Koran Burning? A Teachable Moment. [Update 2]

A strange thing happened as I attempted to close my browser this evening. I am using my husband's laptop tonight and I couldn't get the Sprint connection to "disconnect!" I tried it nine times!

Hmmm....I thought. Is the Lord trying to give me a little message here?

I had just read a blog post over at On The Right Side of Life about the pastor who is planning to do a Koran book burning on 9/11/10.

There is a particular nagging question that each Christian believer must ask himself or herself. That is, with which position do you side?

Do you want to answer in the flesh and say in a revengeful tone "burn baby burn" or answer in the spirit? Which will you choose? Just as Phil asks within his blog post - think about this question: Koran burning? What would Jesus do?

Well, I was tired and just wanted to think about that post for a while. But when my browser refused to disconnect, I went back to my blog list and found that my friend Steve had also posted about the Koran burning debacle on his blog.

While reading his post, the answer came to me.

Mercy is God withholding what we all deserve. Grace is God giving us what we all don't deserve. As born-again, Bible believing, Christ honoring sinners in desperate need of the Savior, how should we apply such thoughts in response to the Koran burning?

Could be quite the teachable moment...

Hat Tips:

On The Right Side of Life

Stevex09

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More good reads on the controversy:

Michele Malkin: The Koran - Don't burn it - read it.

Sharp Right Turn: The Koran, General Petraeus, Dhimmitude and American Values

Sarah Palin's Facebook Page

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Update:

Apparently, Pastor Jones has listened to the voices of wisdom and reason and announced that he is not going to follow through on the burning of the Koran.

But can this debacle get any crazier? Answer: YES!

The loony-bin Westboro "church" plans to carry out the Koran burning since Pastor Jones will not do it.

Westboro Baptist Church will Burn Korans if Florida Church Does Not
posted by (Maggie Thornton) at Maggie's Notebook - 1 hour ago
The vile Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka says if Florida's Dove World Outreach Center calls off the Koran burnings, they will pick up [the] slack and do it themselves. Dove's Pastor Terry Jones has just an...

But of course, the mosque developers won't change THEIR minds [as has been announced on several news programs today] about the location too close to Ground Zero, despite the fact that Donald Trump has announced that he would pay 25% more than the terrorists er...imams and their supporters...paid for the location.

Koran Burning Halted: Mosque Stays at Park 51
posted by (Maggie Thornton) at Maggie's Notebook - 1 hour ago
Florida Pastor Jones will halt the burning of Korans on Saturday and the Pastor says he will fly to New York City instead, to meet with the mosque developers. Jones seems to believe the mosque will not b...

Good luck Pastor Jones. It doesn't appear that the muslims are likely to show any tolerance towards the 70% of Americans who are pleading that they move the mosque away from the Ground Zero site. Apparently, tolerance is a one-way street for them...and that street is named Islam/Sharia law...or else!

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Update 2:

I am making the rounds to several Christian blogs in my blogroll and I am finding some absolutely awesome essays out there! Be sure to visit:


Stevex09: The Threats Begin … Ground Zero Mosque … Burning The Koran

CultureWatch: Christianity, Other Religions, Islam and Terrorism

The Landmine of Unforgiveness

Who has not struggled with the landmine of unforgiveness? The answer has to be no one! The truth is that we all have struggled with the spirit of unforgiveness that looms all around us on a daily basis.

However, I do believe that people who are not born again in Jesus Christ are much more intensely vulnerable to the physical landmine of unforgiveness. Why? Because they are caught in the web of the spiritual deception that unforgiveness, and the related state of refusing the need for repentance, need not be dealt with in their own lives.

Let me explain.

I have been reading Dr. Charles Stanley's new book, "Landmines in the Pathway of the Believer." It is truly an excellent book and I would recommend it to all. When I reached the chapter on unforgiveness, something became more clear to me than ever before. I am going to illustrate this through the recent posts I have done on the homosexual agenda, but you could take any compromising, sinful movement and apply such "darkness of sin through deception type of agenda" towards what I will share here, too.

I have often been perplexed about why gay activists absolutely hate ex-gays and ex-gay ministries.

It seems the more I read about this ongoing battle here at Talkwisdom, at online ministry sites and at other blogs, the more intense the rage becomes.

