Author: kcikeh

Prov. 6: 16-19. These six things doth the LORD hate: Yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among the brethren.

Sometimes, words I type jump out of the screen and scream at me ‘Hypocrite!’ This will, undoubtedly, be one of those times, and I pray for a repentant heart. As a rule of thumb, if the Bible says God hates or loves something, it is good to read that again with your glasses on. Yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look… I can look at pride in 2 ways, though they are related. The first is one way the Bible describes ‘Pride’ that somehow most Christians seem oblivious of, so I will start with this one. It involves pride with respect to God.

A good way to understand ‘pride’ is to understand its opposite: humility. And it goes to say, that if God hates pride, he loves humility. Peter said something interesting in 1 Peter 5:5-7. …and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Did you notice the language? The path of humility is in casting all your care upon him. I can paraphrase this passage as: The proud person doesn’t consider God as his Source and Sustenance, and God resists him; the humble is completely dependent on God and falls on God, and God lifts him up. Psalm 10:4 says “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.” Do you see it? A lack of a time of study of the Word is a proud look. A lack of prayer time is a proud look. A lack of fellowship is a proud look. Making plans in life without consulting God through the Scripture is a proud look! Paint this picture in your mind’s eye of a man thumping his nose, raising a clenched fist to the heavens and saying “I can do it myself God! I don’t need you! I am in charge of my life! This is my show. Don’t interfere. I am my own god now. Keep far from me and we can meet only on Sundays.” That is what happens when we leave God out of our lives whether you say those words or not. And God says “…I hate a proud look…I will resist you”. Romans 8:31 says “if God be for us, who can be against us?” Hmmm…. If God be against you, who can be for you you?

However, the humble person’s blueprint to life is in Proverbs 3:5-6.

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths.”

The second way to consider pride is in relation to others. Apostle Paul admonishes the Church in Phillipi in this way: “…in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” Phil. 2:3b-4. Have you ever met someone like this? I have recently, a man named Dave Roy. No job is beneath them, no body is below them. Humanity needs to protect them at all cost because they are an endangered specie. It is just a rare sight in this age. It is completely counterculture. This is the age of the ‘self-esteem’ movement. “I must look out for me”. “Me first! Then, maybe, you later.” “I can’t pour from an empty cup.” Have you noticed a boom in the market for self-help? Worse is the false reality of self that is being sold to us, that makes us struggle to acquire possessions and power. It permeates everything. That is why we can use language like “Do you know who I am?” and “I don’t blame you, you don see me finish”. We place immense boastful pride in our jobs, professions, titles, bank accounts, principles, relationships and connections. Have you ever come to terms with your own mortality? Truly. You sit down in contemplation and deeply realize that you are not immortal and someday you are going to die?

1 Peter 1:24-25 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth forever.

It is all going to burn someday. The humble doesn’t boast in any of these or puts his trust in them. Psalm 34:2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. The humble knows that, but for the Cross, they have no other hope. True humility flows out of intimacy with God. The more intimate a person is with God, the more humble they’ll be! The more you gaze at him, the more you study and learn about him, the more you see how filthy you are, the deeper you realize how immeasurably small you are. In his book, Isaiah in chapter 6: 1-4 saw a vision of the Lord sitting upon a throne. His response in verse 5 is this: Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Sometimes, even just seeing an Angel makes people in the Bible fall down on their face, that the Angel will have to caution them not to do that. The clearer the vision of God you have, the clearer the vision of yourself. That’s when you begin to realize how worthless you are apart from him. The humble may be wealthy, or in positions of power, but the verses of the old hymn is their lifestyle:

I will not boast in anything,
No gifts, no power, no wisdom;
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer;
But this I know with all my heart –
His wounds have paid my ransom.

Dear Christian, this is a ‘BE CAREFUL!’ kind of blog entry. It seems to be much more prevalent now, those things people say that make their listeners lean back, nod their heads in contemplation, chin in hand and say ‘Rhema’…’Preach’. I am reminded of Paul’s charge to Timothy:

2 Timothy 4: 1-5. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word! Be ready in season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry.

It is no wonder we have this uptake of fancy preachers and churches pulling crowds of people. The first challenge is to preachers, those that ‘labor’ over the Word in any capacity: are you a false teacher? Whether out of malicious intent or ignorance, a false teacher is a false teacher. Do you preach the Word? Do you know the Word? Do you twist words, mince words, to soothe the emotions of your followers? It is becoming increasingly prevalent that the least likely place to hear the Word of God is the church. But you will be sure to learn about business and the likes, and you will certainly be entertained. Yeah there are comedians on the pulpits now. Not funny preachers, literal comedians.

