Just sharing.

[beensetfree]

And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor??

Jeremiah 2:18

By sundry miracles, by divers mercies, by strange deliverances Jehovah had proved himself to be worthy of Israel's trust. Yet they broke down the hedges with which God had enclosed them as a sacred garden; they forsook their own true and living God, and followed after false gods. Constantly did the Lord reprove them for this infatuation, and our text contains one instance of God's expostulating with them, ?What hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of the muddy river?? ? for so it may be translated. ?Why dost thou wander afar and leave thine own cool stream from Lebanon? Why dost thou forsake Jerusalem to turn aside to Noph and to Tahapanes? Why art thou so strangely set on mischief, that thou canst not be content with the good and healthful, but wouldst follow after that which is evil and deceitful??

Is there not here a word of expostulation and warning to the Christian? O true believer, called by grace and washed in the precious blood of Jesus, thou hast tasted of better drink than the muddy river of this world's pleasure can give thee; thou hast had fellowship with Christ; thou hast obtained the joy of seeing Jesus, and leaning thine head upon his bosom. Do the trifles, the songs, the honours, the merriment of this earth content thee after that? Hast thou eaten the bread of angels, and canst thou live on husks?

Good Rutherford once said, ?I have tasted of Christ's own manna, and it hath put my mouth out of taste for the brown bread of this world's joys.? Methinks it should be so with thee. If thou art wandering after the waters of Egypt, O return quickly to the one living fountain: the waters of Sihor may be sweet to the Egyptians, but they will prove only bitterness to thee. What hast thou to do with them? Jesus asks thee this question this evening?what wilt thou answer him ?

 

[beensetfree]

After All


I use to be scared of the future, and to an extent I still am. But something significant has changed in my life.

I use to think to myself, "Wow, the world is so messed up. No one is following God, and even those who say they do are compromising on very important issues. America is going downhill." I would get depressed thinking about trying to be a Christian in a future America, let alone trying to raise a godly family in that sort of environment.

This past year, my outlook has begun to change. This week in particular has really made me reevaluate my thinking.

All throughout history there have been ups and downs--periods where the majority of people in a given country have followed God and have been blessed for it, and then periods where darkness has become the status quo, and the church compromises and gets to a low point.

But it always returns--there is always a rejuvenation in the culture, and life is breathed into the world again. No matter how dark it may get, the light of a single candle is all it takes to pierce it. And through it all, God never leaves us. His promises are true in the dark times and the times of joy.

Statistics say that only 10% of the people in a society have to believe passionately about something for the culture to begin to shift. If all of us, as Christians, stood up for Christ and DID something about the state of our country, it could change overnight. But we sit on our butts and let the 10% in charge of society right now dictate where we are headed.

This past week I've been at a Christian camp in Montello, Wisconsin, pouring out myself and being poured into at the same time. I've been humbled, strengthened, and blessed beyond anything I thought possible.

This year's camp theme was God's creation. Our culture has been indoctrinated with atheism and evolution for years and years, slowly being pulled away from the truth of Earth's history and being brainwashed with revisionist history and what many would call, "scientific fact" but what is really just a bunch of assumptions believed through blind faith. The truth about the special design of the universe and how everything points to it has been all but erased from popular culture.

I have heard this topic dozens of times—my dad has taught the subject at youth group often, as well as at camp seven years ago, and we as a family are always reading about it and learning more about what the Bible has to say about the beginning of history. But this time, I came away with something new.

A determination.

The world is messed up right now, it's true. But that doesn't mean it can't change, it doesn't mean we can't be the ones to do something about it, and it DOES NOT mean that God is any less true or any less good. We, as Christians, have a responsibility to the world to show it the truth, to be salt and light—preserving and illuminating—for a depraved generation. And the time to do this is not in twenty years, or in one year—it's now.

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." – 1 Timothy 4:1

We, as teenagers, and yes, even those that are younger, like the kids I worked with at Kidz Camp this past week, are not the generation of tomorrow—we are the generation of TODAY. If we start today, if we have the courage to stop nodding our heads at the things we know are wrong, if we have the humility to give ourselves fully to Christ and live a life pleasing to him, if we have the faith to go boldly into the future with God at our side—nothing can stop us.

I admit, that scares me. Even as I write this, I am challenging myself with the same concept. I said I was ALL IN at a youth conference in Chicago this April, but did I mean it, and am I willing to actually live it?

Yes. Yes, I am. I have struggled with many things throughout my young life—sins, attitudes, procrastination—but as I sit here in my house after being gone for a week, being filled with the Holy Spirit countless times, and really FEELING God's presence throughout that week, I really am ready to take that step.

I look down—my shoes are red. A reminder to myself that it will be a hard road. Blood will be on this road, dirt will be on this road, pain, heartache, weakness, and despair will be on this road. But my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ is on this road. And so shall I be as well.

God breathed life into me, and it's time I gave him that breath back—all of it. I owe him that much, at the very least. After all the pain and suffering He went through to save me from an eternity of separation from Him, the holy God of the universe stepping into his creation and dying for it—I have to realize that fact. I belong to God, and if I don't live my life for Him, then what else is there?

Nothing. Without God, there is no purpose—and that's why this makes so much sense. The world is too beautifully created to be an accident. Everything points to that fact. And though some would willingly ignore and reject God, I won't be among their ranks.

You know that fence we all hang on at one point or another, the one that divides the followers of God from those who reject him? I just kicked it down. Yes, it hurts. Yes, giving up things I know are not godly is going to make me bleed, but it is so worth it. The blood on my shoes is a reminder to me.

