FOR THE LOVE OF GOD

Standing On The Word of God

Posted on February 22, 2020 by Roland Ledoux

We took a break this evening after watching some Deep Ocean documentaries on Curiosity Stream and my wife decided to check out some Facebook posts. I had to take care of our girl, Bella and her canine diabetes shot and while I did that Sue shared with me a post she ran across entitled:

47 Percent of Mainline Pastors Now Support Same-Sex Marriage[1]

By ChristianHeadlines.com Contributor, Michael Foust, dated Friday, February 21, 2020.

I’ll provide the link at the end of the article. But I’ll also give you a couple of excerpts from the article to give you an idea of what is happening in our Nation and in our supposedly “Christian” churches today.

Nearly half of mainline pastors say they back same-sex marriage, although support among evangelical pastors remains low, according to a new LifeWay Research survey.

Presbyterian or Reformed pastors (49 percent) are the most likely to support same-sex marriage, followed by Methodist (47 percent), Lutheran (35 percent) and Christian/Church of Christ pastors (20 percent). Baptist (3 percent) and Pentecostal pastors (1 percent) are the least likely to support same-sex marriage.

“The stability in the views of evangelical pastors means either there has been no growth in acceptance of same-sex marriage among them or the pastors that no longer have moral reservations about it no longer identify as evangelical,” McConnell said.

The change in pastors’ “views of same-sex marriage,” McConnell added, “has less to do with their denominational tradition than their view of the Bible.”

“An evangelical distinctive is the ultimate authority the Bible has over one’s beliefs despite changing cultural perspectives,” he said. “It is not surprising then that evangelical pastors across different denominations continue to view same-sex marriage as wrong through this lens.”

When my wife read the headline, without even reading the article yet and just sat at my kitchen table and started to weep. I have been reading in the Book of Jeremiah and it has been leaving a large impact upon my spirit. Now I’m no Jeremiah, but I can only imagine how he must have felt as the Lord gave him message after message to the children of Israel and Judah concerning the sins they were involved in; sins by the way that our United States of America today is emulating.

I finally read the article and besides the nearly HALF of all pastors supporting same-sex marriage, there was the hint of the root cause in the article. By the way, I’m going to tell you right now, the term “same-sex marriage” seems innocuous and harmless enough, it’s just a nice term for homosexuality under the guise of what the world calls marriage. But like everything else the devil AND the world has twisted, the meaning of marriage is twisted by them as well.

I’ll get into marriage at a later time, for right now my heart is breaking over the “shepherds” of the supposed “Christian” churches. That after all is what Pastor means. He is a shepherd, actually an under-shepherd to the Great Shepherd Christ Jesus. The “sheep,” the congregation, aren’t even his as Pastor, yet most Pastor’s treat them as if they are their property handling and hoarding them in case one or more might actually learn of their own gifts and wander from the “Pastor’s” flock! Oh how the church has become something it was NEVER meant to be.

I can see why the Apostle Paul was so adamant to the young mentor, Timothy when he wrote, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” – 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

Yeah, I know, I quote this a lot. It’s from the Living Word of God and I wonder how many take it to heart. Especially that last part, “And from such people turn away!” There was a reason why Paul was so emphatic about this as Timothy was becoming one of those Pastors of the early church. A wise lesson for all of us who have been given the calling of “under-shepherd,” or Pastor.

But this article made a statement that as soon as I read it, I spotted the underlying problem with the mainstream or organized churches today and ESPECIALLY with the ones that are listed as the most likely TO support same-sex marriage. It has to do with the fourth paragraph down;

The change in pastors’ “views of same-sex marriage,” McConnell added, “has less to do with their denominational tradition than their view of the Bible.”

In other words, their view of the Bible has changed. No longer are they believing in the infallibility of the Bible, but they are not agreeing with what it says or has said for thousands of years either. Instead of allowing the Bible, a Living, Divinely inspired Book to change them and/or society, they are changing the meaning of the Bible to fit their lifestyles and perspectives and this is happening in churches all over America, the same churches that have preached in the past, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8.

And, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” – John 1:1, 14.

This is so hard for me to fathom, these people who carry the same Bible as myself and yet can discount it as if it has served its purpose and is no more relevant; and it’s all because of false teachers and false prophets who, just like in the days of Jeremiah kept saying that “God won’t do anything; He’s a loving God. Jeremiah is the false messenger and we don’t need to listen to him.” All the while, God is telling Jeremiah to keep warning them none-the-less for soon they would see that God is a God of His Word.

Nearly half of our Pastors today are saying the same thing. “God’s a loving God, these others who tell you that judgement is coming are the false teachers and the radical ones. You don’t have to listen to them!” Yet my Bible continues to tell me not just in verse, but in example that God doesn’t change and He is a God of His Word. What He tells His people He will do, WILL be done.

What did encourage me was the last paragraph I added from the article:

“An evangelical distinctive is the ultimate authority the Bible has over one’s beliefs despite changing cultural perspectives,” he said. “It is not surprising then that evangelical pastors across different denominations continue to view same-sex marriage as wrong through this lens.”

There still ARE Pastors and leaders who are sticking by the TRUTH and AUTHORITY of the Living Word of God. I guess in closing I have just one more question or one more thought to present to you, to God’s TRUE children and the ones who are STILL following the example of Christ Jesus; how many more and at what percentage of “Pastors” and “leaders” do you think it will take to surrender to the world before God tells His Son, our Redeemer, “Go get your Bride, for judgement is soon to begin on the earth?”

My advice as an under-shepherd to the sheep that I, by the way, am a part of is to, “Look up, for your Redemption is drawing near, AND, keep your lamps filled and burning, for the Bridegroom is coming!” (Luke 21:28, Matthew 25:1-13).

1 https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/michael-foust/47-percent-of-mainline-pastors-now-support-same-sex-marriage.html

Posted in Pastor's Desk | Tagged 2 Timothy, Apostasy, Apostle Paul, Believing a Lie, Choices, ChristianHeadlines.com, False Prophets, False Teachers, God Is Just, God Loves, Hebrews, Homosexuality, Jeremiah The Weeping Prophet, John, Last Days, Leaders, Loving God, Luke, Marriage, Matthew, Michael Foust, Pastors, Perilous Times, Perversion, Same Sex Marriage, Scriptures, Shepherds, Sin, Teaching, Teaching Lies, The Great Shepherd, Truth, Turning Away From Truth, Under-Shepherds, Word of God | 5 Comments

True Love

Posted on February 22, 2020 by Roland Ledoux

I was reading in the Book of Jeremiah this morning as I have been doing for a few days now and while I was reading, my wife Sue found this picture post on Facebook. It’s simple, yet so powerful in its simplicity. It describes in just 15 words, the meaning of TRUE love!