This one has been with us a while with regards to the interpretation of Scriptures: “This is what it means to me”. Paul warned Timothy that people will turn to fables instead of Scripture. Listen to what Peter has to say as well. It is a long read, but worth it.

2 Peter 1: 16-21. For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Phew. Powerful message there. Peter reminded believers that what they taught were not fables. They were there. They saw! They heard! Who better to confirm an event than an eyewitness? The first thing to know is that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation. The Bible does not conform to us, we conform to the Bible. Don’t add to it. Don’t embellish it. With all due respect, what you feel about the Words therein or what they mean to you personally as far as interpretation is concerned, is of little importance. How the Word and interpretation as Biblically intended affects your life and behavior is what is important. To say this another way in an example, Romans 6:23 talks about the wages of sin being death, but the gift of God is eternal life. It simply means just that. How you to choose to act on that interpretation is on you and can vary from person to person, but it means just that. Any form of ‘Did God really say…?’ ‘You shall not surely die’ and the likes that try to change the interpretation is the language of the ancient serpent. You will often find yourself having to use Scripture to interpret Scripture. That is good! If you desire to teach the Word, you must be a student of the Bible. Take it like a doctorate degree that you won’t graduate from.

To the listeners. This passage should suffice:

Galatians 1: 6-9. I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.

Not all pastors are Christians o. As you dey carry eye enter market, carry sense enter Church too! The Bible is sufficient. You just need to read it for yourself. Confirm what you hear carefully and develop your convictions. Be a student of the Bible. It doesn’t matter what title the preacher has in front of his name. But then again, do you go to Church to be entertained? How often do you play that ‘judge not’ card? Even once is one time too many. The Bible was used to show you that you are in sin and you need to repent and your response is ‘judge not’. That’s a major symptom of itchy ears. Some people don’t have a regular local Church, but go to Church every Sunday, from one fancy place to the next. another symptom. When our doctrine comes from song lyrics, that may be another symptom of itchy ears. Worship leaders, no be to sing song, is it doctrinally correct? Doesn’t matter that it is Hillsong or Maverick or another group that sang it; it doesn’t matter if when you heard the song, you broke down in tears, is it doctrinally correct? And also, how is it pointing you to the Cross, or are you using it to call attention to yourself while the service is going on? Taking pictures and recordings for the Gram of you lifting holy hands. Itchy ears. When it is Bible study, fellowship is empty; when it is games, you can’t keep people away. We need to wake up from this entertainment-driven worship to worship that is in spirit and truth.

Remember, there is more than one spirit out there. But there is only one Holy Spirit. The true Author of the Text is the Holy Spirit. So if someone says ‘The Holy Spirit just told me…” “God told me to tell you”…as though there is some mysticism attached to it, pull up a Bible, crack it open, and ask him/her to show you were! The Bible is sufficient for life (2 Tim. 3: 14-17). If it is not in the Bible, or a twist/modification of teachings in the Bible, a spirit may have told him/her that, but it certainly was not the Holy Spirit! Doesn’t matter how many days they stayed on the ‘mountain’.

Bottom line is that we have to be watchful. First examine yourself to be sure that you are in the faith. Then get to know Him and be known by Him. Everything is contained in the Bible. Get to know Him for yourself. We all have that potential for your itchy ears. Draw your ear every morning and tell it “You MUST endure sound doctrine!”

A Poem By Matilda C. Edwards, 1936

The Church and the World walked far apart
On the changing shores of time,
The World was singing a giddy song,
And the Church a hymn sublime.

“Come, give me your hand,” said the merry World,
“And walk with me this way!”
But the faithful Church hid her gentle hands
And solemnly answered “Nay!

I will not give you my hand at all,
And I will not walk with you;
Your way is the way that leads to death;
Your words are all untrue.”

“Nay, walk with me but a little space,”
Said the World with a kindly air;
“The road I walk is a pleasant road,
And the sun shines always there.

Your path is thorny and rough and rude,
But mine is broad and plain;
My way is paved with flowers and dews,
And yours with tears and pain.

The sky above me is always blue,
No want, no toil I know;
The sky above you is always dark,
Your lot is a lot of woe.

My path, you see, is a broad, fair one
And my gate is high and wide;
There’s room enough for you and me
To travel side by side.”

Half shyly the Church approached the World
And gave him her hand of snow;
And the old World quick grasped it and walked along,
Saying, in accents low:

“Your dress is too simple to please my taste;
I will give you pearls to wear,
Rich velvets and silks for your graceful form,
And diamonds to deck your hair.”