This phenomenon used to make me question...why?

Why does the gay community have such intense hatred for ex-homosexual people; especially those who have been saved through the grace and redemption offered through Jesus Christ?

The secular humanistic "politically correct" reasons and answers to my question are blaringly obvious, of course. However, as was stated in the comment section of this post, I have often wondered why Christians are so silent on this issue.

Could it be fear?

Could it be laziness?

Could it be their own struggle with immorality?

Could it be insecurity to speak out against it and deal with it?

Could it be pride?

These are just some of the "landmines" that Stanley describes in his book that can hurt one's Christian walk and obedience to God.

So, if believers have difficulty with such issues, then what of the non-believer?

I personally think that they must have it far worse.

How could I possibly know this? Because I was once a "nominal Christian" who acted more like a "worldly" unbeliever than a follower of Jesus Christ.

What was missing from my life at the time? Answer: true faith in Jesus Christ, the gospel message of salvation and the knowledge and obedience to God's Word.

The Gospel message of the Cross exemplifies our fallen nature due to sin and the need to repent of our sins in order to receive forgiveness. It is only then that the unmerited grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and the salvation of our souls can be given.

We can't skip over our individual need to repent in order to become heirs to the kingdom of heaven and live eternally with God forever. Jesus took the punishment that we each deserved (because of our sins ) on that cross at Calvary in order to satisfy the death penalty that sin brought upon us.

God does not take sin lightly. He is the Righteous and Holy Judge of the universe. It is part of His character to keep His Holy Word.

When we, as individuals, realize the magnitude of what Christ accomplished at the cross, it is then that we can humble ourselves, repent, turn away from sin out of love for our Savior, and obey God's Word.

Jesus said, "if you love me, keep my commandments." (bold mine) Jesus would not have said that if it didn't matter how we live our lives after the moment of salvation. It is then that the sanctification process of the soul can begin. With it, the healing of our hearts through the power of experiencing God's forgiveness afforded to us through Christ Jesus takes hold in our lives. We then want, and desire to please God, not ourselves.

Selfishness becomes selflessness.

The desire to sin doesn't have it's power over us as it once did.

Keeping our eyes on Jesus, studying His Word, the Bible, and living our lives with Him indwelling our souls through the power of the Holy Spirit keeps us from our former selfish desires.

We would rather do anything than "grieve the Holy Spirit of God."

Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.


Eph 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:


Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

I have a theory about non-believers. I would like my fellow Christian blogging friends to add any insight or comments they would like to share about this theory.

From what I have gleaned from Scripture, it appears to me that those who do not experience God's forgiveness through salvation in Jesus Christ, have a much harder time (if not impossible task) of forgiving others.

Now, I know what some will say. They will adamantly claim that they have, and can, forgive others through their own flesh without the help of God or Jesus Christ and have done so many times. That's not the kind of forgiveness that I am referring to. The forgiveness I am talking about is a spiritual forgiveness. It is one that cannot be accessed until a person humbles themselves to first receive it from God through Jesus Christ; then they are able to release it towards other people through the guidance of the Holy Spirit's indwelling within the soul.

Here's an example:

In a previous post I shared the story of a PFOX ex-gay person being persecuted by a gay activist. Here's a portion of the account:

The gays became infuriated when our ex-gay volunteers testified about leaving homosexuality. They adamantly refused to accept the ex-gays' sexual orientation. One gay man went so far as to hit our ex-gay volunteer because he refused to recant his ex-gay testimony. We summoned a police officer, who ejected the gay man off of the fairgrounds. Our ex-gay volunteer decided not to press assault charges against the gay man because he wanted to turn the other cheek as Jesus had done.

It could have been very easy (and reasonable) for the ex-gay man to press assault charges, but he chose not to. What (or more specifically Who) made the difference for him to turn the other cheek?

Answer: Jesus Christ!

I truly believe that this ex-gay man knew that the gay man had not experienced the release from bondage of sin afforded to all through repentance in Jesus Christ; and therefore, he also understood that the gay man was still in the midst of the power of darkness because of his unconfessed sin, and unrepentant heart. Therefore, the gay man had the spirit of unforgiveness upon him that would not let go and allow him to accept the ex-gay man.

That is the reason why gay activists can accept anyone and everyone who has a sinful sexual orientation that they agree with; yet when a person is released from such bondage, it infuriates them.

