We Are ALSO the BODY of CHRIST!

Maybe you can tell me how many times I’ve posted WE are the government. If I’d bothered to try, I’d have lost count long ago. Newsflash: WE are also the body of Christ – at least those of us who have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior. (Romans 10:9-10) The difference between the two statements is one only needs to be a US Citizen to be included in the first group. One must consciously accept Christ to be born again of God’s spirit and become part of the body. So this post is directed at my brethren in Christ in particular.

Romans 12:4 For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members don’t have the same function,

5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

Ephesians 5:23 for a husband is head of the wife, as also the Christ is head of the assembly. He is Saviour of the body. [“assembly” is the Greek word ekklēsía often rendered “church”]

(For the sake of consistency, I’ll quote from the World English Bible (WEB) today unless otherwise noted.)

Today, “diversity” seems to be all the rage everywhere. Oddly enough there is no one group more diverse than today’s Christians. There is nothing at all wrong with this, in fact, there is everything right about it. “For God so loved the WORLD, He gave his only-begotten Son.” While diversity is fine, there is another aspect that is not at all desirable… division. No scripture advocates division, quite the opposite is true. The verses quoted above stating we are “one body” only scratch the surface.

In Ephesians especially, the apostle Paul revealed the mystery “which in other generations has not been made known to the sons of men” (Ephasians 3:5). What is this “mystery”?

Ephesians 3:6 that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of his promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel,

Gentiles were and are anyone who was not of the nation of Israel. Israel was a chosen people. Why were they chosen and not some other group? (Using my best, indignantly snotty tone) Well, somebody had to draw the short straw. It was them. There were two primary reasons for a chosen group. First, the Messiah had to be able to trace his lineage back. Second, somebody had to prove beyond any shadow of a doubt that no one else could possibly fulfill the law. While the Jews performed admirably in this respect, any group could have done the job. Only one man, the only begotten Son of God, born of sinless blood, could perfectly fulfill the law. Now about that “joint heirs” bit.

Once again, we need to look at Israel. They were chosen and they were also promised to be heirs of God. That mystery comes into play because what God did not reveal to them is the rest of the nations, the gentiles would get equal footing in the Kingdom of God by accepting Christ Jesus as Savior. Now, if the Jews had been paying attention, they might have caught on. Jesus told them as much.

Matthew 20:1 “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

2 When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

3 He went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.

4 To them he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went their way.

5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.

6 About the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle. He said to them, ‘Why do you stand here all day idle?’

7 “They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ “He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and you will receive whatever is right.’

8 When evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last to the first.’

9 “When those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius.

10 When the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise each received a denarius.

11 When they received it, they murmured against the master of the household,

12 saying, ‘These last have spent one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!’

13 “But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me for a denarius?

14 Take that which is yours, and go your way. It is my desire to give to this last just as much as to you.

15 Isn’t it lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?’

16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen.”

The key factor to note above is everyone got the same pay. In essence, they were “joint heirs”. Just as those who labored the entire day for the same pay as those “eleventh hour” workers got disgruntled, many Jews who accepted Christ after he died as was raised from the dead were put off.

Acts 15:1 Some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you can’t be saved.”

Acts 21:20 They, when they heard it, glorified God. They said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law.

This conflict is arguably the first recorded major division in the new church. With centuries of tradition behind them, many of the new believing Jews decided if Gentiles were to be included, they would have to be circumcised. This didn’t just refer to the act of circumcision itself but adherence to all of Judean law. They simply could not wrap their heads around how Jesus paid for our sins!

Paul understood it and he taught it.

Ephesians 3:3 that by revelation the mystery has been made known to me, (according as I have written before briefly,

4 by which, in reading it, ye can understand my intelligence in the mystery of the Christ,)

5 which in other generations has not been made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the power of the Spirit,

6 that they who are of the nations should be joint heirs, and a joint body, and joint partakers of his promise in Christ Jesus by the glad tidings;

7 of which I am become minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me, according to the working of his power.

One should note here that the word “partakers” here means to “take fully”. In other words, everyone in the body of Christ is equal. There is not longer any difference between Jew and Gentile.

Ephesians 2:11 Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “uncircumcision” by that which is called “circumcision,” (in the flesh, made by hands);

12 hat you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.

14 For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of partition,

15 having abolished in the flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace;

16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility thereby.

17 He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near.

Ephesians 2:16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility thereby.

There you have it. No matter where we started from, as a Jew or as a Gentile, we now belong to the body of Christ. What does this mean?

Ephesians 2:18 For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.

19 So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God,

Read that again. We both have access by one spirit to the Father!

Access. It’s a big thing. Really. Here it is again:

Ephesians 3:12 in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him.

Who is “whom”? Christ Jesus of course. Here it is declared we not only have access but boldness as well. God’s plan all along was to restore man to the original sinless state. In fact, since we were chosen “in him before the world’s foundation, that we should be holy and blameless before him in love”, God had designs on us even before Adam sinned! Furthermore, His intention was never for us to grovel before Him, pleading only after a blood sacrifice. He didn’t “lay down the law” in order to keep us in line and fearful.

Galatians 3:19 What then is the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the seed should come to whom the promise has been made. It was ordained through angels by the hand of a mediator.

Galatians 4:7 So you are no longer a bondservant [i.e. under the law], but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

There it is again! We are sons and therefore heirs. The law has served it’s purpose and now, since Christ, is no longer needed.

Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

And again there is that concept of “one”. What’s that all about?

Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called,

2 with all lowliness and humility, with patience, bearing with one another in love;

3 being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you also were called in one hope of your calling;

5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in us all.

Let this sink in… we were both chosen and called. Remember Matthew 20:16

Matthew 20:16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen

Ephesians tells us we were chosen in 1:4 and called in 4:1. How do I know this? Look at whom this letter is addressed to:

Ephesians 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus:

Summing it all up, we were chosen and called to be joint heirs in one body with Christ as the head. This was no accident but was God’s plan for us all along and this is just the beginning. We are also members. What does that mean? How does this relate to our Christian walk?

I’ll discuss this in my next post.

After January 20, 2023 – Politics and Other Stuff and a Peek into the Future… Sort of

After January 20, 2023 – Politics and Other Stuff

In case you are wondering, I am not going to chime in much concerning the speculation of Joe Bobo stepping down from office amid this latest classical document scandal. As early as May of 2021 I wondered if he wouldn’t be ousted shortly after completing his second year in office. At the time, my reasoning was whoever was installed after him would potentially have ten years in office as they would be eligible to run for office twice since they stepped in after the two-year mark. Now I’m questioning my previous assertions.

For one thing, Harris is still VP. I can imagine her inaugural speech:

“Thank you for the opportunity being President at this opportune time because it provides me an opportunity to be President and so paves the way for opportunities for other women who are black and who now have more opportunities to be things like president and “cackle, cackle, cackle”.

No, I cannot see her behind the Chief’s desk in the Oval Office. It’s not so much as she comes across as an idiot, I mean, look at Joe, but the key factor is she is not as controllable as the current resident. Controllability is key here. It may be the one thing that pushes Bobo out of the White House. If he continues to become more and more erratic, then he may have to be replaced. Nobody seems to care if he wanders around in netherland as long as they can extract the occasional sound bite or two. Then there’s Harris.

There are those scary times when she almost seems to have a will of her own. In today’s presidential climate that just won’t do. Not to mention she is becoming increasingly famous for her temper. Now she wouldn’t be the first in that respect. Noboma, Nixon, and more recently, Bobo all have been known to lose their tempers. The first two managed to keep a lid on theirs in public. Bobo seems to be loaded with some random defective rounds so one never knows when he may misfire. It could be the handlers fear Harris could lose it in the wrong place and do some real (read irreparable) damage.

As the handlers have not replaced the number two spot, I tend to doubt if Joe is in any real danger of being replaced. His one true asset is what every sane person sees as his liability, i. e. his near total lack of cognizance. The advantage here is he seems almost totally unaware and therefore nearly completely malleable. What control freak would want to give that up? Why then, has this document scandal reared up?

Looking back, it almost seems this was all planned long beforehand and put into play on the day the FIBs raided Donald J. Trumps Mar-a-Lago home. That’s right, ALL of it. What if Trump wasn’t the actual target? True, the implications for damaging Trump was a gleeful bonus for the globalists but what if Biden, not Trump, was the ultimate patsy? Now if this is true then my entire speculation about Bobo NOT being replaced anytime soon goes out the window. Which is it?

I don’t know. I fully expect Harris to be tossed a la Spiro Agnew before Bobo goes down the road. IF she does end up under the media microscope, it would indicate to me she and “The Big Guy” are soon to be ousted. Is it possible the handlers have enough on her to force her to resign on demand? Possible? Yes. Maybe even likely. The investigation of Agnew came to light in February and he was gone by October – this was in 1973 when time passed on a more normal pace. I’ll never be convinced nobody knew Agnew was corrupt long before the investigation started. These days someone could be exposed one day and gone by the late news.

Now one might speculate if the handlers have enough on Harris to force her to resign at will then maybe they have enough to control her otherwise. I’m sure this is a valid consideration. She may be empty-headed but she’s not an empty shell and thus she may have just enough “x factor” to be cause for concern. All of these things may be exactly why Joe’s still in office. The handlers like the near total control of the puppet strings. They are loathe to give that up and there is no one on the horizon who would be so completely under their power. So they will keep him “Weekend-At-Bernie’s” style for as long as they can.

IF Bobo really does have dementia or is similarly afflicted, there will come a point where he is incapable of functioning at all. Before that comes to pass, he will deteriorate to where he will no longer be able to function in public. I’ve stayed away from most news in recent weeks so I’ve not been following his latest gaffs much. I’m dubious as to whether medical science can prop him up much longer.

Either way, I contend it is his controllability that will finally decide his fate in the White House, not the document fiasco. If I am mistaken here, he’ll be gone within two weeks.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE LIBERTY COALTION?

Anyone stopping by recently is sure to notice I’ve mostly moved away from most political commentary, the above excepted. This may or may not be permanent. The fact is I love commenting on the politician spectrum. Even more, I enjoy writing about our Constitutional Republic – especially when it comes to the spiritual aspect – i.e. that our Republic is a God’s gift to us. Furthermore I am convinced our only hope, politically, is to reclaim our God-given birthright – our Constitutionally limited form of self-governance. WE ARE the government. Sadly, I no longer see this coming to pass.

Look – I can see a clear path to reclaiming our government. I’ve stated it outright. Maybe I haven’t communicated it well but it’s all right here in front of us. All we citizens really need to do is step up and take control of our individual counties. Bypass the party systems when possible using write-in votes for solid citizens. With write-in votes the entire electoral system is cut out. Why abandon the party system?