A reminder that Jesus bled for me. I can do the same for Him. It will never measure up to His sacrifice, but I owe him too much to not try.

The last night of camp I prayed. Prayed more diligently and purposefully then I think I ever have in my life. And I promised God and myself that I would take the first step. That if I was the only one in this generation who would follow Him, I would do it.

But that's what's amazing—I'm not the only one. I have a great cloud of witnesses surrounding me, my friends, my family, my church. And together, we can change the world. This generation can change EVERYTHING.

We can be the candle in the dark room. We can be the fire that burns pure. We can be the hope that this broken, fallen world desperately needs. But we can't do it without God.

And so we are stepping out. I take a step forward, and I look around. Who will join me? Am I alone in a crowd of people that don't care about the truth? But then I see it. Their feet—they have the same shoes. Red shoes, like mine. They have bled. They have trusted. They will fight.

An army steps forward.

I'm not saying we won't stumble. I'm not saying we won't be angry at God sometimes, or be hurting so much we want to give up. But I am saying we will keep each other accountable. I am saying that we will lift each other up, and strengthen each other, and love each other. I am saying that we will give everything we have. For we have seen the light at the end of this broken road we walk, and it is the most beautiful thing we have ever seen.

And so there we shall go.

"Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you." –Proverbs 4:25

That is my prayer for all of us. That we focus our eyes on Jesus and never look back. The army takes another step. And then they begin to sing.

"Hosanna, we are found after all. You are holy."

 

[beensetfree]

Our strength is in the Lord!
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

Ephesians 6:10,11 NASB

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Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.

1 Corinthians 16:13,14 NIV

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From the end of the earth
will I cry unto thee,
when my heart is overwhelmed:
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

For thou hast been a shelter for me,
and a strong tower from the enemy.

I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever:
I will trust in the covert of thy wings.

Psalm 61:2-4 KJV

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You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 2:1-3 NKJV

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“Why go I mourning?”

Psalm 42:9

Canst thou answer this, believer? Canst thou find any reason why thou art so often mourning instead of rejoicing? Why yield to gloomy anticipations? Who told thee that the night would never end in day? Who told thee that the sea of circumstances would ebb out till there should be nothing left but long leagues of the m&d of horrible poverty? Who told thee that the winter of thy discontent would proceed from frost to frost, from snow, and ice, and hail, to deeper snow, and yet more heavy tempest of despair?

Knowest thou not that day follows night, that flood comes after ebb, that spring and summer succeed winter? Hope thou then! Hope thou ever! For God fails thee not. Dost thou not know that thy God loves thee in the midst of all this? Mountains, when in darkness hidden, are as real as in day, and God's love is as true to thee now as it was in thy brightest moments. No father chastens always: thy Lord hates the rod as much as thou dost; he only cares to use it for that reason which should make thee willing to receive it, namely, that it works thy lasting good.

Thou shalt yet climb Jacob's ladder with the angels, and behold him who sits at the top of it—thy covenant God. Thou shalt yet, amidst the splendours of eternity, forget the trials of time, or only remember them to bless the God who led thee through them, and wrought thy lasting good by them. Come, sing in the midst of tribulation. Rejoice even while passing through the furnace. Make the wilderness to blossom like the rose! Cause the desert to ring with thine exulting joys, for these light afflictions will soon be over, and then “for ever with the Lord,” thy bliss shall never wane.

“Faint not nor fear, his arms are near,
He changeth not, and thou art dear;
Only believe and thou shalt see,
That Christ is all in all to thee.”

 

[beensetfree]

Most Bible commentaries state that the site of the Garden of Eden was in the Middle East, situated somewhere near where the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers are today. This is based on the description given in Genesis 2:8-14:

The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden. . . . Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads. The name of the first is Pishon. . . . The name of the second river is Gihon. . . . The name of the third river is Hiddekel [Tigris]. . . . The fourth river is the Euphrates.​

Even the great theologian John Calvin struggled over the exact location of the Garden of Eden. In his commentary on Genesis he states:

Moses says that one river flowed to water the garden, which afterwards would divide itself into four heads. It is sufficiently agreed among all, that two of these heads are the Euphrates and the Tigris; for no one disputes that . . . (Hiddekel) is the Tigris. But there is a great controversy respecting the other two. Many think, that Pison and Gihon are the Ganges and the Nile; the error, however, of these men is abundantly refuted by the distance of the positions of these rivers. Persons are not wanting who fly across even to the Danube; as if indeed the habitation of one man stretched itself from the most remote part of Asia to the extremity of Europe. But since many other celebrated rivers flow by the region of which we are speaking, there is greater probability in the opinion of those who believe that two of these rivers are pointed out, although their names are now obsolete. Be this as it may, the difficulty is not yet solved. For Moses divides the one river which flowed by the garden into four heads. Yet it appears, that the fountains of the Euphrates and the Tigris were far distant from each other.​

Calvin recognized that the description given in Genesis 2 concerning the location of the Garden of Eden does not fit with what is observed regarding the present Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. God’s Word makes it clear that the Garden of Eden was located where there were four rivers coming from one head. No matter how one tries to fit this location in the Middle East today, it just can’t be done.

Interestingly, Calvin goes on to say:

From this difficulty, some would free themselves by saying that the surface of the globe may have been changed by the deluge. . . .

This is a major consideration that needs to be taken into account. The worldwide, catastrophic Flood of Noah’s day would have destroyed the surface of the earth. If most of the sedimentary strata over the earth’s surface (many thousands of feet thick in places) is the result of this global catastrophe as creationists believe, then we would have no idea where the Garden of Eden was originally located—the earth’s surface totally changed as a result of the Flood.