When I saw it, I immediately thought of so much of my teachings on love being an action, but then the thought of the world came to mind, and the absolute rejection or denial of what true love actually is. The world has allowed the devil to so twist its meaning as to no longer have any power over the common man.

In the world’s eyes, love is derived by feeling for something or someone. It is an emotional response to that something or someone and if you don’t FEEL it, than it cannot be love. Yet God, by His Words AND by His examples states that love is an ACTION. By God’s standards love is first and foremost something we DO and only then and after the action does any possible feeling arrive. Sometimes the only “feeling” is, “I’m glad I did that!”

To make a point in relationship to this Illustrated picture post that my wife found, I have to ask:

Did Jesus FEEL love through His grief and sorrows?
Did Jesus FEEL love when He was stricken, smitten and afflicted?
Did Jesus FEEL love when He was wounded for OUR transgressions?
Did Jesus FEEL love when He was bruised for OUR iniquities?
Did Jesus FEEL love when He felt the lashes applied to His back?
Did Jesus FEEL love when they stripped Him in front of everyone in humiliation and place a scarlet robe on Him?
Did Jesus FEEL love when in front of Him they twisted a crown of thorns and then jammed it down on His head and put a reed in His hand?
Did Jesus FEEL love when they spat on Him and then took that very same reed from His hand and beat Him over the head where the crown of thorns had been placed?
Did Jesus FEEL love as they mocked Him and then again stripped Him only to put His ragged clothes on Him as they led Him to Golgotha?
Did Jesus FEEL love when He had to carry His own cross through the winding streets of The Via Dolorosa?
Did Jesus FEEL love when He finally laid down on the cross as they bound His hands and His feet knowing that nails were being readied?
Did Jesus FEEL love when each individual nail was placed at His hands or wrists and struck through His flesh with a hammer?
Did Jesus FEEL love when they finished His hands and proceeded to His feet to plant one spike through both feet nailing Him finally to that wooden cross?
Did Jesus FEEL love when they lifted that cross off the ground and then planted it with a jarring thump into the hole prepared for it in the ground?
Did Jesus FEEL love when the ninth hour arrived and He cried out in total loneliness and abandonment, “Father, why have You forsaken me?” As the sins of the whole world, past, present and future were finally once and for all laid upon Him?
Did Jesus FEEL love when they gave Him sour wine on a sponge to drink just before His last breaths as He finally exhausted His strength enough to declare, “It is finished?”

Does anyone with any sense at all think that throughout this whole ordeal, knowing what was coming that Jesus FELT love?

Jesus, despite the mission He was given, despite the torment and scorn He KNEW would be coming at Him, despite knowing the pain He would HAVE to suffer as the Son of Man, kept His Spirit and heart focused on the goal at hand; to make a way for mankind, if they choose, to have a spiritually renewed relationship with God Almighty, our Heavenly Father! THAT was love. There was no feeling but sorrow, grief and pain involved in that ACTION, but it WAS and IS the ultimate ACT of true love. And as the picture post states, He knew full well that much of mankind would NOT love Him back.

That, my Brothers and Sisters is unconditional love, that my friends, is AGAPE!

“Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” – Isaiah 53:4-6.

“And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.” – Matthew 27:28-31.

Posted in Food For Thought | Tagged "It Is Finished", Afflicted, Agape, Book of Jeremiah, Bruised For Iniquities, Choices, Christ Jesus, Christianity, Crown of Thorns, Do Love, Encouragement, Faithfulness, Feel Love, Feelings, Food For Thought, Forsaken, God's Love, Golgotha, Hit Over Head, Hope, Humiliation, Inspiration, Isaiah, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Grief and Sorrows, Lord, Love, Love in Action, Matthew, Mocked, Nailed To Cross, Relationship, Scriptures, Smitten, Spirituality, Stricken, Stripped, Suffered Lashes, Teaching, True Love, Truth, Via Dolorosa, Word of God, Wounded For Transgressions | Leave a comment

Christ Jesus Is Truth!

Posted on February 21, 2020 by Roland Ledoux

I’ve been doing a theme today on TRUTH on the social media platform Facebook and I’ve been looking over several websites and articles that deal with science and the “truth!” Now understand something, I love the different sciences and I love when they are able to come up with what I call “hard science” because it is usually confirmed with Biblical writings. What I totally dislike is those that put out “theoretical science” as “hard science.” Theories are just what they sound like, beliefs that haven’t been proven yet.

Too many in the sciences today abuse their quest for more knowledge as if everything they come up with is the unassailable truth and many who are NOT scientists or science savvy tend to take what they put out as the absolute truth. Again, mind you, I am not against science that has a proven track record and even theoretical science is important considering the goal is to get TOO the truth. As long as it is acknowledged that it is just theory I can even be fine with that, but when they try to put forth their theories as fact, then it becomes a lie and it serves no purpose and no one who is searching for the truth.

We need to remember as Christians, true followers of the examples of Christ Jesus, that He came to show us the Father, our Heavenly Father, God Almighty. One of the attributes of God Almighty is that He is Omniscient. Now I have taught on this a lot in the past, but remember that simply means All-knowing. Yet, when you break it down, it means all-truth, all-science. Science is the pursuit of truth and knowledge. God IS and He created the thirst for sciences in us when He created us in His likeness. That thirst for truth and knowledge comes from His “breathing” His Spirit and making us who we are.

So, how to know real truth from supposed truth or just beliefs becomes an important question for a Christian in today’s ever-changing world where as the Prophet Daniel prophesied, “knowledge would be on the increase!” (Daniel 12:4).

A former professor of Old Testament at the University of Greisfwald, the late Dr. Alfred Jepsen (1902 -1979) stated this: “Truth is that which is constant and unchangeable . . . something on which someone can rely, which will prove to be true in the future.”[1]

Now here are a few Scriptures that tell us outright about the unchangeableness and the truth intrinsically inherent in God’s Character:

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8.

“Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.” – Psalm 31:5.

“For I am the LORD, I do not change;” – Malachi 3:6.

We can add “unchangeableness and reliability” to “faithfulness, constancy, and dependability,” as words that convey the core meaning of biblical truth.

We can see very specifically that the Bible identifies truth not simply as the absence of lies but as a quality inherent, innate and ingrained within the very nature of God, as was fully manifested in His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus not only spoke true word, but He WAS, and IS, the ultimate expression of truth.

The Bible tells us that Jesus has come to proclaim and confirm the truth to those who are seeking truth.

The New Testament states unequivocally that Jesus:
• Called Himself “the truth” (John 14:6);
• Was “full of . . . truth” (John 1:14; Ephesians 4:21);
• Told “the truth” (Mark 12:32; John 8:40, 8:45–46, 16:7) and whose words are “true” (Revelation 21:5, 22:6);
• Taught “the way of God in truth” (Matthew 22:16, Mark 12:14, Luke 20:21);
• Taught about the “truth” (John 8:31–32; 17:17); and
• Came into the world to “bear witness to the truth” (John 18:37).