Our national problem really isn’t the government, at least not at the root. The root of our problem is the two-party system. A choice between corrupt Democrats and corrupt Republicans is a choice between two evils. And if one chooses between two evils, one still chooses evil.

This last House vote for Speaker demonstrates the issue dramatically. Ask yourself WHY 200 (+/-) REPUBLICANS voted for RINO McCarthy. Now look at the Senate and ask WHY 18 “REPUBLICAN” Senators voted for the omnibus spending bill. The reason is clear. These POLITICIANS are determined to protect the status quo. The LAST thing any of them want is to be accountable to their constituents – to US.

The truth is MOST Americans, Democrat or Republican, want the same things. We want to live our lives. We want to be safe and happy. We want a return to sanity. We want liberty. What we are offered on both sides of the political spectrum is hysteria and fear. The system is broken. NOT our Constitutional system but the POLITICAL TWO-PARTY system. That is it is broken as far as WE the People are concerned. For the politicians, it’s working like a fine-tuned machine. They keep getting themselves elected, growing government and increasing their personal wealth and power. The politicians don’t work for US they work for their handlers, those sneaky puppet masters hiding in luxurious back rooms of the nation… opulence WE pay for no less.

With all that, we won’t stand up. We won’t do what we need to do to stop the madness. I’ve all but given up. Most people either throw up their hands in surrender or just shake their heads saying, well THAT will never happen when presented with a solution. WE won’t rise to the occasion because YOU won’t rise. Don’t take it personally. Nobody else is either and really, it would only take a comparative handful.

To this end, I’m redirecting my focus. By accepting the fact that there will be no constitutional (read political) solution until the spiritual problem is addressed. God Almighty needs to step in. What will that take?

Know this for starters: God is already in control. Always. There is no “end arounding” Him. What we can do is repent and ask for deliverance and unless we meet Him “halfway”, He will continue to allow our nation to slideinto the mire. Our nation will not be restored without God’s Hand guiding it. And God will not restore a nation of citizens who’ve turned away from Him. So… revival.

Those of us who claim Christ as Lord and Savior need to turn to Christ Jesus and our Heavenly Father. It’s as simple as that. We need to diligently seek God and pray for deliverance. We need to speak the truth of God’s Word. We need to claim territory and establish beachheads.

Again the naysayers will shout “impossible!” “never happen!” but unlike the prospect of citizens rising up and claiming our birthright, this time there’s a difference.

Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Not only does God’s Word never return onto Him void, but any progress, ANY progress is a victory. So it doesn’t matter what “that other believer” does or does not do. All that matters is what YOU do. You cannot control anyone else. I cannot control anyone else. Thus I do what I can and if nobody else lifts a finger, well, God knows.

While I’m resigned to the idea that no matter what we do, our nation will implode, now and then I see a ray of hope. For instance not long ago, SCOTUS gutted the 50 year-old Lemon v. Kurtzman decision that drove God from public places in America. This was the standard by which nativity scenes were banned from government property, the Ten Commandments exiled from school classrooms, and Bibles were deemed more of a threat in a teacher’s hands than pornography.

This is bigger than overturning Roe vs. Wade yet it got almost zero press. Why? One decision, Roe vs Wade, lends itself to spectacular headlines as battle cries are echoed all over the land. “We Must Fight For Women’s Rights!”. Meanwhile the case bringing Lemon to a sour conclusion for the left, Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, frees citizens nationwide to openly and publicly declare their faith. The last thing the globalists want is for word to get out that the Word can now get out!

How did Kennedy v. Bremerton School District even make it to the Supreme Court? A high school football coach refused to allow the school to forbid him his God-given, Constitutionally guaranteed right pray after games on school grounds. While his story may not be on the epic level of Daniel vs King Darius, the end result could well turn the tide of our nation. Now ask yourself, how important is prayer really?

While I am encouraged by such things, I believe God is showing me a greater need – the need for each of us to personally step up. Coach Kennedy stepped up when he knelt in prayer. Imagine the impact if each of us added just one more prayer in our daily lives. If just one prayer moved a mountain, what if a teacher displayed the Ten Commandments in her classroom? Or one or more verses of scripture? Or placed her bible on her corner desk? What if our nation saw an explosion of such acts all across our country?

My recent posts highlight the world wide war of good vs evil. The outcome has already been decided. The God and Father of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus wins. As I’ve lived to the age where I begin to question how much time I have left on this earth, not to mention the signs of the times, my concern is not with dying but with making the most of whatever time I have left. Bluntly put, I only wish I’d realized this forty or so years ago. No matter. Now I see things in a different light. There is nothing more important than holding forth God’s truth. While this need not be scriptures, God’s Word has opened up to me in ways I’ve never seen before.

For me, the bottom line is simple. Yes, our Constitutional Republic is a gift from Almighty God. Yes, this concept is as important and our understanding of the underlying principles are crucial to our nation’s continued existence. But our Constitution, our Republic, is given to all citizens, Christian or not. Ours is not a Christian nation because God decreed it so. It is or can be a Christian nation only if our citizens overwhelmingly claim Christ. If we, as Christians, do not turn back to God, and hold forth God’s truth, our nation will fall to the globalists as Israel fell to Babylon.

To this end, while I expect, from time to time, to advocate local political activism as is our duty and responsibility under our Constitution, I believe God is leading me to expound more on the body of Christ, as a whole and as individual members. This is new to me. Not so much the subject matter, though I expect to learn much more in the near future, but more so the idea of “little ‘ol me” speaking for God. I’ve always been uncomfortable thinking, much less declaring such. I always considered such things presumptuous but God is showing me how I, too, am a member of the body of Christ and as such I have the honor and privilege of holding forth His Word.

