Will you choose Jesus or the world?

You may think it was Abraham Lincoln that coined the phrase, "A house divided against itself will fall," during the Civil War, but Lincoln was quoting Luke 11:17 (But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.).  Jesus said these words after He had been accused of being demon-possessed because he had just cast out an evil spirit.  Jesus was making the point that a demon would not and could not cast out one of its own.  I am writing along these same lines, and yet a bit different.  We are the house that can be divided in heart, soul, and spirit.  My blog today is to show that one cannot serve God and something else that contradicts God's Word.  If we try to serve Christ while worshipping something other than Christ, our heart becomes a house divided.  We are certain to fall spiritually, and even emotionally or physically.

In Joshua 24, Joshua is challenging the Israelites to choose whom they will serve: the false gods or the True God.  "Now fear the Lord and serve the Lord with all faithfulness.  Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped... and serve the Lord... Choose for yourself this day whom will you serve... but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."  Joshua 24:14-15  This is my challenge to you today as well.  Will you throw away your false idols and serve the one True God?

One of the biggest idols in people's lives is money.  Television evangelists are obsessed with it.  They are not doing the Lord's work, they are heaping riches upon themselves while very little money goes to help the poor.  Their messages are watered-down feel-good sermons that never make one uncomfortable because they want happy viewers to write big checks.  If they told you the Truth that one must remain grafted in the vine (Jesus) in order not to lose their salvation, they would lose viewers who do not want to be condemned for their sins.  More importantly, they would not be able to afford their material possessions.  Why do they deceive the masses?  Simple: money.  They worship money, not God.  There are a lot of verses in the bible warning about the love of money.  Jesus clearly tells us, "No one can serve two masters.  Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and money."  Matthew 6:24 & Luke 16:13  Could it be more clear?  If one loves money, he will hate God because God wants us to give what we can to those in need, not keep it all for ourselves.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a beautiful home, nice vehicle, nice clothes, etc.; God often blesses those that genuinely serve Him with wealth and the good things in life.  The problem is not being wealthy, but when we ignore the needs of those literally and spiritually starving, we are not using that money to glorify God.  When one compromises their beliefs or goes against the principals of the bible to earn that money, it is also an affront to God.  (I am not just speaking of false evangelists, but also of people who embezzle, steal, run business that sell immoral products, cheat, etc.)  Right now I am far from wealthy, but if I was ever to obtain wealth, I would donate to charity before buying the things I wanted.  Yes, I would also have a some nice things, but things will never prevent me doing my best to honor God with a clean lifestyle, and I would still write blogs for God.  The balance is not to become obsessed with things over people's souls. 
  
When you worship money while attempting to serve God, your heart is divided between God and greed.  Paul says it so much better than I do, so remember his words, not mine.  In I Timothy 3, when Paul lists the qualities of a deacon, he says that he "must not [be] a lover of money." (verse 3)   That goes for all wanting to be leaders, but is also great advice for non-leaders as well.  Paul goes on in I Timothy 6:9-10 to warn, "People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is the root of all kinds if evil.  Some people eager for money have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."  And for those who are wealthy, Paul says in verse 17 of the same chapter, "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth which is uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything."   

Hebrews 13:5 says, "Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have."  

 In I Peter 5:2, Peter says that the "shepherds of God's flock" should  "not [be] greedy for money, but eager to serve."

And Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived says in Ecclesiastes 5:10, "Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income."  I would go on to add that loving God may cause you to feel like you can never be in His presence enough, and yet loving and serving God will always leave you satisfied.

Enough about money!  There are other ways we serve the wrong master.  Isaiah 5:2 warns, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.  Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness." For modern times I would say this warning is for those who call themselves Christians, but have no problem watching or reading things with nudity, profanity, fornication, and the occult, etc.  Jesus clearly says in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life."  Just because it is a cartoon, it does not make it innocent.  There is nothing innocent about witchcraft.  It is no wonder so many of today's children raised in Christian families grow up confused and fall away from the Truth.  When mommy and daddy say God is good but the devil is bad, then watch movies and television shows glorifying hexes, spells, and curses, the children cannot quite figure out what is right and wrong, the lines get blurred and black and white turn grey.  

Would you choose to bring a witch doctor into your home to heal yourself or a family member? No, because you can see he/she would be pure evil. How is reading Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings any different? Reading a book/watching a movie with magic in it right after going to church absolutely makes one's house divided and it will surely topple and fall.  I am not saying all children will grow up rebellious when raised in homes where the parents say worshipping the devil is detrimental, but then turn on Sleeping Beauty, Harry Potter, or even Star Wars, but they will be spiritually confused JUST AS I ONCE WAS.  Nightmares manifest for a reason.  Watching or reading about characters in stories casting spells will bring evil spirits in your home.  Period.  (The same goes for rock music and watching violent programs.)

