Watched the Paul Washer "Scandal" sermon with my dad, today.
Got to see my two nieces for over an hour. No one knows where my sister is, as far as I'm aware. God does, though, and that's the only thing which matters as He's sovereign.
It's not my place to question His will, in the way things have gone. And that's been a point of ongoing repentance, really. He IS the potter, we are all but clay in His masterful hands.
Oh, there are just so many things which have become clear in light of the Spirit and the Word, increasingly so over the past few months. But one thing which supersedes all else is this: God is above all, completely in control...
Lamentations 3:37-38
37Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, Unless the Lord has commanded it? 38Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That both good and ill go forth?
Isaiah 45:7
I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.
So, nothing can come except that He has allowed or decreed it. Which is everything. Even as there's an interchange, given His supreme justice and love and righteousness, wherein our disobedience warrants all sorts of calamity as judgment, punishment, chastisement, and also certain instance as to perfect our faith.
I can't fathom His will, but just the infinitesimal bits and pieces revealed are even a bit difficult to relegate into word.
Oh, such gratitude for His Word!
His ways and thoughts are so much higher than ours that it's inconceivable except through the Holy Spirit, to even comprehend the smallest part. It's all just so...inexplicably interwoven.
Which is what kills me when folks question Him over seemingly individualistic instances, or even over worldly states of being. Poverty, for instance. But you can't separate things out like that, because our ability to comprehend what is in motion is limited even beyond what's truly conceivable. We have no idea whatsoever of the working of this all. Seriously. Better to be concerned about modern Babylonians than that, really. Or, neither, moreover. Focus on the supremacy of God--He's got this. For real.
Maybe, if you want to question God as to why things are the way they are, consider this instead:
One of Satan's fatal failings was in becoming so utterly self-centered (in the sense that he'd lost perspective of self in context of all else) as to no longer be able to conceive that God so far exceeds his limited scope of understanding that there was never any chance he might have succeeded in an attempt to usurp.
Which is why humility is UTTERLY vital.
ABSOLUTELY.
Pride throws perspective out the window, then backs up and runs it over a few times...before finally pouring gasoline on and throwing a lit Zippo back onto the mass while careening blindly into the darkness ahead. Headlights off, yeah. No guard rail. Mountainous terrain. A pit of hellfire to pay.
Utterly delectable, no? And to think--we're presently living in a world which worships self-confidence and self-esteem as the means to ALL necessary ends? So far even as unto proclaiming them vital in worshipping or serving God??? QUE?!
Oy vey.
Does anyone have an idea of how currently pervasive the thread is which precipitated Lucifer's ejection from Heaven and eternal condemnation as Satan? Seriously.
And the multifarious contortions whereby that very same has presently manifested are so innocuously interwoven with modern social thought that it's nigh become sacrilege to a so-called "sense of humanity" to denounce some of them. Consider that. "Political" correctness, indeed!
The "sacred cause" of modern humankind is largely two-fold, intertwined yet divided (as so the age)...save humanity, save the planet.
There is ONLY one means of salvation, though, and it does not derive from any such pursuits as are implicitly -self-directed.-
Christ, alone, is means to salvation in ANY capacity. Yet our perversion of thought has become so dissipated as to yield utter contempt in response to the REALITY of our total insufficiency. This is evidenced by observable manifestations such as instance where those deemed in any capacity disabled, thus not "wholly self-sufficient" (financially, mentally, physically, economically, educationally, etc, ad infinitum), are more readily ridiculed, derided, or shunned than given consideration through--no longer often charity--but a sickening, pretentious pity which moreover serves to shore up persisting self-righteousness within those "assisting."
People volunteer because it makes them feel good about themselves, rather than out of love. People who need assistance are MOCKED by those in a position to assist them (welfare, hm?), rather than WILLINGLY and LOVINGLY aided.
Grocery management and high-end retail management served so much to highlight the preference for self which has sewn such division between those who would otherwise be charitably inclined. NEVER again. Two nervous breakdown later, finally submitting wholly to God, that path has been entirely abandoned, rather than allowed to further perpetuate its constant pressure to revert into a mode of interaction which so constitutes an abomination before the Lord. Such temptations as the pressure of total immersion yielded momentary lapses, which yielded increasing separation from God, which yielded self-destruction. Can't serve two masters, no indeed.