Why?

Because the ex-gay Christian man or woman has been released from the bondage that they (unrepentant gay men and women) are still in bondage to.

That's the truth, folks.

Whether gay activists and their supporters want to admit it or not, that is why "anything but formerly gay expression" is allowed in their "community."

Repentance leads to the destruction of the spirit of unforgiveness!!


What can keep us from repenting and receiving forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ?

All of these landmines:

1. The Landmine of Pride
2. The Landmine of Jealousy and Envy
3. The Landmine of Insecurity
4. The Landmine of Compromise
5. The Landmine of Unforgiveness
6. The Landmine of Disappointment
7. The Landmine of Fear
8. The Landmine of Immorality
9. The Landmine of Slothfulness (laziness)

Stanley's book goes through each and every one of these individually, then in the last chapter presents ways to defuse the landmines along your path.

While reading the chapter on the landmine of unforgiveness, I realized that the spirit of unforgiveness can be one of Satan's most powerful weapons against all of us. We must all admit that we have been on both sides of the unforgiveness landmine; the receiving end as well as the giving end of this landmine.

In my own life, I recently felt that I was being led by a spirit of unforgiveness towards my best female friend. We have been friends for over 15 years, and I can only remember one other incident where we had a "spat." But this time, I was so hurt, disappointed and angry by what I perceived as several uncaring, unthoughtful, commitment-breaking acts by her that I was seriously thinking that our friendship might be over.

I ask you, from whom do you think these thoughts were coming from?

I needed this chapter on the landmine of unforgiveness to break me free of my funky feelings toward my best friend!!

Back to my questions regarding why homosexual activists hate ex-gays; particular Christian believers.

I think that you could pick any number of the landmines listed above to understand what leads the gay community at large, as well as the homosexual activists, in particular, to attempt to portray them as "non-existent people" and/or bash them as phonies, fakes, liars, etc. because they don't walk lock-in-step with the gay agenda. Once you pick one or more of the landmines listed above, the one that stands out the most is the landmine of unforgiveness.

You see, they hate the fact that Christian ex-homosexual people have found the peace that forgiveness brings.

Why?

Because they don't have it...that's why!!

In order to receive the peace that forgiveness brings, each individual person must own up to his/her own sinful nature and repent of it. Only then, is the peace that surpasses all understanding through the love of God and our Lord, Jesus Christ, available to heal the heart and the brokenness within.

The enemy of our souls loves to keep people in bondage to sin. He puts forth this feeling of "no need to repent" to those who are steeped in sin; thus, they miss the forgiveness and peace that Jesus Christ could bring to them.

Satan has twisted the minds of reprobates to such an extent that they perceive those who are trying to share Christ with them as the enemy!! How perverted is that?? But it's true!

I pray that each person sitting at his/her computer who are currently not believers will have their hearts and minds quickened by the Holy Spirit who is outside of their bodies, knocking on the door of their hearts and individually inviting them to be born again in Christ Jesus so that they will experience the peace that forgiveness brings and spend eternity with God when this brief life is over.

I would love to share the entire chapter here, but time constraints allow me to paraphase and just share a few brief quotes.

The landmine of unforgiveness can cause a "feast of emotion" that causes a "desire to retaliate" until a root of bitterness grows within. Then, it's payback time, tempers flare, anger erupts and someone gets hurt.

Stanley tells us that "refusal to forgive is one of the most exhausting struggles we face."

He continues:

The landmine of unforgiveness is unlike the other landmines. It explodes, but the devastation is not immediate. There is a "click" within your emotions. You feel hurt, disappointed, or angry, but you may deny it by pushing these feelings aside.

As time passes, you reexamine the hurt you have felt. You hold on to it. And slowly the explosive work of unforgiveness takes a toll on your life. As long as you refuse to forgive those who hurt you, you remain bound to them through the anger and resentment you feel. You are not free but bound emotionally and spiritually to this deadly sin.

***to be continued***

The "Sin Unto Death."

During the Nightline debate, Does God Exist between Christian evangelists Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron against proclaimed athiests Brian and Kelly, both athiests claimed to have been Christians in the past. Of course, that is between God and themselves, however, we can get a hint about their spiritual condition based on what the Bible tells us is the "sin unto death" and what the two athiests are saying now.

