Are Most People Good by Nature?

 

Romans 5:12-14 "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned — (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.”

 

Ligonier Ministries has partnered with LifeWay Research to survey the beliefs of Americans on a number of theological and ethical issues. Like past surveys, the 2020 State of Theology survey reveals some encouraging results, but it also reveals confusion and a lack of theological knowledge among evangelicals. 

 

It is said that everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature. The eleventh survey question inquires of people’s belief that nobody is perfect, but humans are basically good and almost everyone is going to heaven. The survey explains that the idea that people are basically good by nature echoes the ancient Pelagian heresy, which affirmed that Adam’s sin affected Adam alone, not the descendants thereafter. According to this view, human nature was not affected by Adam’s fall in the Garden of Eden. Scripture teaches otherwise, asserting that Adam’s sin affected all his natural-born posterity. 

 

Ephesians 2:1-3 tells us, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” This is the theological point behind the phrase total depravity. This doctrine is found throughout both the Old and New Testaments (read Genesis 6:5; Psalms 14:1–3; 143:2; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Isaiah 64:6; Mark 7:18–23; Romans 1:21–32; 3:10–18, 23; 8:5–8; Galatians 4:3; Ephesians 2:1–3; 4:17–19; Titus 3:3).

 

Christians can become confused because Scripture teaches that human beings were created by God in His image (Genesis 1:26–27), and God calls all that He created good (verse 31). If everything that God created is good, and if God created human nature, then isn’t human nature necessarily good? Yes. As originally created, human nature was good. However, part of human nature is the human will. The first human beings (Adam and Eve) had the responsibility to align their created wills perfectly with God’s will—to obey Him. Instead, they disobeyed God. Like Satan, they turned their will, as it were, perpendicular to God’s will, introducing sin and misery into the world and into their own natures. In other words, they sinned. When they did this, human nature was distorted and corrupted. Like begets like, and all humans are now born with a corrupted and fallen human nature. Human beings are now born slaves to sin. In John 8:34, Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.

 

Romans 3:21-23 “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed,

being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

 

He survey commentary explains that this is why the claim that “everyone sins a little” is also incorrect. We tend to measure ourselves against other human beings, and we like to pick the absolute worst specimens for comparison. We like to compare ourselves to people like Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, or Mao Zedong. It’s easy to feel good about ourselves if the standard is refraining from killing millions of human beings. But this is not the standard by which the Word of God measures sin and Creator God is the final authority. The standard is God’s will, and the requirement is perfect obedience to that will. James 2:10 clarifies that “Whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it” (see Galatians 3:10). The question is not, Did you refrain from murdering millions today? The question is, Did you perfectly “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” today, and did you perfectly love “your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37–39)? How often did you fail to do this perfectly? Was it just “a little”? No. We fail to do this a lot, and that means we sin a lot. 

 

Romans 6:21-23 “What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

This is why we need the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. He is the only One who has ever perfectly fulfilled the law. That is why John 3:36 states, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” The truth shall set you free!

Judging Others - Part 2

The second exhortation is “do not condemn, and you will not be condemned”. Condemnation of others is often an unwitting revelation of what is in our hearts. Sometimes we are blind to our own guilt when we condemn the sin in the other person. The third exhortation is “forgive and you will be forgiven”. What Jesus is saying is that Christians can and do forgiven. It is important for the child of God who has been forgiven to forgive others. It’s not to say that we don’t struggle with forgiveness and have battles with bitterness. Or not to say that you are never so hurt and in such emotional shock that you are unable to respond with forgiveness immediately in your heart. But, it is to say that you need to work at forgiving and actual grant forgiveness. It is not easy, but it is right. Who is it that we need to forgive today?

 

Colossians 3:12-13 “So, as God’s own chosen people, who are holy [set apart, sanctified for His purpose] and well-beloved [by God Himself], put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience [which has the power to endure whatever injustice or unpleasantness comes, with good temper]; bearing graciously with one another, and willingly forgiving each other if one has a cause for complaint against another; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so should you forgive.”

 

The fourth exhortation is “Give, and it will be given to you”. Jesus calls His disciples to not just “forgive”, but to “give” and bless people. The Lord has done that for us, Amen? Multiple times, over and over daily, far more than we deserve. As sinful humans, there is nothing we can do to deserve, earn or purchase the forgiveness, salvation or blessings for our Lord and our God. He calls us to give those who wrong us more grace than they actually deserve. Many carry unforgiveness and cannot seem to let it go. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:2 “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” Follow godly principles, precepts, admonitions and instruction as we learn from Jesus. We love because He first loved us. We are to forgive the offense, but be wisely cautious as trust is earned by the forgiven.     