Many people today understand “truth” simply as “something declared to be a fact by science.” The problem with this is that scientists can be and many times ARE wrong. Don’t get misunderstand what I’m saying; that is part of actually coming to the knowledge of the truth. There are many instances though of scientific “truths” or beliefs, theories published as “fact” in papers, journals, books, classroom textbooks, and the media, as I stated at the beginning of this article, that later prove to be partially or completely erroneous and have to be reassessed.

Now there’s a website I like to visit from time to time called LiveScience[2] and their website reported that “an increasing number of scientific studies are just plain wrong and are ultimately retracted . . . most involving no blatant malfeasance, but others are due to cooked data.” On the other hand, honest scientists who publish tentative, non-dogmatic findings, can sometimes have their conclusions inflated to the level of proven “facts” in the media, accompanied by sensationalist headlines.[3]

It’s a great irony that the discipline of science, which SO many people view as the ultimate standard-bearer of truth is in fact in a perpetual quest for yet more understanding, and in a constant state of “not yet knowing everything” and “all we get is more questions.”

This is why we need to use the gifts the Holy Spirit gives to us and especially a gift that is accessible to ALL born-again Christians, the gift of discernment. It allows us to know, within our spirit, what is true and what is false. Second, we need to take the Bible’s own advice and “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.” – 2 Timothy 2:15-16.

Now understand this; profane and idle babblings literally means worldly and empty chatter. There is nothing wrong with intellectual and even philosophical discussions and modern science is not something to be afraid of, as long as you use discernment and spiritual wisdom, never forgetting that God’s wisdom is far above and removed from worldly wisdom. One other thing also is that many Christians as I have taught before, have a tendency of putting God Almighty in a box. We have a tendency to make God fit our abilities to comprehend, which for the most part is so far beyond comprehension with the limitations of our carnal minds. Yet, when we allow the spirit within us to dare to dream and imagine more than we ever have, especially concerning the spiritual, there should be no fear in embracing SOME science. Remember, our GOD is the author of what mankind loves to take so much credit for.

Our God is eternal. He has NEVER been bound to time and the instances in the Bible where time is referenced in relation to God, it is for OUR benefit and limited comprehension. Every instance where time is associated with God is so that we can understand beyond a shadow of a doubt that time is nothing to an Eternal and Infinite God.

So, truth, absolute truth is found in our unchangeable God Almighty, our Heavenly Father and in His Son Jesus Christ! Since the Bible reveals to us the very Character, Nature and Attributes of our Heavenly Father and that Word was in the beginning WITH God, we can also rely in the absolute truth of what is written there. Remember, the Holy Spirit OF God inspired that written, Living Word, and His inspiration has not stopped when it was completed, so you can rest assured that He will illuminate and reveal to your heart the TRUTH written within its pages!

[1] http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Jepsen (in German)
[2] LiveScience: https://www.livescience.com/
[3] Christopher Wanjek, “Oops! 5 Retracted Science Studies of 2012,” December 21, 2012, http://www.livescience.com/25750-science-journal-retractions.html. Also, see for example:
David DeWitt, “Nothing New Under the Sun: Media Report Hypes Evolution Claims,” October 12, 2005. https://answersingenesis.org/theory-of-evolution/nothing-new-under-the-sun-media-report-hypes-evolution-claims/

Posted in Pastor's Desk | Tagged 2 Timothy, Absolute Truth, Alfred Jepsen, Bible, Bible Teaching, Daniel, Encouragement, Ephesians, Faithfulness, Gift of Discernment, God is Eternal, God is Infinite, Godly Wisdom, Heavenly Father, Hebrews, Holy Bible, Inspiration, John, Knowledge, Knowledge on the Increase, LiveScience, Lord, Love, Luke, Malachi, Mark, Matthew, Omniscience, Omniscient, Psalms, Relationship, Reliability, Revelation, Science, Scientific Fact, Scientist, Scriptures, Spirituality, Teaching, Truth, Unchangeable, Word of God | Leave a comment

Repent – Turn From Sin

Posted on February 20, 2020 by Roland Ledoux

“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, “and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, “whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” – Acts 3:19-21.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23.

“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” – James 1:14-15.

Posted in 'Nuff Said! | Tagged Acts, Bible, Bible Teaching, Choices, Christ Jesus, Convert, Death, Desire Conceived Births Sin, Drawn by Desires, Eternal Life, Faithfulness, Gift of God, God's Love, Grace, Heavenly Father, Holy Bible, Hope, James, Jesus, Jesus Christ Will Return, Life, Lord, Love, Presence of the Lord, Repent, Repentance, Romans, Scriptures, Sin Births Death, Teaching, Temptation, Truth, Wages of Sin, Word of God | Leave a comment

Does It Still Apply?

Posted on February 19, 2020 by Roland Ledoux

*Pastor’s Note: I wrote this in the late 90s along with some other short articles for the Church section of the local newspaper where we lived in Globe, Arizona. I thought it might interest my readers and I HAVE updated some of the Scriptures references. All in all, it is pretty much as it was published in the Church editorial of the newspaper. The pictures were added for this posting.

In the first century, an emperor sent out a spy to view and analyze the fast growing sect known as “Christians.” With mixed reviews he came back and reported. But of all the things that he reported, one statement has survived the centuries. “Behold how they love one another.” That phrase is the one that has stayed in remembrance. That statement portrayed the first century church. In all honesty, could we say that today?

In the church today, love is sometimes lost in our disagreements and our doctrinal differences. The Bible states very concisely that we are to always love one another. Even in the early church there were disagreements, but the disagreements did not stand in the way of actively loving one another.

If you read 1 Corinthians 1:18-29, you will find reasons why they disagreed, but in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, you will see Paul’s way through these divisions; “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

In Acts 15:1-33 are examples of disagreements among the apostles and disciples, but also their resolution. The difference in the early church and the church of today is that then they came together and discussed their differences and then came to a mutual agreement, and only then did they walk away from one another, the Bible says, in peace. In other words, they made a determined effort to find a basis for mutual peace. In 1 Corinthians, Paul stated, “It was to know Christ and Him crucified.”

In today’s society, we just walk away from one another, period. If you don’t agree with me, we can’t fellowship. Sadly, that is giving non-Christians the wrong picture of Jesus Christ. We have to remember that if we are claiming to be a Christian, we are telling people that we are followers of Jesus Christ. We are striving to be Christ-like.

Would Jesus approve of our reflection of Him. We also need to note that in the Greek, the word Christ means, “Anointed One.” Christ was not Jesus’ last name, it denoted His character. He was God’s Anointed One. If we claim to be Christians, we are claiming to be God’s anointed ones following Jesus’ example.