So-called "ex"-Christians are often revealed as formerly false Christians anyway. They may have had "head" knowledge about Christ, but hadn't made the decision to invite him into their hearts as Lord and Savior. The act of being born-again is not reversible. We get a hint about this fact from this verse:

Mat 24:24For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect. (bold mine)

Once the Holy Spirit indwells the heart of a believer, it is a permanent conversion. Believers are then "sealed with God," just as the angels who didn't rebel against God (at the fall and casting out of Satan and 1/3 of the angels turned demons) were sealed unto God.

Rom 15:28 When therefore I have performed this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I will come by you into Spain.

2Cr 1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

Eph 1:13 In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Eph 1:14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. (bold mine)

The meaning of "until the redemption of the purchased possession" refers to the fact that we were purchased by the shed blood of Jesus at Calvary and when we stand before God at the Judgment Seat of Christ, it will be his righteousness that is imputed upon us for redemption; not anything that we did here on earth.

Also, since we still have that "human sin nature" to deal with, Christians still sin (I just did yesterday), but we regret and repent of it because we know that it grieves the Holy Spirit.

Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. (bold mine)

In the cases of Brian and Kelly, their final act of blaspheming the Holy Spirit is not just a sin, but the "sin unto death" (meaning, the only unforgiveable sin leading to spiritual death and separation from God forever). They, as well, have sealed their fate.

Jhn 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

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

1Jo 5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin [which is] not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.

Powerful verses! For easier understanding, read the New Living Translation version:

1Jo 5:16 If you see a Christian brother or sister[fn3] sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it.

1Jo 5:17 Every wrong is sin, but not all sin leads to death.

1Jo 5:18 We know that those who have become part of God's family do not make a practice of sinning, for God's Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot get his hands on them.

1Jo 5:19 We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the power and control of the evil one.

1Jo 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we are in God because we are in his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.

1Jo 5:21 Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts.[fn4

Footnotes:
5:16Greek your brother.
5:21Greek keep yourselves from idols.

The Darkness of Our Times

I have to admit, I never, ever dreamed that the closer we get to the end times (and, it's building each and every day), that the heresy and apostasy warned about in Scripture would be so evident and stark to some believers, while complete deception would rule within the heart and minds-eye of others.

The post called "The Law no longer applies! according to gay christians" written by Mark over at Chester Street is just one example of the not-so-subtle deception that is currently permeating Christian belief. Read the comments there, too, and you will see that deception can cause a 180 degree turn from what has been known and taught (through exegesis, Scripture interprets Scripture, and Sola Scriptura, and scholarly Biblical study & review) for two thousand years; into heretical beliefs spawned by secular humanistic desires masquerading as "tolerance," "diversity of opinion," "focusing only on Jesus' love without regard for his role as Judge of the universe," the "twisting of Scripture to accommodate sin," and the misuse of "thou shall not judge" as if all discernment should be thrown out the window.

A while back, I was startled to read the Barna Research pages that revealed how many label themselves as "Christians" today, yet not be willing to follow the true Gospel and Biblical mandates of Christian belief and scholarship. Jesus himself warns us:

Mar 13:22 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

Mar 13:23 "But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.

Mat 24:24 "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
Mat 24:25 "See, I have told you beforehand.

How do we recognize one who professes to be a true believer but acts in the spirit like a false christ or false prophet? The only way to recognize deception like this is to be born again in Christ and to know God's Word. Otherwise, the sentiment of the people can be swayed so easily that they don't even realize that they are being deceived!


2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

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

Pro 16:2 All the ways of a man [are] clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.

Jesus gives us insight into the world of demons in the following Scriptures and Dr. Guzik explains further in his commentary below.

Jesus speaking:

Mat 12:43 ¶ When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.


Mat 12:44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth [it] empty, swept, and garnished.


Mat 12:45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last [state] of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

Guzik commentary:

3. (43-45) The dangerous consequences of their rejection of Jesus.

"When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation."

a. When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none: Jesus grants us an important insight into the world of demons. Apparently, they (or at least some of them) desire a human host, and look for such among those who have "unfilled houses."

b. And the last state of that man is worse than the first: How important it is that we be filled with Jesus; as He fills us, we cannot be filled with any unclean spirit.

