Classics: Streams in the Desert - February 24 entry - Personal reflection.

Published by Jean-Louis Mondon

	The entry from "Streams in the Desert" below and the following poem reminds me of a time of struggle in my life some time ago which was exacerbated by a horrible cold winter weather. Since I was working outside a house washing up the deck with a pressure washer in freezing temperature it was hard for me to muster positive and uplifting thoughts about my life. But God.... It is always when the situation is dire and we feel like giving up and crawl under the blankets of temporary comfort, whatever they happen to be, that God in his mercy and grace shows up (although he is always Jehovah Shamah, the God who is there). Through the Holy Spirit eyes, we see things unseen to us and we hear the Lord talking to us through nature, things that  we were oblivious to because we focused our attention on ourselves and on the raging waves and not on our compassionate Lord and his power to take us through the rough places in life. As I started crying out for help, the Lord opened my eyes which focused on a beautiful naked bush which I had not noticed all morning long. The peculiar thing about this bush is that only one single beautiful tiny red flower had survived the wintry elements and was offering hope and a lesson in perseverance against all odds by the brightness of its color . The Lord was showing me that even though under the frigid rigor of winter, the earth appears to be stripped and dead and shares its gloom with us humans, the blood of Jesus shed for our sin is a reason for great rejoicing and patience. This was just a season that the Lord in his wisdom uses to strengthen our faith and dependence on him in everything.  This small red blossom was a reminder from my  Lord Jesus´suffering and death on the cruel cross and that because of his willingness to be obedient  unto death,  a new abundant,  wonderful and eternal  life would be given as a free gift to those who repent and believe in him through the power of his resurrection. This thought was enough to lift me up and to be greatly encouraged to endure  winter and life´s passing  trials and rejoicing while  keeping my eyes and mind on Christ´s soon return  and the blessings of a life without suffering, trials, tears and death spent in forever praising and glorifying our Blessed Father, Lord Jesus and our dear comforter, the Holy Spirit who always stands ready to encourage and stay alongside us to help us bear whatever comes to us. May you you receive Holy Spirit comfort and encouragement today. The Lord knows what you are going through and he cares about you. Help is already on the way as he hears and answers the fervent prayer of his righteous children. Jean-Louis.          ___________________________________________________________________ "John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true" (John 10:41). You may be very discontented with yourself. You are no genius, have no brilliant gifts, and are inconspicuous for any special faculty. Mediocrity is the law of your existence. Your days are remarkable for Nothing but sameness and insipidity. Yet you may live a great life.  John's main business was to bear witness to the Light, and this may be yours and mine. John was content to be only a voice, if men would think of Christ. Be willing to be only a voice, heard but not seen; a mirror whose surface is lost to view, because it reflects the dazzling glory of the sun; a breeze that springs up just before daylight, and says, "The dawn! the dawn!" and then dies away. Do the commonest and smallest things as beneath His eye. If you must live with uncongenial people, set to their conquest by love. If you have made a great mistake in your life, do not let it becloud all of it; but, locking the secret in your breast, compel it to yield strength and sweetness. We are doing more good than we know, sowing seeds, starting streamlets, giving men true thoughts of Christ, to which they will refer one day as the first things that started them thinking of Him; and, of my part, I shall be satisfied if no great mausoleum is raised over my grave, but that simple souls shall gather there when I am gone, and say: "He was a good man; he wrought no miracles, but he spake words about Christ, which led me to know Him for myself." --George Mathison Reposted from www.backtothebible.org "THY HIDDEN ONES" (Psa. 83:3) "Thick green leaves from the soft brown earth, Happy springtime hath called them forth; First faint promise of summer bloom Breathes from the fragrant, sweet perfume, Under the leaves. "Lift them! what marvelous beauty lies Hidden beneath, from our thoughtless eyes! Mayflowers, rosy or purest white, Lift their cups to the sudden light, Under the leaves. "Are there no lives whose holy deeds-- Seen by no eye save His who reads Motive and action--in silence grow Into rare beauty, and bud and blow Under the leaves? "Fair white flowers of faith and trust, Springing from spirits bruised and crushed; Blossoms of love, rose-tinted and bright, Touched and painted with Heaven's own light Under the leaves. "Full fresh clusters of duty borne, Fairest of all in that shadow grown; Wondrous the fragrance that sweet and rare Comes from the flower-cups hidden there Under the leaves. "Though unseen by our vision dim, Bud and blossom are known to Him; Wait we content for His heavenly ray-- Wait till our Master Himself one day Lifteth the leaves." "God calls many of His most valued workers from the unknown multitude" (Luke 14:23).