Now we all stumble and make mistakes, but it’s not the once in awhile slip up that causes people to take notice, it’s the overall pattern of our lifestyles that people characterize. Even the world acknowledges that we all make mistakes. The difference with Christians is that we should try to live and love beyond our mistakes.

John states this well in 1 John 3:10, 11, 18; “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.”

“My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.”

As you see, true love is action. Action is a matter of will, and action can transcend mistakes, even sin. 1 Peter 4:8, “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” We make mistakes, we actively forgive, then we actively demonstrate love. With this kind of love, even denominational barriers fall and the world sees us as true followers of Jesus, “The Anointed One.”

Posted in Vintage Messages | Tagged 1 Corinthians, 1 John, 1 Peter, Acts, Anointed One, Behold How They Love, Bible, Bible Teaching, Christ Jesus, Christianity, Christians, Church Editorial, Encouragement, Faithfulness, Globe - Arizona, Globe Newspaper, God's Love, Holy Bible, Inspiration, Lord, Love, Love Covers Sin, Scriptures, Sin, Sinfulness, Teaching, To Know Christ, Truth, Word of God | Leave a comment

God – Listen To Him

Posted on February 19, 2020 by Roland Ledoux

anecdotal stories
Isaiah 8:19, “When they say to you, “Consult the mediums and the spiritists who whisper and mutter,” should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?”

1 Corinthians 1:22-25, “For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

Everyone With An Opinion

Tipsters! They travel the Southern California racing circuit, handicapping races from Del Mar to Pomona, from Santa Anita to Hollywood Park. For $2, betters can buy their tips on the races of the day at any of the tracks. They follow the circuit each year, scrutinizing horses, trainers, jockeys, and track conditions. They’ve been in business many years, some as far back as 1943, and cater to an established clientele who patronize them annually. If there is anything to know about horse racing – jockey, track, training speeds – they know it. Yet to a man, they admit to being right only 38 to 45 percent of the time.

Everyone has an opinion about life and its vagaries. There’s always a “tipster” who’s studied the problem, figured the odds, and devised a plan to outwit and outfox it. But while opinions abound and self-appointed experts pontificate, who knows for sure but life’s Author? Of all the experts poking around in the human body, brain and psyche, trying to explain, calculate, and predict behavior, who knows but the One who created us in His likeness? Who alone knows the future, as the past?

Courtesy of Speaker’s Sourcebook of New Illustrations by Virgil Hurley copyright © 1995 by Word, Incorporated. Used by permission.

*Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Applicable Quotations

God has a thousand ways where I can see not one; when all my means have reached their end then His have just begun. – Guyot

You cannot trace the guidance of the Spirit of God, or diagnose His operations in the secret rooms of the soul. He seems at times to let good go, and to bring instead good out of evil, and light into voluntary darkness. – R.H. Benson

There is a God. The plants of the valley, the cedars of the mountain bless His name; the elephant salutes Him with the rising day; the bird glorifies Him among the foliage; the lightning bespeaks His power, and the ocean declares His immensity. Man alone has said, “There is no God.” – Vicomte de Chauteaubriand

How can you expect God to speak to you in that gentle and inward voice which melts the soul, when you are making so much noise with your rapid reflections? Be silent, and God will speak again. – Francois Fenelon

Posted in Anecdotal Stories | Tagged 1 Corinthians, Author of All, Bets, Bible Teaching, Choices, Christian Quotes, Creator, Del Mar, Encouragement, Figuring the Odds, Food For Thought, Francois Fenelon, Guyot, Hollywood Park, Horse Racing, Inspiration, Inspirational Bible Quote, Isaiah, Jockeys, NASB - New American Standard Bible, New American Standard Bible, One Who Created Us, Opinions, Pomona, Quotations, R.H. Benson, Santa Anita, Scriptures, Southern California, Speaker's Sourcebook of New Illustrations, Teaching, Tipsters, Tracks, Trainers, Truth, Vicomte de Chauteaubriand, Virgil Hurley, Who Knows Better Than God, Word of God | Leave a comment

Even More Leonard Ravenhill Quotes

Posted on February 19, 2020 by Roland Ledoux

Leonard Ravenhill (June 18, 1907 – November 27, 1994) was an English Christian evangelist and author who focused on the subjects of prayer and revival. He is best known for challenging western evangelicalism (through his books and sermons) to compare itself to the early Christian Church as chronicled in the Book of Acts. He was a proponent of the moral government or Governmental theory of atonement.

One of Leonard’s gifts was his ability to spontaneously create insightful spiritual maxims as he spoke. These were short, memorable observations about God, the church, and the world. David Bercot always took a notebook with him to these meetings to write down some of Leonard Ravenhill’s observations and maxims. Here are even MORE of Leonard’s spiritual insights from those meetings:

[Concerning one of the new “movements” in the church that was causing a stir among Christians:] “There’s also a stir when the circus comes to town.”

“Testimonies are wonderful. But, so often our lives don’t fit our testimonies.”

“My main ambition in life is to be on the Devil’s most wanted list.”

“You can’t develop character by reading books. You develop it from conflict.”

“When there’s something in the Bible that churches don’t like, they call it ‘legalism.’”

“We can’t serve God by proxy.”

“We must do what we can do for God, before He will give us the power to do what we can’t do.”

“There’s a difference between changing your opinion, and changing your lifestyle.”

“Our seminaries today are turning out dead men.”

“How can you pull down strongholds of Satan if you don’t even have the strength to turn off your TV?”

Leonard Ravenhill Quotes: https://www.azquotes.com/author/38314-Leonard_Ravenhill
Leonard Ravenhill Sermons: https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/leonard-ravenhill/read/articles/
Leonard Ravenhill Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeonardRavenhill

Posted in Great Sermons From The Past | Tagged Author, Bible, Bible Teaching, Choices, Christian, Christianity, Church, Circus Causes Stir Also, Communication, Concerning Movements, Encouragement, Evangelist, Faithfulness, God, God's Love, Grace, Heavenly Father, Holy Bible, Legalism, Leonard Ravenhill, Life Story, Lord, Love, Ministry, Obedience, Opinions vs Lifestyle, Prayer Warrior, Pulling Down Strongholds, Quotes, Religion, Scripture, Scriptures, Seminaries, Serving God, Spiritual, Spirituality, Teaching, Television, Testimonies, Truth, TV, Word of God | 1 Comment

God’s Warrior

Posted on February 19, 2020 by Roland Ledoux

“Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; . . .” – Deuteronomy 7:9.

“Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who delights greatly in His commandments.”

“Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance. He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.” – Psalm 112:1, 6-7.

