that if our faith is true, we strive to be holy and obedient.  A sampling of Scriptures that are part of the sum of the word:

Mat 5:48  Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. 

Luk 6:40  The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master. 

Rom 1:5  By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name: 

Yes, “Christ living in us” gives us the overcoming in due season.  Yet the same Apostle tells us we have to work to manifest our obedience to Christ actively.  We have to walk and war in the Spirit; it is called the fight of faith to obey the Lord.

2Co 10:3  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 

2Co 10:4  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 

2Co 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 

 

Heb 5:9  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; 

 

1Pe 1:13  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 

1Pe 1:14  As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 

1Pe 1:15  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 

1Pe 1:16  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 

 

How can we obey without knowing or thinking about our Master’s commandments?  We pray all are awakened to the same error and sloth we were shown in ourselves.  Only by His mercy were we awakened and in obedience to Him, we now boldly speak this word.

Whether we accept the Lord’s truth and obey is all up to Him in the end.  But it is an egregious error to say we are free from commandments, and it is a subtle way of turning grace into a justification for a slothful walk (lasciviousness).  The error comes by twisting the Scriptures, confusing the law of Moses with the eternal words and commandments of the Lord.  Peter warned of this for our remembrance, as it takes just a few subtle lies to pervert the Gospel if we are not on guard.  We must always remain steadfast and zeroed in on obeying the Lord, defined as loving God and our brothers.

2Pe 3:16  As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 

2Pe 3:17  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. 

We should remember Christ suffered all the same temptations we face yet was without sin and, by doing so, provided us the prime example to follow.

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

Dwelling in obedience is dwelling in love, which is the same as dwelling in God and is how we are perfected in this age.

1Jn 4:16  And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us.  God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 

Paul aptly addressed the misunderstandings of those coming out from the law of Moses into the law of Faith.  The lesson applies to all who come out of the carnal law and walk under the law of Faith.  We are not earning our salvation but proving our faith as we strive to obey the Lord and are given the overcoming in due time.

Rom 6:15  What then?  shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace?  God forbid. 

Rom 6:16  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 

Rom 6:17  But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine [Christ’s commands] which was delivered you

These warnings from John take on a new understanding once we are mercifully awakened from our sleep in Christ.   We must remain vigilant and guard against deception and a slow drift into a spiritual sleep that has us departing from the Lord’s commands.

1Jn 3:7  Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 

1Jn 3:9  Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 

1Jn 3:10  In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 

Whether or not we complete our journey to overcome in this age is truly up to the Lord.  Yet we are always admonished to do everything we can to stand and resist the devil and the lusts of our flesh.   If we fail, we are to get right back up, keep walking, and pray to the Lord to overcome and that His kingdom comes to us.

Pro 24:16  For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

Christ’s Words and commandments are the light that cleanses us in our journey and brings others to the light of Christ in us.  To be a light unto the world, we need to walk in the light of Christ’s Words, including His commandments.  We hide that light from others when we are not following His commands yet continue to call Him Lord.  We are to show our good works (our obedience, our Godly Love) to others, which brings glory to our Father.  That is the light others will see.

Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 

If we do not know His commandments, we cannot keep them.  And if we do not keep them, we are told we do not know the Lord and His truth is not in us despite what we proclaim.  These are some humbling verses when we examine our walk and see ourselves falling way short of the Lord’s commandments.

1Jn 2:3  And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 

1Jn 2:4  He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 

I could provide numerous warnings about falling away and being overcome if we do not walk with vigilance and guard against the deceitfulness of disobedience.   We are told that not all given faith overcomes (makes it} in this age, and we best do all we can to ensure our calling and election.  Here is just one warning from Peter’s epistle for brevity.

2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 

2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 

One may ask, What is the Holy Commandment?  It is the one commandment the Lord gives that encapsulates all the others.  We must not turn from this but instead press into the details of the Holy commandment to become like Christ.  We all have been asleep.

Joh 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 

Joh 13:35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. 