Please pray for me.

Prepare Ye for Battle

Previously, I laid out the spiritual battle being waged before our eyes. This is not some fantastical dreamy ideological war. It is in your face real life warfare. Look around you. The whole “misinformation” agenda should be enough to convince anybody. Since when does open and honest debate present a danger to anybody? “Someone” or rather a certain faction, is intent on being the sole source of what information you are fed. Anyone who disputes or simply questions the “official version” is the enemy. The only trouble is, every so-called “official source” be it from government, an NGO, the media propagandists, or some sanctified “expert”, has been caught red-handed in their own lies again and again and again. Why is this important?

We Are Only Human

Wait a minute… ONLY human? What does that mean really? Human. Humans are unique beings on this planet. Sure some speculate about the intelligence of dolphins and whales and a few other animals but which of them build cities? What animal builds machines? Machines that fly? Machines that race across the planet on surfaces designed for them. What animals produce art? Music? What animals build libraries chock full of ideas and inventions and dreams? Only humans do these things. We are unique but we are not alone.

A spiritual world does exist and some of those spirit beings either visit or abide on this planet. We know little of how they live or what they really do or how they do what they do but we know they exist. They are not human. They are not animals. Some of their doings are revealed in scriptures. One of these spirit beings is identified as “the devil” or “the god of this world”

Matthew 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him [Jesus] up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Isn’t it interesting how much we can learn from three verses of scripture. The god of this world, the devil, wanted Jesus to worship him. He offered him “all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them” if Jesus would only worship him. Just as interesting is what Jesus did NOT say. He didn’t scoff and tell the devil he had no right to offer those things. Hmm. Nor did he laugh in the devil’s face, asking, incredulously, “you DARE ask GOD to worship YOU?” My own view here is Jesus said no such thing because the devil wasn’t asking God to worship him, he was asking the SON of God to worship him. If Jesus acceded, it would be game over. On to the third verse where we learn “the god of this world” has blinded the minds of those who do not believe.

The Gospel of Luke records a similar exchange:

Luke 4:5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Again, Jesus did not dispute the devil’s claims. This spiritual war is not over power and glory. The devil already has all that. What he wants what he cannot have… worship. He wants God’s children to worship him. He wants to be our god but he has a problem. While he can corral us, distract us, draw us away from God Almighty, in order to grant him what he wants, we must willingly worship him.

This brings us back to the original question. Why is it important for the devil and his minions to control all information we receive. He already has control of most of it. He owns the media. He owns most of the government. He owns the big corporations. He is literally brimming with wealth and power. Why worry about those of us who oppose him?

A Battle of Wills

We may be “only human” but we are humans with free wills. Everything he does is an effort to entice us to worship him. Barring that, he desires to keep us from worshiping the One True God and His only begotten Son Jesus. God has truth on His side. The devil can only deal from his pack of lies, though he sprinkles his lies with a dash of truth now and then to keep us guessing. Now he’s on a tear to convince us the truth we seek is “misinformation”. Hello.

Whether you believe this or not, you are a part of this. You cannot help it. You are surrounded from the moment you wake up to the moment you fall asleep, you are inundated with information. There is no escape. The good news is you can choose much of what you receive, but you must choose it. Unless you live in a monastery, and the fact you are reading this kinda suggests you aren’t surrounded by monks, you are going to be subject to different sources of information. Guess who is bent on monopolizing the information you receive?

Yes, there is a resistance. We are not hiding in fear. We are boldly speaking, publishing, and standing on the Truth as we understand it.

2 Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

2 Timothy 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

Our war is not of the flesh. Our war is a spiritual war but the battleground is a battle of wills. In order to bend our will, the devil must seize our minds. He cannot control them directly. He must do so via subterfuge and deception. In order to do battle we must “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Note the details of “armour of God” listed here.

About our loins is truth.

Righteousness is our breastplate – protecting our hearts.

Our feet? Shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

We are to use the shield of faith (believing) to quench the fiery darts of the wicked.

Our heads are protected with the helmet of salvation.

We carry the sword of the spirit – the word of God.

Not one of those six components protect us from a physical attack! Why? Because our battle is spiritual. While this in no way suggests we Christians should allow ourselves or our loved ones to be “run through” with a foe thrusting a steel sword at us, our focus needs to aim higher. A dead man cannot accept Christ.

What About Those Guys With Guns?

We are also surrounded by violent men. I get that. Jesus was lead to his death by armed soldiers. Paul was imprisoned, as was Peter. Before that John the Baptist was jailed and then beheaded as a party favor for Herodias’ daughter. In fact, throughout the history of the Jews, their prophets were treated woefully and often killed.

Mark 8:35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.

36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Today, just today, I read where Joe Biden again threatened anyone who dared “rise up against the government” saying we’d better have F-15s and nuclear weapons or some such nonsense. First, I’d remind his handlers there is no need for citizens to take up arms against our government as WE ARE the government. Second, our trust is rightfully placed, not in arms, but in God Almighty who is able to deliver us.

Psalms 20:6 Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.

7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

8 They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright

Psalms 44:5 Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.

6 For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.

7 But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.

8 In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever.

Know this: time and time again God protected His people supernaturally. Many battles were won without any confrontation at all. Many individual believers, myself included, have had their lives’ spared from certain death, while others perished simply saving the life of another or even seemingly for no reason at all. No one can say beforehand what end they will meet without divine knowledge.