I loathe myself in ever having been tempted into such utterly disgusting, nauseating, and reprehensible forms of self-righteousness as so abide and pervade throughout the world--now more than ever.
The temptation is ALWAYS there, though. Something which crossed my mind a few days ago, in such regard, was that bit about volunteering. A term from social psychology came to mind, regarding a state wherein a person only gains "personal reward" from a certain act so long as the act is voluntary and not required.
The term won't present itself right now, but it starts with an "h," if memory serves (sometimes so).
Giving and serving for the sake of charity has largely been gradually supplanted by such self-serving ideologies, though. As course for the shift in social unto individualist consciousness, recorded by sociologists/psychologists as having occurred sometime mid-late 19th century. This was described as occurring along lines of "self-awareness," in context of the world, wherein the individual not only knew themselves in terms of the immediate but began to have an "objective" ability to regard self in terms of all else. This emergence from a veritable sea of collective unconscious into an "individualizing awakening" of sorts occurred simultaneous to other advances of society, psychology, and technology (and likely alterations in religious practice?). The age of scientific reasoning. Science as religion, really. Total, empirical objectification.
Self-idolatry, moreover.
The arguments to that effect, regarding the so-called evolution of social consciousness on an individualist scale...were sound, as logic goes. But that's the thing with logic. It seeks to utterly objectify everything in a wholly subjective world. Science, as a religion, seeks to objectify everything. It seeks to strip away meaning, layer-by-layer and systematically, as a means of comprehending operation of the all. A theory of everything, no? Attempting to unveil God Himself while willfully ignoring His very Presence. Attempting to abnegate God in a thus unholy search for "truth." Making His creation into the sole focus of worship, excluding all which exists beyond humanity's ability to reason or systematically observe (i.e., control in some capacity).
Quite a strategy, really. But it's still so very flawed.
Because you can't fight spiritual warfare with physical weapons. Period. That has and will remain a fatal flaw. It's ALWAYS the same story. And as some eyes do not see, nor some ears hear...though some may be made clear, and some made open...some will always remain clouded and closed. By nature.
Pernicious, though. Utterly pernicious.
And I praise God that He is my shield, strength, and refuge--for, without His revelation, salvation, and strength, I'd yet be powerlessly mired in that sludge. Not that I've yet submitted so wholly to Him as to be holy as He is holy...but I aspire. Ever so long as He'll lead me into further submission and renewal. Always to aspire. Excelsior.
He'll guide me into all truth, so seeking. No matter what it takes, as He leads.
To note:
Anxiety and fear are actually perversions of pride. In some capacity, I've begun to get an inkling that so is pity, nowadays. Modern "pity" divorces the observer from the observed in such a way as to disengage self-abnegation (e.g., "observer," "observed"). Can you yet "pity" someone and truly esteem them as higher than yourself, in this emotional clime as is current? Tread carefully.
Sympathy, even empathy...has even become such a slippery slope, as pride so pervades. Support groups I've gone to have evidenced this, wherein those in the church/society who "sympathize/empathize" then expect to be allowed to provide the answers unto self-sufficiency. It isn't enough just to connect and listen and love--we've all become so full of ourselves that in someone else's darkest moment we simply MUST tell them what recipes for overcoming -we- have developed or experienced (spoiler alert: those don't usually include praise of the Most High God, nor of total surrender to Jesus Christ, nor of submission to the Holy Spirit in increased reading of the Word). Which--this has been a very fine point for deviation, but it has subtly invaded to a point of becoming surreal/toxic--while there can be healing in Christ-centered fellowship amongst the suffering, as love is shared through such compassion and sympathy, when it becomes a matter of one believing they alone hold the answers for the other...? A superior distancing is irrevocably invoked, thereby. Unholy imbalance has been instituted. So not in favor of the hurting. They have become a "project." This, I can personally submit for consideration through humility and by grace, having so long suffered under that same delusion, as so described in recent writing. (It yet seeks to devour, but grace is sufficient. And humiliation, by the grace of the Almighty, will maintain.)
So, why not just love?
Just love.
And express love, rather than indulging any subconscious inference that there is some matter to be controlled or needful of self-directed influence?
Finally found the verse which the pastor of The Bridge mentioned a couple months ago. It was hidden for a while.
Revelations 21:7-8
He who is victorious shall inherit all these things, and I will be God to him and he shall be My son.
