LENTEN MEDITATION 16

LENTEN MEDITATION 16 ~ ~ ~ The Hated People
For the Year of Our LORD, 2.21.2008


Love not the world,
neither the things that are in the world.
If any man love the world,
the love of the Father is not in him.
For ALL that is in the world,
the lust of the flesh,
and the lust of the eyes,
and the pride of life,
is not of the Father,
but is of the world.
And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof:
but he that doeth the will of God
abideth for ever.
I John 2:15-17

To do the will of GOD in every instance, in every situation, in every contingency is foremost in the heart of every serious Christian. What is the key to knowing what HIS+ will is, though, in situations about which the Scriptures are quiet?

The first step in knowing HIS+ Will is to make certain we are aligned with His+ purposes. His+ purposes are found in His+ Word.

They begin with our life-styles.



Does our lifestyle reflect in exactness WHO The LORD JESUS CHRIST is?



If we blend in with our decent, conservative, hard-working neighbors… something is wrong. There are countless millions of Hindu’s, Buddhists, Moslems, and peoples who practice ancient tribal religions… who are also decent, conservative, and hard-working and who love “their” nation, culture, or society.

There are countless others in every inhabited area upon this earth who love their culture, the ways of their forefathers, their nation, so much that they would defend it to the death. In every country or nation or tribal area, there are countless “decent people” who would even send their sons and daughters to their untimely death to protect what they have… or think they have. There are countless peoples who train their off-spring to have good educations, jobs, and careers… to climb high, to have a better life than the parents.

But, what does the Word of GOD say? HE+ says this:

For what shall it profit a man,
if he shall gain the whole world,
and lose his own soul?
Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Mark 8:36,37



There are uncountable other non-Christians in every country who do not rob banks nor kill their neighbors, who honor their aging parents, and love their children. These are good values, yes, and all societies have them.



However, The LORD JESUS CHRIST doesn’t blend in
with any culture, sub-culture, society, or nation…
although Scripture teaches that the Church will be
formed out of every language, tongue, people, and nation!

HE+ calls us OUT of our cultures, whatever they may be,

in order to be ONE with HIM+.


Are we Christians supposed to be a blended people… or a separate people?

We are peculiar people. We are strangers and sojourners upon this earth just like Abraham was… we do not put down our roots here, but upward, into that Holy City whose Maker and Builder is GOD. The LORD JESUS said:

If the world hate you,
ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
If ye were of the world, the world would love his own:
but because ye are not of the world,
but I have chosen you out of the world,
therefore the world hateth you. John 15: 18,19



Yes, we Christians should be a hated people… hated, not because of criminal activities or ill-manners, but because of our righteousness before GOD.

Even without saying a word, the worldlings around us should be able to sense the difference. The HOLY SPIRIT should be resting upon us and within us so strongly that, without saying a word to anyone, any worldling around us should feel a bit uneasy, somewhat uncomfortable for their lack of holiness.

We should notice they start to talk about their philosophies of “God”

or their “good works” of whatever variety they have.

However, the hungry souls around us will be drawn unto CHRIST JESUS. They will be drawn to HIM+ when we lift HIM+ up within us … as we yield unto CHRIST JESUS… as HE+ fills us with HIMSELF because we are turning away from the world. The hungry souls will have conviction fall upon their lives and they will cry out to The LORD to help them. They will know something is missing from their lives.

They will be pricked in their conscience to do something about amending their relationship with the Living GOD. HE+ is drawing, drawing them unto HIMSELF+… as we have lifted HIM+ up.


How do we become this hated people?

We simply separate ourselves from the world and follow CHRIST JESUS.

We separate from the world’s ways, styles, labor and life-styles.

We learn to work for The LORD where HE+ wants us to labor. We learn to live in such a manner that we present a visible yet silent witness to those around us. We set our homes, our dress, our recreation

to reflect CHRIST JESUS and to bear witness to HIM+ at all times

… including holiday times and visits with relatives.


We just simply separate. We will be hated enough.



Then, O then, will we be able to discern what is the “will of GOD”

for our lives, in so many situations and in so many particular details

about which the Scriptures are quiet.



What a relief to be in the center of GOD’s will.
It is the peace the world cannot give, nor can it take it away.





Let us pray:

Gracious Heavenly FATHER, Beloved SON, and Blessed SPIRIT, I
so long to be in the center of Thy Will. I want to be where You are, O LORD. Help me to turn away from the distractions of worldly things. Help me to forsake the world’s values. By the power of Thy Blessed HOLY SPIRIT help me to desire that holiness without which no man shall see GOD.

Help me to align myself with Your Word in every instance, even if I must disregard my own thoughts and cultural values. Grant me strength to reflect CHRIST instead of the world in my life-style. I re-commit myself to serving THEE+ with every thought and desire that is within me.