​

Not only this, but underneath the region where the present Tigris and Euphrates Rivers are located there exists hundreds of feet of sedimentary strata—a significant amount of which is fossiliferous. Such fossil-bearing strata had to be laid down at the time of the Flood.

Therefore, no one can logically suggest that the area where the present Tigris and Euphrates Rivers are today is the location of the Garden of Eden, for this area is sitting on Flood strata containing billions of dead things (fossils). The perfect Garden of Eden can’t be sitting on billions of dead things before sin entered the world!

This being the case, the question then is why are there rivers named Tigris and Euphrates in the Middle East today?

Many wrongly conclude that the Garden of Eden was somewhere in the Middle East based on the names of the rivers in Genesis 2.

In Australia, one will recognize many names that are also used in England (e.g., Newcastle). The reason is that when the settlers came out from England to Australia, they used names they were familiar with in England to name new places/towns in Australia.

Another example is the names given to many rivers in the United States. There is the Thames River in Connecticut, the Severn River in Maryland, and the Trent River in North Carolina—all named for prominent rivers in the UK.

In a similar way, when Noah and his family came out of the ark after it landed in the area we today call the Middle East (the region of the Mountains of Ararat), it would not have been surprising for them to use names they were familiar with from the pre-Flood world (e.g., Tigris and Euphrates), to name places and rivers, etc., in the world after the Flood.

Ultimately, we don’t know where the Garden of Eden was located. To insist that the Garden was located in the area around the present Tigris and Euphrates Rivers is to deny the catastrophic effects of the global Flood of Noah’s day, and to allow for death before sin.

 

[beensetfree]

Revive us O, Lord!
Revive us, and we will call upon Your name.

O LORD God of hosts, restore us;
Cause Your face to shine upon us,
and we will be saved.

Psalm 80:18b, 19 NASB

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Though you have made me see troubles,
many and bitter,
You will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
You will again bring me up.

Psalm 71:20 NIV

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Come, and let us return to the LORD;
For He has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will bind us up.

After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live in His sight.

Let us know,
Let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD.
His going forth is established as the morning;
He will come to us like the rain,
Like the latter and former rain to the earth.

Hosea 6:1-3 NKJV

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Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
thou wilt revive me:
thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against
the wrath of mine enemies,
and thy right hand shall save me.

The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me:
thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever:
forsake not the works of thine own hands.

Psalm 138:7,8 KJV

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench.”

Matthew 12:20

What is weaker than the bruised reed or the smoking flax? A reed that groweth in the fen or marsh, let but the wild duck light upon it, and it snaps; let but the foot of man brush against it, and it is bruised and broken; every wind that flits across the river moves it to and fro. You can conceive of nothing more frail or brittle, or whose existence is more in jeopardy, than a bruised reed. Then look at the smoking flax — what is it? It has a spark within it, it is true, but it is almost smothered; an infant's breath might blow it out; nothing has a more precarious existence than its flame.

Weak things are here described, yet Jesus says of them, “The smoking flax I will not quench; the bruised reed I will not break.” Some of God's children are made strong to do mighty works for him; God has his Samsons here and there who can pull up Gaza's gates, and carry them to the top of the hill; he has a few mighties who are lion-like men, but the majority of his people are a timid, trembling race. They are like starlings, frightened at every passer by; a little fearful flock. If temptation comes, they are taken like birds in a snare; if trial threatens, they are ready to faint; their frail skiff is tossed up and down by every wave, they are drifted along like a sea bird on the crest of the billows — weak things, without strength, without wisdom, without foresight.

Yet, weak as they are, and because they are so weak, they have this promise made specially to them. Herein is grace and graciousness! Herein is love and lovingkindness! How it opens to us the compassion of Jesus—so gentle, tender, considerate! We need never shrink back from his touch. We need never fear a harsh word from him; though he might well chide us for our weakness, he rebuketh not. Bruised reeds shall have no blows from him, and the smoking flax no damping frowns.

 

[beensetfree]

What Makes You Beautiful

You're insecure,
Don't know what for,
You're turning heads when you walk through the door.
Don't need make-up,
To cover up,
Being the way that you are is enough.

From What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction​

​

Move over Justin B.apparently 1D has stormed the beaches enough to invade your YouTube territory, baby! What Makes You Beautiful is much more than an internet splash with over 140 million views and rising like the tide.

Or maybe a small assembly of teen and tweenage girls have watched and replayed the video hundreds of thousands of times since its February release?

Either way, the overwhelmingly hair flipping boy band is moving rapidly in one successful direction, and they are proving what they believe by putting it in a song. And their message is-

Somebody is beautiful.

Who? Well at least the three girls in the video are to Liam and the mates - and apparently the standard for beauty consists of an innate twirling ability, the capacity to take 1D seriously, and mad sparkler waving skills.

And I may be mistaken, but it feels like 'beautiful' is mainly equated with physical appearance:

You don't know you're beautiful,
If only you saw what I can see,
You'll understand why I want you so desperately.
Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe,
You don't know,
Oh oh,
You don't know you're beautiful.​

This And if that's true, then this song is yet another run of the mill "looks mean everything" kind of deal - right? I grieve for people who are trapped in that game, because the "I'm valuable because I'm pretty/handsome" worldview is the express lane to a shallow life. All external beauty fades, and before you know it, you'll end up turning into a surgery obsessed person with your skin stretched out more than a used rubber band.(Hollywood, anyone?)

But I would like to show you what really makes you beautiful:

​

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. I thank you, High God?you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration?what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something.