 

Joh 15:12  This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 

Joh 15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 

Joh 15:14  Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 

What is love, one may ask?  Scripture answers this key question.

1Jn 5:3  For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 

2Jn 1:6  And this is love, that we walk after his commandments.  This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. 

 

Rom 13:8  Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. [of Moses and the law of Faith]

Rom 13:10  Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. 

Paul gives a broader definition of Love [Charity] to the Corinthians that helps us examine our walk to see if we are doing these things increasingly in our walk.  The first and last verses of 1 Cor 13 are key, and remember that love is more important than faith and hope.  Love is greater because it is the fruit, or said another way, the result or the PROOF of living by faith.  Without love (obedience to Christ) in our walk, our ministry is nothing but a clanging cymbal.  Nothing is more important than Love.

1Co 13:1  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 

1Co 13:2  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 

1Co 13:3  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 

1Co 13:4  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 

1Co 13:5  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 

1Co 13:6  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 

1Co 13:7  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 

1Co 13:8  Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 

1Co 13:9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 

1Co 13:10  But when that which is perfect is come [Christ in our Day of the Lord], then that which is in part shall be done away. 

1Co 13:11  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 

1Co 13:12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 

1Co 13:13  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. 

Obedience to the commandments is directly tied to loving our brothers and sisters inside and outside the faith.  Laying down our lives for others is a commandment from the Lord in following His example.  We cannot exhibit these behaviors Paul uses to describe LOVE (i.e., be patient, kind, and bearing all things, etc.] without holding them close to our hearts as commandments by which we shall live.

In closing, it is by faith that we are being justified in the eyes of the Lord; it is not by our own works that are just filthy rags.  Our obedience is the good works that are pleasing to our Lord and bring glory to His name.  We should strive to please Him and bring glory to the God we say we love.

2Th 2:14  Whereunto he called you by our Gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

2Th 2:15  Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. 

When we fast from our fleshly lust and pray for the Lord to come, which themselves are commandments, He is faithful to reward us with overcoming our sins.  The result is we grow in Christ, and the glory of the Lord, our obedience, and the true light arise within us.

Isa 58:8  Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. 

The faithful in Christ will not be sleeping; they actively work on their salvation and strive to be like our Holy and perfect heavenly Father.  It is not enough to be a hearer only and claim our freedom by our faith, we must indeed become a doer and obeyers of the Word of the Lord.

Jas 1:22  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 

Jas 1:25  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 

Lord willing, we prove ourselves as followers of Christ and hold precious His commandments, that is His law.  It is on those commandments that we put our thoughts day and night.

Psa 1:1  Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 
Psa 1:2  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 

When we do this, the fruits of the Spirit will spring forth, and we shall prosper in the Lord.  But the ungodly, who cast away the law of the Lord (in error), will be driven away by the winds of deceit.

Psa 1:3  And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 
Psa 1:4  The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

Beware that one is not driven away from the living God by forsaking His eternal commandments.

May the Lord give an understanding of these words of truth which have been boldly proclaimed in this letter.  We pray for all and that the Lord’s will be done and that His blessing falls upon us as we admit our faults to Him.

Blessed be the Lord of our salvation.

Pete & Ronel

peterjwilson56@gmail.com

Articles

Called, Chosen and Made Faithful

Pete

The Progression of the Faithful

There is a time destined for every man that is known as their day of the Lord. This “day” is our unique designated time of reformation and remaking into a new vessel.  It is the formation and revelation of Jesus Christ within us when we see ourselves fulfilling the Scriptures.  What a blessing indeed!

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.  

The plan of God is for us [every man in their appointed time] to fulfill the prophecies written in the book. It is the ultimate blessing when we are given to live those sayings, as keeping them is completing the plan of God.  This is the same as the revelation of Jesus Christ within us.

Rev 22:7  Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. 

When we begin to understand the Lord coming quickly upon us; the time is indeed “at hand” and life will never be the same.  Today as in every generation since Christ walked the physical earth, the Lord is separating those being matured in Christ from their brethren. Those so chosen and so blessed are bearing the reproach of Christ outside the camp of Israel.

