Love For God’s House

“Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.” Psalm 26:8
“One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.” Psalm 27:4
“Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken?” Nehemiah 13:11

The reason that a people love God’s house and seek to be in attendance thereof, is said to be a person’s own love for God. To love God, is to love to be in the house of God. The first commandment, which is the foundation upon which service to God is built is: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” Matthew 22:37

A love for God is not inherent in our human nature. Rather, human nature is estranged from God, alienated to God, going astray from God, and seeketh not God. A personal love for God is only found when one repents of their natural sin condition, and seeks unto the mercy and grace of God to save them from their lost condition. In receiving Christ by faith into one’s heart as Saviour and Lord, God gives unto the individual the power of God to become His son. This gift of salvation through faith in Christ, is God commending His love toward us. And, “…the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Romans 5:5 Thus, a Christian’s love for God originates within those who have been made partakers of God’s love by faith in Christ to save them: “We love Him because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

How is it possible for a mother to love her child? From what is found within her heart to extend to her child. When a mother does not want her baby and forsakes her child, we say she is without natural affection. We know it is due to what is found within a Christian’s own heart that they will set their affection on the house of God. A mother who loves her child does not need to be coerced by others to attend to her child. She will put the child’s interests above her own. She will gladly spend and be spent for the nurturing of her child. Love compels her to do her best and be her best for her child’s sake. She loves her child first above all else.

In these days, when iniquity is abounding and the love of many has waxed cold, God has a question for our hearts: “…lovest thou me more than these?” John 21:15 Does the love of God radiate itself in your heart? Does God have first place in your heart, mind, life, and soul, because of the real bond of His love within? If not, don’t you think it is about time to turn to His mercy and grace?

SHARING

The Blessed Man: What He Must Not Do

“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.” Psalm 1:1

Picture, if you will, two friends standing on the street corner of a busy intersection: the one blind, the other with good eyesight. They are going to cross this multi-lane, traffic mad intersection. One would expect the person with good eyesight to take over as a watchman, to lead the blind safely across. But alas, through the insistence of the blind, the person with good eyesight puts a bag over his head, so he cannot see, unto letting the blind person take charge in stepping out to cross this dangerous, unforgiving intersection. This pretty well describes what will happen if a saved person gives in to a lost person to make their life’s decisions, rather than the saved person abide in the will and way of God’s Word.

Sight is a blessing to those who use it. To have sight and not use it, is a curse. For a Christian to be blessed of God, with the benefits that God’s unfailing truth affords, there are some things the Christian must not do.

First, he must not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. The counsel of the ungodly is broad, and has the appeal of worldly wisdom unto fleshly satisfaction. It is approved of by men. It appears to be the way of personal satisfaction and success. But the counsel of the ungodly does not know God, nor does it regard the authority of God. Without faith in God’s Word as the standard for right and wrong, the counsel of the ungodly is subjective, with only one aim: for each to do what is right in their own eyes.

Second, he must not stand in the way of sinners. Deeds follow thoughts. When a person begins to follow the counsel of those who know not the Lord, nor obey the will and way of God, this thinking void of God’s will and way will lead to decisions and actions that leave out God’s will and way. The man that embraces the counsel of the ungodly will soon find himself living unrighteous in the midst of ungodly people. Ungodly thinking and ungodly living are inseparable companions.

Third, he must not sit in the seat of the scornful. To abide with and follow the counsel of the ungodly, will necessarily involve being at sympathy with those whose counsel is in defiance of God’s Word. There is no way to walk with the ungodly without agreeing with them, or at least yielding to their opinions. The one who walks in the counsel of the ungodly and stands in the way of sinners will soon sit in the seat of the scornful. It is inevitable. “Come out from among them, and be ye separate…”

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Honoring Veterans

“Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.” Romans 13:7

Veteran’s Day is an outgrowth of Armistice Day, which commemorated the armistice of World War I in 1918. Since 1954, it has been enlarged to celebrate veterans, being those who have had experience of serving our country in the military, especially in time of war.

God tells us to honor those to whom honor is due. Christians, especially, need to keep our mind open to God on this, since there can be a tendency to relegate all secular service as belonging to the world that we are to remain separate from.

But where would Christians be without those who have obtained and preserved our freedom by fighting the battles necessary for it? Freedom is not the accepted norm of this world. History reveals that freedom only exists where people have properly fought for it. However, in our time, as nations are turning away from God, rather than a soldier being sent to fight a patriotic war, he may be bound to sacrifice himself for a political agenda instead. PRAY.

Veteran’s Day is celebrated with ceremony and, no doubt, many heartfelt and meaningful tributes. But Veteran’s Day passes.