But as for the cowards and the ignoble and the contemptible and the cravenly lacking in courage and the cowardly submissive, and as for the unbelieving and faithless, and as for the depraved and defiled with abominations, and as for murderers and the lewd and adulterous and the practicers of magic arts and the idolaters (those who give supreme devotion to anyone or anything other than God) and all liars (those who knowingly convey untruth by word or deed) — [all of these shall have] their part in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone. This is the second death.
Just think on that for a moment.
The pastor said it was a verse which shot a jolt of fear through Him, to consider the first group mentioned, with good reason. We are to search ourselves, at least daily.
δειλός
Transliteration
deilos
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Pronunciation
dā-lo's (Key)
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Part of Speech
adjective
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Root Word (Etymology)
From deos (dread)
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Dictionary Aids
Vine's Expository Dictionary: View Entry
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Outline of Biblical Usage
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KJV Translation Count — Total: 3x
The KJV translates Strongs G1169 in the following manner: fearful (3x).
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Concordance Results Using KJV
Strong's Number G1169 matches the Greek δειλός (deilos),
which occurs 3 times in 3 verses in the Greek concordance of the KJV
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Consider fear, though. What IS fear? Where is it rooted?
Uncertainty over the unknown, unknowable, or the uncontrollable.
Invert the logic on standard interpretation of those core terms for just a moment, if you would, as in consideration of sincere and genuine reverence for God Almighty.
Consider that for just a moment. (Selah, yeah)
In terms of a genuine reverence for God Almighty, that which is unknown, unknowable, uncontrollable, inconceivable, insufferable, intolerable, uncertain, or any other such thing...is yet COMPLETELY, WHOLLY, ETERNALLY yielded to His Ultimate Supremacy and Majesty.
Praise God for His abundant mercies!
Only when I would view the world in terms of wholly errant self-sufficiency have any of these things even registered on the radar of consideration.
So as Jesus admonished the disciples for their fear, and admonishes me for it every time it yet seeks to mire... ...to fear is to exhibit a lack of faith in God's Supremacy and in the absolute sufficiency of His grace and mercies. It thus exhibits a lack of faith in God. Period.
So, yeah, as Jesus told us--don't fear the one who can take your life. Fear the one who can take your life and then cast your soul into Hell. (fyi, that would be God )
A regard for life which undermines the Almighty is the root of fear, then. So, pride...in essence...is the root of fear--errant, generally unconscious, extant belief in one's own [needful] self-sufficiency (..."as apart from God" is wholly implied by the very term)...as found momentarily lacking in some capacity, as "uncertainty" and the like relay. Know, we are NONE OF US sufficient unto ourselves. Lucifer got cast out of Heaven for the abominations unto God which resulted from that precise, particular, grievous error in perception; so as Satan, would he not seek to mire us also into his own self-deception unto willful condemnation, as we have seemed readily susceptible to it? God help us all!, but humans have gotten to the point where we WANT TO BELIEVE(????) that we are completely self-sufficient and that we can and are within all rights to do anything we thus put our collective AND individual minds to. Satan sought to make himself a god, and he has the majority of folks dancing merrily along to the very same tune.
It's absolutely infuriating that he would even consider esteeming himself above God Almighty, let alone actively in any way seek to do so.
Inconceivable.
Every day that we live in the throes of some permutation of pride, we do the VERY SAME. Self-idolatry. Only, worse than even worshipping the work of our own hands as once we did, given the "evolution of consciousness" as it were, now we worship the very work God Almighty did...as -we- are such a thing...while simultaneously refusing to even acknowledge Him, esteeming ourselves above him in as many as even assert that they are "gods!"
Composed of stardust, indeed..
HOW DOES THAT EVEN??? Oh, Lord help us! This is but a blasphemous age beyond perhaps any which has ever dared thumb their nose in Your most glorious direction. I can't even... The outright...
HOW DOES THAT EVEN??? Oh, Lord help us! This is but a blasphemous age beyond perhaps any which has ever dared thumb their nose in Your most glorious direction. I can't even... The outright...
Oh, my Lord... The thing my sister spoke epitomized the age, didn't it? Oh, Lord, help.
What was it, again? The response? She had...glorified man beyond anything either reasonable or acceptable. Or conscionable. I can't bring myself to think it. So heinous. Help her--it's not "her" doing these things.
As neither is it these people. Oy vey. What is there to do? There's no awareness whatsoever of what's going on, for the most part. Inundated on all sides. Completely. Complacently. Oh, woe.