Posted in 'Nuff Said! | Tagged 'Nuff Said!, Bible, Bible Believer, Bible Teaching, Blessed is the Man, Christ Jesus, Christianity, Covenant, Delight in His Commandments, Deuteronomy, Encouragement, Everlasting, Faith, Faithful God, Faithfulness, Fear the Lord, God, God's Warrior, Grace, He Will Never Be Shaken, Holy Bible, Hope, Inspiration, Lord, Love, Merciful God, No Fear, Psalms, Relationship, Remembrance, Righteous, Righteousness, Scriptures, Spirituality, Steadfast Heart, Strength, Teaching, Trusting in the Lord, Truth, Word of God | 2 Comments

The Broad vs The Narrow

Posted on February 18, 2020 by Roland Ledoux

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” – Matthew 7:13-14.

Today I want to offer you a little “food for thought” as it were. Last night as I was praying, I got to thinking as I do so much about the state of the world, the mainstream churches and the Bible. One of the things I pray for IS the churches that claim to be Bible-based Christian churches all over the world. I don’t necessarily pray for individual ones, but rather as a whole and that the Holy Spirit can accomplish His tasks through the individuals within them.

With all that is going on in the world and with the churches so willing, for the most part, to compromise their teachings to attract followers, due greatly to treating their churches as a business, which is obvious in many, I was asking the Lord about the state of the organized church. Now mind you, I was not praying at this time with the state of the TRUE Church of God, the Body of Christ as a whole; I DO pray for them, but my main concern in prayer is for the visible church and not the Spiritual Church that is comprised of born-again individuals from all over.

Anyway, as I was praying, I thought of the Lord’s Letters to the churches in Revelation, but then my thoughts wandered or were directed again to what the Lord said concerning the narrow path and the broad path as found in Matthew 7. And here we are again in Matthew 7. It seems that every time I get a thought about something, and especially concerning the “hidden” truth, the Holy Spirit directs me to the Book and Chapter that everyone quotes and remembers mainly for NOT “judging” others! Yet as happens often, they have made a whole doctrine on those few verses to justify not being challenged when it comes to truth as compared to falsehood. They forget the majority of Scriptures that follow that are meant to lead us into “testing the spirits” as the Beloved Apostle John speaks of in 1 John 4:1. Those following Scriptures are meant not just as a warning to those CLAIMING to be followers of Christ Jesus, but as a safeguard for the rest of the true Church.

But I digress. Back to the narrow path and the broad path. As I was praying for the organized, visible churches of the world, I thought of those paths and in essence and in truth, you would think that as a CHURCH, which claims Jesus as their example, they would be on the narrow path. Yet today, we see churches that are turning their back on legitimate Scripture to accept and condone sinful lifestyles into their congregations and even beyond that into their leadership.

I know, I know, right off the bat you are thinking, here goes another condemnation of homosexuality, yet in truth, that is a small part of it. Long before the churches were allowing homosexuals to be a part of the leadership, they were allowing adulterers and fornicators, sexual perverts and promiscuity into the leadership. I am not talking in general, I am talking about those living openly in those lifestyles. Yet with all that, and as vile as that may seem, there are congregations that let habitual liars and con-artists to also be in leadership. Lying and deception are as deathly a sin as any sexual sin, it is just that in this day and age, it is easier to overlook the lying and deceptive sins! But GOD DOES NOT! God never has and never will and so many churches wonder why they are dull and lifeless with no spiritual anointing, power or authority!

Do you actually think for a moment that God’s Holy Spirit visits those churches where the leadership especially is allowed to continue in behavior that God, Himself says is abhorrent? It is no wonder that those professing Christianity are a laughing stock to the rest of the world. They do not see the organized church as anything that is any different than what they are. They see the truth of the hypocrisy, but for some reason those sitting in those churches do not recognize the very sins they condone.

Now before you condemn me, I KNOW that not all churches are perfect for they are made up of imperfect individuals. But why do we go to church? Why do we congregate with others who supposedly believe in the same Bible as us? Isn’t it so that we can join in Praise and Worship as a body of believers and once our hearts are softened through that Praise and Worship, after inviting the Holy Spirit to visit us, isn’t it to learn, in practicality about our relationship with the very Father that we were just Praising and Worshipping? Isn’t it meant to strengthen us to rely upon the Lord, learning to surrender to His yoke that we might go from that place and actually be a LIGHT to the world around us?

Yet I have to ask again, when you have leadership that lives a lifestyle that God SAYS is sin, whatever that sin may be, how can that very same leadership condemn the same sin in the congregation and give you practical instruction on how to avoid it? The congregation then becomes an image, a likeness of the very leadership it sits under. If the leadership condones sinful behavior because “God loves you all just as you are,” than the congregation will condone that same sin to the world of darkness they are supposed to be a light in!

Which leads me to my point finally about the broad way and the narrow way. We often think of the world marching down that broad path that leads to destruction. Yet by the very nature of it being broad, all-encompassing, all-condoning of what God says is evil and sin, the people marching down that path are marching down it together in groups! Some are marching down that path arm in arm, not seeming to have a care in the world and why? Sadly, because there are those who go to churches where sin is condoned and they are marching arm in arm together with their fellow “church buddies” and the world that is marching forward with them do not see any difference whatsoever in their lives! It is exactly like Jesus stated later on as recorded by Matthew, “Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.” – Matthew 15:14.

This is why Jesus stated that this path leads to destruction. They truly are blinded by the God of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) and they don’t even know the ditch is close on either side. I think one of the things that is wrong with some of these churches that allow this is that they believe and speak about Jesus, but they speak about the man, Jesus and not the Son of God, Jesus, the Christ, the Anointed One. You see, if they truly were following the example of Jesus, the Anointed One, they would see His love for what it is, a sacrifice to FREE mankind from the bondage of sin and not a license to use grace to justify sinfulness! They love to preach the Jesus Who went around feeding the hungry, healing the sick, espousing the Father’s love, but they don’t like to preach the Jesus Christ, who tells those same ones to “go and sin no more.” The same Jesus Christ who says that our Heavenly Father is looking for a people who will be holy as the Father is holy.

Now on the other hand, when you consider the narrow path and the narrow gate, consider this; a church cannot save you. Indeed a church as a whole, as a group or an organization cannot be saved, only individuals can. Jesus came and died on the Cross that mankind on a whole could be saved, but He died for each individual that makes up mankind. He died once, the Bible states, for ALL (Hebrews 9:26, 28, 1 Peter 3:18). It is up to the individual, just like it was for the thief on the cross beside Him, to CHOOSE whether to accept that Gift that He so graciously provides.

The narrow path and the narrow gate only allows for individuals to pass through one at a time. Yes, in the analogy, there are those in front and those behind on this same path, this same journey, but remember the words of the Savior, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” – John 14:6. Jesus is the WAY to the Father. The narrow path is the journey and as He told us, it is not always easy; for one thing, we HAVE the world and its ways going against us and mocking us. But it IS an individual journey, though we can have others cheering us on, it is still a journey we must take individually! Jesus is that Narrow Gate He referred too. He is the Way through and only individuals can go through Him.