All I can say is one’s mindset will determine how any situation is faced. I refuse to live in fear. I refuse to beg for my life. I will not bow to any other than my God and my Lord Jesus. My life is in God’s hands and no other can take it.

Yes. We are in a spiritual war. Yes. We need to prepare ourselves and enter the fight as soon as we are able. But our weapons are not carnal but mighty through God. Should you choose to enter the battlefield, you need to prepare yourself. Renew your mind to God’s Word. Put on the new man. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

VERIFIED! GOD is speaking!

A month or so ago, I came across this fellow Lance Wallnau on Real America’s Voice. I do believe is is a man of God. I started saving his show Firewall on DVR. Due to some personal constraints, I haven’t caught up on his show. Last night my wife and I watched his December 31, 2022 broadcast. I was floored. So much of what he said are things I’ve been saying and posting here.

Compare the broadcast linked below with my Battlefield Earth three-part series. The final installment was posted on the same day this episode of Firewall was broadcast.

The Truth About America’s Destiny and the Role of the Church

This says to me God is speaking through more than just little ol’ me. I am humbled to be a part of God’s working in our nation.

More important is what God is saying. Brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to step up. Whether or not this nation is salvageable does not matter at this point. What matters is what you do here and now. Will you turn to God? Will you own up to your sins? Will you speak the truth? Will you commit to living a life pleasing onto Him?

Look around you. Our nation is in shambles. We no longer have the luxury of turning our heads, hoping it will all go away. Your church is not a safe space. If the enemy has not yet invaded, he is knocking on the door. There is a good chance someone will open it for him. It might even be you. Nor is your home safe from invasion. You have nowhere to turn.

The good news is God is right with us. He will never leave us nor forsake us. Seek Him out in prayer, in fellowship, in scripture. Hold fast. Stand.

GOD

World War III: Life in the War Zone

The three-part Battlefield Earth series of posts set the stage for World War III. If you missed these you can find part 1 here. While all of these posts are directed at Christians, the fact is, there are not any “conscientious objectors”, no neutral parties. No one is sitting this one out. No one. It’s not that participation is mandatory, but rather inescapable. You can no more refrain from taking part than you can stop breathing. So you might as well face facts and suck it up.

Of course you can ignore the truth. Many of you are well-practiced at that. Non-Christian, Christian, it doesn’t matter. You’ve bummed along, lived your life in the midst of chaos, paying no attention to all of what goes around you. Nobody will stop you from continuing on until the day you die, if you so choose. Somebody may put a gun to your head, literally or figuratively, but not me, nor will anyone who submits to God.

As for my Christian brethren, specifically, the same goes for you. If you’re thinking I have no idea about your walk with God, you are right. Nor will I presuppose I do. What I can put forth is my observations, both of my own life and the lives of those Christians I’ve known through the years. I’ll start with the beams in my own eyes.

God has blessed my life in many, many ways. This is not to say I haven’t see troubles. Of course I have but, overall, I have little, if anything, to complain about so I won’t. I know of many brothers and sisters who’ve had far more to deal with than myself. Looking back, I can easily see how many of those troubles I’ve had are a direct result of my own walk – typically those times when I strayed away from God. And, yes, I can see at least one period where, had I chose to be more diligent in my obedience to my Heavenly Father and stuck with that decision, I might have lived an entirely different life. Might making such a different choice resulted in fewer troubles? I doubt it. All I need do is look at the apostle Paul’s life. He was far more dedicated to living God’s Will than I could ever think of being and he had plenty of problems.

Day to day, in my own walk, I’ve not been such a great Christian. Sometimes I’ve been downright awful. Sure, I’m a work in progress, but there’s a lot of work to be done. Worse, I am in just as much danger of wandering off than I’ve ever been. It doesn’t take much. That said, I’m moving forward and making every effort to practice what I’m preaching. I don’t see myself as all that far ahead of anyone. It wouldn’t take much for anybody behind me to catch up and zoom ahead. Imagining our walk as a race, the front runner is way beyond where I can see.

Now that I’ve ventured into this walk/race analogy, I’ll continue on for a bit. We’ve all heard the “many paths” to God concept. Let’s go with that. Most say that to justify their own wanderings. What did Jesus say?

Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

The problem with the “many paths” is countless of them are dead ends – in more ways than one. If one wanted make that statement more accurate, it would state: “there are many paths to gods”. The problem being there is only one God.

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

If this post were widely read, I’d expect to hear a bunch of “weeping and gnashing of teeth”, first from those who reject Jesus and second from those who reject the One True God. You know who you are.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

You can either believe what Jesus said or not. I believe him. That settles it. Some of you who confess Christ as Lord and Savior try to hedge a bit and make excuses for those who steadfastly refuse accept Christ. Why? Some gloss over blatant wrong teaching. Why? Let me be clear: either you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior and believe God raised him from the dead or you do not. This is the starting point for being born again of God’s spirit.

Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

The apostle Paul did not stop there. This was not the end-all, be-all of living a godly Christian life. From there we are instructed to put off the “old man” and put on the “new man”.

Romans 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Ephesians 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

Ephesians 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Too many struggle with this. There is no reason for struggle. In any given situation, you know what the right thing to do is. Your struggle is not because you do not know. Your struggle is because the “right thing” is often not the “socially acceptable” thing. Rather than speak the truth, you tell a “little white lie” or worse. You justify your sins instead of facing them.