Heb 13:13  Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. 

Heb 13:14  For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. 

Our prior time being nurtured and taught by prophets, pastors, and teachers in the church, is a necessary experience to prepare us for what comes afterward. To come out of Babylon, we first need to go into Babylon and thus we all wait there until called out by our Lord.

What comes afterward is our day of the Lord, the third and final day of the Lord’s three-day plan to remake us. When the Lord separates us and we enter into the last phase of His plan, this distinction begins to be revealed in greater clarity.  It is a tiny audience that can receive what is written here, and only those prepared by the Lord. As babes, we are not ready for the truth of the sufferings and isolation yet to come, and that is why we are not given to know these details until we have been prepared to bear the experience.

Joh 16:12  I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 

 The work of God in our lives to remake and reshape us into Christ is a work that we are told we cannot believe even if it is declared unto us. Only the Lord can open our eyes to see it and only when we are ready.

Act 13:40  Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; 

Act 13:41  Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you. 

What is spoken throughout the prophets is indeed ours to fulfill on our appointed day. In our day of the Lord, we are being given to understand the progression of moving from babes in Christ to mature sons of God.

The Called, Chosen, and Faithful

God’s three-day plan for all mankind is amazingly simple once we are given eyes to see His divine providence in all things. We are the temple in which God dwells. The Lord is continually working to rebuild His temple in three days which represents our experience being transformed into the image of God. The Lord’s disciples will remember this truth when Christ in them is raised from the dead.

Joh 2:19  Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 
Joh 2:20  Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? 
Joh 2:21  But he spake of the temple of his body. 
Joh 2:22  When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they [you, me, those being made faithful in the day] believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. 

We, too will be given great faith and believe the Scriptures in that day.  Seeing ourselves living these three days is the only sign that the Lord is giving those being saved in every generation.

Mat 12:40  For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 

Every man, like Christ, begins their journey by being called out of Egypt.   This prophecy applied to Christ and applies to those He chooses in their appointed times. We all start in Egypt, meaning the carnal-minded world, the seat of power, and the lust of the flesh.

Hos 11:1  When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. 

Our spiritual journey and progression of faith are these three days.  This includes our time being nurtured in fellowship with others who share our faith and passion for the Lord;  and also later when we separated from the camp of Israel.  Seeing ourselves experiencing these three days is the confirmation the Lord is giving us that we belong to Him.

All the Lord’s people come through the church age to find the truth and subsequently be led by the Lord into even greater understanding. Our time gathered in the camp of Israel represents the second of our three-day transformation.  From the many called, fewer are chosen out, and even far fewer are subsequently called to be faithful in this age.

It is a big revelation when we realize all our time in organized churches and fellowships was our time in Spiritual Babylon. We are taught many things there yet are still under the law for the carnally minded doing the same things as those still in the world. Yet the day Christ comes the second time to us is the day we are set free and can be matured in the faith of the saints.

Gal 3:23  But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 

Gal 3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 

Gal 3:25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 

From the first generation to the last, all Christians track the same journey of being called, chosen, and made faithful in their day of the Lord. We live by every word God spoke and fulfill the Scriptures in our appointed times. The early church experiences become our experiences if we are part of the faithful remnant [the escaped remnant] the Lord is saving in this generation.  The Lord has not stopped coming to those He chooses to fulfill the Scriptures in them. When we read things like this passage, it is not history but rather active and living experiences we are fulfilling.

Mat 5:17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. 

Mat 5:18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 

The sacrifice of Christ in us, the newborn in the Spirit, is always taking place on the third day. It is how and when we are perfected like Christ.

Hos 6:2  After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. 

Luk 13:32  And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. 

Luk 24:46  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day

Each stage of this progression, including our being under the guidance of the church “offices,” plays a big part in preparing us for what lies ahead. Nothing of the Lord is ever wasted. The three staged progression of called, chosen, and faithful is what makes us mature, which every man is experiencing in due time.   It is a three spiritual day process that we must live out to become the faithful remnant the Lord saves in every generation.