Your thoughts towards me?how rare, how beautiful! God, I'll never comprehend them! I couldn't even begin to count them? any more than I could count the sand of the sea(Psalm 139:13-15;17-19).​

When God looks at you, He sees beauty because He handcrafted you from conception. All the unique features and intricate facets of your being are the result of God's artistic endeavor. And because we are a direct production of the Potter's hand, we are in His loving thoughts more than 140 billion times a day!

And. we're beautiful.

Maybe not by the world's petty, small minded, one dimensional, superficial and super facial standards - but we are defined as beautiful because we reflect the image of the Beautiful One who created us. And when you download this truth into the core of your self-perception, everything changes.

And your life can start moving in a different direction, knowing that God is making you more beautiful each day in eternal ways. Here's the way C.S. Lewis describes this process:

Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself."

From Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis​

I love waking up each morning knowing that I ama holy construction project that is becoming more stunning in His sight each day. I've been set free from the shackles of our shallow society's standard of what makes people beautiful - and that's a good thing.

​

And this is a huge motivation for sharing our faith with our friends who don't know Jesus - right? People watch videos like 1D's Volkswagen commercial because they desperately desire for someone to tell them that they are beautiful. And what great news we have to share with them, wouldn't you agree?

When people place their trust in Jesus Christ for salvation, He empowers them to shatter the world's warped circus mirror that supposedly defines our worth and replace it with the true image of the God who chose to die rather than live without us. He changes the lyrics to-

If only you saw what He can see,
You'll understand why He loves you so desperately.​

When So friends, no more smiling at the ground. Look up to heaven where you know God is smiling down on you.that's what makes you beautiful!

Everyone longs to feel valued and "beautiful." So yes, even a boy band video can be used in THE Cause when you focus on this theme. Pray for opportunities this week to use this song to bridge a conversation about the gospel and how God made all of us beautiful.

Father, we all want to feel valuable, and we praise you that we are Your unique creation. Help us realize each day that our worth is not defined by the world, but by the fact that You knit us together from the moment we came into this world. Please help us reach our friends who are trapped by the world's destructive standards of beauty.

Ephesians 2:10. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

 

[beensetfree]

We must walk in His Light.
Now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

1 John 3:2,3 NIV

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For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Titus 2:11-14 KJV

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Jesus, being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Hebrews 1:3,4 KJV

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If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:8,9 NASB

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“Behold the man!”

John 19:5

If there be one place where our Lord Jesus most fully becomes the joy and comfort of his people, it is where he plunged deepest into the depths of woe. Come hither, gracious souls, and behold the man in the garden of Gethsemane; behold his heart so brimming with love that he cannot hold it in — so full of sorrow that it must find a vent. Behold the bloody sweat as it distils from every pore of his body, and falls upon the ground. Behold the man as they drive the nails into his hands and feet.

Look up, repenting sinners, and see the sorrowful image of your suffering Lord. Mark him, as the ruby drops stand on the thorn-crown, and adorn with priceless gems the diadem of the King of Misery. Behold the man when all his bones are out of joint, and he is poured out like water and brought into the dust of death; God hath forsaken him, and hell compasseth him about. Behold and see, was there ever sorrow like unto his sorrow that is done unto him? All ye that pass by draw near and look upon this spectacle of grief, unique, unparalleled, a wonder to men and angels, a prodigy unmatched.

Behold the Emperor of Woe who had no equal or rival in his agonies! Gaze upon him, ye mourners, for if there be not consolation in a crucified Christ there is no joy in earth or heaven. If in the ransom price of his blood there be not hope, ye harps of heaven, there is no joy in you, and the right hand of God shall know no pleasures for evermore. We have only to sit more continually at the cross foot to be less troubled with our doubts and woes. We have but to see his sorrows, and our sorrows we shall be ashamed to mention. We have but to gaze into his wounds and heal our own. If we would live aright it must be by the contemplation of his death; if we would rise to dignity, it must be by considering his humiliation and his sorrow.

 

[beensetfree]

What Causes Churches To Die Or Close?
J

Why do some churches close while others flourish? Why do churches die or close their doors?

Church Closings
Churches close every single day in this country, and even though some have been around for over a century, like our church has, some end up closing their doors, or they simply fade out of existence due to irrelevance, population shifts, societal changes, corrupt church leadership, and sometimes it’s no one’s fault at all. Churches are like human beings. They are born, they live, they thrive, and then they die, but it’s not the end of the world.

Those who must go on to another church will still be in the church, meaning they are members of the universal Body of Christ, because the church is not composed of brick and mortar. It is made up of flesh and blood beings, whose only qualification for joining the church is to be a sinner. If a person doesn’t admit they still sin after conversion, then that’s something that they will have to take up with God (1st John 1:8, 10). It’s important to recognize that the church contains both sinners and saints. They are each and both at the same time. A church that is healthy has a biblical view of self (Rom 3:10-12, 23), but also of the Savior (Mark 10:45)

Urbanization
The movement of agricultural jobs to industrial or service jobs has caused an emptying of the bread basket regions. As jobs go, so go the people, and when the jobs began to shift to the cities after the Industrial Revolution, the majority of the population went with them. That has led to an urbanization of America. Many small town stores began to closes down because the cities had larger stores at lesser prices.