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

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

When you know the right thing to do and you do something else, you sin. It’s that simple. You are putting on the old man rather than putting off the new man. Doing the right thing is putting on the new man.

So many agonize, sometimes for days, weeks and months begging God to reveal His Will for them. He has already revealed His Will. It is right in front of you. Put on the new man. Does He have more in store for you? Of course.

Matthew 25:23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

One thing I wish I’d taken to heart early on is summed up in the cliché “grow where you’re planted”. I cannot count the number of times I found myself praying to get out of a situation God had put me in. At other times, I more likely assumed God’s Will rather than seeking it. Who knows (other than God Himself) where I might be today had I heeded that sage advice? So now, I strongly suggest giving it a shot. Grow where your planted. How can you do this?

Focus on putting off the old man and putting on that new man.

Ephesians 4:21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

27 Neither give place to the devil.

28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

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

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

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

Ephesians 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

9 (For the fruit of the Spirit [Light, the Greek word “phos”, translated “light, not pneuma, the Greek word for spirit.] is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Notice there is a lot more “putting off” than “putting” on in the above verses. They may seem to focus too much on the negative but what it really comes down to is treating others and yourself well.

Ephesians 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

If you just did those things in the above two things diligently – speaking godly things to yourself and giving thanks – you wouldn’t recognize yourself in a week’s time. When you win this crucial territory for God, you’ve gained important ground in this spiritual battle. What then?

Be forewarned – your efforts will not go unnoticed. You should be prepared for the other side to fight back. Expect them to attack with a vengeance. How? They will throw everything at you they possibly can – at home, at work, on the road and so on. They will prod and probe and use any person, any tool they can possibly utilize to throw you off track, to distract you, to convince you to turn away from anything godly. This is life in the war zone.

Let’s face it, if you already spend most or all of your time working for the other side, or even simply being neutral (and how many of us are really “neutral”?) no doubt things are a lot smoother or rather, you’re already distracted enough with the messes you face every day. For most of us, life is one bothersome thing after another. It’s all we can do to trudge through each day. Add to that the problems others bring to you on a daily basis – your political co-worker, your sullen teenager, even those issues your best friend loves to share. No matter what life serves up day to day, good and bad, those things will not go away when you see them from a godly perspective.

Your car may still break down but instead of swearing at that piece of junk, maybe you’ll thank God it didn’t happen in the middle of nowhere. Or you can be thankful your auto insurance covers towing and you can afford to have it fixed. No matter how bad thinks look now, at some point, your situation will improve to where you can look back and be thankful. Why wait? Be thankful now. Worse case, you’ll end up in the same place at that future date but without the stress of all that angry cursing. Meanwhile, you’ll have gained ground on the adversary.

You don’t need to be drafted. You need no further commission. You are already in the war zone. Whether you recognize it or not, God has placed you right where He wants you to be. Your choice, your real choice is either you can put on that new man and gain valuable ground or you can continue on with the old man. Grow where your planted.

Bluntly, I Am Shocked – Died Suddenly – Must See Video Report

WARNING! Some of the images in the video below are disturbing. It is NOT for children nor for the feint of heart.

The video below was forwarded to me by a friend. It takes a lot to shock me these days, particularly when it comes to medical issues. I have a medical background (x-ray). I’ve been in operating rooms. I witnessed someone die before my eyes.

The video below is a bit over an hour long. It’s worth watching all the way through. The evil unveiled is indisputable. Not long ago, I posted about the Spiritual War we are all engulfed in. Keep that in mind as you see how several disparate entities work together; medical, media, government, and others, to further the globalists’ agenda.

Ashli Babbitt Day – and let us not forget the J6 POLITICAL PRISONSERS!

Short Posting This Week – Meanwhile, in AZ

First, I haven’t posted this week due to personal issues. Writing anything has simply been hard going.

Meanwhile in AZ.. (Gateway Pundit article)

Katie Hobbs Sworn Into Office At Illegitimate Private Ceremony, Breaks Out In Laughter When Asked To Swear That She Will Support the Constitution

Why bring this up?

It’s bad enough the globalists ignore our Constitution.

It’s bad enough the globalists shred our Constitution with glee.

NOW they openly mock our Constitution.

Our Constitution is the basis for our Constitutional Republic. Our Constitutional Republic is a gift from Almighty God. Thus these globalists not only mock the law of our land, they mock God Himself. Think about that.

Battlefield Earth Part 3 Your Mission as a Christian

Summing up Parts 1 & 2 – there is a world-wide spiritual war going on right now, today. Nobody, but NOBODY can escape it. As a Christian, you are not only part of the battle but you are on the winning side and you are already equipped to do battle yourself. It’s up to you to as to what you do now.

For the sake of argument, let’s say you’ve accepted your part in all this. Now what? This is the question I’ll answer in this post. Fair warning: expect your life to change.

Your Battlefields

This spiritual war has two major battlefields – the mind and the environment. He uses your environment to attack your mind. Look around you. What around you cannot be influenced in some way by our adversary, the devil? Even most foods we eat are polluted to affect our health either directly or indirectly.

The devil’s primary weapon is the lie. Not only is he adept at utilizing this weapon but he has used his time on this earth to build mountains of lies spanning the globe. Upon these mountains, he piles lies upon more lies, using every available tool he can, from ancient parchments, to satellite television and the internet.

Consider how he uses lies to influence your mind. From the time you were born you’ve been inundated with information. While much of what you’ve learned over the years is true, a great deal of false information is seeded in to all of man’s knowledge.