In his informative book, "Antichrist Rising: The Coming Global Storm," Ed Hindson writes:

The Bible predicts that a time of spiritual apostasy will precede the revealing of the Antichrist ("man of sin"). The book of Revelation describes this apostasy as the religion of the "great whore." She is the epitome of false religion and spiritual adultery. By contrast, the New Testament church is pictured as a virgin betrothed to Christ.

Most Evangelicals believe this apostasy is made up of people who outwardly profess Christianity but have no inward possession of the Spirit of God. Peter Lalonde argues that the apostate whore is not made up of any particular denomination, but of "all those who do not truly love the Lord." Many view the false religion of the last days as a combination of corrupted Roman Catholicism, liberal Protestantism, New Age mysticism, and materialistic Evangelicalism all rolled into one grand deception.

Years ago, professing Christians almost always acknowledged the authority of Scripture. Whether they were willing to live by it or not, people believed the legitimacy of biblical morality. Today, that is often not the case. Even professing Evangelical believers will often disregard the commands of God. It is not unusual today for people to respond with an "I don't care" attitude when confronted with biblical truth. People used to say, "Pastor, I know what I'm doing is wrong, but I just can't help myself." Today, the more common response is, "I know what the Bible says, but I'm going to do what I want to do anyway."

This shift of attitude betrays the selfism that is so prevalent in our modern culture. People want what is best for themselves regardless of who they hurt or what moral principles they violate.

Does that aptly describe what is going on in the world these days or what??

Let's read that again:

People want what is best for themselves regardless of who they hurt or what moral principles they violate.

This list is by no means a comprehensive one, but even these few examples of "selfism" show the truth in that comment!

1. Abortion
2. Euthanasia
3. Porn
4. Pedophilia
5. Homosexuality
6. Polygamy
7. Sexual Predators
8. Radical Islam
9. Secular Humanism/Atheism
10. Anti-Christian Legislation
11. Sex trafficking
12. Drug abuse culture
13. Alcoholism epidemic
14. Violence
15. Hatred spewed via media
16. Rampant fornication
17. Evil endeavors
18. Rape
19. Murder
20. Assault
21. Physical, emotional, intellectual abuse
22. Propaganda/brainwashing

And I'm sure that every person reading this could add to the list!

What do all of these things have in common? They are all examples of the "spirit of antichrist." All of these things happening are setting the stage for the final rise of apostasy.

The apostle John warned centuries ago that the spirit of Antichrist is already at work through the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. He added that there are "many antichrists" who "went out from us" because they "did not belong to us" (1 John 2:16-19; 4:1-4).

Now, this next statement is going to be hard to accept. It will grieve you. It certainly grieved me when I read it, but it is accurate (and backed up by Scripture). Professing Christians who really do not know Christ and do not possess His Spirit in their hearts are called little antichrists because they express the spirit and attitude of Antichrist. Now, I'm not calling them the Antichrist. They only prefigure the Antichrist, who is described in the Bible as the "man of sin." the "son of perdition," and the "beast out of the sea."

I know. The idea that such a great deceiver could come upon the world scene instantly and dramatically may see remote to some. But when the rapture of the church happens, it will have global significance and proportions that will shake the entire world population. Thus, it will have to be explained in some manner. The Bible warns that the explanation will be a lie that brings "powerful delusion" to the unbelieving world (2 Thessalonians 2:11) The mind-sets of liberal Christianity, New Age thinking, corrupted Roman Catholicism, and the seeker-sensitive Evangelicalism could all play a part. So you can see that we are coming dangerously closer than at any other time in history.

The rapture of the church (all genuine believers, not a denomination or building) is the blessed hope of the believer. But it is a sobering matter for those who are left behind. They will likely succomb to the great lie and will perish and be damned (see 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12) unless they come to Christ during the Tribulation period. With all the believers gone, God's warnings to a defiant and unbelieving world will be gone as well. Therefore, it will be more difficult for people to escape the huge delusions and deceptions.

When the Antichrist rises to power, he will oppose God, exalt himself above God, and even claim to be God (see 2 Thessalonians 2:4). The Bible warns us that the Antichrist will be empowered by Satan to do miracles of signs and wonders (see 2 Thessalonians 2:9). He will be assisted by the False Prophet who encourages the worship of the Antichrist as God.