The Church looked down at her plain white robes,
And then at the dazzling World,
And blushed as she saw his handsome lip
With a smile contemptuous curled.

“I will change my dress for a costlier one,”
Said the Church, with a smile of grace;
Then her pure white garments drifted away,
And the World gave, in their place,

Beautiful satins and shining silks,
Roses and gems and costly pearls;
While over her forehead her bright hair fell
Crisped in a thousand curls.

“Your house is too plain,” said the proud old World,
“I’ll build you one like mine;
With walls of marble and towers of gold,
And furniture ever so fine.”

So he built her a costly and beautiful house;
Most splendid it was to behold;
Her sons and her beautiful daughters dwelt there
Gleaming in purple and gold.

Rich fairs and shows in the halls were held,
And the World and his children were there.
Laughter and music and feasts were heard
In the Place that was meant for Prayer.

There-were cushioned seats for the rich and the gay,
To sit in their pomp and pride;
While the poor folk, who were clad in shabby array,
Sat meekly down outside.

The Angel of Mercy flew over the Church,
And whispered, “I know thy sin”:
Then the Church looked back with a sigh and longed
To gather her children in;

But some were off at the midnight ball,
And some were off at the play,
And some were drinking in gay saloons,
So she quietly went her way.

Then the sly World gallantly said to her:
“Your children mean no harm,
Merely indulging in innocent sports”;
So she leaned on his proffered arm

And smiled and chatted and gathered flowers
As she walked along with the World;
While millions and millions of sorrowing souls
To eternal death were hurled.

“Your preachers are all too old and plain,”
Said the World to the Church with a sneer.
“They frighten my children with dreadful tales,
Which I like not for them to hear.

They talk of brimstone and fire and pain
And the night of an endless death;
They talk of a place which may only be
Mentioned with bated breath.

I will send you some of the better stamp
Brilliant and gay and fast
Who will tell them that people may live as they choose
And go to heaven at last.

The Father is merciful, great, and good,
Tender and true and kind;
Do you think He would take one child to heaven,
And leave the other behind?”

So he filled her house with gay divines
Gifted and great and learned
And the plain old men that preached the cross
Were out of her pulpits turned.

“You give too much to the poor,” said the World.
“Far more than you ought to do;
If the poor are in need of shelter and food,
Why need it trouble you?

Go, take your money and buy rich robes,
Buy horses and carriages fine;
Buy pearls and jewels and dainty food,
Buy the rarest and costliest wine.

My children, they dote on all these things,
And if you their love would win
You must do as they do, and walk in the ways
That they are walking in.”

Then the Church held tightly the strings of her purse
And gracefully lowered her head,
And whispered, “I’ve given too much away;
I’ll do, sir, as you have said.”

So the poor were turned from her door in scorn,
And she heard not the orphan’s cry;
But she drew her beautiful robes aside,
As the widows went weeping by.

Then the sons of the World and the Sons of the Church
Walked closely hand and heart,
And only the Master, who knoweth all,
Could tell the two apart.

Then the Church sat down at her ease, and said,
“I am rich and my goods increase;
I have need of nothing, or aught to do,
But to laugh, and dance, and feast.”

And the sly World heard her, and laughed up his sleeve,
And mockingly said, aside:
“The Church is fallen, the beautiful Church;
And her shame is her boast and her pride.”

The angel drew near to the mercy seat,
And whispered in sighs her name;
And the saints their anthems of rapture hushed,
And covered their heads in shame.

Then a Voice came down through the hush of heaven
From Him who sat on the throne:
“I know thy works, and how thou hast said,
‘I am rich,’ and hast not known

That thou art naked, poor and blind,
And wretched before my face;’
Therefore from my presence cast I thee out,
And blot thy name from its place.”

2.382 billion! That is the number of people that profess Christianity, 2.383 billion! Christians are called to battle, not against flesh and blood, not with carnal weapons – it is more serious than that (Ephesians 6:10-18). Matthew 16:24-26 “Then Jesus said unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life will lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” O professing Christian, where are your scars? Where are the scars that show you are engaged in active battle? What have you given up for the course of Christ? Are your scars visible in your relationship with your spouse? Your children? Other believers? In the secular environment? How can you be a Christian and not bear scars? How can you be a Christian and have a ‘worldlier’ worldview than the world? How can you look like the world, think like the world, speak like the world, seek after everything but the Word of God, like the world, and claim to be a Christian?