Even God’s word has been corrupted. Consider the church you attend. (or any you’ve attended in the past) Can you say for certain this church stands on God’s Truth above all others? Is every doctrine, every teaching beyond question? If not, why not? If so, then why doesn’t every other church fall in line with what your church teaches?

1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. (KJV)

The above verse is from the King James Version. Here is what another version, Young’s Literal Translation says:

1 Corinthians 14:33 for God is not a God of tumult, but of peace, as in all the assemblies of the saints. (YLT)

Is one of these more accurate or correct than the other? Which? What about other versions? How does this read in the Greek? Is the Greek the original Greek? (It is not, we have no originals.) Was Corinthians originally written in Greek? We cannot know for sure. So many questions, and yet we have so few answers.

This is just ONE verse of scripture! Is it any wonder the devil is having a field day with us? My point here is we all need to be aware of how the devil endeavors to manipulate every human on the planet from the day they are born into this world. It is only by the grace of God we are not all stark raving mad. Even as we are inundated with conflicting and confusing lies, God is able to push through all the static so His truth reaches us. Obviously we are not immune but we can trust God that we are where He needs us to be in this life.

1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

I don’t know where you were spiritually and/or mentally before you accepted Jesus as Lord but I was an avowed atheist. I’d bought into evolution hook, line, and sinker. I rejected the existence of any god, gods, or spirits. In other words, I was about as far from God as I could get. Yet, looking back, I can see where God protected me even in my unbelief. He sheltered me as I rejected Him. Since that day when I accepted Christ, nearly 50 years ago, I’ve had good days and not-so-good days. Bluntly put, I’ve had downright awful days, even weeks. Just like anyone else, I wasn’t instantly transformed into some perfect, all-knowing saint. Today, I’m still far from any semblance of perfection. I doubt if that mark will even be in sight on the day I die (or Christ returns).

In short, the devil remains relentless in his attacks and I am still vulnerable to at least some of them. We can all expect to experience some vulnerability for as long as we draw breath. My goal here is to help you get to a better place than you are right now and continue on, possibly taking those things I show you and soar. Surely this passage is familiar to all of us:

Mark 4:3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

One thing that struck me recently is the above is true every time we hear God’s Word! Maybe you realized this long ago. No one can accuse me of catching on quick. Look again at Jesus’ explanation of the above parable in light of the devil’s constant efforts to keep us from God’s Truth.

Mark 4:14 The sower soweth the word.

15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.

18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

Look at all the ways the wicked one attempts to prevent us from hearing God’s Word and producing fruit. He steals it away when he can. If that fails, he brings affliction (trouble) or persecution. Barring that, he distracts us with worldly cares, lusts (desires), and even riches. Look again at the world around you. Can you see how much trouble the devil goes to in order to prevent you from pursuing God? What can anyone do?

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

In one verse we are told three things right off the bat –

do not be conformed to this world.

be transformed

renew your mind

So we can prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Wow. That’s a lot, don’t you think? I can tell you from nearly 50 years of trying, it’s not all that easy! What, exactly are we supposed to “renew our minds” to? God’s Word, of course. Let’s consider another passage where we are exhorted to renew our minds.

Ephesians 4:21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

The term “new man” may seem to be another figure of speech (and it may be), however in this case it can be taken as literally true because we are born again of God’s spirit and thus we truly are a “new creature in Christ”. Verse 24 says this new man which after [according to] God, is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Our first assignment as Christians is to renew our minds to God’s Word. Imagine yourself being part of this Roman church in the first century. Imagine all you had was this letter from the Apostle Paul. Certainly this epistle to the Romans contains enough truth to renew your mind, however we have far more than this. We have the seven church epistles and then some. If you look, really look at them, it soon become obvious God’s instructions aren’t all that mysterious. Do good things. Think good things. Be good to others. Okay I’m simplifying a lot but in the end it’s not rocket science either. Sure you can dig out lots of details but, deep down, you know how to do what’s right. After all, God created holy spirit within you.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Ephesians 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

1 John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

Speaking of sin… we need to get right with God. The subject of sin is probably the most debated and agonized topic we Christians face. It is well worthy of a deep study and far beyond the scope of this article. For now, understand while we cannot escape from sin, God does forgive us when we ask.

1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

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

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

This is not only crucial for our own well-being but also when we take the next step – dealing with the outside world.

Luke 6:39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?

40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect [fully trained WEB] shall be as his master.

41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.

43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.

45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Notice in verse 40 above I inserted the World English Bible (WEB) rendering for “perfect” in brackets. While I want to be consistent in my use of the KJV in this article, I felt the WEB rendering was more clear, especially in the verse noted above.

Let’s again consider our lives before and after we accept Christ. I’m sure you’ve been taught we were all “born in sin”. We are sinful creatures from day one, thanks to Adam’s original sin. This is certainly true. Beyond that truth of being born in sin, we are also immersed in sin from the day we are born. Sure some of us were born in Christian families so we’ve been spared at least some of the devil’s influence. I’m sure you can see where the devil has invaded just about everywhere. Nobody lives in a sealed, godly environment.

Once we are born again, we are given a clean slate, spiritually and we become a new creature, a spiritual creature. As wondrous as this is, we must still deal with the mental baggage we’ve collected over the years along with the same, devil-polluted environment we grew up in. This is where our battle begins. While most of us cannot withdraw from the world entirely, we can limit our exposure to the toxicity and mitigate what we cannot escape. In other words, we need not watch MSNBC. (or any “news” channel for that matter.) We can certainly avoid those things we know are ungodly at the core. And we can feed our minds on godly things instead. In other words, we can renew our minds.