 

Go the extra step and give a blessing, and a blessing will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. When we bless others, Jesus gives us a “full measure” of blessing, more than we could ever expect. Jesus is forgiving to the forgiving and generous to the generous. Even though we know that we’ll receive the full measure of blessing in Heaven, we need to know that we receive that full measure of blessing on this side of Heaven also, beyond what we could dream or completely understand in what we see and in the unseen. 

 

The fifth exhortation from Jesus is given in a question: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?” It is so important for every follower of Christ. Jesus referred to the Pharisees and Sadducees as “blind guides” in Matthew 23:16. The point is simple: do not follow spiritual or any other leaders that are going to lead you astray. We have to be very careful who we listen to and believe. We can always check the veracity of what people say by going to God’s Word in the pages of the holy Bible to see if what they are preaching and teaching is in fact true and following the Scriptures. 

 

The sixth exhortation is to choose your teachers carefully. Jesus says: A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. Isn’t that our goal as disciples to be like our teacher Jesus? Be careful who you follow, who you read, who you listen to on the radio, and who you watch on your cell phone, tablet, computer and television. If you follow leaders that are shallow, unknowledgeable, and are wrong in what they say, spiritually you are going to suffer because you are being led down the wrong path. Read your Bible and check to see if what they say is true.   

 

The seventh exhortation that Jesus gives is to not be hypercritical. Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye. Are we criticizing something small in someone else, while having serious big issues of our own that need correction? Jesus is showing he absurdity of nitpicking on people’s faults, when we have multiple faults of our own. People in glass houses should not throw rocks. It is hypocrisy. The sins of others can seem so big in our eyes. There is a place for us to confront the sins of other people, but as a general rule, we should be slow to judge and confront. Then be quick to take care of the sin that is in your life, instead of worrying about the sins of others. Christians should not be judgmental. 

 

Remember that Jesus sees our hearts. He sees us as we really are. He took on all of God’s judgment and condemnation In our place, dying a painful and agonizing death of a Cross so that our sins could be forgiven. We don’t deserve for our sins to be forgiven like that. But, Jesus gave His life so they could be and that we could have a personal relationship with God Almighty, our heavenly Father. Jesus calls His disciples to not follow bling guides, but to follow Him. He calls His followers to abandon the hypocrisy that is present in our lives. And to do these things out of love and respect for Him. He made it possible for us to enter the kingdom of God. Entrance into Heaven is only possible through Jesus Christ. Emulate Christ and have others see the love of Jesus through you. May our thoughts, words and actions be pleasing in the eyes of the Lord.

 

In Christ, Brian   

Judging Others - Part 1

 

Luke 6:37-42 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” And He spoke a parable to them: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.”

 

In this message from Pastor Herk from last Sunday, we learn the seven exhortations that Jesus gave spelled out clearly for us. It is a warning for those who have not yet entered the kingdom of God. Christ’s disciples are to live as citizens in the kingdom of God. A main part is that we are to love our enemies, which rubs just about all of us wrong. We need to spend more time praying for them and less time s criticizing them. The first exhortation is we are not to judge others. Christians ae not to be judgmental. This is the one Bible verse that almost all non-Christians seem to know when confronted with their unbelief and sinful behavior. Nobody like to be judged. Most people normally set their own rules and do not like when other people point out their infractions. Non-believers use this verse as a weapon to detour others, to quit judging them and to leave them alone. 

 

In Matthew 7:1-6 Jesus says, “Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and look, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye! “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” You have to inspect and judge to determine who are dogs and pigs. 

 

So, what did Jesus mean when He said ‘judge not”? Does the Lord mean that judgment should never be rendered? When the question is presented that way, most reasonable people back off and state that some judgments that absolutely have to be made. But when and how? We have to acknowledge that there is a legitimate time and place for judging others. Appointed Judges in Civil courts have to give judgments and verdicts in courts of law. Elders and churches sometimes have to make tough choices in disciple cases that are necessary. Even in normal businesses, managers have to make judgments on employee performances for the company. School teachers have to make judgments on their students work and progress for grades. Even Jesus tells His disciples to judge others by their fruit. So, the disciples of Christ are fruit inspectors. In Luke 6:43-45 Jesus said, “For there is no good tree that bears bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree that bears good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil person out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.”  So, it is important to know that Jesus is not talking about all forms of judgment.