One day, whether we head down the path of destruction that is broad and easy, or we go down the narrow path that has hardships along the way and leads to the Father, we will ALL individually do what is written in the Word of God, “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” – Philippians 2:9-11.

Individually, we will ALL bow before Him, Christ Jesus and confess once and for all that He IS Lord, and the Bible tells us why; “to the glory of God the Father.”

You know as Christians we should probably all wrestle with this thought; “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.” – 2 Peter 3:9-10. The Lord DESIRES that none should perish, but He also tells us this; “narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

Every Christian who truly loves the Lord should be praying for those in the world and especially for those who sit in churches that CLAIM to follow the example of Christ Jesus. Our Heavenly Father truly desires that no one perish, but His Agape, unconditional love will NOT force them to choose His will over theirs, no matter how much He loves them. It wouldn’t be love if He did force them to love Him! We should never give up praying that the Holy Spirit can get through to them and that with a softened heart, the seed of the truth can be planted. BUT, we also need to recognize the truth the Lord has revealed to us; there will be few who actually choose the narrow gate which is in actuality Christ Jesus. God, our Heavenly Father desires a relationship with each of us, free of the sin that He cannot be in the presence of. Therefore we MUST go THROUGH Christ Jesus for it is HIS Blood offering that washes away all of our sins.

Each of us who truly loves the Lord should be able to see very clearly the paths unfolding in front of our vision in this day and age. The broad way is the easy way, full of what seems to be fun and little care and it is the path that groups love to walk down. The harder, more narrow path only allows for individuals, one in front of the other; think about it, those in front are our examples as they stay on this narrow path, and we on the other hand are the example for those right behind us. But it is individual, and when we advance through that narrowest of Gates, our Heavenly Father is standing right on the other side awaiting our arrival! What an AWESOME and GLORIOUS God we serve!

Posted in Pastor's Desk | Tagged 1 John, 1 Peter, 2 Corinthians, 2 Peter, Adultery, Bible, Bible Teaching, Body of Christ, Brick and Mortar, Broad Path, Choices, Christ Jesus, Christianity, Church Leaders, Con-Artists, Congregation, Deception, Encouragement, Faithfulness, Fornication, Gospel of John, Gospel of Matthew, Grace, Habitual Lying, Heavenly Father, Hebrews, Holy Bible, Holy Spirit, Homosexuality, Hope, Individual Members, Inspiration, Jesus is the Narrow Gate, Jesus is The Way, John, Leading to Destruction, Leading to Life, Lord, Love, Matthew, Narrow Gate, Narrow Path, Organized Church, Philippians, Praise and Worship, Relationship, Scriptures, Spiritual Church, Spirituality, Teaching, Truth, Visible Church, Word of God | 2 Comments

A Word of Encouragement – A Vision

Posted on February 16, 2020 by Roland Ledoux

To The Laborers In The Fields

“But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” – Matthew 9:36-38.

“Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” – John 4:35.

“Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him.” – Psalm 126:5-6.

2-15-2020, P.M.

Most nights I am tired and ready for bed and yet for some reason over the last couple of years, I go to bed, tired, and just lay there. A couple of years ago, I took it as a hint from the Lord and started using that time to pray. Some nights it is a short time, 30 minutes or so, most nights it is longer than that. Last night it was more than two hours and the Lord revealed to me what I hesitate to call a vision, yet it unfolded like one. In my spirit He told me to tell my fellow workers to NOT be discouraged in their weariness, the reaping is almost at hand.

What I saw as I prayed, was field upon field upon field of cultivated land. I couldn’t see it all at once for it stretched out beyond my sight. But what I did see was different patches of cultivated land in different stages of harvest growth.

The Lord led me to the first patches of overturned and plowed ground. The ground was already prepared for seeding. Rows and rows of furrowed land stretched before me and in the distance I saw workers with open bags at their sides strapped to their shoulders. The workers were reaching into the bags and pulling out handfuls of seeds and scattering them upon the furrowed and plowed ground as they moved forward. Hand after handfuls, they spread the seed so that no area of ground didn’t have seed.

The Lord told me, this seed is the Gospel, the Good News of God’s Salvation and Redemption for all who will allow it to grow and take root in their hearts. Their hearts have already been prepared to receive the seed. The workers are my messengers, the Evangelists whose calling and desire is spread the Good News of Salvation to all who would listen and hear. Day in and day out, they take from the bag the seed of the Word and spread it before them, not always knowing if it will take root or not. Many become weary, tired and sometimes discouraged at the sameness of the work, but I want them to know their rewards are at hand and the reaping can soon begin.

Then the Lord took me to another area with patches of land where the ground was already showing signs of growth at different stages. Some patches just shown forth sprouts that were barely pushing through the surface, other patches shown forth plants becoming more and more mature and then there were patches that shown forth mature plants already ripe for the reaping.

The Lord pointed out the workers in the distance and these workers didn’t carry open bags of seeds, but rather containers with spouts and out of these containers water was flowing and it was directed towards the plants in their various stages. The workers made sure that the water covered all the ground where plants were beginning to grow and also over those that were much more mature in growth.

The Lord told me this water was the Living Water that was meant to feed and give life to all the plants that had sprouted taken root and were in the various stages of growth. These workers are other messengers who work for the Lord, some are Exhorters of the Word, some are Teachers of varying stages in their teaching, and some are Preachers, Pastors whose duty is to nurture and keep the more mature plants watered and prepared for soon harvesting. Like the messengers carrying the seeds, many of these also have become tired, weary and discouraged because of the world around them and trying to maintain spreading the Living Water on to all the plants and the ground around no matter the level of growth. The Lord told me that He wants them to know also that the harvest is soon and the reaping is not far off, even for those plants that right now are just sprouts.

Then the Lord took me back to my original spot where I could see all the workers, those spreading seeds and those spreading the Living Water and He told me to observe that the seeds did not end, the supply was unlimited. The vessels holding the Living Water were never empty but available at all times with an unlimited supply of Living Water. Then the Lord pointed just behind the workers and told me to watch.

What I saw was in the form of a dove, a bird, much like the Bible described the Holy Spirit when it descended upon Jesus before His baptism by John the Baptist. This dove was carrying a vessel and He descended upon each worker individually and I could see Him pour something upon the heads of each and ever worker. I asked the Lord what the Holy Spirit was doing and what was He pouring and the Lord told me this was the anointing oil that He was pour out upon each and every worker and that as long as they needed it would always be available to them.

The Lord then told me to relay to the workers what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” – Galatians 6:9.