Rev 17:14  These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called and chosen, and faithful. 

Whether we are moved onward from the second day is up to the Lord, who has appointed all things  To move us onward, a time comes when we are rejected by our people and become the isolated and scattered pilgrims being led and taught by the Spirit. We must be forsaken by our spiritual father and mother, the elders who raised us and taught us basic truths where we remain under the law.

Psa 27:10  When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD take me up. 

Our time in active churches and fellowships is when we are fed milk and grow, being prepared for greater things that come later.

Psa 22:9  But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts. 

Psa 22:10  I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly. 

Elijah, Paul, and the Patriarchs experienced the isolation and rejection of the Gentiles and their spiritual people in Israel. This experience is ours, as our all things written;  if we are part of the remnant, the Lord is saving in this generation.

Rom 11:4  But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. 

Rom 11:5  Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 

The early church we read about in the Scriptures is not an example of a “mature church” and the end state of where we end up in the Body of Christ. We need to see the early church as an IMMATURE church, still needing structure to teach and prepare them for what lies ahead. Several examples in our Bibles cite this immaturity, which is the destiny of every church generation. For instance, Paul was still bowing to the law (taking the Nazarite Vow), Timothy did the same in cutting his hair, and Peter feared offending the Jews if he ate with the Gentiles. We, like them, are going through the same experiences and need to be first raised as babies and toddlers, eventually becoming teenagers in the faith awaiting the day the Lord ordained for us.

 The ReGathering of Spiritual Israel to the Lord

Those made faithful in every age are taken from Israel and delivered from the tutors and governors where they have been held. All the prophets speak of how the Lord causes us to enter into His true rest. Here is a sampling from the major prophets that is our experience to fulfill.

Eze 34:12  As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. 

Eze 34:13  And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 

Eze 34:14  I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. 

Eze 34:15  I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. 

Living out this separation is the Lording bringing us His reward, that is, obtaining the mind of Christ.

Isa 40:10  Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

Isa 40:11  He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

It is the fulfillment of the new covenant. The process requires we be scattered and regathered after we have suffered outside the camp.

Jer 31:10  “Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, And declare it in the isles afar off, and say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, And keep him as a shepherd does his flock.’ 

Jer 32:37  Behold, I will gather them out of all countries where I have driven them in My anger, in My fury, and in great wrath; I will bring them back to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely. 

The Lord has not cast away His people. The escaped remnant is the first to be led by the Spirit of the Lord into the way of righteousness.

Isa 10:20  And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 

We earnestly seek our final resting place in our day of the Lord, knowing the Lord is faithful. We sojourn outside the camp awaiting the regathering.

Heb 13:13  Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. 

Heb 13:14  For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. 

Surviving alone requires a level of maturity not found in babes and young ones in the faith. Thus the purpose of our Day 2 in preparing us for the Day of the Lord, Day 3, becomes evident.

Destined to be Rejected

To fulfill the Scriptures, we are destined to be rejected by our brethren, like our Lord, Paul, John, and all those who walked before us. Israel rejected Christ, and this, too, is our experience. We should embrace it boldly, standing firm in the faith.  The Apostles were not exempted. Notwithstanding all the good Paul did in establishing churches and filling church offices,  ALL later forsook Paul.

2Ti 1:15  This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. 

The same happened with the Apostle John, who was exiled to Patmos for His testimony of the truth by His own people. You, me, and everyone is exiled by our own people on an island that is spiritually called Patmos. This is because we defended the Word and testified of the Gospel but were rejected. Thus the Lord creates events that cause us to enter into the Lord’s day, the day of the Lord.  Then we begin to understand what the Lord has been doing.

Rev 1:9  I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 

Thus our Day 2 experience segues into our Day 3, where the plan of God is being completed.  All the Apostle’s last letters are written to Israel’s scattered tribes, pilgrims, and strangers. The church was indeed scattered throughout the world by the time the New Testament was completed. Thus again fulfilling Scripture.