 

It is unethical to not make a judgment on a biblically moral or Theological issue or position, especially in roles of authority. Yet, there are times when Christians are called not to judge others. In some circumstances, God alone is in position to judge; and we never want to put ourselves in the position of God. The Lord is really testing the attitude of our hearts. Jesus is opposing “judgmentalism”, where you continuously judge whatever comes before you with a judgmental spirit. Jesus warns against a critical and censorious perspective towards others which holds others down in guilt; not seeking to correct, restore and encourage them. So, what is commanded is an attitude that is hesitant to condemn and quick to forgive. What is prohibited by the Lord is an arrogance that reacts with hostility towards the worldly, immorally and immature lifestyle of unbeliever, as if they are beyond God’s reach. We have to take a look at ourselves, think about if we are quick to judge and be very careful.   

Let's continue Pastor Herk's message on judging in the next post.

In Christ, Brian   

Raising the Bar - Part 2

 

Continuing Michael's message, he points out that Isaiah 6 describes Isaiah’s vision when he saw the glory and the majesty of God filling His holy temple. He beheld in awe the seraphim worshiping God saying “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty and the earth is full of his glory.” Upon witnessing this spectacle, Isaiah, overcome with shame and unworthiness, said, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” The angel took a hot coal “And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.” The angel touched a hot coal to Isaiah’s lips so that he would be purged to speak forth the Word of the Lord.

 

According to Jeremiah 1, God had called His prophet to speak on His behalf, no matter what the audience of unbelievers thought about the message. We, like Jeremiah are called to deliver the message of the Gospel and to be the message. We’re no longer independent agents keeping our options open. For Him to live in us, we need to relinquish our wills to His will by delighting ourselves in the Lord. As Jesus said to Peter in John 21:15, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”  Do you love me more than these fish, this fishing business, your fishing buddies, your livelihood, your paycheck and your worldly influence? Your love is your delight. 

 

God did not call us to “be delighted in Him.” Rather He said, “Delight yourself in the Lord.” This is a command from our Commander in Chief. We must deliberately focus our minds to intentionally, deliberately, and purposefully, actively delight ourselves in the Lord. Only when we obey his command to delight ourselves in Him will we receive the promise of God … Delight thyself also in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. When our delight is His delight, and His desires our desires, then He will give us the desires of our heart.

 

The focus this year is to raise the “bar of the mark” to the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Our first priority is to “raise the bar” in our own lives. We do not have the luxury of being casual. O Lord, make me the person I know to be… totally devoted, not to the things of this world, but totally devoted to you. Jesus said, abide in me and I in you and you will bear much fruit. Pressing toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus is to blaze a trail to God’s inner chamber. Those who dare enter into God’s inner chamber of the holy of holies must enter in with total abandonment and absolute trust … Nearer my God to thee, nearer to thee.

 

May God richly bless you.
Your brother in Christ, Michael

 

Raising the Bar - Part 1

 

This week, Michael writes: In Philippians 2:9-11 it says, “Wherefore God has highly exalted him, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” The politically correct secular humanists of this world always attempt to silence the gospel of Jesus Christ. In Acts chapter 4, the leaders of the temple in Jerusalem commanded Peter not to speak in the name of Jesus. But in verses 19-20 Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” As Jesus said, “if we don’t speak, even the rocks will cry out.” The devil can stand anything except the gospel message of the Word of God rightly divided. Even the demons fear and tremble at the truth of Jesus Christ, the living Word.

 

The old saying goes, many aspire, but few attain. Many begin well, but few end well. The Apostle Paul said, I buffet my body to keep it under control, so that I might run well and then finish well. In the disciplined walk, we need to condition ourselves to follow after Christ and not be distracted by the things of this world. Paul saw all things in light of eternity. In Philippians 3:14 he said, “I press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” The path to the heart of God begins with total abandonment and absolute trust. 

 

The mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus is a high bar. The Christian church in America has lowered the bar to appeal to the fallen “average guy.” What is the characteristic of the “average” guy? Average means “typical of the group.” By this definition the average guy is lukewarm, neither hot nor cold. The church at Laodicea was lukewarm. They were an “average” church going through the motions. Because they were neither hot nor cold, God said that He would vomit them out of His mouth. Church is an easy target for the adversary when their “target demographic” is the “average guy.” If a church is focused on donations, age-specific outreach programs, building projects, and attendance, then its members miss the mark of the high calling of God in knowing Christ, loving God and making them known in dedication, devotion and loving desire. There is nothing wrong with serving and giving to the “work of the ministry.” However, God does not want your money or your obligation, rather he wants your heart.