There is more to share, but I will continue in the next post. Meanwhile, I wanted to show a chart done by Grant Jeffrey (an end times expert) that points out several contrasts between Christ and Antichrist.

Christ :

The Truth
Holy One
Man of Sorrows
Son of God
Mystery of Godliness
Good Shepherd
Exalted on High
Humbled Himself
Despised
Cleanses the Temple
Slain for the People
The Lamb

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Antichrist:

The Lie
Lawless One
Man of Sin
Son of Satan
Mystery of Iniquity
Worthless Shepherd
Cast Down to Hell
Exalted Himself
Admired
Defiles the Temple
Slays the People
The Beast

A simple survey of the characteristics of the Antichrist confirms the idea that he is both a false Christ (pseudochristos) and against Christ (antichristos). He masquerades as an angel of light only to plunge the world into spiritual darkness. Like Satan, he is a destroyer, not a builder. Promising peace, he pushes the world into war. In every conceivable way, he is just like Satan who indwells and empowers him.

The spirit of Antichrist is alive and well today. The New Testament authors assure us that the spirit of Antichrist was active in their day over 20 centuries ago. It has remained active throughout church history. He expresses himself in persecutions, heresies, spiritual deceptions, false prophets, and false religions. At the culmination of history, such a spirit will inhabit one man...as satan's final "masterpiece."

In the next segment, I will discuss the Scriptures that warn the church constantly of apostasy from within its ranks. (For a head start, see 1 Timothy 4:1-3; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; Galatians 1:6-12; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 1 John 4:1-3; 2 John 7; Jude 3,4).

The warning:

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


1Ti 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;


The hope and comfort:

Jer 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find [me], when ye shall search for me with all your heart.


Lam 3:40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.

Trading Our Thoughts & Desires For God's

Since I haven't included a devotional post in quite a while, I have decided to post one that I received via email today. It's really good and a challenging subject for all Christian believers.

I will say that I don't agree with the idea that everyone and/or anyone can receive the gift of "speaking in tongues" that Keller mentions in the devotional. There is a Bible verse that tells us that God gives spiritual gifts "severely, as He wills." (See 1 Corinthians 12:1-11)

So, just as a person may have a physical gift of singing beautifully, so it is with any spiritual gift. If anyone desires a more detailed explanation about what I have stated about "speaking in tongues," I would be happy to share my reasoning behind it, based upon what the Bible tells us.

However, rather than getting into any long, drawn-out arguments about that topic, let's just say that any who thinks differently about it will just have to "agree to disagree" with me in that area.

Keller makes some excellent points about what it means to "die to self" and how important it is to do this on a daily basis. It is my prayer that this devotional speaks to you as well as it spoke to me!

Christine

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HOW to "die to self" daily. Dying to self daily is what Paul spoke of so often. It is how we walk in the "Spirit" and not in the "flesh" as we are instructed in Romans Chapter 8 and Galatians Chapter 5. The whole issue of dying to self daily is the absolute key to living a victorious life in Christ. It literally means that you have to die to self DAILY! This is why so many people who are saved, love the Lord, live beneath their blessings and in constant turmoil. This is how people who know Christ as their Savior end up committing adultery, cheat people, lie, get in bondage to drugs, alcohol, food, sex, gambling, shopping, greed, and anything else people become enslaved to. They don't die to self each day and end up walking in the "flesh" and NOT the "Spirit."

People wonder all the time how a pastor, a deacon, an elder, someone in the leadership of God's church could leave their wife and run off with another woman. People wonder all the time how a Sunday School teacher who loves the Lord could neglect her children and family because of alcohol. Maybe you are wondering how you could be raising your hands to Jesus, speaking in tongues, and being used by God to touch lives one day, and sinning against God the next. The answer is when you fail to die to self each day, you are walking in the "flesh," not the "Spirit."

The question that needs to be addressed today is HOW does a person "die to self?"

The first step is an action, something that you must do.

Dying to self is a conscious choice that you must make, one nobody can make it for you. It is the act of surrendering your life completely to Christ. The reason God's Word talks about dying to self DAILY is because it is something that we must do each and every day. Our life with Christ is not for an hour or two on Sunday, but literally 24/7. It is critical to make the choice to die to self each and every day.