This shrunk the smaller towns even more, and some simply disappeared because those local stores that were closed had provided jobs for the local population, so at least the small town could have survived, but when those jobs were gone, so was the town. That’s why some churches closed. The people left so churches were left with no support, however the churches in the city and urban areas began to grow due to this shift in population. What this means is that even though the local church buildings were closed, the churches weren’t. The members just moved somewhere elsewhere, but in those members, that church is still there

No Missions or Purpose
Church leaders and members must ask themselves, “Why would God keep a church alive that does not preach the Bible and does not evangelizing?” I can’t come up with a good answer to that, but churches that do not “Go!” (Matt 28:18-20), typically do not grow. Churches that don’t rely on expository, verse by verse preaching, for the most part, neglect to unleash the power that is in the gospel. The Apostle Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom 1:16), and even though “the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1st Cor 1:18).

I remember a young associate pastor in training for the pastorate asking me, “How do I come up with sermons?” to which I said, “I hope I never come up with a sermon…I pray it is God Who comes up with one for me to preach. “ One thing I told him to rely on was the Word of God. Paul told Timothy to make friends and influence people….no, wait, Paul actually told Timothy to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2nd Tim 4:2). Undoubtedly he will (as I have) step on a few toes, but before the Word cuts those who hear it, it cuts me first…and it cuts me to the bone, so the Word must be preached. That is the purpose of the church…to grow them in holiness…to proclaim the gospel…and above all, to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

Systemic Sin
When a church begins to look the other way when there are members within the body living in serious sins, such as adultery, corruption, drunkenness, drug abuse, violence in the home, or any other such thing as these, then that church has failed to follow Jesus’ admonition for church discipline. In Matthew 18 we read about the church for the very first time and it’s in regard to church discipline. Jesus said if a brother or sister sins against us, go to them in private, and if that doesn’t’ work, take one or, at the most, two more with you. If this doesn’t work, it’s to be brought up before the whole church, disfellowshipping them if necessary (Matt 18:17), but doesn’t that seem a bit harsh?

No, besides these are Jesus instructions and not His suggestions. The truth is, only a little bit of leavening will leaven (or infect) the whole lump (the body), so imagine what a lot of leavening would do? Of course, we all fall in many ways and still sin after conversion, but if a believer is living in sin and doesn’t repent of that sin, they church must step in…for the good of the Bride (the church) and for the good of the person who refused to hear the church. The hope is they will come back in humble repentance and confess this to God.

The Sacraments
The sacraments are an essential part of the local body, so when churches begin to minimize this or even stop partaking of it, they are losing a valuable work that the sacraments have upon the Body of Christ. The sacraments remind us of our sinful state, of the enormous price that Christ paid, and that Jesus shed His blood and sacrificed His body for us, even while we were His enemies (Rom 5:10). The body and bread are tied to the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, and are somber reminders of the Passion of our Lord Who as battered and bruised so that we might receive spiritual healing, or the forgiveness of sins. The wine (or juice) and the blood remind us that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins, and without Christ’s shed blood, there is no removal of our sins and there is no eternal life but only a fearful expectation of eternal death.

Conclusion
We are commanded to not forsake the assembling of ourselves, because we’re going to need one another as Christ’s return draws near (Heb 10:24-25), but the church is not a building or a denomination. It’s the Body of Christ and it’s composed of individual members, placed within the Body as it seems good to Him. It’s not a matter of the human will or a choice of the flesh, but of God, Who alone calls and places whom He chooses. When a church is full of “pew potatoes” that don’t evangelize, they will fossilize. And churches must deal with sin issues, not trivial matters, but things where a person is sinning against their own body (1st Cor 6:18), and they must not forsake the sacraments, which remind us of the ultimate price God paid and that was the Son of God dying for the children of God and for the glory of God.

 

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He is the Potter, we are the clay
But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.

Then the word of the LORD came to me saying,

"Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.

Jeremiah 18:4-6 NASB

__________________

Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'

Matthew 20:15 NIV

__________________

But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, "Why have you made me like this?" Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?

Romans 9:20,21 NKJV

__________________

But now, O LORD, thou art our father;
we are the clay, and thou our potter;
and we all are the work of thy hand.

Be not wroth very sore, O LORD,
neither remember iniquity for ever:
behold, see, we beseech thee,
we are all thy people.

Isaiah 64:8,9 KJV

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

His camp is very great.?

Joel 2:11

Consider, my soul, the mightiness of the Lord who is thy glory and defense. He is a man of war, Jehovah is his name. All the forces of heaven are at his beck, legions wait at his door, cherubim and seraphim;, watchers and holy ones, principalities and powers, are all attentive to his will. If our eyes were not blinded by the ophthalmia of the flesh, we should see horses of fire and chariots of fire round about the Lord's beloved.

The powers of nature are all subject to the absolute control of the Creator: stormy wind and tempest, lightning and rain, and snow, and hail, and the soft dews and cheering sunshine, come and go at his decree. The bands of Orion he looses, and binds the sweet influences of the Pleiades. Earth, sea, and air, and the places under the earth, are the barracks for Jehovah's great armies; space is his camping ground, light is his banner, and flame is his sword.

When he goes forth to war, famine ravages the land, pestilence smites the nations, hurricane sweeps the sea, tornado shakes the mountains, and earthquake makes the solid world to tremble. As for animate creatures, they all own his dominion, and from the great fish which swallowed the prophet, down to ?all manner of flies,? which plagued the field of Zoan, all are his servants, and like the palmer-worm, the caterpillar, and the cankerworm, are squadrons of his great army, for his camp is very great.

My soul, see to it that thou be at peace with this mighty King, yea, more, be sure to enlist under his banner, for to war against him is madness, and to serve him is glory. Jesus, Immanuel, God with us, is ready to receive recruits for the army of the Lord: if I am not already enlisted let me go to him ere I sleep, and beg to be accepted through his merits; and if I be already, as I hope I am, a soldier of the cross, let me be of good courage; for the enemy is powerless compared with my Lord, whose camp is very great.