 

God did not call his children to be “Casual.” Casual Christians become casualties in the spiritual warfare. “Casual” means feeling little or no concern, indifferent, and lacking a high degree of emotion. A casual person is spiritless, careless, reckless, and apathetic. To the casual shepherds of the flock of Israel God said in Ezekiel 34, “woe to you shepherds who feed yourselves but not the flock. You have not bound up the broken, nor healed the diseased, nor sought those who were lost. Rather, you have forcefully and cruelly ruled over them.” In Ezekiel 22 the people of the nation of Israel had turned their backs on the truth of the Word of God. God said through His prophet, “I look for a man who will stand in the gap and build up the hedge wall so I would not have to destroy Israel but I found no one.”

Let's continue Michael's message on "raising the bar" in the next post.

In Christ, Brian

Winning with God - Part 3

 

Continuing with Pastor Kyle's message, he states that every day there is a battle between the One true God and the devil, the flesh and the God-rejecting world. All Christians represent the One true God in every battle. We have the weapons to access God’s divine power to demolish the strongholds in our lives. The battles in our day look different every day. Some days they are intellectual battles. Other days they are emotional battles. Some are physical battles, some are financial battles. Some are relational or self-control battles. Some are substance or addiction battles. Still other are battles of truth, the will or the tongue. The battles may differ daily, but every day we must choose God in the battle because He has given us every divine weapon to demolish every stronghold in our lives. We have the right weapons, but if we do not use them, they are useless. 

 

The fourth key to keeping a positive mindset when it feels like losing in this world is that obedience is still obedience, even if it ends in defeat. God told Moses and Aaron that despite the signs and wonders presented, Pharaoh would harden his heart. Omniscient God has foreknowledge of everything, but gives us freewill. Romans 1:18-25, 28-32 says, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore, God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” 

 

If we desire and seek the Lord, God will reveal Himself to us. If we desire and seek the sinful secular world then God will eventually give us over to that desire. Sin is in the world tempting daily and God puts good and evil in front of every person every day. It is up to us to choose the good and continue to respond to Him. Moses and Aaron obeyed God every time asked to confront Pharaoh even though the outcome looked like a loss. In Matthew 16:25 Jesus said, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Obedience is still obedience, even if it ends in defeat. We may suffer some serious losses on this side of Heaven, but God is going to use them, redeem them and glorify Himself through them because Romans 8:28 tells us, “we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” In the times that feel like losing, we need to stay obedient to God and that is the victory. 

 

The devil does not have any original material. The best that Satan can do is to trick people into believing that he has power. The truth is that this is a victory for God in every way, even though it feels like a defeat. Obedience in faith and trust is all the God expects of us We always need other Believers in our lives, and these are the times when we really need them. If we are not intentional about having Christians around us when times are normal and good, then we may not have them when we are in a real battle. 

 

The fifth key to keeping a positive mindset when it feels like losing in this world is that God’s plan + God’s power + any obedient person = a positive result eventually. God is working in the battle, but God’s people need to be patient in the battle. It’s not about human might and power; it’s about the power of the Spirit of God that victories are given. Zechariah 4:6b says, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts. God prevails. We live in a wicked, horribly fallen in sin world. All of us are going to experience setbacks and suffer. To an unbeliever, death is the worst thing that can happen to a person; it’s the end of life and the beginning of eternal punishment of sin.  But, because of what Jesus did on the Cross as redemption and salvation, death is actually the best thing that can happen to a Christian because to be absent from the body is to be present with then Lord in Heaven; eternal life after death in glory. 

 

But, what about here and now?  In John 10:9-11, the Lord Jesus tells us: “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” That is true life before death. Still, God brings a good result into the trials that we face today. Keep trusting God, keep obeying God, and walk with fellow Christians in victory; that’s winning with God!

In Christ, Brian

Winning with God - Part 2

Continuing Pastor Kyle's message, he tells us that the second key to keeping a positive mindset when it feels like losing in this world is that we represent the one true God to our world. All religions are not worshipping the same God. The God of the Bible (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is the One true God. The way that we fight our battles here is a direct reflection of our God to our world. It is a battle between light and darkness, between good and evil, between right and wrong. It is essentially a battle between the forces of God against the forces of Satan. The fight is on.  

 

Several of Egypt’s main gods were connected to the Nile River. So, God just turned the entire Nile river into blood. The idea was that Egypt’s gods controlled the Nile, so the One true God proved that He was more powerful than Egypt’s gods and their nationalistic pride in the life-sustaining water of the river. Atheistic people today say that they do not believe in God or follow any religion. In that case, they are their own god, sitting on their own thrown of their life. The scene in Exodus 7 was a battle between the God of the Bible (Creator of Heaven, the heavens and earth) and the pagan religious structure of false gods. God said to Moses and Aaron that they represented Him to Pharaoh. We represent God to our world and our mindset, when we feel like we are losing a battle, is critical not just for us, but for the world in which we are trying to reach and influence for Christ. 