The public domain version of this classic devotional is the unabridged edition of Streams in the Desert. This first edition was published in 1925 and the wording is preserved as originally written. Connotations of words may have changed over the years and are not meant to be offensive.

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Shutting Down or Staying Alert

May 17, 2019 by Lighthouse Trails Editors

By Cedric Fisher

Whatever the cause, shutting down is the worst thing a Christian can do at this point of time. Instead of shutting down, believers need to be selective about what they are putting into their minds and spirits. Being informed is essential to being prepared. Shutting down will not prepare one to endure the harshness of the tough days ahead.

It’s one thing if believers are focusing on their relationship with the Lord and want to spend less time on the Internet and watching TV. However, the temptation for many (and I have seen it already) will be to shut down by engaging in entertainment media and outlets of benign and mundane information. Rather than adjusting with balance, they are going into denial, choosing to believe we have lots of time before our society, as we know it, collapses. That’s the “Ostrich Complex,” and professing Christians with the Ostrich Complex will pay a severe price for what they are enjoying now.

As painful and frightening as it is to accept, I believe we are on the verge of a global government and religion that will be very brutal to true Christians. It will take more than a sabbatical from bad news and ominous warnings to prepare for enduring life in such an environment. 

Satan, the enemy of our souls, is working overtime right now to “wear out the saints” (Daniel 7:25), but I cannot exhort you enough, this is not a time when born-again believers in Christ can afford to be worn down, bury their heads, and become apathetic toward what is happening around us. For those who cave in to that temptation of apathy, it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to stand when things get truly harsh. 

The time to prepare is long past, but it’s still not too late. The first step is to wake up and accept truth. It is time to gather and store “oil,” the substance that keeps our light shining. In order to keep that flame lit and not allow it to become a flickering flame on a wick in a near-empty reservoir, we must put into action our confession of faith in Christ. He promises to sustain us as we abide in Him.

It is essential for preparation and subsequent endurance that we acknowledge the spiritual war in which we find ourselves, that we do not shut down our senses because of negative information overload, and that we do not live in a bubble of false security. 

May we also remember that this home on earth is not our final destination. We have a home where God dwells in righteousness. If we are going to defeat the forces of darkness that seek to minimize our efforts and diminish our faith, we will have to fight, “not as one that beateth the air” (1 Corinthians 9:26) but as informed and equipped saints of God. We must not deceive ourselves and think we can be both complacent and effective all at the same time. 

Instead of shutting down, let us look up. Genuine blessed hope is the buffer for the stress of perilous times. It can only be had with a sincere relationship with Christ, a strong knowledge of His Word, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit (who “shall teach you all things; John 14 :26). That is the only focus that makes sense in this period of encroaching darkness. As the psalmist so well stated, let us “hope in His mercy,” rejoice in Him, and trust in His holy name.

Militancy Misplaced :: By Pete Garcia

Republished from Rapture Ready

by RRadmin7 Category:General Articles

 

Salvation & Misplaced Militancy 

There are many passionate believers out in the world today. Each of us tends to find those issues we hold near and dear to our hearts and we are willing to plant our battle flags on to defend until the death. For some, it is a particular doctrine. For others, it may be a form of religious worship. Still others find smaller sub-sections within Christendom to target in on and focus their efforts on understanding or perfecting. This brief will deal with what I believe to be five non-primary doctrinal issues whose divisions have done more than harm than good to the body of Christ.

For a foundation, let me begin with what are considered the major doctrinal issues by category. I have included a summation from CARM’s (Christian Apologetic & Research Ministry) doctrine grid. Today’s brief will primarily focus on some of numbers three and four. Anything italicized is copied verbatim.