Where are your scars? If you claim to be a Believer, is there an ongoing battle between flesh and the Spirit as in Galatians 5: 16-26? Putting the one-liner status updates aside, the online and offline presence, eloquent speeches and Bible teachings, putting aside the titles – Bishop, Pastor, Priest, Worship-leader, Apostle – what do you do in secret? Is your secret life a reflection of your testimony? Do you battle with your flesh?! If you claim to be a son, a daughter, do you bear the scars of Father’s discipline? As a local Church, how close are you to the example of the early Church in Acts? Are unbiblical traditions the order of the day? Has the Word of God been placed on the back burner as our Churches flirt consistently with the world, that there is hardly any genuine difference anymore, just a sprinkling of Christianity over worldly services? As a local Church, do you bear scars from missions and fellowship?

How can you be a Christian and not bear scars?!

1 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless indeed you are disqualified.

1. The Nature of God: It all begins here, with Him. Who is He? What is He like?

Psalm 11:7. For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright.

1 Sam. 2:2. “No one is holy like the LORD, for there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our God.

Psalm 33: 5. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.

2. Creation/Purpose of Man: Why am I here? What is the model of my being?

Gen. 1:27. So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Isa. 43:7. Everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.

3. The Fall and the Nature of Man: I look nothing like the image of God. What is wrong with me?

Gen. 3:6-7. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked.

Rom. 5:12. Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned

Rom. 3:10-18. “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one. …

Jer. 17:9. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?”

Mark 7:21-23. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these things come from within and defile a man.

Gen. 6:5. Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

4. Justice/Punishment of Sin: Guilty! What should a Just God and Judge do with me?

1 John 1:8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

Rom. 6: 22a. For the wages of sin is death…

Isa. 13:11. I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity.

II Thess. 1:9. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the LORD and from the glory of His power…

II Pet. 3:7. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

5. Hope ONLY in Jesus Christ: The price tag on sin is heavy! Is there any escape from the surely coming DANGER?

John 3: 16-18. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

How did Christ do this? How does this take care of my sin problem?

Isa. 53: 5,6,10. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one to his way. And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all………Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him. He has put Him to grief. He shall see the lab out of His soul and be satisfied. By His knowledge my righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities.

II Cor. 5:21. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

I Pet. 3:18. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God…

I Pet. 2:22-24… “who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth“, who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree

6. Response: How do I get on the lifeboat?!

John 3:3. Jesus said to Him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Eph. 2:8-9. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

John 10:9. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved

1 Jn 1:9. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.

Rom. 10:9. …that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that Hod raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Acts 2:28. The Peter said to them, “Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

7. The Spirit of Sanctification: Hallelujah! I am saved! What do I do with the Holy Spirit? What happens to my sinful, flesh desires? What is the focus of my life now on?

Rom. 8:12-13. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors – not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if we live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Gal. 5:22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Rom. 12: 1-2. … present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Col. 1:18. And He (Christ) is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things HE MAY HAVE THE PREEMINENCE.

Time is running out. Time is running out.

In my interaction with life, and more so in recent past years, I have come to a profound realization: I need God! Not just to check off church attendance, or have a streak on the YouVersion Bible app. This is more than a realization of a ‘want‘. In fact, many times I don’t want what God has to say or want His will. But the growing awareness that I need God is indeed profound. I need to know God and be known by Him.

Once my gaze is not on the Cross, it gets obvious as sin quietly slips in. Usually, the first casualty is Peace. As anxiety fills the space previously occupied by peace, its work insidious and effective, the mind begins to fight battles that are not mine to fight. The psychology world has so many names to these battles. Fear is not far behind, as a sound mind makes a quick exit. My speech and thoughts about people and things become laced with foolishness, as fear of everything else but God increases. Probably, the most devastating blow is a lack of awareness, and an indifference to sin. That sin that so easily besets becomes less and less of an ongoing struggle, even with the prod to repentance. It gets more difficult to resist the Devil and to flee from all appearances of evil. ‘I must repent now‘ slowly becomes ‘I will repent tomorrow‘. My worldview slowly switches from Biblical to anything but. Straying away from disciplined study of the principles and precepts of the Bible carries along with it severe consequences that I just simply need to know God. Nowhere else is joy found.

I also need to be known by God. It is the Word of God that exposes sin, even those ones hid in the deepest, darkest crevices of the heart. And as the Word of God searches me, and tries my innermost thoughts, they are laid bare those three: pride, lust and lies. Like a vampire, evil thrives in darkness, only vanquished by the light of the Truth. I actually don’t want to be known by God. My natural desire is to hold on to these little evil treats. But for the sake of my soul and my family, and those who will listen to me, I need to be known by God and continue on surrendering.