 

One of the biggest lies that Satan wants every one of us to believe is that every religion is just worshipping the same God. I’ve heard this lie manifest in many ways. A couple of primary lies are (1) that, like spokes on a wheel, all spiritual roads lead to Heaven as long as we are sincere about what we believe. You can be sincere about a belief and be sincerely wrong about it. There is truly only one way, (2) that we are all really worshipping the same God in different names and ways. It’s the same lie as the first, repropagating itself. If Satan can get people to believe that all religions are the same, then there is no reason for Christians to spread the gospel truth of Jesus and less need for us to obey God in our everyday life. God doesn’t want people to believe in the idea of a God, He wants us to live for the One true God; to serve Him and bring Him glory. 

 

1 Corinthians 10:20-21 “No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.”

 

Every prayer and offering that is made in the name of another religion, is not made to another god (there is only one God), so they are actually made to a demon. In John 14:6, Jesus said to his disciples, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. There is only One true God and one narrow gate to salvation. The first of the Ten Commandment given to us by the One true God in Exodus 20:2-3 is: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” We (God’s people/ the children of God) represent Creator God to this world that does not know Him. We need to remember that and the ways that we fight our battle is a direct reflection of God, who we are trying to reach the people with for salvation. 

 

The third key to keeping a positive mindset when it feels like losing in this world is that the weapons of our warfare have divine power to demolish strongholds. God gives us the right weapons to fight the battles of the Lord. There is a very real spiritual battle happening in our nation eight now between God and Satan for every human soul. Too many of us our listening to the mainstream media or read social media, mad and divided about this or that, and Satan is laughing because Christians are distracted and not focused on the real battle. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 explains, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” God has given Christians all the weapons to win the war. Battles are happening right now in the unseen realm. 

 Satan knows that once a person accepts Christ, that he cannot get that “born again” person out of Heaven; their salvation is secure. But he can sure make our lives here on earth as close to Hell as possible. Also, if the devil can get us distracted and forget that we represent God to the world, we will be less effective in leading others to Christ. Satan certainly does not want Christians reading the Word of God, because the Scriptures of the Bible affirm that we have the weapons of God against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places to win the war. The devil definitely doesn’t want Christians congregating and fellowshipping with other Christians because then they will realize that they truly have the power and resources to be victorious. as Christian soldiers standing beside each other in the good fight. 

Let's conclude Pastor Kyle's message on "Winning with God" in the next post.

In Christ, Brian

Winning with God - Part 1

Exodus 7:1-13 And the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.” Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the Lord commanded them. Now Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh. Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Prove yourselves by working a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’” So, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. Still Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

This last Sunday, Pastor Kyle continued in our church sermon series through the book of Exodus. He begins by saying: May we all get a sense of how to respond when winning with God feels like losing in the world that we live. In our text above, God reaffirms Moses & Aaron’s calling in God’s plan of redemption for His people. 

 

Pastor Kyle gave us keys to keeping a positive mindset when it feels like losing in this world. First, remember the calling, the goodness and the faithfulness of the Lord. God lovingly reminds us of our calling throughout our lives. In Exodus 6:30, Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me?” Moses lost sight of the big picture of who Almighty God is and what God was doing. But, God kindly and gracious reminds Moses that He is in control of the situation and circumstances. What aspects of our calling by God should we be reminding ourselves when we lose sight of the big picture? 

 

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

 

Our calling is to follow Jesus, to model Jesus and to preach Jesus to this world until we go home to be with the Lord. It’s not about how smart we are, our family background, our financial status, our position in society or our popularity. Our calling is simply to live this life as Jesus would live. As Galatians 2:20 tells us, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” That is the Christian’s calling to follow and glory Jesus. That is the Christian’s calling to follow and glorify Jesus. Follow God and let God work. Remember who we are in the Lord and what he wants us to do. 

Exodus 7:14-8:1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh's heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go. Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that turned into a serpent. And you shall say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness.” But so far, you have not obeyed. Thus says the Lord, “By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood. The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile.”’” And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’” Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood. And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So, Pharaoh's heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart. And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile. Seven full days passed after the Lord had struck the Nile. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.”

 

Let's continue Pastor Kyle's message on winning with God in the next post.