1. Primary Essentials. You cannot claim to be a Christian if you deny the following: Deity of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, salvation by grace through faith alone, the gospel being the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and that there is only one God.
2. Secondary Essentials. Technically, one could be regenerated (born-again), but if you deny these after your conversion, your salvation would seriously be in question if you continue to deny the following: the Trinity, the virgin birth, and that Christ is the only way to God the Father.
3. Primary Non-Essentials. Denying these can bring one’s salvation into question since the regenerate seek to live according to God’s word.  Violating them does not automatically mean the person is not saved since Christians fall into various sins.  However, abiding in sins with unrepentance would be evidence that the person is not regenerated: moral integrity, fidelity in marriage, the inerrancy of Scripture, condemnation of homosexuality, baptism is not necessary for salvation, and eternal security (not by obedience).
4. Secondary Non-Essentials. Any of them can be denied or affirmed, and regeneration is not in questioned: predestination/election/free-will/unlimited atonement, communion (on how it is conducted), Saturday or Sunday worship, Eschatological positions, continuation or cessation of gifts, baptism for adults or infants, and in-church musical instruments.
5. Christian Heresies. These do not contradict the essentials but do contradict non-essential teachings. Generally, those who hold to these positions should be avoided and urged to repent: universalism, open theism, annihilationism, health/wealth, women pastors, willful sin cult, and that one must belong to a particular church to be saved.

Let me add my own personal caveat to this. Deviations from or into any of these can cause one to drift doctrinally. Likewise, hyper-focusing on any of the secondary and non-essentials can cause one (or one’s ministry) to lose sight of our primary mandate from Christ (Matt. 28:18-20).

1. King James Only

While I believe in the inerrancy of Scripture, I do not believe in the inerrancy of translations. Just as I (and many others) are led to write and contend for the faith and teach many things, my own teaching is not without error. I make grammatical mistakes. I do not claim to fully understand all the mysteries as laid out in Scripture. Neither do the translators have everything perfectly translated.

We have a bible that was originally given to us in Hebrew, then translated into Greek, Latin, English and then every other language following. While I understand the different types of Scriptural translations (word for word vs. thought for thought) and the spectrum all the current translations fall into, none of these is without errors, even the KJV.

As Christian’s, we should not divide over bible translations. It is ok to have your favorite. It is ok for other people to have their favorite. We do not all speak 17th-century English, or any English at all for that matter. I would recommend that Christian’s avoid translations that seriously deviate from the original text (The Message, CEV, TEV, Living Bible, TNIV, etc.) Absolutely avoid the New World Translation (Jehovah Witness’s Bible) which seriously tampers with the integrity of Scripture.

1. Water Baptism

Teaching baptismal regeneration or the emphasis on water-baptism FOR salvation is an error. Scripture does not support this position, but rather, people misconstrue certain passages to come to this conclusion. For the sake of argument, let us break down water baptism and its relation to the salvation of the believer.

1. We are first introduced to water baptism through John the Baptist (JTB). He baptized people in the Jordan for ‘repentance.’ (Matt. 3:5)
2. JTB declares that One (the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world-John 1:29-31) is coming after him, who’s shoes he’s not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Spirit and fire (Matt. 3:11).
3. So now we have two types of baptism- water baptism and baptism by the Holy Spirit. Which do you think is necessary FOR salvation? The washing of water of the flesh (1 Peter 3:19-21), or the washing of the soul by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5-7).
4. Acts 2 shows Peter preaching and thousands coming to salvation.
   1. First, we see them hear the message, coming to the realization they NEED salvation (Acts. 2:37)
   2. Secondly, we see Peter tell them

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 
This word ‘for’ is the Greek word ‘eis.’ It can mean a number of different things, and it is unfortunate that English scholars have chosen this word ‘for’ since it can also mean unto or into. See the above (I) on errors in translations from Greek to English. From CARM;

“In Acts 2:38 the main verb is metanoesate (change mind), the aorist direct imperative (a command) of metanoeo which means to repent (change mind).  This refers to that initial repentance of the sinner unto salvation.  The verb translated “be baptized” is in the indirect passive imperative (a command to receive; hence, passive voice in Greek1) of baptizo, which does not give it the same direct command implied in “repent.”  The preposition “for” in the phrase “for the remission of sins” in Greek is “eis,” unto or into, and it is in the accusative case (direct object).  It can mean, “for the purpose of identifying you with the remission of sins.”  It is the same preposition we find in 1 Cor. 10:2 in the phrase “and were baptized unto Moses.”  Note that both contexts are dealing with baptism and identification.  In 1 Cor. 10:2 the people were baptized or spiritually identifying themselves with the purposes and vision of Moses.” (Link)