 

[beensetfree]

Dying For Company



James said that pure religion is visiting the orphans and widows in their affliction (James 1:27), so how can you begin a nursing home ministry in order to practice “pure religion?”

Reasons for a Ministry
Every ministry that Jesus commanded the church to do is laid down in Scripture; from the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20; Acts 1:8) to the admonition to care for the poor and to feed the flock. Jesus said His body will be visiting the sick, those in prison, making strangers feel welcomed, and help the poor (Matt 25:34-39), and as Jesus sees it, “as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (Matt 25:40). What you do doesn’t contribute to your salvation, but it does reveal your faith at work because of your obedience to His commands. James writes, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world (James 1:27).”

James’ instruction to keep oneself unspotted or unstained from the world is important because God will not accept any work, no matter how good it is, if it comes from unclean hands with unconfessed sins, so if a person is in a right relationship with God and their fellowship is not broken by unrepentant and ongoing sin, there is more than good enough to begin a nursing ministry and one that can include Bible studies, church services, and visitation, or all three.

Booming Population
At the rate that our nation is aging, the nursing home or attendant care homes will see some of the most explosive growth in history, but tragically, the vast majority of those who are placed there are all too often forgotten, becoming a disenfranchised portion of society that society itself has seemed to distance itself from. The first 7 people I spoke with at the local nursing home said that they have never had any visitors since they’ve been there; no family, no friends, and no visits. There are well over a million and a half people living in nursing homes or assisted care facilities, and this doesn’t count shut-in’s who must depend on home health care, and many of these have never had a visitor outside of their care providers; that is if they can even get one. And these residents are not all elderly. Some are placed there after a debilitating accident or injury that left them unable to care for themselves

Dying for Company
The superintendent of the local nursing home told me that within the first two years of living there, about 1/4th will die. Could some of these residents be dying from loneliness or a lack of companionship? Are people literally dying for company? I believe there is strong correlation between living a long life and having companionship. How many have heard of an elderly couple losing their mate, and then their mate follows not long after? Today, there are over 1.6 million residents in the U.S. in nursing homes and of that, roughly 60% receive no visitors at all. [1] That means, for every 10 residents in a care facility, only 4 in 10 receive regular or at least, occasional visits from family and/or friends. What do all these numbers mean? It means that when people are forced to enter a nursing home due to declining age, inability to care for oneself, by disease or by accident, they are often forgotten by society, which might explain why between 50 to 60 percent of people admitted to care homes die within the first two years. Even worse, the mortality rates are highest in the first six months of entering into a nursing home.

Starting from Scratch
You can start your very own nursing home ministry and I can tell you from experience, fewer things are more rewarding to a believer or for a church. Step one is making an appointment with the nursing home administrator. They will usually give you paperwork for volunteers to fill out. They may even require a background check, but you don’t do anything until you first talk with the administrator. After that, they’ll usually ask you to speak to the Activity Director who plans and schedules daily activities for the residents. Be open to times that she thinks works best for the residents and not what is most convenient for you or the church. Since the residents can’t come to our church, we go to them, and provide them with church services on Sunday at 2:00 PM but also visitation at various times during the week. There is a Bible study on Wednesday nights at 6:30 PM.

These are only the first steps in beginning such a ministry. I just dove into it with no experience, but today I come early before our regular Wednesday night Bible study and look for new residents and new staff to introduce myself to. I search for and seek out those who are frequently sitting alone. I just love the look of their faces when I come into the facility because their faces light up. They love having someone who cares for them, who talks with them, who spends time listening to them, and who offers to and does pray for them. A large number of nursing home residents love to hear the Bible read to them. Perhaps their most enjoyable part of our visits is just sitting and listening to them. They have so much to share and so many valuable lessons they’ve learned. Such wisdom is found only in years and years of living. I believe it is what Christ would have us do, and if He were here, He Himself would be doing this.

Conclusion
Practicing pure religion includes visiting the orphans, widows, shut-ins, those in hospitals and in Hospice in their affliction or suffering. Why don’t you or your church begin a nursing home ministry, but you can’t learn to swim by just sticking your toe in the water. Start communicating with the administration, see what needs are most urgent, support the staff, pray and visit the residents, and I can promise you that you will get such enjoyment out of this that I cannot even express it. Certainly many residents will also enjoy it but don’t expect everyone to just warm up to you immediately. Familiarity takes time and effort but if you are serious about visiting the orphans, widows, and widowers, then you’ll find yourself practicing pure religion, and this is most certainly pleasing to God the Father (James 1:27), and as Jesus sees it, as you do it unto others, you are actually doing it unto Him (Matt 25:40).

 

[beensetfree]

Do this...and Live!

He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness,
And to walk humbly with your God?

Micah 6:8 NASB

__________________

Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?"

Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, "Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?"

No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction.

For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

Deuteronomy 30:11-15 NIV

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.?

1 John 1:7

?Cleanseth,? says the text ? not ?shall cleanse.? There are multitudes who think that as a dying hope they may look forward to pardon. Oh! how infinitely better to have cleansing now than to depend on the bare possibility of forgiveness when I come to die. Some imagine that a sense of pardon is an attainment only obtainable after many years of Christian experience. But forgiveness of sin is a present thing ? a privilege for this day, a joy for this very hour. The moment a sinner trusts Jesus he is fully forgiven.