The Lord said, “I have given them the desire to do my work. I have laid out the steps before them to follow and I am pleased and delighted in each and everyone that is doing what I have asked of them. They are not be weary or discouraged at the task I have given to each them for I will fill them with Joy and Peace as they continue to perform their tasks. The time is soon at hand when workers will no longer be needed and they will be able to rest from their labors. For now, the harvest is maturing faster and faster and I need each to fulfill the tasks I have equipped them to do. If they continue to use My yoke and surrender to my direction, they will have peace in their souls and their hearts can be at peace.”

To my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, I pray often for you individually and for your ministries as for many it is easy for me to see what ministries you possess even though some of you do not consider yourself to have ministries. We ALL have gifts and tasks given to us once we have accepted the Gift that Christ Jesus has offered. The Bride of Christ, the Church, is NOT a lazy one, but rather involved always in preparation for the soon coming of the Bridegroom Jesus Christ!

I feel in my heart strongly that this was meant as a word of encouragement to each of you from the Lord. All I can suggest you do, is pray, talk to the Lord yourself and let Him reply to each of your hearts. If the Lord can speak to me, to my spirit and heart, then He most certainly can speak to each of you. I don’t know if any of you are discouraged, I do know from personal experience, weariness is real from time to time and it’s usually caused by trying to do the tasks the Lord has given us within our own strengths. We NEED HIS yoke, for as He said in His word, it is light and the burden is easy. When we surrender and don’t fight His direction, there IS rest for our souls. (Matthew 11:29).

I do know beyond any doubt that our Lord does NOT want us discouraged, but rather keeping our eyes focused on the Heavens for His soon and glorious return. Let us NOT forget to hold one another up in prayer. It is the most effective way to share our love for one another and there truly is power in prayers prayed according to the Lord’s will. God Bless you all richly AND so very abundantly.

Posted in Pastor's Desk | Tagged Anointing Oil, Bible, Cultivation, Discouraged, Encourage One Another, Encouragement, Evangelists, Exhorters, Faithfulness, Galatians, God's Love, Good News, Gospel, Grace, Harvest, Harvest is Ripe, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit Anointing, Hope, Inspiration, Jesus, John, Living Water, Love, Matthew, Nurturing, Preachers, Psalms, Reaping, Scriptures, Sowing Seeds, Spirituality, Strength, Teachers, Teaching, The Seeds of the Good News, Tired, Truth, Vessels, Vision, Weariness, Word of God | Leave a comment

I John 4:14-16

Posted on February 16, 2020 by Roland Ledoux

1 John 4:14-16, “And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.”

Now John, as one of the appointed Apostles, asked to follow Jesus, attests in this first verse that he and the other disciples, Apostles have not just heard that the Father sent the Son as Savior, but actually witnessed that very fact of what we now call is the Christian foundation. In this short verse, the Beloved Apostle states that as a witness, the Father’s motive was to send His only begotten Son, to be Savior, Redeemer, Payment and Sacrificial Lamb for mankind as a whole.

John is not telling us this is unsubstantiated theory or conjecture, but as a matter of factual evidenced as seen through the works and words demonstrated by Jesus Himself as they traveled and lived with Him. John is making it clear, that coming from himself and the other disciples, this is not second-hand hearsay, but rather first hand, eyewitness accounts of the truth!

Think of this; in this short sentence John is describing that what he witnessed and saw in the form and demonstrations of Jesus was Jesus’ relationship to our Heavenly Father, He, Jesus is the Son of the Father. As Son, He comes in the Father’s authority and as stated in previous lessons, He only says and does what the Father tells Him to say and do. (John 12:49-50).

Jesus’ relationship to those to whom the Father sent, was AND still is to this day, Savior and Redeemer to the whole world of mankind and to each of us as individuals within that realm of mankind.

The Father’s mission, as it were, was to send the Son to a world fallen from His (the Father’s) Grace and His relationship due to man’s inherent sin, to Save AND Redeem Him back into that relationship of mercy and grace. Again, as shown in lessons before, the Son’s desire was and is to fulfill the Father’s wishes.

Let me take a step sideways here for a brief moment concerning Salvation and Redemption. Too many only believe that Jesus came that we might be saved so that we can go to Heaven. We are constantly taught about the joys and benefits of Heaven. We are given descriptions as to what we might expect in the Heavenly Kingdom, streets of Gold, in other words, pavement; walls comprised of jewels, again, in other words, building materials. Things that people covet in this life, but in the Eternal life are going to be as common and nothing more than building materials. The value and the treasure will not be in those things as great as they might seem.

Remember this, Heaven is JUST a place! Now don’t get me wrong, I am not belittling the magnificence of the place that Jesus stated He was going to prepare for us, but even at that, it will still be an abode, a some-THING. The real treasure, the REAL Prize, will be being ONE with our Savior and Redeemer for Eternity, an heir and having a never-ending relationship with our Creator and Father THROUGH the Gift of that Oneness with Christ!! Jesus Christ came to Save and Redeem us, not to a place alone, but to our Heavenly Father! That is the real and true treasure!

I remember after being born again in the early 70s singing that song, “Mansion Over The Hilltop.” It was catchy and upbeat but it didn’t take me long to realize, wait a second, that precious gold will be nothing more than paving stones to be trod underfoot. What’s so special about paving stones, gold or otherwise?! You see, it’s all a matter of focus. What is our spiritual eyes, heart and spirit focused on? I WANT, I YEARN, and especially as I have gotten older, to be in the presence of my Heavenly Father and to be One with Christ Jesus, my Redeemer! I’ve always joked with my wife and she with me, just give us a rustic log cabin by the flowing River of Life and we’ll be happy as long as we are in the presence of the Lord!

Things just don’t matter to us as we have gotten older and matured. People do. Yeah, when you’re young, you think of all the things you would like to acquire as a sign of being successful, but when you live life without many of those things, you truly do appreciate what matters most. Family, friends and loved ones and especially as you get older in this life, Brothers and Sisters in the Lord who share your same dreams of an eternal life.

Okay, so I hope you realize the Father’s mission was to send His Son to Save and Redeem us to Himself so that we can have the Father – child relationship that He initially created us for.

As I stated before, the Apostle loves to go back and forth almost like he’s leap-frogging over a subject. He’ll go two or three steps forward and then take a step back to reiterate and remind the reader of something he stated earlier and he builds a foundation this way in his teaching.

In verse 15, he is doing this again; “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.” Now remember in the previous verses we studied, John states almost the exact same thing, in 1 John 4:2, “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, . . .” and what we studied last time, “By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.” – 1 John 4:13.