Our Lord has taught us the first step in preparing for persecution, and our Chinese Christian family members have walked it out in exemplary fashion under a brutal Communist regime for more than 70 years. Christ instructed us to count the cost of discipleship and take up our cross daily. Following Him is costly, but since He is infinitely worthy, we must continue paying without a thought when persecutors raise the price by opposing us.

VOM’s founder, Richard Wurmbrand, said, “A man really believes not what he recites in his creed, but only the things he is ready to die for.” The first step in preparing for persecution is identifying the things we will do at any cost. We will read God’s Word, pray, worship, gather with other believers and witness for Christ, and nothing will stop us from doing these things with willing and glad hearts. Because we do these things in obedience to the commands of our Lord, their worth is beyond evaluation. The value of everything else in this world pales in comparison, including our very lives.

When I talk with Christians here in the U.S. and in other free countries, the word that constantly comes to mind is unprepared. Persecuted Christians in restricted nations have counted the cost and considered Christ worthy, so they prayerfully approach each day with an obey-at-any-cost mindset. Anchored by an understanding of God’s greatness and with their desires fixed on His eternal kingdom, they approach life differently from most Christians in free nations. Too many Christians in free nations live in fear of those who oppose us while worrying about losing the things of this world.

For decades, our Chinese Christian family members have boldly, lovingly and humbly obeyed Christ, no matter how their government opposed them. When their gatherings were made illegal, they held church services anywhere necessary to avoid the secret police. And they also prepared for the inevitable arrests so that when pastors where imprisoned, others in the congregation were ready to take their place. Meanwhile, the imprisoned pastors embraced their time in jail as a new ministry assignment from the Lord. They simply continued their work.

Today, the Chinese Communist Party has arrayed a horrifying technological apparatus against Christians. Hundreds of millions of facial recognition cameras help track believers’ whereabouts and create a digital record used to punish them for their so-called disloyal and illegal activities. Their response to this heightened surveillance has been the same to their response to previous threats and attacks. They simply continue in their obedience with joyful hearts, having the counted the cost and considered Christ worthy of any price they must pay. Are we, our families and our churches ready to respond to opposition in a likewise manner? If not, then we are not prepared for persecution.

She spoke softly, just barely forming the words on her lips. She felt self-conscious and she was willing to admit it. “Uh…hello.” Maybe He heard her, maybe He didn’t. She said it again. “Hello.” That should be enough. “I imagine you know who I am, but I’ll introduce myself anyway. It just seems the thing to do. My name is Sally Beth Roe, and I guess one refers to You as … God. Or maybe Jesus. I’ve heard that done. Or … Lord. I understand You go by several titles, and so I hope you’ll indulge me if I grope a bit. It’s been a long time since I’ve tried to pray.

“Uh  . . . anyway, I would like to meet with You today, and discuss my life and what possible role you might wish to play in it. And thank you in advance for your time and attention.”

She stared at her notes. She’d gotten this far. Assuming she had secured God’s attention, she proceeded with the next item. “To quickly review what brought this meeting about, I guess you remember our last visit, approximately thirty years ago, at the . . . uh . . . Mount Zion Baptist Church in Yreka, California. I want You to know that I did enjoy our times together back then. I know I haven’t said anything about it in quite a while and I apologize. Those were precious times, and now they’re favorite memories. I’m glad for them.

“So I suppose You are wondering what happened, and why I broke off our relationship. Well I don’t remember what happened exactly. I know that the courts gave me back to my mother, and she wasn’t about to take me to Sunday school like Aunt Barbara did, and then I went to live in a foster home, and then . . .Well, whatever the case, our times together just didn’t continue, and that’s all . . . Well, I guess it is water under the bridge . . .”

Sally paused. Was there some kind of awakening happening inside her? God could hear her. She could sense it; she just knew it somehow. That was strange. It was something new.

“Well . . .” Now she lost her train of thought. “I think I do sense that You are listening to me, so I want to thank you for that. She got her thoughts back again. “Oh, anyway, I guess I was an angry young woman, and maybe I blamed You for my sorrows, but . . . at any rate, I decided that I could take care of myself, and that’s basically the way it went for most of my life. I’m sure You know the story: I tried atheism, and then humanism with a strong dose of evolution thrown in, and that left me empty and made my life meaningless; so then I tried cosmic humanism and mysticism, and that was good for many years of aimless delusions and torment and, to be honest, the mess I’m in right now; including the fact that I am a convicted felon. You know all about that.”