What is there beyond the temporary moment of being honored? There can be the enduring honor of understanding, careful consideration and continue appreciation.

While citizens enjoy the comforts of life, soldiers are being trained to endure hardships by being subjected to hardships. For us to enjoy our freedom, they forgo their freedom to serve. For us to be healthy and whole, they subject their bodies to possible injury, pain, suffering, perhaps even permanent disability and/or death. In serving, they are displaced and engulfed with unimaginable loneliness, so others can enjoy the comforts of family and loved ones.

The circumstances that a soldier is subjected to changes their temperament, sensitivities, and subconsciousness. The impacts of their experiences may very well control them, rather than their ability to control the impacts.

Honor our veterans with the best understanding, consideration, and continue appreciation. They have borne heavy burdens for us.

SHARING

Being Sensible About Government

—Romans 13:1-7

There are arguments that churches should not subject themselves to government in anything, for this would be saying that the government is the authority over the church instead of God.

But the Bible plainly teaches Christians to be subject to the powers of government, for government is ordained by God. For a church to teach that Christians, as well as non-Christians, are to be subject to government as the institution ordained by God for the welfare and preservation of society, it must necessarily lead by example in complying with its own teaching. For a church to resist submitting to the power of government in the principle sense, is for a church to resist the ordinance of God.

God teaches us to walk by faith, not by sight. Rather than fear the “what ifs” that an imperfect government may present to a church (or an individual), we need to respect in every practical way that civil government is a Divine institution.

As far as the conflicts of interest that arise between a civil government that becomes hostile toward Christianity, the same solution applies to the church that does to the individual Christian: “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29

For evil men to use government to oppose those who serve God, is a violation of the ordinance of God, for which God will surely judge.

The ordinance of God establishing civil government, is not in and of itself a threat to a church, rather it is to be viewed as, “the minister of God to thee for good” Romans 13:4a. God uses civil government to protect the presence of churches in society. Where governments do not afford churches protection, wicked men rise up and destroy the presence of churches. Thus, wisdom and faith dictate churches to cooperate with and promote God’s ordinance of civil government.

Just as churches have their sphere of ministry and influence, so does God ordained civil government.

Nowhere does God prerequisite that civil authorities must first be Christians. Marriage is a God ordained institution. But God does not require that people first make a profession of faith before they can marry. Marriage is for all the human race, saved and lost, and so is civil government. Just because one may be a Christian does not mean they have the knowledge, the understanding, and the experience to succeed in civil government. You can be a good Christian and know nothing about what it takes to be a good doctor, a good governor, a good general, etc. Secular work is best performed by those with the best secular skills, as well as good character and judgment. Just as it would make no sense to seek out a mechanic to preach, it makes no sense to seek out a preacher to be your mechanic.

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Child Sacrifice

I read recently where a person saw a bumper sticker that read: “Anti-Abortion, Pro-War? I’m Anti-Hypocrite, Thanks!”

Thus the idea being projected that there is no difference in killing an innocent baby than in killing an enemy soldier on the battlefield. This is illogical thinking, to say the least. On the battlefield, it’s “Shoot, or be shot!” Our free society would not exist had it not been for those who killed our enemies in battle! But all the living owe our lives to the fact that our mothers did not choose to kill us! To equate the killing of an innocent baby to be the same as killing an enemy soldier in battle, is morally bankrupt reasoning indeed!

To think the killing of an innocent unborn child is only a matter of rightful choice is perilous times, with people loving only themselves, and fallen into the vanity of lacking natural affection.

Jesus Christ was conceived into the virgin’s womb. He did not enter into it at some other point in time, other than at this conception. After one is conceived in the womb, from then on it is just a matter of bodily development and growth. To kill the unborn child is to kill the person. God recognizes the person, even before they are developed in the womb: Psalm 139:16 “Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.”

In the Bible, God’s judgment is declared against the wicked act of sacrificing children. Today, there are those who irresponsibly have their children sacrificed, not with a knife through the heart in a heathen temple, but with the abortionist’s instrument gouging a hole at the base of the skull of a partially born child, to suck their brains out, and it’s just called “Pro-Choice”.

This is not about some distraught mother, seeking to survive. It is about the wickedness of advocating the shedding of innocent blood as a matter of human rights, when there is nothing that is destroying more innocent human lives than the practice of abortion!

There have always been people who are willing to sacrifice their children for their lust’s sake. But what is astounding is the masses of people who support those who advocate such a practice.

GOD FORBID!

Forget not God’s Word when you make your choices!

SHARING