Thank You, O FATHER, for Thy Blessed HOLY SPIRIT to lead me into all Truth. Strengthen me to walk in it now and not be afraid to be hated because I am different for Thy sake. This I pray in the name of Thy Precious SON, JESUS CHRIST, Who+ was hated for my sake, so that I might know THEE, the One True GOD, Who loveth mankind. Amen.

LENTEN MEDITATION 15

LENTEN MEDITATION 15 ~ ~ ~ The Fruits
For the Year of Our LORD, 2.20.08

Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,
and done this evil in thy sight:
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest,
and be clear when thou judgest.
Psalm 51:4


We sin so lightly.
It is with a shrug we sullenly turn our face away from Truth and proceed on with “our” program. We don’t care if it hurts HIM+. As a matter of fact, we don’t even want to hear about it.

Have we ever had a friend… or worse, a family member… treat us like that?

Yes, most of us would sadly say.

When we proceed on, headlong and determined, to do something, achieve something, get something, or enter a job or situation… or alas, even a marriage… out of The LORD’S Holy Will, we sin. How do we recognize that it is sin? By the fruit.

Fruit, we see, is The LORD’S great blessing to us. Because human beings are dull of hearing and slow of heart to hear The LORD, we must learn through our senses. We are all tactile learners in this regard. We simply want our own way. Our conniving minds are well-practiced at reasoning out why what we want

"must certainly" be the Will of The LORD for our lives.


Thus, HE+ blesses us with the fruit of our decisions.


Fruit gets our attention better than a sounding trumpet. Why?

The trumpet blast is over and done with quickly, even though the blast may have frightened us or pierced our ears.

Fruit, however, is long-lasting.

That blessed fruit of our decisions

brings deep inner conviction to our souls.

The fruit of walking within His+ Holy Will helps us to grow.

This fruit comes about by taking heed to His+ Word.

We put into practice those things HE+ has told us, for instance, in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7. We make our activities to come into order with His+ Word.

What HE+ says in His+ Word

becomes our priorities in our lifestyle.

Did HE+ say, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of GOD, and HIS Righteousness?” Yes, it does. Then we will make serving HIM+ our priority in every area. We will seek His+ Will and counsel before taking a step. We learn what His+ Will is by practicing, practicing, practicing our submission to HIM+, both through the written Word and listening in prayer.

Did HE+ say, “Take no thought for the morrow…”? Yes, HE+ did. Do we repent, then, of taking thought… constant thought… of what we are going to eat, wear, use, pay the bills with yesterday, today, and for many tomorrow’s ?

No...

rather we judge such Christians to be wise and prudent and yes, even Godly.

We do not say, “Wait a minute; he is breaking the Word of God.

He will reap the fruit of anxiety instead of Godly peace.

Let’s pray for him for he got tricked into listening unto man rather than unto GOD.”

Does His+ Word say, “I will put no wicked thing before my eyes” ? Yes, it does. Then we will toss out all books, magazines, tv shows, dvd’s, and computer input which are wicked. Music which promotes the flesh must go also

… which might include some with Christian labels.


Does His+ Word say, “Love your enemies,” or shoot them, Christians ?


Do we take heed to His+ Word
and follow His+ counsel?

It is His+ will that we do;
that is why it is written down for us…
so that we know what HE+ wants us to do!

Should HE+ then give us more direction
for our particulars in life
IF WE IGNORE parts of HIS+ WILL
that IS ALREADY plainly written?

The fruit of listening to the counsel of our own flesh and heart and mind makes us sorrowful, angry, resentful, and bitter. It robs us of our peace in CHRIST. Then, we have many, many other battles to deal with before we get out of that ravine. Unfortunately for us, that ravine most often could have been avoided.

It is with great bitterness to realize we did it to ourselves.


Spiritual fruit, good or bad, hangs around in front of our face, showering us with joy in the inward man or peppering us with constant consequences.

Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,
and done this evil in thy sight:
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest,
and be clear when thou judgest.
Psalm 51:4


When we sin, when we disregard His+ plain Word to us, when we plunge headstrong into our own program, we hurt ourselves, yes.

But worse, we hurt the great heart of Our Heavenly FATHER and Our LORD JESUS CHRIST.

The Word was written for our good. When we do those things that HE+ wants us to do, those things plainly written and openly printed for all the world to see, then HE+ blesses us with all those things that money cannot buy.

HE+ loves us dearly. It is His+ Will that we be happy and satisfied. Our Precious Savior knows what will bring our greatest happiness. HE+ exhorts and warns us over and over again against grabbing for happiness and security our way. HE+ knows what will cause sorrow down the road for us. HE+ also knows what will produce good fruit, down the road.


HE+ aches with the heart of a good parent after a child who simply will not take heed, will not listen, will not receive correction. That parent doesn’t want the fruit for himself, but rather for the happiness and well-being of his child. When we don’t listen to GOD, we sin against His+ great heart of love for us.


The LORD JESUS CHRIST is indeed our Savior…
if we will let HIM+ save us from ourselves.


Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,
and done this evil in thy sight:
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest,
and be clear when thou judgest.
Psalm 51:4