Okay, Sally, now where do you go from here? You may as well get to the point.

“Well, anyway, I guess what I am trying to say is that Bernice back in Ashton, was right, at least as far as Sally Roe is concerned. I have a moral problem. I’ve read some of the Bible. Uh . . . it’s a good book . . . it’s a fine piece of work – and I’ve come to see that You are a God of morals, of ethics, I’m glad for that, because then we can know where our boundaries are; we can know where we stand . . .

“I’m beating around the bush, I know.”

Sally stopped to think. How should she say it? Just what was it she wanted from God?

“I guess . . .” Oh-oh. Emotion. Maybe this is why I can’t get around to it. “I guess I need to ask You about Your love. I do know it’s there; Mrs. Gunderson always talked about it and so did my Aunt Barbara, and now I’ve had a brief glimpse of it again in my talks with Bernice and that pastor, Hank the Plumber. I need to know that You’ll . . .”   

She stopped. Tears were forming in the corners of her eyes. She wiped them away and took some deep breaths. This was supposed to be business, not some emotional, subjective experience she may later doubt.

“Excuse me. This is difficult. There are a lot of years involved, a lot of emotion.” Another deep breath. “Anyway, I was trying to say that . . . I would like very much for You to accept me.” She stopped and let the tightness in her throat ease. “Because . . . I’ve been told that You love me, and that You’ve arranged for all my wrongs, my moral trespasses, to be paid for and forgiven. I’ve come to understand that Jesus died to pay my penalty, to satisfy your holy justice. Um . . . I appreciate that. Thank You for that kind of love.

“But I . . . I want to enter into that kind of relationship with You. Somehow, I have wronged You, and I have ignored You, and I have tried to be a god myself, as strange as that may sound to You. I have served other spirits, and I have killed my own offspring, and I have worked so hard to lead so many astray . . .”

The tears were coming again. Oh, well. Considering the subject matter, a few tears would not be inappropriate.

“But if You will have me . . . if You will only accept me, I would be more than willing to hand over to You all that I am, and all that I have, whatever it may be worth.” Words from thirty years ago came to her mind, and they captured her feelings perfectly. “Jesus . . .”

She couldn’t stop the emotions this time. Her face flushed, her eyes filled, and she was afraid to go on.

But she did go on, even as her voice broke, as tears ran down her cheeks, as her body began to quake. “Jesus . . . I want You to come into my heart. I want You to forgive me. Please forgive me.”

She was crying and she couldn’t stop. She had to get out of there. She couldn’t let anyone see her like this.

She grabbed her duffel bag and hurried away from the pond, turning off the walkway into the nearby trees. Under their sheltering, spring-fresh leaves, she found a small clearing and sank to her knees on the cool, dry ground. With a new freedom that seclusion brought, the heart of stone became a heart of flesh, the deepest cries of the heart became a fountain, and she and the Lord God began to talk about things as the minutes slipped by unnoticed and the world around her became unimportant.

---

Above, as if another sun had just risen, the darkness opened and pure, white rays broke through the treetops, flooding Sally Beth Roe with a heavenly light, shining through to her heart, her innermost spirit, obscuring her form with a blinding fire of holiness. Slowly, without sensation, without sound, she settled forward her face to the ground, her spirit awash with the presence of God.

All around her, like spokes of a wondrous wheel, like beams of light emanating from the sun, angelic blades lay flat upon the ground, their tips turned toward her, their handles extending outward, held in the strong fists of hundreds of noble warriors who knelt in perfect, concentric circles of glory, light and worship, their heads to the ground, their wings stretching skyward like a flourishing, animated garden of flames. They were silent, their hearts filled with a holy dread.

As in countless times past, in countless places, with marvelous, inscrutable wonder, the Lamb of God stood among them, the Word of God, and more: the final Word, the end of all discussion and challenge, the Creator and the Truth that holds all creation together – most wondrous of all, and most inscrutable of all, the Savior, a title the angels would always behold and marvel about, but which only mankind could know and understand.

He had come to be the Savior of this woman. He knew her by name; and speaking her name, He touched her.

And her sins were gone.

A rustling began in the first row of angels, then in the next, and then, like a wave rushing outward, the silken wings from row upon row of warriors caught the air, raising a roar, and lifted the angels to their feet. The warriors held their swords Heavenward, a forest of fiery blades, and began to shout in tumultuous joy, their voices rumbling and shaking the whole spiritual realm.

Guilo, as brilliantly glorified as ever he was, took his place above them all, and swept his sword about him in burning arcs as he shouted, “Worthy is the Lamb!”