Since this is something you must do each day, I do it and counsel others to do it the moment you wake up in the morning. As I first open my eyes to a new day, before I do anything I take a moment and thank God for a day that was not promised to me and make the conscious choice to completely surrender my life to Him that day. I literally tell God to take my life and use it for His glory that day, to use me as an instrument of blessing. When we get saved, we not only ask Christ into our heart and life by faith, but we give our very lives to Him. In dying to self each day, we are reaffirming that our life doesn't belong to us any longer, it is His.

At the moment we are born again, we receive the promise of the "Comforter," or the Holy Spirit. Each Believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit to empower them and guide them throughout their life. It is literally the power of Almighty God living within each person who has given their heart and life to Christ by faith. As you surrender your life afresh to Christ at the start of each day, you are allowing your life to be controlled by the Holy Spirit and not by your flesh. It is no longer you but God that is in complete control of your life. You have traded in your thoughts and desires for God's thoughts and desires. It is not YOU that is living, it is Christ living in you as Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20.

This whole process takes only a few minutes of time alone with the Lord, but it is the most important few minutes of your day. When you don't go through this process each and every morning, you wake up, start going through your day, and not only does it feel like the day is weighing you down, you don't have that confidence. The reality is, the day IS weighing you down because you are operating in your strength and not the Lord's, and the lack of confidence comes from the fact you are in control of your life and not Christ.

Sadly, some people go days, even weeks without really dying to self, and it usually takes the consequences of their poor choices during that time to bring them back to the Lord. Like I say often, your way doesn't work, God's way works! Let me give you some advice out of my love for you. You can never run your life better than God can. The sooner you realize that, the more peace, joy, and abundance you will know during this journey through life.

There is probably no more critical a message I will ever share with you in living a victorious life in Christ than the one today. All of the benefits in God's Word exist and are available to those who believe, but there is a price to pay and that price is our very life surrendered, yielded to the Lord. It is a choice, an act, that nobody can force you to commit. The important thing for you to hear today is that it is not something you do just once and forget about. It is something that you must do DAILY! EVERY DAY! WITHOUT FAIL! Each morning when you wake up, you have to make the conscious choice to die to self, to surrender your life to Christ, and walk in the "Spirit" instead of the "flesh."

I love you and care about you so much. The difference between a person who knows the Lord as their Savior living a defeated life and a victorious life, lies in what I am sharing with you today. Please, save your money. You don't need to waste it listening to Tony Robbins or the motivational speakers of the world lie to you that you can do it on your own, and you don't need to spend it on books and tapes from preachers who preach a feel good Gospel but forget to tell you about the sacrifice involved. The key to living a victorious life in Christ lies in you waking up each morning and making the conscious choice to die to self and allow Christ to control your life.

The fact is, the Bible says that if you have asked Christ into you heart and life by faith, it is no longer your life, that it belongs to Him. The Word says we have been "bought with a price." So in essence, each day you are only giving the Lord what already belongs to Him anyway. Remember my message in the past on what really happens when we get saved? We are literally giving our life to Christ. It is no longer ours, but is now His. The reality is, each morning when we wake up, we have to make the choice to die to self so that Christ can live within us during that day. If we don't do this each and every day when we wake up, we will soon find ourselves walking in the "flesh" and not the "Spirit."

I will be praying for you today. Praying that you will sit down and read this message over and over. This is the meat and potatoes of the Word. This is where the rubber meets the road in regard to our Christian walk. This is the part that nobody really wants to talk about since we love the benefits of being saved, but we really don't want to think about the price that Jesus paid or the sacrifice we have to make each day. You MUST think about it since it is the difference between you living a defeated life and living a victorious life. To live that victorious life in Christ, to walk in His victory, you have to die to self each day so that you are walking in the "Spirit" and not the "flesh" so that it is Christ, not you that lives.


In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller

***ARE YOU 100% CERTAIN WHERE YOU WILL SPEND ETERNITY? The fact is you will die one day. At that moment, you will either spend eternity with the Lord or be cast into everlasting darkness forever separated from God your creator. To know for certain you will be forever with Jesus, go to:
LivePrayer.com Plan of Salvation

(C) Copyright 2007, Bill Keller Ministries. All rights reserved.