1. 1. If Acts 2:38 were the definitive example of HOW we are saved, then we should see this reiterated throughout the rest of Scripture. We do not. See Acts. 3:19, 8:37, 10:44-48, 19:4.
   2. The order we see in Acts is hearing the message, repentance and belief in the risen Christ, THEN baptism. Baptism is something born-again believers do, not what we do to be saved.
2. The Apostle Paul did not include water baptism in the Gospel message, but as something separate, that follows conversion. (1 Corinthians 1:17, 15:1-6, Gal. 1:8-9, Eph. 2:8-9)
3. There is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. This baptism is not of water, but of the Holy Spirit who seals us until the day of redemption (Eph. 4:5, 30).
4. Lastly, salvation is either by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9), or it is not. The absolute clearest passages on salvation (John 3:16, Rom. 10:9-13) do not mention water baptism in any way, shape, or form. IF water baptism were necessary, it would be included in these critical passages. Water baptism is a requirement FOR the believer, NOT to become a believer.

• Hypercritical Discernment Ministries

Certain discernment ministries, perhaps good intentioned, become so hypercritical that anyone who disagrees with them even on non-essential views, are written off as heretics or apostates. There is a charge by Christ and other contributors to Scripture to contend for the faith in love, with longsuffering and patience. When we exclude love, we are nothing more than clanging brass symbols who come off as self-appointed, self-righteous, biased, and narrow-minded. IOW, while there is absolutely a need for discernment in these last days, we are commanded to do so in love. (See also Matt. 18:15-17, Gal. 6:1-5, 1 Cor. 13, 2 Tim. 2:23-26, James 5:19-20, 1 Peter 3:15, 1 John 4:5-12, Jude 1:3, 22-23, etc.

1. Predestination

This is a can of worms doctrine I always hate getting into, simply because it can be argued either way. Therefore, I will surmise this into its simplest form and leave it there.

1. God is omniscient and knows everything, from the end to the beginning (Isaiah 46:9-10)
2. God foreknew us (Matt. 25:34, Eph. 1:4), and foreknew who would come to Him in repentance and salvation. By default, God also knows who would not come to Him, thereby earning damnation and eternal separation.
3. Although God already knows the choice we will make, it is still ours to make. Probably the best explanation I have come across is from Gotquestions.org;

“It is impossible for us to fully understand the dynamics of a holy God molding and shaping the will of man. Scripture is clear that God knows the future (Matthew 6:8; Psalm 139:1-4) and has total sovereign control over all things (Colossians 1:16-17; Daniel 4:35). The Bible also states that we must choose God or be eternally separated from Him. We are held responsible for our actions (Romans 3:19; 6:23; 9:19-21). How these facts work together is impossible for a finite mind to comprehend (Romans 11:33-36).

People can take one of two extremes in regard to this question. Some emphasize the sovereignty of God to the point that human beings are little more than robots simply doing what they have been sovereignly programmed to do. Others emphasize free will to the point of God not having complete control and/or knowledge of all things. Neither of these positions is biblical. The truth is that God does not violate our wills by choosing us and redeeming us. Rather, He changes our hearts so that our wills choose Him. “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19), and “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (John 15:16).”

Therefore, predestination vs. free will becomes the age-old question that we finite humans cannot fully understand, nor will we this side of the veil. I am not sure why this has ever been such a huge, contentious, church-splitting issue for believers over the centuries.

1. Eschatology

By far my favorite topic to discuss with anyone is eschatology (the study of last things). I view eschatology as secondary only to soteriology (the study of salvation) and by which all other Christian doctrines hang from. Every doctrine has eschatology built into it, interwoven through, and connects every other doctrine, so to ignore it, is detrimental to the health of the believer and church. We find the first prophecy in the bible in Genesis 3:15 about salvation and the redemption of humanity (the protoevangelicum). Thus by prophecy, we see the salvation story foretold at the very beginning of creation.

There are really three types of believers out there regarding bible prophecy. There are those who zealously passionate about it (in its varying positions), there are those who ignore it completely, and there are those who balance it with all other doctrines.