               “Worthy is the Lamb!” the warriors thundered.

               “Worthy is the Lamb!” Guilo shouted more loudly.

               “Worthy is the Lamb!” they all answered.

               “For He was slain!”

               “For He was slain!”

Guilo pointed his sword at Sally Beth Roe, prostrate, her face to the ground, still communing with her newfound Savior. “And with His blood He has purchased for God the woman, Sally Beth Roe!”

The swords waved, and their light pierced the darkness as lightning pierces the night. “He has purchased Sally Beth Roe!”

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,” Guilo began, and then they all sang the words together with voices that shook the earth, “to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”

Then came another roar, from voices and from wings, and another flashing of hundreds of swords. The wings took hold, and the skies filled with warriors, swirling, shouting, cheering, worshiping, their light washing over the earth for miles around.

---

Miles away, some of Destroyer’s demons covered their eyes against the blinding light.

               “Oh no!” said one. “Another soul redeemed!”

               “One of our prisoners set free!” wailed another.

A quick, sharp-eyed spy returned from taking a closer look.

               “Who is it this time?” they asked.

               The spirit answered, “You will not like the news!”

---

Tal and Guilo embraced, jumping, spinning, laughing. “Saved! Sally Beth Roe is saved! Our God has her at last!”

They remained, along with their warriors, keeping the hedge about her strong and brilliant, making sure that her conference with the Lord would proceed undisturbed.

Time passed, of course, but no one seemed to notice or care.

Later – she didn’t know how much later – Sally pressed her palms against the earth and slowly lifted herself up to a seated position, brushing dry leaves and humus from her clothes and using a handkerchief to wipe her face. She had been through an uncanny, perfectly marvelous experience, and the effect still lingered. A change, a deep, personal, moral restoration had taken place, not just in her subjective perceptions, but in fact. This was something new, something truly extraordinary.

“So this must be what they mean by ‘getting saved,’” she said aloud.

Things were different. The Sally Roe who first ducked into these woods was not the same Sally Roe that now sat in the leaves, a trembling, awestruck, tear-stained, happy mess.

Before, she had felt lost and aimless. Now she felt secure, safe in God’s hands.

Before, her life had no meaning. Now it did, with even more purpose and meaning yet to be discovered.

Before, she had been oppressed and laden with guilt. Now she was cleansed. She was free. She was forgiven.

Before, she was so alone. Now she had a friend closer than any other.

---

As for her old friends, her tormentors . . .

Outside that hedge, thrown there like garbage into a dumpster, Despair, Death, Insanity, Suicide and Fear sulked in the bushes, unable to return. They looked at each other, ready to squabble should any one of them dare to say the first word.

They were out. Vanquished. Through. Just like that. Somehow, she’d no sooner become a child of God than she began to assert her rights and authority as such. She didn’t say a lot, she didn’t make it flowery. She simply ordered them out of her life.

               “She learns fast,” said Despair.

The other spit at him for saying it.  

Genesis 2: 3-6

But of the fruit of the tree, which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

1. The lies and half-truths “…Ye shall not surely die…. Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil”

Whether the lies we are told by others, or the ones we tell ourselves, these are usually very subtle: “it is for a good cause” “No one is watching” “I will repent tomorrow” “Love is love” “Body no be firewood” “I am not really hurting anybody” “We are adults!”. We rationalize these into many shades of grey that trying to see the truth is like looking through a hazy lens. These lies get craftier and far-reaching, I fear for the kids of today

• 2. The enticement “…the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and it was pleasant to the eyes”

When the lie is accepted, the allure of the fruit gets more irresistible. It really is pleasant to the eyes! “Be careful little eyes what you see!” The object of sin is beautiful: the extra wads of cash, the curves, the dopamine surges. Once the eye gate has been activated, the ball’s already rolling now, leading to the 3^rd stage

• 3. Led by one’s own lust “…and a tree to be desired to make one wise…”

James 1:14 says: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. The most likely people to do a particular thing are those that say they can never do it. It is when you understand that this lust is ‘inbuilt’, then you will take steps to make certain that you don’t feed your lusts. Be very wary of your heart. Out of it proceeds evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies, which defile a man (Matt. 15:19). When the heart leads the man, then the culmination of the sin process happens.

• 4. The deed of sin “…she took the fruit thereof and did eat”

This should not come as a surprise. Of course, she ate the fruit. It is difficult now to hit the brakes. Now you are fighting battles that you should not be fighting. “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin” James 1:15. You are casting and binding in a place or situation where you are primed to fall. You are already in full expectation of the excitement that will come from the next step. The tab is already open on your screen, and you are ‘struggling’ not to take a look. You know how fat your bank account will be with a mouse click. You can already feel the hit of dopamine. You are hooked. And then the deed is done.