In Christ, Brian

Choices = Destiny 2.2

God has great ideas for us on making good decisions. The first thing is that He wants us to ask Him for His direction in prayer. James 1:5 tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” Secondly, we can look in God’s Word to help us make sound decisions. We can seek His will in the holy Bible. We know most of what we are supposed to do and not supposed to do because we read about them in the Scriptures and the Word helps us in our decisions. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” 

 

Thirdly, God wants us to trust Him. Proverbs 3:5-6 teaches, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”  Not half-heartedly, but trust God with all your heart. Make a commitment to the Lord to rely on God. God is big enough to handle anything we deal with in life and knows what is going to happen down the road. Fourthly, seek the advice of godly men and women. Fellowship, worship and praise, bible Study groups with brothers and sisters in Christ give wise counsel. Proverbs 11:14 explains, “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” We have this pride issue that we need to make our own decisions and stand on our own two feet, but sometimes we cannot figure things out on our own, no matter how strong we think we are. If we are serious about making wise decisions, then we have to fight against that internal inclination to trust in our own understanding. If we are so into God’s Word, so into our commitment to Christ, so into our faith, and so into prayer then many times our decisions are godly and good. Proverbs 28:26 “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered.”

 

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths; not just in some. That means in everything that you do. Big and small, our decisions are so important. Our life is the total of all the decisions wee have made and corresponding actions we have taken up to this point. Godly habits create good character and our character creates our destiny. We see people every day making poor choices and wrong decisions and get seriously hurt. When we decide to trust God and give Him the first place in our lives, then our lives are infinitely better with fewer obstacles, hills, valleys and swamps along our journey. 

 

Have you made your decision about Christ?  Not just repenting of our sin and accepting Him into your life as Savior that forgives your sin and gives you eternal life in Heaven after death in sanctifying “born again” transformation, but as Lord of your life and follow Him as a true, committed and devoted disciple. That’s the decision that gives you life before death, here and now, following and learning from Him all the days of your life. Do other people see the light and love of Jesus reflected in you and your ministry? Are you serving the Lord? Now is the time for that decision. Your decision today is going to determine your destiny tomorrow. I guarantee it.

 

In Christ, Brian

Choices = Destiny 2.1

 

1 Kings 18:21 Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word. 

 

Pastor Herk continued in his Sunday sermon series “Our Choices equal our Destiny”. Our big and small decisions that we make every day determine where we will be in the future. Just about everyone, if not everyone, have made some decisions that they regretted. Some, if not all, have put off decisions that we wished we had made when we had the opportunity and missed out. And yet, can look back on good decisions that we made which worked out for the best today.  

 

Joshua 24:15 says, "if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

 

Get off the fence and make an informed decision. This pandemic virus has made many Christians fearful and they have made the decision to stay home from church despite taking every precaution to keep attenders safe, yet going out shopping. We hope that they don’t regret their choices. In total, our life is a result of choices by you and others along with corresponding actions. We’ve all been challenged with decisions that led to sleepless nights and serious discussions with those closest to us. We have to stop and think about it. But, the Christian has the Holy Spirit within us to help us with our decisions also. So why don’t we prayer about our decisions and choices that we make?  

 

What is the process that we need to go through in making decisions? Martha Beth wrote that countless wise men have advised us to make decisions based on our rational objectivity rather than from emotional demeanor.” Then, some people make their decision based upon a “gut feeling” or what they feel in their heart; not their brain and the wisdom that they’ve acquired. It’s like flipping a coin to decide. Some follow the path of least resistance, aka “the easy way”. Some stall on their decision-making or waiting and studying all the options to be sure before making a clear choice. None of us are wired the same and approach decision-making if different ways. The question really is: What is your ultimate strategy in your decision-making process? The Bible tells us that we are to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’” But, do we? What is the roadmap that you follow to make sound, well-intended and satisfying decisions? Omniscient God has placed us all here on this earth with decisions to make, know what past, present and future choices we will make. We do not know what is coming in our future, but God does. So, doesn’t it make sense to include Him in our decisions? God gave us free choice. 

 

Deuteronomy 30:19-20a “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days.”

 

A decision is something we do to make up our mind, to determine which direction we are going to go or not go. They determine the strong from the weak, success from failure. Indecision causes missed opportunities. Decision cause us to be lost or saved. If the Bible was written today, what would it say about your decisions? Romans 12:2 tells us, “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” 

Let's continue Pastor Herk's message on decision-making in the next post.

In Christ, Brian

Your Best Days are Ahead of You Part 2

 

 

Continuing Michael's message about this new year, he states that when we keep score of our own shortcomings and judge ourselves unworthy, we must approach the Cross of Christ. The Adversary, the devil, is the accuser. He will remind us how far short of God’s righteousness we have fallen and of our great debt of sin. However, Jesus paid the price for our sins at the Cross of Calvary. He who was without sin became the sinless sin sacrifice on our behalf that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Jesus Christ who knew no sin, for the joy that was set before him endured the pain and shame of death on the Cross. Because of His love of God’s people, Jesus did not impute their trespasses unto them, but became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. Jesus who was the sinless sacrificial lamb, became the perfect sin sacrifice on our behalf to make us worthy … to balance the scales of God’s righteous judgement in true reconciliation and forgiveness of sin.