Now maybe you caught this principle already when it was stated before. It could be you are way ahead of me on this. No matter what the devil inundates us with – we can remain undefiled.

Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Mark 7:18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;

19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.

21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

How can we remain undefiled? By renewing our minds to God’s Word and thereby pushing out those evil things. Do not expect this to happen overnight. Nobody said it would be would be easy, but it can be accomplished. Every godly thought displaces an evil one. Every victory, no matter how small, gains territory for God. Now we are ready to gain even more ground.

Winning the Battles of Our Environment

Up until now, I’ve focused on renewing your own mind. This is crucial to entering the battles raging all around us. Most of us cannot fight on a large scale. That’s okay because every single one of us have plenty of skirmishes to fight on our “home fronts”. In fact, most of the challenges we face are right in front of us.

If you haven’t noticed by now, take a good look at some of the verses dealing with evil, sin and so forth.

Mark 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Ephesians 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;

4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.

5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

All of the above encompasses our dealings with each other. Surely an alcoholic an drown himself alone. Many do. This same goes for many ungodly behaviors. That said, nearly every ungodly behavior involves human contact on some level and many would not be possible without being involved with at least one other person. Does that make sense?

If godly behavior gains ground for God, then who benefits from ungodly behavior? If every action you take, everything you say, can be deemed either godly or ungodly, then you can either gain ground for God, gain ground for the god of this earth, or perfectly balance your actions so neither side gains anything. I contend either you are working for God or against Him.

While the devil puts every effort into affecting your environment, simply living a godly life, ensuring every action you take, every word you speak, as much as you possibly can, strikes a blow for God. Even the smallest gain puts another mark in the win column. Everything you do goes in one column or the other.

Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Ephesians 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

9 (For the fruit of the Spirit [Gr. phos = light] is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.

14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

The battle lines are clearly drawn. Every moment you draw breath you have a choice. What will your next choice be?

Battlefield Earth Part 2 – We Are Soldiers in a Spiritual War

In Part 1 – Overview of Battlefield Earth, I laid out a bird’s eye view of the war we are facing right now. While this war has raged for centuries, the battlefield has spread to nearly every corner of the earth. Why? Because man has spread to every corner of the earth.

We humans do not see many of these battles happening around us as warlike. Instead we point to armed combatants facing off to kill each other. That’s war… isn’t it? Is it? What about the invasion of our southern borders? What about the millions struggling with addiction? What about those little battles at your office? Lives are at stake. Even the most imperceptible disagreement can start a ripple that fuels a Tsunami. Asked the relatives of those employees killed by a crazed co-worker. The trouble is, you may never know until you are looking certain death in the face.

From up on high, we can see how evil invades every aspect of our lives, from the White House and the Halls of Congress to the break room at work. Even, or maybe especially, churches are lulled into false doctrines. From the books of Acts, Corinthians, and Galatians in particular, we learn the body of Christ was attacked and divided early on. Today the body of Christ is splintered into thousands of sects or denominations. Is this what God wanted for Christians? I’m not buying it. Rather, this is the result of endless attacks on the truth by the devil himself.

While this spiritual war encompasses the entire planet and invades our lives at every level, we need not feel overwhelmed. Nor should we despair. We know how it all turns out. God has revealed this to us. He wins. WE win. All we need to do is win the territory we stand on.

As I write this, the conflict in Ukraine rages on while China threatens Taiwan. How do these faraway conflicts threaten you personally? Unless your boots are on the ground in these or some other hot spot, chances are your life is not likely to be directly affected. You’ve got other things to worry about… right? Of course you do, that’s the point. Those crime waves in Chicago or New York only matter if you live in or near the affected areas. For those of us blessed to be insulated from such troubles, we still are never immune from attacks from the dark side. Like it or not, the spiritual world war is at your own doorstep. Actually, as you are reading this, the war has invaded your living space. Turn on your television or radio, open your mail, open any web page and you are sure to find an evil influence somewhere. What about this blog? You are not inundated with ads. I don’t do “click bait”. You aren’t even asked to “subscribe” to anything. It is about as clean a website as you’ll find anywhere. Am I immune from deception? I doubt it. While I will never, EVER knowingly post or allow any overt or covert ungodly material, I cannot guarantee you won’t ever find any here. Nor can I explicitly say I never have, or ever will post anything that is inaccurate or untrue. I do my very best but I am human and therefore fallible. And I’m sure some of my Christian brethren would point out (some gleefully) some doctrinal “heresies” I’ve posted. For one thing, I do not believe in a trinity. This alone separates me from, I’d say, 90+ percent of Christianity. I will stand by my understanding until God sees fit to change it.

My point in the above paragraph is nobody can escape this war. You cannot hide from it. It is invasive. Of course you can passively resist or refuse to participate. As the quote often attributed to Edmund Burke states:

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Of course evil will never triumph in the long run, but are you willing to allow it to rampage? It’s easy enough to nod your head or shake it and click your way to a more comfortable topic. If you are still reading, chances are you at least want to know what you can do. That’s the easy part. Paradoxically, it is also the most difficult. Easy as in, you need not quit work, pack your bags, or buy a ticket to ride. In fact, you already have everything you need if you have accepted Christ as your savior.

2 Corinthians 3:3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:

5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

What about gear? Don’t we need gear?

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.