1. Those who ignore it, do so at their own peril. While it is not necessary for salvation, it is instrumental in understanding how all other Christian doctrines tie together. Without prophecy, one is getting an incomplete picture of both the Old and New Testaments. Most of the mainline Protestant denominations, much of Roman Catholicism, and much of the Seeker-Sensitive, Emergent Church, and other modern movements have largely abandoned the proper study of eschatology.
2. Those who are overly zealous in their beliefs, tend to become militant in their positions (whatever that may be). They then use it as a way to measure other believer’s salvation status. I have been guilty of this. Furthermore, cults use their particular brands of eschatology as a means to frighten their followers (hence the term doomsday cult) which is an abuse of the text and heretical.
3. Finally, there are those who hold a healthy balance of eschatology with all other doctrines, recognizing its “non-essential” (as it relates to salvation) role to our eternal state. I would add though, that having the correct eschatological position is critical to the spiritual development of the believer (Eph. 4:11-16, 2 Peter 1:19-21, Rev. 19:10). If your eschatology is askew, then you can be sure that other doctrines you hold to are also misaligned.

Conclusion
No believer alive today, nor since Christ, is or has ever been perfect. We, as the apostle Paul appropriately noted, see through a glass darkly (1 Cor. 13:12). We now are two-thousand years removed, have an inerrant bible (in its original form) but translated into our lesser languages by fallible men. We have misunderstandings over particular doctrines given this language barrier, of which God put in place at Babel (Gen 11:7).

It takes our regeneration to even begin to understand Scripture. That is our salvation by His grace through our faith (which He makes possible), placed solely in the finished and redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary and His subsequent resurrection from the dead to change us. We do not go from being unsaved to saved, but from being spiritually dead to spiritually alive with new natures (2 Cor. 5:17-21). We are baptized by the Holy Spirit into the singular, universal, multi-membered, corporate body of Christ here on the earth, sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption (2 Cor. 1:21-22, Eph. 1:11-14, 4:30).

While it is important to hold to a doctrine properly (through a literal, grammatical, historical hermeneutic), we must demonstrate love, patience, and humility when we teach, write, instruct, and share with those who do not. Above all, we must love each other, because by this, the world will know we are of Christ. As Theodore Roosevelt was once quoted saying, people do not care how much you know, until they know how much you care.

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—Ephesians 2:11-15

The Teaching Spirit - by Ray Stedman

Republished from Ray Stedman daily devotion

… just as it has taught you, remain in him.

1 John 2:27b

The emphasis in these verses is on the words as it has taught you. What the Spirit has taught you, not what He has taught the other fellow. After the resurrection, Jesus said to Peter, Feed my sheep. And Peter turned and looked at John and said, Lord, what about him? Do you remember what Jesus said? That is none of your business. You follow me. What I teach this man to do is for him to know. What I have said for you to do, that is for you to do (John 21:15-22).

This is an intensely personal thing. What you have learned from the word of the Spirit, through the intermediacy of human teachers, is to be the ground of your actions. But your activity must always be based on the conviction of what has come home to you. In other words, you walk by faith in the Word of God as God has taught it to you and not by what you have learned by tradition. ...

Any time you condition people to take their truth secondhand through some other individual, some line of authorities standing in succession above them, you have conditioned them to respond immediately to falsehood as well if it starts from the top. That is why hierarchies go astray so quickly and so easily. No, in the Christian life, all truth is intensely personal and comes directly to you from the Holy Spirit.

That means you do not need to have a scholar interpreting the Word of God for you. You can be grateful for scholars, you can read their helpful comments, and the Lord will use them to teach you something, but you are not dependent upon them. You have no need that any person teach you at that level, for the Holy Spirit can instruct you. We must be open, of course, to hear all that others have to say. 

Charles Spurgeon once said, I do not understand those men who have such a high opinion of what the Holy Spirit says to them, and such a low opinion of what he says to anyone else. We must remember that the Spirit of God does speak through other people, as well as through us. But, finally, we must act only on what the Lord has said to us. …

Now this obedience is absolutely necessary because it is only on this basis that you can abide in him, and that is where fruitfulness comes from. You cannot go another's route, you cannot live another's spiritual life for him or her or force him or her to go your route either. You are to open the Word, pour over it, listen to the Holy Spirit in it, listen to others as the Holy Spirit has taught them, and then, faced with this entire array of external testimony, obey that which the Spirit confirms to your heart is the truth. John says when you do that, you will abide in Him.