 

Our best days are ahead. Therefore, forsake your trophies and your failures. The things of this world are fleeting … this too shall pass … that which is seen is temporal but that which is unseen is eternal. If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, all things have become new. He has reconciled us unto himself and has committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we now have peace with God, having been reconciled back to God through the price paid by Jesus Christ on our behalf. Our country values freedom. However, freedom isn’t free. Some say that freedom is priceless … its price is far above the price of diamonds and rubies. The price of freedom from sin was paid for by the precious and priceless blood of the Lamb of God, our Savior Jesus Christ.

 

Focusing on the problem of sin and dwelling on debt and transgression digs us deeper into the hole of condemnation. Jesus Christ is the solution to the problem of sin. Therefore, look not on the things of the world.For what the commandments could not do in that they were weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him. Our heavenly Father has called us to His mercy, grace, and peace through the supreme payment of the sinless sacrifice of the innocent blood of his son Jesus Christ. 

 

2 Corinthians 5:17 – 21 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.”

 

Morning has broken, like the first morning … God’s re-creation on the new day. Our best days are yet before us. 

 

May God richly bless you. 

Your brother in Christ, Michael

Your Best Days are Ahead of You – Part 1

  

This week, Michael writes: For many of us this statement is not hard to believe as we look back upon the tribulation of the past year. The world teaches that the key to having pleasant surprises in the new year is to begin with low expectations.

 

When we operate in our strengths, this reveals our weaknesses to others. When we’re on a team, the team sees our weaknesses. Sometimes the team will tell you that you need a sabbatical. We often need to draw away from the world and back into the presence of God. Renewal is required to repent, to turn around and to begin with a clean slate with a new identity in Christ. A new year allows us to forget that which lies behind and to stretch toward that which lies ahead. Therefore, I press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

 

A new year gives us a clean slate to walk in the newness of life. It’s easy to take stock of the year in retrospect and to understand where we have fallen short as spouses, parents or grandparents, workers, businesspeople, and stewards of that with which God has entrusted us. However, the new year gives us an opportunity to forsake the shortcomings that are behind in the old year.

 

What is the priority in the new year? Paul, who had impeccable worldly credentials, said that all my degrees, all my worldly training, all my awards and accolades I count but garbage to serve Christ. In Philippians 3:8 he writes, “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ…”

 

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, all things have become new.” For the best days ahead of us, we need to start with the basics. We have to turn back to God and remind ourselves of basic truths. James 2 is about these fundamentals. He brought us into the world, each with a specific purpose. This is the essence of sanctification: to be set apart for God’s specific purpose… His portion, His providence, His allotment for our lives. Faith without works is dead… For we are his masterpiece, his poem, his great work created in Christ Jesus unto good works which he hath before ordained that we should walk in it. The understanding of God’s purpose starts with knowing the price that Jesus Christ paid on our behalf as the perfect sinless sacrifice for our sins … for our having missed the mark of God’s righteousness.

 

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. James 3 says that both blessing and cursing come from the same tongue. To whom do you pledge allegiance? For whom do you strive? Whom do you choose to serve? We must come to the realization that in climbing the ladder of worldly success, the ladder has been leaning against the wrong wall. The secret of an abundant and blessed life is to have low expectations of ourselves and high expectations of our life in Christ. If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. How do you know a Christian? God did not call us to be judges, rather he called us to be fruit inspectors … Jesus said, by their fruit you shall know them. Do you bear “good fruit”, the fruit of the spirit, godly fruit? Matthew 7:16-20 “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn-bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”

Let's continue Michael's New Year's message in the next post.

In Christ, Brian

Saved by Grace through Faith

 

Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

 

Ligonier Ministries has partnered with LifeWay Research to survey the beliefs of Americans on a number of theological and ethical issues. Like past surveys, the 2020 State of Theology survey reveals some encouraging results, but it also reveals confusion and a lack of theological knowledge among evangelicals. 