• 5. Convincing others to partake “…and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat”

This usually involves some sort of emotional, physical and/or legal manipulation. This is the age of the ‘Cancel culture’. You say something contrary to popular societal beliefs, you are canceled, labeled a phobe. Your licenses can be revoked, even physically threatened. The ultimate success of sin is in being widely accepted as true, and truth as preposterous.  

A word to Christian parents and potential parents: Be very careful about your life. It is only the Truth that will set you free. Non-negotiable: You MUST know Him! Not experience Him, KNOW him. Not feeling-based but Bible-based. John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. When you know the truth, you stand a chance. Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. The lies are becoming the norm. The world you grew up in is not the same your kids will. Be very careful about your parenting.

The last quarter of the twentieth century witnessed the public embrace of the “sensuous.” The Sensuous Woman, The Sensuous Man, The Sensuous Couple and The Sensuous Divorcee became bestsellers, and some remain in print decades later! One dictionary defines sensuous as, “pertaining to the senses or sensible objects: highly susceptible to influence through the senses.” In other words, sensuous people live by their feelings rather through their understanding. Today on television we can see this sensuality prominently displayed . Famous TV talk-show hosts often encourage their guests to “vent,” exposing their private feelings and emotions to millions of viewers.

Sadly, this kind of sensuality has also wormed its way into the church. Many of us have become sensuous Christians, living by our feelings rather than through our understanding of the Word of God. Sensuous Christians cannot be moved to service, prayer or study unless they “feel like it.” Their Christian life is only as effective as the intensity of present feelings. When they experience spiritual euphoria, they are a whirlwind of godly activity; when they are depressed, they are a spiritual incompetent. They constantly seek new and fresh spiritual experiences , and use them to determine the Word of God. Their “inner feelings” become the ultimate test of truth.

Sensuous Christians don’t need to study the Word of God because they already know the will of God by their feelings. They don’t want to know God; they want to experience him. Sensuous Christians equate “childlike faith” with ignorance. They think that when the Bible calls us to childlike faith, it means a faith without content, a faith without understanding. They don’t know that the Bible says, “In evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature” (1 Cor 14:20). They don’t realize that Paul tells us again and again, “My beloved brethren, I would not have you ignorant” (see, for example, Rom 11:25).

Sensuous Christians go their merry way until they encounter the pain of life that is not so merry – and they fold. They usually end up embracing a kind of “relational theology” (a curse on modern Christianity) where relationships and experience take precedence over the Word of God. If the Scripture calls us to action that may jeopardize a personal relationship, then the Scripture must be compromised. The highest law of sensuous Christians is that bad feelings must be avoided at all cost.

The Bible is addressed primarily, though not exclusively, to our understanding. That means the mind. This is difficult to communicate to modern Christians who are living in what may be the anti-intellectual period of Western civilization. Notice I did not say anti-academic or anti-technological or anti-scholarly. I said anti-intellectual. There is a strong current of antipathy to the function of the mind in the Christian life.

To be sure, there are historical reasons for this kind of reaction. Many laypeople have felt the result of what one theologian has called “the treason of the intellectual.” So much skepticism, cynicism and negative criticism have spewed forth from the intellectual world of theologians that laypeople have lost their trust in intellectual enterprises. In many cases there is the fear that faith will not hold up under intellectual scrutiny, so the defense becomes the denigration of the human mind. We turn to feelings rather than to our minds to establish and preserve our faith. This is a serious problem we face in the twenty-first-century church.

Christianity is supremely intellectual though not intellectualistic. That is, Scripture is addressed to the intellect without at the same time embracing a spirit of intellectualism. The Christian life is not to be a life of bare conjecture or cold rationalism but one of vibrant passion. Strong feelings of joy, love and exaltation are called for again and again. But those passionate feelings are a response to what we understand with our minds to be true. When we read in Scripture, “Take courage; I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33), “ho hum” is not an appropriate response. We can be of good cheer because we understand that Christ has indeed overcome the world. That thrills our souls and sets our feet to dancing. What is more precious than to experience the sweetness of the presence of Christ or the nearness of the Holy Spirit?

God forbid that we should lose our passion or go through the Christian pilgrimage without any experience of Christ. But what happens when there is a conflict between what God says and what I feel? We must do what God says, like it or not. That is what Christianity is all about.

Culled from Knowing Scripture – R.C. Sproul