Zec 13:7  Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. 

This scattering is the beginning of our inward transformation. It is His means to begin our third day, the day of the Lord for His “little ones”. We are now firmly in the hands of the living God. The prophet Zechariah tells us that this means enduring our day of the Lord. Clay in the Potter’s hands, being molded and reshaped by the fire that is the Lord.

Zec 13:8  And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. 

Zec 13:9  And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God. 

The Lord quotes this prophecy from Zechariah as events and experiences we, like Him, are destined to experience to fulfill the Scriptures.

Mat 26:31  Then saith Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. 

The second sacrificed goat is Christ’s Christ, who is sent out into the wilderness and henceforth led by the Spirit of Christ (the fit man).

Lev 16:21  And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: 

Lev 16:22  And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness

The goat in the wilderness is a shadow of our experiences as a living sacrifice in our Day 3.

Our becoming the Lord’s priests by these experiences is further confirmation of our separation and isolation from our brethren Israel. Our inheritance is not with Israel, but instead, we partake of offerings made by the consuming fire that is the Lord in our day of the Lord.

Deu 18:1  The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and his inheritance. 

Deu 18:2  Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the LORD is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them. 

The New Testament confirmation of this truth is in Hebrews. We are destined to suffer for the Lord’s sake outside the camp of Israel as we have no continuing city yet seek the one to come.  It is worth repeating often the amazing blessing we are receiving as we sojourn by faith.

Heb 13:10  We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. 

Heb 13:11  For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. 

Heb 13:12  Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. 

Heb 13:13  Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. 

Heb 13:14  For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. 

Our journey has many seasons, and those offices and church gatherings do not apply to all of them. When He comes unto us for salvation (the second time), we need no man to teach or lead us. We are henceforth led by the Spirit of God, who us teaching us everything.

Heb 8:11  And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

The Lord is teaching us and quickening our spirits through everything He is doing in our lives. He is speaking thru events and experiences, not just the written word. The Lord is not limited to the words in the Bible as, indeed, all the things Christ did would fulfill more books than the world can hold.

We are thankful for our experiences with prophets, evangelists, teachers, and pastors. All have served to further our advancement in the Lord’s kingdom. All mankind comes through these experiences to fulfill the Scriptures and complete the plan of God. We are merely doing it sooner than most; it is all the Lord’s doing and none of ourselves.

No man knows what tomorrow brings explicitly. Yet we do know and trust in the plan of God to save every man by rebuilding His temple within them over the three progressive days described in the Scriptures.

May these words edify and bless those the Lord has prepared to hear them.

 

Pete

 

 

Articles

We Are Not Forsaken

Pete

Not Forsaken

To our fellow sojourner’s in the faith of Christ,

The Lord does not lie and will be faithful to fulfill all of His promises.  His faithfulness ensures that the Lord absolutely and positively will finish the good work He starts.  The result will be salvation as Christ is formed within us.

Php 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Psa 94:14 For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.

This promise to finish the work and not abandon it is more than just a verse of Scripture; it is the heart of the Gospel and a most precious promise given to His people.  Being faithful is who He is, and He has never changed.

Deu 7:9  Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations

Heb 10:23  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised; 

It matters not how shaky our faith may be in a moment or how much or far we have fallen.  The Lord is the one doing the work and cannot fail for His name’s sake.

2Ti 2:13  If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. 

1Sa 12:22  For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.

Holding dear to His promise and character sees us through the tough times necessary for salvation.

Psa 91:2  I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust  

Psa 91:4  He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 

Like our Lord, we all are being perfected on this third day, which is our appointed day of the Lord.  Losing one’s life in the carnally minded world is difficult to endure but necessary to be remade into the image of God.  Times do come upon us when we feel forsaken by the Lord and cry out to Him.  As He is, so are we.

 Mat 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? 