 

The thirteenth survey question inquires of people’s belief that God counts a person as righteous not because of one’s works but because of one’s faith in Jesus Christ. This statement concerns the biblical doctrine of justification by faith alone. Westminster Shorter Catechism 33 provides us with a good concise summary of this doctrine: “Justification is an act of God’s free grace, wherein He pardons all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in His sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.” Justification is an act of grace. Grace (the unmerited favor of God), by definition, is a gift, not a wage earned for works we have done. By this act of God’s grace, He pardons all our sins, and in Him we “become the righteousness of God”. This is because Christ’s perfect righteousness is imputed to us. We receive this by faith alone. 

 

Galatians 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.”

 

The doctrine of justification by faith alone was at the heart of the sixteenth-century Reformation debate. Over time, Roman Catholic theologians had conflated justification with regeneration and sanctification and had developed a complex doctrine of grace and salvation rooted in their sacramental system. According to Rome, redemption was accomplished objectively by Christ. Its application to people is called justification. This subjective aspect of redemption requires the cooperation of man. In Roman Catholic theology, there are a number of different categories of grace, but key to the doctrine of justification is the idea that grace is God’s supernatural gift to man in the work of redemption. The most important distinction for the doctrine of justification is the distinction between actual grace and habitual grace. Actual grace is a gift from God that enables us to act as we ought. Habitual grace is sanctifying/justifying grace that is infused into the soul, thereby changing the soul and restoring it. 

 

Romans 3:20-24 “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

 

The Protestant Reformers rejected the idea of human cooperation in the work of justification and distinguished justification from regeneration and sanctification. Instead of saying that we are justified because we have been made inherently righteous, they argued, on the basis of the biblical texts cited above and many others, that our sins are imputed to Christ and His perfect righteousness is imputed to us. We receive this righteousness by faith and by faith alone. Therefore, we are declared righteous (justified) on the grounds of Christ’s perfect righteousness that has been imputed to us. This justification cannot be separated from regeneration and sanctification, but it must be distinguished from them. 

I’ve Been to the Mountaintop

 

This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I’d like to honor him with a portion of Rev. King’s Last Sermon from April 3, 1968.

Deuteronomy 3:25-27 “I pray, let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains, and Lebanon.” So the Lord said to me: “Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift your eyes toward the west, the north, the south, and the east; behold it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan.”

 

Something is happening in Memphis; something is happening in our world. And you know, if I were standing at the beginning of time, with the possibility of taking a kind of general and panoramic view of the whole of human history up to now, and the Almighty said to me, “Martin Luther King, which age would you like to live in?” I would take my mental flight by Egypt and I would watch God’s children in their magnificent trek from the dark dungeons of Egypt through, or rather across the Red Sea, through the wilderness on toward the promised land. And in spite of its magnificence, I wouldn’t stop there.

 

I would move on by Greece and take my mind to Mount Olympus. And I would see Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Euripides and Aristophanes assembled around the Parthenon. And I would watch them around the Parthenon as they discussed the great and eternal issues of reality. But I wouldn’t stop there. I would go on, even to the great heyday of the Roman Empire. And I would see developments around there, through various emperors and leaders. But I wouldn’t stop there. I would even come up to the day of the Renaissance, and get a quick picture of all that the Renaissance did for the cultural and aesthetic life of man. But I wouldn’t stop there.I would even go by the way that the man for whom I am named had his habitat. And I would watch Martin Luther as he tacked his ninety-five theses on the door at the church of Wittenberg. 

 

But I wouldn’t stop there. I would come on up even to 1863, and watch a vacillating President by the name of Abraham Lincoln finally come to the conclusion that he had to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. But I wouldn’t stop there. I would even come up to the early thirties, and see a man grappling with the problems of the bankruptcy of his nation. And come with an eloquent cry that we have nothing to fear but “fear itself.” But I wouldn’t stop there. Strangely enough, I would turn to the Almighty, and say, “If you allow me to live just a few years in the second half of the 20th century, I will be happy.”

 

Now that’s a strange statement to make, because the world is all messed up. The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land; confusion all around. That’s a strange statement. But I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars. And I see God working in this period of the twentieth century in a way that men, in some strange way, are responding. Something is happening in our world. The masses of people are rising up. And wherever they are assembled today, whether they are in Johannesburg, South Africa; Nairobi, Kenya; Accra, Ghana; New York City; Atlanta, Georgia; Jackson, Mississippi; or Memphis, Tennessee—the cry is always the same: “We want to be free.”

 

And another reason that I’m happy to live in this period is that we have been forced to a point where we are going to have to grapple with the problems that men have been trying to grapple with through history, but the demands didn’t force them to do it. Survival demands that we grapple with them. Men, for years now, have been talking about war and peace. But now, no longer can they just talk about it. It is no longer a choice between violence and nonviolence in this world; it’s nonviolence or nonexistence. That is where we are today. …

 

Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land! And so I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.