There are many, many other idols and/or Godless principals we can follow that will divide us from God such as fame, physical pleasures, other people, and even your own vanity, but I will leave off with just one more issue.  You cannot serve God and religion.  Think that did not make sense?  I do not want to specifically insult any one religion, but there are many into traditions rather than into God.  Remember the blog I wrote a while ago about placing God in a box?  http://thankful-julie.blogspot.com/2016/12/dont-place-god-in-box.html  Well, that's what I am talking about.  When we serve the rituals we are not serving God, we are serving the motions.  When we worship a certain country or race of people that represent a religious belief, we are not honoring God.  When we love and serve the attributes of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, with a desire to imitate those characteristics, our hearts are in the right place.  When we want to be just like a Pastor, Priest, or Rabbi So-and-So or love any article (let's just be honest and call it an idol) that represents a certain religion our heart is divided and we are not serving God, but man and/or manmade religion.

Hopefully this all makes sense.  I want to close by repeating my second paragraph.  Please really think about it.  In Joshua 24, Joshua is challenging the Israelites to choose whom they will serve: the false gods or the True God.  "Now fear the Lord and serve the Lord with all faithfulness.  Throw away the gods your forefathers worshipped... and serve the Lord... Choose for yourself this day whom will you serve... but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."  Joshua 24:14-15  This is my challenge to you today as well.  Will you throw away your false idols and serve the one True God? Will you choose Jesus or the world?

Streets of Gold

NOTE: The last time I posted this was 2 years ago today.  Less than two hours after I had re-posted this in 2022, my precious daddy, Otto, lost his battle with cancer and went home to be with Jesus.  God had obviously brought this post to my mind, originally written on December 8, 2016, as a way to comfort me. I hope this short story ministers to you as much as it has to me. This is for you, Daddy.

 2 Corinthians 5:1-2,6,8 & 10 "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."

Streets of Gold

Visiting the elderly community at the Rosy Acres Nursing Home was an expected duty of the pastor at the Fruit of the Vine Church.  Yet, like most ministers, Pastor Adam was too busy to be bothered with such a depressing assignment.  It was not a profitable task as the folks living in the under-funded home did not have the money to donate to the church or were too senile to know the difference.  However, the residence was within the church's jurisdiction, so he was obligated to make sure his church was represented along with all the other denominations.  After all, at least some of the elderly people still had living relatives that were able to tithe their ten percent.

Three months ago, Christopher Melton, a single man, had begun attending the church.  Christopher had moved to Webster to become the new principal at the elementary school.  He was in his late thirties and had voiced a strong desire to serve the Lord.  He had been a street evangelist in the larger cities and wrote a blog encouraging his readers to live holy lives.  Pastor Adam had not bothered to read any of Christopher's blogs but based on how much the principal was liked by his deacons, he decided that Christopher was the perfect man to which he could pass the responsibility of the nursing home.  Christopher had taken on the assignment with gusto and made a point to visit the residents every Saturday morning.  Today was no exception.

As Christopher walked the crooked sidewalk toward the dwelling place of the elderly, it amused him as it did every week, that there were no rose bushes planted at the Rosy Acres Nursing Home.  A few Butterfly Bushes adorned the end of the sidewalk near the front door, but other than that, the small lawn was devoid of plant life.  He has asked Pastor Adam if the church would consider donating half a dozen rose bushes to the home as well as the labor to plant them.  The minister had amiably assured Christopher it was a wonderful idea and would immediately comply but had yet to follow through on his promise.  Christopher knew nothing about plants, but as soon as he received his next paycheck, he determined he would purchase the bushes and would take on the task of planting them. 

The smell of too much bleach assaulted his nostrils as he entered into the lobby.  At least no one could complain the staff did not do an adequate job of properly keeping the place clean and disinfected.

A strange conglomeration of framed pictures adorned the walls, depicting anything from beautiful bay horses in the midst of a gallop across a beach at an unknown ocean, to small children in overalls catching frogs, and even one of a bunny with eyes and ears far too large for its little grey head holding a bouquet of carrots.  He assumed the artwork had been donated, and neither the staff nor the residents mattered what they saw every day on the sea green walls as long as it was cheerful.  