The text, being written in the present tense, also indicates continuance; it was ?cleanseth? yesterday, it is ?cleanseth? to-day, it will be ?cleanseth? tomorrow: it will be always so with you, Christian, until you cross the river; every hour you may come to this fountain, for it cleanseth still. Notice, likewise, the completeness of the cleansing, ?The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin? ? not only from sin, but ?from all sin.? Reader, I cannot tell you the exceeding sweetness of this word, but I pray God the Holy Ghost to give you a taste of it. Manifold are our sins against God.

Whether the bill be little or great, the same receipt can discharge one as the other. The blood of Jesus Christ is as blessed and divine a payment for the transgressions of blaspheming Peter as for the shortcomings of loving John; our iniquity is gone, all gone at once, and all gone for ever. Blessed completeness! What a sweet theme to dwell upon as one gives himself to sleep.

?Sins against a holy God;
Sins against his righteous laws;
Sins against his love, his blood;
Sins against his name and cause;
Sins immense as is the sea-
From them all he cleanseth me.?

 

[beensetfree]

Were Adam and Eve Saved?



Bible scholars believe that Adam and Eve may have been saved, but others argue they were not. Does the Bible give us any indication?
The Fall
At one time, there was everything Adam and Eve could have wanted. All Adam had to do was to tend the garden, but when Eve was deceived by the Serpent, the innocence of mankind was lost forever, and it would be thousands of years later when the curse would be reversed by Jesus Christ Who redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” (Gal 3:13). The fall would not be permanent…at least for those who repented and trusted in Christ. What had been eternal life was now a sentence of death. It was not immediate of course, but in time, even Adam and Eve would die. But were they saved? Will we see them in the kingdom?

The Covering
Adam sinned too because when Eve had eaten from the forbidden tree, he was right there with her and also ate (Gen 3:6-7), so they were now sinners…sinners who were separated by God like we were at one time by our sins (Isaiah 59:2). After Adam and Eve sinned, Scripture says, “the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them” (Gen 3:21). The Hebrew word used for garments is “kĕthoneth” and means “a covering” and comes from an unused root meaning “to cover,” and so it might sound like Adam and Eve were covered by God’s grace since sin required a blood sacrifice, and the animals blood had to be shed in order for God to make covering or clothing for them, however, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Heb 10:4). The word for atonement and covering are very close in the Hebrew. The Hebrew word for atonement means “to cover, purge, or make reconciliation,” and the word for cover is “to cover” or “to have a covering,” but this is still not sufficient evidence that Adam and Eve were saved

Eve’s Expectations
Perhaps one clue might be that Eve expected a child from the Lord, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord” (Gen 4:1), perhaps meaning that she thought their salvation could come from the Lord by means of the child, but as it turns out, Cain murdered his brother Abel, but Abel was certainly a believer as “Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering” (Gen 4:4). At the least, Eve trusted the promise of God, and God accepted Abel’s sacrifice since he was in a right relationship with God, but there’s no word on Adam and Eve ever sacrificing.


Maybe Abel was a shepherd because he offered sacrifices for himself and his family (including his parents), but this is no ironclad argument that Adam and Eve were saved by Abel’s sacrifice or God’s covering them with animal skins, however, since Abel had such a close relationship with God, it might seem logical to assume Eve did too, because she and Adam must have taught their boys about God. Even so, we cannot be dogmatic about that from these passages alone. We read about the so-called “heroes of the faith” in Hebrews 11, and Abel is mentioned, but there is no mention of Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve do appear in the lineage of Jesus Christ (Luke 3:38),


Adam and Eve
After Cain murdered Abel, “Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him”(Gen 4:25), so once again we read of Eve trusting in the Lord who “appointed for [her] another offspring,” so she must have known the child was from God and by saying that, she must have trusted the sovereignty of God, but the Apostle Paul writes in a less-than-flattering way about Adam, writing, “Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come” (Rom 5:14), so Adam was the forerunner but failed to be the proper federal head of mankind.

Was the contrast between man making their own coverings, where were temporary and an attempt to save themselves by works, and God Himself making them covering by shedding the blood on innocent animals, saying either; they were saved by God’s covering them or they weren’t saved because they tried to cover their own sins and there is no Scriptural evidence that they ask for God’s forgiveness and repented. Bible scholars see God’s sacrificing the animals for Adam and Eve’s sake as evidence that God covered them by His grace after the shedding of the animal’s blood, which foreshadowed the coming work of Christ on Calvary, shedding His blood for the removal of our sins. Sins are no longer covered…they are taken away, and by a supreme sacrifice which was necessary only once. The author of Hebrews writes that “every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God” (Heb 10:11-12).


Conclusion
Paul writes, “As in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (1st Cor 15:22), so does this mean Adam died without faith in God along with his wife Eve? No, this passage applies to every person ever born of a father, and Jesus alone is the exception, not having a human father and inheriting the sin nature of mankind. Incidentally, we were all dead in our sins and it was only by the Spirit of God that were we made alive by God (Eph 2:1-2), so whether we see Adam and Eve in the kingdom is not as important as if you will be…or your relatives, your friends, or your co-workers. You’ll never know if Adam and Eve were saved if you’re not saved yourself. Settle that today… while it is still today (2nd Cor 6:2).

 

[beensetfree]

Keep justice, and do righteousness
Thus says the LORD:
"Keep justice, and do righteousness,
For My salvation is about to come,
And My righteousness to be revealed.

Blessed is the man who does this,
And the son of man who lays hold on it;
Who keeps from defiling the Sabbath,
And keeps his hand from doing any evil."

Isaiah 56:1,2 NKJV

__________________

Thus says the LORD:

Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.

For if you will indeed obey this word, then there shall enter the gates of this house kings who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their servants and their people.