...
The Lord is so merciful, though. My arrogance, time to time, has been beyond measure--such an abomination before God. The revelation about Satan's downfall was significantly humbling.
The ramifications are eternal.
Which is why it's such a cautionary tale to be told, in this age. DAILY...HOURLY...CONSTANT AS BE NECESSARY repentance is absolutely required unto, for, and BY our salvation.
Paul was adamant that we present ourselves DAILY as a living sacrifice unto God. We MUST constantly be reverent to our Heavenly Father, who so loves us that He sent His son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice. For our sins condemn us--our disobedience in even one thing requires that, in justice, we must be punished unto damnation of our very souls, as such is the weight of ANY sin. Even as to one errant thought.
Romans 2:14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
ANY disobedience condemns to Hell, as the law was written on our very hearts--in our spirits as a conscience. Having numbed one's conscience is proof of condemnation, in itself--even as goes whole societies, perchance it were (is) so.
ANY disobedience condemns to Hell, as the law was written on our very hearts--in our spirits as a conscience. Having numbed one's conscience is proof of condemnation, in itself--even as goes whole societies, perchance it were (is) so.
There is no excuse for not knowing and seeking salvation through Christ.
Romans 1:20
For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
Psalms 19:1-4
THE HEAVENS declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows and proclaims His handiwork.
Day after day pours forth speech, and night after night shows forth knowledge.
There is no speech nor spoken word [from the stars]; their voice is not heard.
Yet their voice [in evidence] goes out through all the earth, their sayings to the end of the world
The Mazzaroth wholly presents the story of creation, sacrifice, redemption, and judgment...
As through our Heavenly Father's sacrifice of His only begotten Son--Christ Jesus--those who openly proclaim Jesus as our Lord, sacrificed, resurrected, and exalted on the right hand of the Father, believing in our hearts that He--the Son of God--did die to atone once and forever for our sins...
...those who so confess and BELIEVE are saved by a miraculous work of the Holy Spirit...as Christ was resurrected by the power of the Holy Spirit, so do we die to our sins and are spiritually reborn and sanctified into Christ, and as He is presently sitting at the right hand of the Father in Heaven--as our Intercessor, High Priest, Lord, and ONLY Savior--so, too, someday shall we join Him where He is.
Don't let pride sidetrack you. It's got to be a constant prayer. Mine has to be. I still stumble so often.
Don't let pride sidetrack you. It's got to be a constant prayer. Mine has to be. I still stumble so often.
Must always keep repenting, and praising as frequency continually decreases. Praise God!
Don't let pride in any of its forms sidetrack.
Just...with the bits about pity and sympathy/empathy as how they've become slippery slopes...that's a hard case. Which is why I have to assert that, given the proliferation of prideful insinuations into even the most charitable endeavors in this worldly age...LOVE, outright, is a better course.
Don't be fearful. Be anxious of ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Have faith, in and through ALL THINGS.
Romans 14
22The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.
There are just...so many things.
But the main thing is the confessing and BELIEVING, wholeheartedly. The transformation unto sanctification. Being led into all truth. Baptism of the Holy Spirit, so to be empowered for the Great Commission. And...
Philippians 2:12
Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self- distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ).
It is ONGOING.
Not "once done, forever won"--"set it and forget it"-salvation is not a "thing." Not on our part, no. The atoning work of the cross and resurrection is complete, SO WE HAVE TO KEEP THE FAITH, CONSTANTLY. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING. As being in the world but NOT OF IT.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18English Standard Version (ESV)
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Knowing these:
Philippians 1:6
And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.
Proverbs 3:3-12
Let not mercy and kindness [--shutting out all hatred and selfishness--] and truth [--shutting out all deliberate hypocrisy or falsehood--] forsake you; bind them about your neck, write them upon the tablet of your heart.
So shall you find favor, good understanding, and high esteem in the sight [or judgment] of God and man.
Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn [entirely] away from evil.
It shall be health to your nerves and sinews, and marrow and moistening to your bones.
Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency [from righteous labors] and with the firstfruits of all your income;
So shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine.
My son, do not despise or shrink from the chastening of the Lord [His correction by punishment or by subjection to suffering or trial]; neither be weary of or impatient about or loathe or abhor His reproof,
For whom the Lord loves He corrects, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights
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