"Good morning, Mr. Melton," the pretty red-haired, hazel eyed receptionist greeted.

Christopher hoped he was not flushing as he returned the salutation.  "Good morning, Miss Bethany."

Even if the home had not had a receptionist as beautiful as Cherry Bethany, Christopher would have continued his Saturday ritual.  However, he looked forward to seeing her every week, and every week he assured himself would be the last time he was too shy to invite her to coffee.  He had spotted her at his church now and again, but she typically worked on Sundays and could only attend on Wednesday evenings.  He had also promised himself to approach her at church, but she always sat with her three sisters, and he never felt comfortable intruding.

The first order of business when he arrived was to sign his name in the visitor's log.  He always scanned the names of the other guests, but rarely saw any that he recognized.  It was a shame more people from the church could not find the time to visit the shut-ins.  They were lonely and craved company.  Just an hour a week to have lunch with the group in the cafeteria would have been enough.  Yet most people stayed away, afraid to be reminded that this too could someday be their fate.  No one wanted to face the facts that they would also grow old and weak.  No one wanted to be reminded they were mortal.

The typical routine was for Christopher to meet the residents in the gathering room after breakfast and sing with them.  The piano was usually out of tune, but no one seemed to mind.  Christopher had been given the gift of a beautiful singing voice and was willing to share it for the glory of the Lord.  After an hour of singing, he would typically spend another one to two hours visiting with those in the gathering room.  Then he would go to each and every room of the patients too sick to leave their beds.  Not everyone permitted him to enter their rooms, of course, but he approached them all regardless of the previous week's acceptance or refusal.  He would never waste an opportunity to pray and minister to those in want or need.

This week's schedule was the same as every week.  He sang a dozen or so hymns, played a game of checkers with seventy-nine-year-old Mr. Ebbs, listened to stories about World War II from eighty-nine-year-old Mr. Paulson, and told eighty-seven-year-old Mrs. Clarence how well her six grandchildren were doing at Webster Elementary.  But when he was about to share a butterscotch fudge recipe with Mrs. Salinas, a gentle hand was placed on his shoulder, interrupting them.

"I am sorry to intrude, Mr. Melton, but Mrs. Simon in room 127 is requesting to see you right away.  She says it is urgent."

Christopher looked back at the kind face of Nurse Washington; her deep brown eyes filled with tears.

Christopher stood from the blue gingham couch to follow the nurse and hastily promised the patients he would see them all again next week.

"She's slipping fast," the nurse informed him with a voice saying she would never get used to seeing the patients she loved face such a fate. 

"Has her family been contacted?"  he wondered.

"Cherry has reached most of them.  They should be arriving soon," the nurse revealed, pushing away a tear off her brown cheek that had escaped her left eye.

Say what you will about the mismatched paintings, the rose-less lawn, or the overpowering chemical smells, but the staff of Rosy Acres was all heart.  They loved their residents and treated them like family. He thanked God every day for such a staff and prayed they would only ever employ such compassionate people.

"Mrs. Simon?"  Christopher apprehensively stuck his head inside the door.

"Come in, Chris.  Come in."  Her voice was fragile, yet full of joy. 

She was the only one he allowed to use the shortened version of his name.  And that was because it was what his own deceased grandmother had called him.  Her beautiful silver-white hair and humble intelligence often reminded Christopher of his grandmother Louisa.

Christopher entered and sat on the forest green corduroy easy chair next to her bedside.  It had been turned toward the bed to face the patient.

Her face was pale as she sat propped up on a fluffy mountain of pillows.  Each pillowcase had been hand-stitched by her own arthritic hands.  Each year she was there, she took on the project of starting a new cover.  She had made a total of five.

Mrs. Opal Simon, a widow of seventeen years, was four months shy of turning ninety.  She had survived lung cancer in the late eighties and several heart attacks these past ten years or so.  She was tough and yet so very tender.  She was a lover of animals and music.  She faithfully read her bible every day until her eyes became too dim, and then Nurse Washington became her eyes.  She had not been placed in a nursing home out of lack of love from her family as some here had been.  No, Mrs. Simon was well-loved by three children, five grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.  She had become a resident on her own insistence.  She had independently lived alone since her husband Kenneth had died but had always been terribly lonely.  Her children and grandchildren did their best to look in on her and keep her company, but they all had busy lives of their own.  She never wanted to be an obligation or a burden to anyone.  After a stroke five years ago that left her partially paralyzed in her left arm, and then her eighteen-year-old Siamese cat Thai had died, she knew it was time to let go of her self-reliance and allow others to take care of her.