Being crucified for Christ brings these feelings of being forsaken, albeit only for a short moment.  Lord willing, during these seemingly unbearable times, we can hold tight to the precious promises of the Lord.  The mercy of the Lord triumphs over judgment, and in due time peaceable fruit of righteousness shoots forth.

Isa 54:7  For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. 

Isa 54:8  In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer. 

Peter admonishes us to hasten the coming of the Lord within by striving to be holy as our heavenly Father is holy.  The Lord is manifesting our every thought, including any feelings of abandonment.  These acts of God are for the greater good of our salvation, specifically to turn our hearts and focus back on Him and His voice.

Deu 4:30  When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; 

Deu 4:31  (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them. 

“Being Forsaken” For Correction: 

The absolute truth is that the Lord never forsakes us.  The Lord does, however, seemingly abandon us to regain our attention when we forsake Him.   There is always a purpose for good in the ways of the Lord.

2Ch 15:2  The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. 

Jos 24:20  If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good. 

Israel (you and me) is taught this lesson many times to establish the Lord in our hearts.  Experiencing a temporary “separation” from the Lord is part of maturing and the salvation journey.  The Lord uses this for correction, to teach us obedience by things we are given to suffer.  But through all of this, His faithfulness to His people remains steadfast.

Psa 89:30  If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; 

Psa 89:31  If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; 

Psa 89:32  Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. 

Psa 89:33  Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. 

Through all our experiences, even our lamentations, the Lord is working righteousness within us on His schedule.  We are not cast off or forsaken by the Lord.  He is working our sufferings for good in the end as He is always merciful.

Lam 3:31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever:

Lam 3:32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.

Despite verses that by themselves say the Lord forsakes the disobedient, the sum of the Word promises us that this shall never happen.  The Lord never leaves us, even in our times of sin and rebellion.  As clay in His hands, we are never far from the Lord; He is always right there.

Psa 139:7  Whither shall I go from thy spirit?  or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 

Psa 139:8  If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 

If we feel abandoned or forsaken by the Lord, we should know that the Lord has given us this trial to turn our hearts back to Him.  We are promised to find Him and live if we seek Him.

Psa 34:4  I sought the LORD, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. 

Mat 7:8  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 

Psa 9:10  And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. 

The Lord promises to give us anything we genuinely need (not want) if we seek Him first, which means putting our trust in Him.  Nothing will be withheld from what we need.

Mat 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 

Psa 84:11  For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

When weaker in faith, we think the Lord has forsaken us and forgotten all about us and His promises.  Nothing seems to be in our favor.  Everything we do or are involved with is problem-plagued and frustrates our very existence.   This may revolve around anything: our health, finances, job, family, house, neighbors, and acquaintances; the list is endless.    We, as Zion, cry out to the Lord.

Isa 49:14  But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. 

The Lord is always working in our lives, including every minute detail for the counsel of His will.  In due time, we will learn to trust in Him and be assured that He has not and will not forget His own children and creation.

Isa 49:15  Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?  yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. 

Isa 49:16  Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. 

While the world and carnally minded are definitely rejecting us, the Lord will not leave us except for those moments needed to correct.  No matter how hot the fire [living hell] becomes in our day of the Lord, trust in the Lord and know the Lord is faithful to His children.

Act 2:27  Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Whatever place we find ourselves ultimately gives way to a time of peace as we enter into His rest.   We endure many struggles and wait for the Lord to complete His work and find peace.  The trouble we face can come from many sides, yet all of it works for good in the end.  We are being saved by our hope in the promises of the Faithful One.

2Co 4:8  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 

2Co 4:9  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 

2Co 4:10  Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 

We are learning to take comfort and solace in whatever the Lord is working in our heavens and earth as we walk only by faith and not sight.  By seeking Him, we know the Lord is with us and is providing everything we need for holiness and righteousness.

Heb 13:5  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 

The true Israel is the apple of God’s eyes.  We are the Lord’s people, created and now being remade into His own image.  He will not fail and is right on schedule with His plan in your life.

May these words bring comfort and encouragement to those who can hear them.

 

Pete & Ronel