Jeremiah 22:3,4 ESV

__________________

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith
that saves is faith in Him.

 

[beensetfree]

“In their affliction they will seek me early.”

Hosea 5:15

Losses and adversities are frequently the means which the great Shepherd uses to fetch home his wandering sheep; like fierce dogs they worry the wanderers back to the fold. There is no making lions tame if they are too well fed; they must be brought down from their great strength, and their stomachs must be lowered, and then they will submit to the tamer's hand; and often have we seen the Christian rendered obedient to the Lord's will by straitness of bread and hard labour.

When rich and increased in goods many professors carry their heads much too loftily, and speak exceeding boastfully. Like David, they flatter themselves, “My mountain standeth fast; I shall never be moved.” When the Christian groweth wealthy, is in good repute, hath good health, and a happy family, he too often admits Mr. Carnal Security to feast at his table, and then if he be a true child of God there is a rod preparing for him. Wait awhile, and it may be you will see his substance melt away as a dream. There goes a portion of his estate — how soon the acres change hands. That debt, that dishonoured bill — how fast his losses roll in, where will they end?

It is a blessed sign of divine life if when these embarrassments occur one after another he begins to be distressed about his backslidings, and betakes himself to his God. Blessed are the waves that wash the mariner upon the rock of salvation! Losses in business are often sanctified to our soul's enriching. If the chosen soul will not come to the Lord full-handed, it shall come empty. If God, in his grace, findeth no other means of making us honour him among men, he will cast us into the deep; if we fail to honour him on the pinnacle of riches, he will bring us into the valley of poverty. Yet faint not, heir of sorrow, when thou art thus rebuked, rather recognize the loving hand which chastens, and say, “I will arise, and go unto my Father.”

 

[beensetfree]

How To Keep Satan Off Your Back


If you’re experiencing spiritual attacks, here’s how you can keep Satan and his demons off your back.

Do Nothing
In the first place, Satan does not generally go after those in the church unless they are one of the more influential Christian pastors or teachers. He is going to concentrate on the “big fish” like national leaders, powerful business men and women, and those who hold great power, influence, and wealth. If he can get them to bend to his schemes, then he’s not going to have to waste his time on people like me or you.

If you are under spiritual attack, it’s actually a good thing because you must be doing something right and being under spiritual attack at least shows you’re on the right side, so if you are making the Enemy angry, you’re doing what God is asking you do to. On the other hand, if you’re never under spiritual attack and never experience any persecution, you are either not a believer or you are an underground, private-eye believer who is not making any difference for Christ, so there’s no reason for you to be under attack. The Bible says “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2nd Tim 3:12), so if there’s no persecution, you must not be part of the “all who desire to live a godly life.'

Demons
The chances are infinitely greater that if you’re under spiritual attack, it’s from a demon or demons, but that’s bad enough. The good news is, as I said before, if you’re being persecuted and spiritually attacked (which can come by means of persecution), then you know you’re at least on the right side, but for those who don’t believe in them, they’re even more vulnerable because you won’t resist something you don’t believe exists, but how ironic that many claim not to believe in God are simply suppressing the obvious existence of God (Rom 1:18-21). Even the demons believe (James 2:19) and were among the first to profess that Jesus is the Christ and is the Son of God (Matt 8:29; Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34-35, 41), so even if someone doesn’t believe in demons, what a person believes cannot change what is true. An enemy no one believes in makes them even more dangerous. There are many things that are invisible to the naked eye that can kill us…disease, mold spores, radon gas, and a host of other things, so an invisible enemy shouldn’t surprise us. Jesus believed in their existence, and they believed in His!

What to Do
Here’s what you can do to keep the demons off your back: Pray on a regular basis and as often as you can, as we’re told to pray about keeping the Evil One away or to “deliver us from the evil one” (Luke 6:13) and his minions; stay in the Word of God daily and rest in all the promises therein (John 10:27-29), and put on the spiritual armor that is available to every believer (Eph 6:10-18). Remember not so much who you are but “whose” you are. You are a child of God and nothing at all can every separate you from God, even created beings like Satan and the demons (Rom 8:31-39). If you are filled with the Spirit, then there’s no “room at the Inn” for a demon, since “he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1st John 4:4), but of course that doesn’t mean you won’t be harassed. You must expect that. What’s surprising is if it never happens.

Judging Angels
Apparently Christians will be judging angels, but many presume it will be the righteous, holy angels, but I think God will have us judge the fallen angels, which are demons. Holy angels do not sin, so what is there to judge about them, so I think it’s the fallen angels we might judge. That better fits the context of the Apostle Paul’s rhetorical question, “Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life” (1st Cor 6:3) in 1st Corinthians 6, and this shows that at least the Corinthian Church understood that they would be judging angels someday, likely with the earthly arrival of the kingdom of God. The ultimate fate of Satan and his demons is set and it cannot be changed. That we know for sure as the Apostle John records that “the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev 20:10), so if the Devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future.

Conclusion
Whatever you believe or don’t believe cannot change what is true, and human opinions or beliefs will certainly not change the reality of the existence of God, which means the existence of Satan and his demons. The truth is, every knee will bow and every tongue of everyone who’s ever been created will confess, that Jesus Christ is the Lord and the Son of God, and they will do it all to the glory of God (Rom 14:11; Phil 2:10-11). What you must decide today is to repent and trust in Christ, meaning you will receive eternal life, and God’s wrath that was rightly due us, was placed on Christ on your behalf. However, if you reject Christ, you die with the wrath of God abiding on you (John 3:36b), and you will face the judgment of God after death (Heb 9:27), from which there is no escape and no repentance.