Opal stretched out a weak hand toward Christopher.  He leaned forward and took the thin, cold hand.

"Would you like me to pray with you?"  He asked.

"No, no, I want you to give my family a message," she insisted.

"Yes, ma'am of course."

Her bright blue eyes sparkled, and a smile of peace spread across her vein-lined lips as he had never seen before.

"I'm ready," she said, "Make sure they know I'm ready to meet my Heavenly Father.  I have lived a life as Biblically as I know how.  I have practiced the words of Jesus and taught them to my children and their children.  Remind them, Chris.  Remind them it takes a heart of true repentance and a life spent on one's knees to be ready.  Without holiness, no man shall see the Father.  Remind them, Chris.  Tell them I was ready."

His green-blue eyes filled with tears, and he could scarcely say a word.  He managed a weak, "Yes, ma'am." 

"My Kenneth is waiting for me."  She laughed then.  "Oh, how I can't wait to be in his arms again!  I hope he will recognize me in my new body.  I'll know him by his shining blue eyes!  No matter how much younger he will look, I'll always know those eyes that stole my heart seventy years ago."

Opal closed her eyes, and her breathing became so shallow it made Christopher's heart pound with panic.  Yet, three minutes later, she opened her eyes again.  They were not the eyes of a dying old woman, but of a much younger woman exuding joy unspeakable and full of glory!

"Oh, Chris, I can't wait to see it all!  I can't wait to fall at the feet of my Lord and worship Him day and night!  I wonder what the streets of gold will feel like beneath my bare feet!"  She giggled like a small child. "I wonder if Thai's paws will slip and slide on the slick surface!"

Christopher laughed at the imagery.

"Yes, Chris, laugh!  Do not mourn for me.  Wipe away those tears and remind my family to do the same!  Remind them I am going to a Place with no more sorrow, no more tears.  If they too read their Bibles and follow in the footsteps of Jesus, we will see each other again.  Remind them, Chris.  I want to see them all again.  Please remind them.  Remind them salvation is a free gift, but they still need to repent of their sins and to live every single day as a day separated unto the Lord.  Not to imitate the world, but to live apart from it, pure and holy.  Remind them, Chris.  I want to hug them again soon!"

"I promise, Mrs. Simon, I will repeat every word you have said."

"I knew you would.  You are a good man.  A rare diamond among thorns.  Don't waste your life single.  Get married and have lots of babies and grandbabies.  Cherry is single too, you know."

Right to the last minute, Opal was still trying to play matchmaker between the principal and the receptionist.  It had not been the first time she had gently tried to encourage him in such a fashion.

Her hand in his grew colder and her complexion waned farther. 

"It's time I go to my Father.  Oh, Chris, I am so happy!  Do not weep.  Be jealous of me.  Soon I will be singing with the angels songs of praise to my King!"

She slightly shivered in his grip, and she was gone.

Christopher looked to Nurse Washington standing in the doorway, tears trickling down her cheeks as much as his own, and yet he was filled with a sweet spirit of calm.

He could not see her behind the nurse, but he heard Cherry's tender voice announce that several carloads of Mrs. Simon's family had arrived.

Christopher stood from the chair and wiped his eyes.

"Are you ready to face her family, Mr. Melton?"

He nodded with a confident smile.  "I am ready," he assured, "I am ready to tell them all she told me.  I will remind them how happy she is now.  How she walks on streets of gold in a prefect body free of all aches and pains, reunited with her dear husband.  I am ready to remind them what the Bible says about both grace and righteousness. Yes, Nurse Washington, I am ready. Pray with me that they are ready to listen."

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:  Hebrews 12:14

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. II Corinthians 6:17

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. I Peter 1:8

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.  Revelation 21:4

And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. Revelation 21:21

The Armor of Light

Note: This is another older blog I wrote that I wanted to reshare because it goes so well with the Armor of God theme.

Growing up as a preacher's kid, my Dad used to say that you can find a sermon in anything.  While this became a common joke in our family, there is a lot of truth to my Dad's statement.  In fact, this blog proves that theory!  

When I noticed a black smudge on my foot, I assumed that the soap and hot water would simply wash it off, but it remained.  I had to use the washcloth and scrub to remove the mark. That got me to thinking how sin in our lives is just like that!  We may think it is something that will go away without any real effort on our part, but in reality, we need to work the on certain issues it to permanently remove them from our life.  

Philippians 2:12 reminds us that we cannot just go on our merry way and ignore the sins in our life, we must, "work out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling."  In other words, like that stain on my foot, we have to put forth the effort to be clean before the Lord.

To be clear, I am not saying I believe in a works-only salvation, Jesus' death on the cross is a free gift we do not have to earn, but based on what the Bible says, it is clear we can fall away from our salvation if we actively live in rebellion against the rules of Jesus Christ. Working on our salvation means we must daily ask for The Lord's Help in conquering our sins.  We cannot do it on our own. (And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross DAILY, and follow me. Luke 9:23)

My Bible reading this morning emphasizes the theme of this blog:

And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly (other versions say "decently" or "honestly"), as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. Romans 13: 11-14 

Just as II Corinthians 6:2 reminds us that "now is the day of salvation," so do the verses in Romans. And as Ephesians 5:14 instructs, "Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light," so the words in Romans also remind us to wake out of the darkness of sin and walk into the light of holiness!

Make no mistake, dear readers, the time is short!  Surely with all the end-time events happening, you have to be aware of it!  How much time do you think we have left on this planet? I sincerely doubt we have more than 20 years (probably less) before the end of this world.  The signs are there: pandemics, wars, plagues of locusts, unusually strong weather, unexpected tornados, earthquakes, and other natural disasters in strange locations, even supernatural dust clouds appearing, rioting and chaos, the list goes on...  (Mark 13:8 "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.") My point is that now is not the time to play around with fire, now is the time to wake up and walk into the light.  Work out your salvation and get rid of the sin in your life!

You may think a little bit of sin is no big deal.  A little lie here, a slipped swear word there, but I Corinthians 5:6 -7 says it differently (I exchanged the words leaven for yeast and lump for bread so that it is easier to understand), "Know ye not that a little [yeast rises] the whole [loaf of bread]? Purge out therefore the old [yeast] , that ye may be a new [loaf of bread], as ye are unleavened." (So you will be free from even the small sins damaging your soul.)

 While I do not believe all so-called small sins will cause us to lose our salvation, if we repeatedly choose to rebelliously ignore these sins and refuse to try to change because we feel they are not as bad as murder or adultery, then the callus condition of your heart could send you to Hell.  That small amount of yeast can indeed ruin your soul. We need to purge ourselves of pride, racism, deceitfulness, bad language, unforgiveness, the occult etc. "The night is far spent," and the there is precious little time left! If you love the Lord and care about where you spend eternity, play close attention to the condition of your soul!  Now is the day to make your heart right with God! 

I will close with more words from II Corinthians 6 and also from Ephesians 5, please let these words sink into your heart and soul! ("Not to receive the grace of God in vain" means not to take advantage of God's favor by living a life full of sin, read on...)

We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God... by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left...

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters," Says the Lord Almighty.” II Corinthians 6:1-7, 14-18

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth, finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God. Ephesians 5:1-21

Put on the socks of peace?

 

Note: I wrote around two years ago, but because it aligns with the theme of the Armor God series I finished posting a couple of days ago, I thought I would share it again.

You are probably wondering why I am posting a picture of my socks.  This post idea came from a dream I had a few nights ago, so bear with me!  I dreamt that God told me that I should always pray over my socks.  When I woke up, I was confused.  Surely this was just a nutty dream that was from my own mind and made no sense.  But then I fell back to sleep and had another dream where I was posting a photo of my sock drawer and explaining that God wanted me to pray each time I put socks on my feet so that I would remember to be shod with the gospel of peace!  Okay, so now, this was making more sense, but I will not 100% assume this dream came from God as it still may have been from my own mind.  Either way, I can find a good message in those two dreams.

Ephesians 6 tells us we need to always be clothed in the whole armor of God.  Verse 15 specifically states, "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace."   Moreover, in Matthew 5:9, Jesus Christ stated,  "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."  And also, one of the fruits of the spirit listed in Galatians 5:22 is peace.

There are two lessons I am taking way from these dreams.  First, I need to find peace with God even when my circumstances seem bleak, and even when I cannot understand why things happen as they do.  I must find peace in trusting in Romans 8:26-28: Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  

More than just finding peace in trusting God, I need to literally pray every time I put my socks on that I will be a bringer of peace. This sounded silly at first but when I thought about it, it makes a lot of sense.  The area where I struggle with most in my life is in finding peace with others' opinions about me.  I need to let go of my ego and focus on who God wants me to be: a peacemaker.  I need to let the insults bounce right out of my heart and pray for those who have placed me in a negative light. I need to love as unconditionally as Jesus Christ, the True teacher of the school of holiness, and the ultimate peace giver and peacemaker.

I must also realize that even though Matthew 5:9 says that the peacemaker will go to Heaven, that the exact opposite is also very true.  Ephesians 5:20-21 tells me that those who practice "...hatred, variance [disagreeing or quarrelling], emulations [jealously compete], wrath, strife... 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."  In other words, people who intentionally fail to keep the peace are in serious danger of going to hell!  When I think of it that way, a dream about putting on the socks of peace seems a lot more serious!

Truthfully, from now on when I put on my socks, I will be sure to pray that I can live in peace knowing that Jesus Christ loves me and only wants the best for me.  And in return, I will do my best to live a holy life for Him.  (The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance. Romans 2:4) And I will pray that whoever I come in contact with throughout the day, that I will make a conscious effort to reflect all of the fruits of the Spirit (The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance Galatians 5:22-23) and show them the love of Christ through my actions, therefore  have my "feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace" (Galatians 6:15)! 

  

The Armor of God: Feet Shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace, Written by my Husband

Armor of God: Feet Shod with the Preparation of the Gospel of Peace 

Written by my Husband, Mel

 

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil...  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace... Ephesians 6:10-18

The "gospel of peace" is not just about being at peace with others (which is also vitally important) but more about being armed in the gospel of Jesus Christ, who made peace upon the cross by offering himself as the payment for all of our sins. Also, we are all commissioned by Christ to go out into the world and share the gospel of salvation with others. 

 (Isaiah 52:7) How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth  good tidings that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

Shoes can symbolize our walk with the Lord, so being armed with the True gospel will help arm us against the false gospels being thrown at us by many false teachers. The more you read the Word, the better your feet will be shod with the True message of Jesus Christ.   

To have our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace means we should be prepared to stand firm on the Gospel of salvation. Again, the meaning of shoes. When you study your Bible and the true gospel, you should not be deceived by false doctrines. There are many groups that try to add their own false doctrines to salvation. We must use discernment and dismiss anything that does not line up with scripture. 

The good news is that Christ made peace between the Father and mankind through his death upon the cross. The Father is a holy God who cannot look upon sin. No person on earth could save himself by his own works because we are a fallen race. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was the spotless, perfect, lamb of God, who took our sins upon himself to wash us clean.

 We are justified in the eyes of God and saved by faith in the finished work of Christ upon the cross. However, we must repent of our sins and allow the Holy Spirit to transform us from the inside out (sanctification). The Holy Spirit is also a free gift from God to those who are truly born again. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is also known as being filled with the Holy Ghost, sanctification, second blessing, or second act of grace. These terms all describe the immersion of power by God's Spirit in order to live an overcoming life and spread the gospel. There are nine gifts, as well as nine fruits of the Holy Spirit. Every Christian should desire this second blessing from God.

It is important to understand the peace made upon the cross between the Father and mankind. Before Christ came the Hebrews were kept by God under the Law of Moses. There was not a perfect sacrifice for the sins of the people. The animal sacrifices were symbolic of the final sacrifice of God's Son upon the cross. The law was our tutor, to teach us about sin and the consequences of sin. Under the old covenant they were slaves of sin, as well as the law. But under the new covenant of grace, we are free men and sons of the living God.

 Christ fulfilled every letter and stroke of the law upon the cross and brought a better covenant through his shed blood. Many people confuse the law of Moses with the law of Christ. Christ said, "If you love me you will keep MY commandments" and went on to say," this is MY commandment that you love one another." The law of Christ was centered upon heart issues. Christ taught us to love one another, turn the other cheek, forgive one another seventy times seven, show mercy, be kind and hospitable, not to judge with hypocrisy, and for those without sin to cast the first stone. Christ was the light from heaven to teach us the true ways of God. The old covenant was referred to as a perpetual and everlasting covenant for all generations to the Hebrew people. In the Hebrew, this is defined as a final decree by God as long as the old covenant was in effect. 

However, the issue of whether or not the gentile believers were expected to keep the law of Moses was settled forever by the Jerusalem Decree (Acts 15: 4-30). All of the Apostles and Elders of the church were in agreement that gentile Christians were Not expected to keep the law of Moses.  

 (John 1:17) For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

When we were bankrupt in our debts he paid them in full and washed us white as snow in his precious blood. Let us stand firm in our faith of the True gospel of peace and share it with a lost and dying world. 

 (Eph 2:14-17) For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.