But this time the Apostle is building upon the foundation that he laid before. We know that if we confess Jesus Christ in the flesh is of God, we have and know His Spirit and we know because of that same Spirit that He has given us that we then abide in Him and He in us. But notice now what John has added; very similar to verse two, but rather than JUST a confession that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh and is of God, now he also states that whoever confesses that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. So we confess and believe that Jesus Christ IS the Son of God, but that as the Son of God, He also came to us in the flesh FROM God! To think or confess anything else is the spirit of antichrist. BUT, on the other hand, to believe and confess this demonstrates to us and the world that God DOES abide in us and we DO abide in God!

Now I want to spend a little time on this thought of confession or confessing this truth, but before we do, I wanted to share a little something I read a while ago in an article about the concept of “God abiding in us and we abiding in God.” Some people look at that and think circular reasoning, it doesn’t make sense, and although trying to describe something in the spiritual with something natural is never perfect, sometimes it lets us see or get a picture of the concept in our minds.

What I read goes kind of like this and I don’t remember the article or the exact words, but you might compare it to, “a hot poker in a fire, or a sponge submerged in the water, or a balloon filled with air floating in the air around it.” To a degree, that is what we are looking at when we say that “God abides in us, yet at the same time, we abide in Him.”

Now back to the subject of confessing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, come to mankind in the flesh from God. When we talk about this type of belief, or when we speak out this belief in the form of confessing what we believe, we are NOT talking merely as an intellectual acknowledgement. We are stating a fact IN FAITH, and yet not just analytically. It would be like confessing that two multiplied by two equals four. We know that to be an intellectual and analytical fact because we can work it out through equation. We know that Jesus was an historical figure a few decades before the Jewish revolt with the Romans around 70 A.D. That is an intellectual fact. As witnessed by John and the other disciples approximately 40 years earlier though that this same Jesus WAS God’s Son come in the flesh and died as our Savior and Redeemer is attested too by John and others as eyewitnesses to His deeds and proclamations. That is not JUST intellectual fact, but based on factual testimony or also Faith-based facts. “The proof is in the pudding,” so to speak. The facts based on eyewitness testimony passed down by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit speaks to the truth of that.

This confession that we attest to and acknowledge is the same that the Apostle Paul wrote about to the Romans, “But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” – Romans 10:8-10. Paul explains what he means by confession. Paul is reiterating what Jesus spoke of in the latter part of the verse in Luke 6:45, “For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” What you truly, sincerely believe in comes first from the heart and it is then that the lips speak it. This Spiritual Principle has been proved countless times over and over again and still is proven even in this day and age!

So, just as Paul explains that we SHALL be saved by a righteous and sincere confession, so John is telling us that by that same confession we KNOW, beyond a shadow of any doubt, that “God DOES abide in us and we DO abide in Him,” when we believe and confess it.

Here in this next verse, the Beloved Apostle does what he always does so well, he again reminds us by continuing on with the thought in the verse we just discussed, “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” AND, that is the continuation from verse 15. We know “God abides in us and we abide in Him AND, ALSO, we have known and believed the love that God has for us.”

He has already established the fact of abiding in God and God in us, but he adds to it, like he so often does, by reminding us that we all, not just the Apostles and disciples now, but all of us abiding in, have known and experienced AND believed the love that God, our Father has shown and demonstrated to us. It is a fact, it is not hearsay, it is first-hand experience that we have been privy to God’s love and the knowledge of that love He has for all of us. I love this next part and I quote it so often in so many things I write and teach on, “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” As you remember, this hearkens back to the previous verses, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” – 1 John 4:7-8.

I know, as I stated, John always moves forward, but goes back to re-establish a theme he is teaching us on. With a subject matter such as God’s love towards each of us, why wouldn’t we want to absorb that concept as much as we possibly can?! I want you though to take this one step further; when we abide in God and He abides in us, we are like that sponge I mentioned and His love is like the water surrounding us. It is not just surrounding us, but it is actually immersed within us. Where does the water end and the sponge truly begin? When we are immersed IN God’s love, and His love is immersed IN us, where does love end and we as a vessel begin? In truth, isn’t this actually what surrendering to God’s will is all about. When we can truly be like that vessel surrounded and inundated with God’s love, what is it or what will it be that people will see? They will only see God’s Love. This is the example He sent us in the form, in the flesh of His only begotten Son! Christ Jesus is our example!

Have we come to the point in our lives, where God’s love (remember He IS love) fills us so completely and surrounds us so completely that we can say as Jesus did, “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.” – John 14:10, (John 12:49-50). I know that is what I am striving for, what I am pressing onward towards. I’m not there yet, but I am looking forward to that as the goal, the prize, as the Apostle Paul calls it.

When we have that kind of love filling us to overflowing and we are truly abiding in it, then we can also love one another as we are supposed too. When you have that kind of abiding, it can’t help but overflow to others. It is just as Jesus stated as recorded by John, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” – John 7:38-39.

To those of you reading this today, Jesus HAS been glorified, He HAS ascended to the Father, the Holy Spirit HAS been given, it is long past time to break that dam surrounding the reservoir of your heart and let the Living Waters overflow to others and to the world! Let the world see God’s love surrounding you, encompassing you and overflowing from inside you!

Next post we will begin with 1 John chapter 4 verse 17.

*Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Posted in Expository Teaching | Tagged 1 John, Abiding Holy Spirit, Abundance of Heart, Beloved Apostle, Bible, Bible Teaching, Choices, Christ Jesus, Christ's Example, Christianity, Circular Reasoning, Colossians, Commands, Conduits, Confession, Disciples of Christ, Encouragement, Expository Teaching, Faithfulness, Followers of Christ, God Almighty, God's Love, Hearing God, Heavenly Father, Holy Bible, Holy Spirit, Hope, Indwelling Holy Spirit, Inspiration, John, Knowing God, Living Water, Living Word of God, Lord, Love, Luke, Relationship, Romans, Scriptures, Spiritual Gifts, Spiritual Intimacy, Strength, Teaching, The Living Word, The World, True Christ-Followers, True Christians, Truth, Word of God | Leave a comment

Transformative Power of Prayer II

Posted on February 16, 2020 by Roland Ledoux

Part Two

In part one, we discussed the importance of prayer but also just touched on the fact that if you truly do pray, commune and communicate with our Heavenly Father, then it WILL create a change in you due to your getting closer to Him and getting to KNOW Him on a truly personal level.

We did discuss that though many who are in the limelight such as those in the news or celebrities say they pray, there doesn’t seem to be an evidence of a change in their character or interactions with others.

I want to share with you first Jesus’ example of prayer that He shared with His disciples and remember, this was not given as a rote prayer, something to say over and over again as the preceding verses emphatically tell us. This is not to say however that there isn’t some use and even power in praying the Scriptures, but we must remember this was given as an EXAMPLE or pattern for praying!

Matthew 6:

5-8, “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.”

9-13, “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

Notice how Jesus when speaking about HOW to pray, He starts out by sharing with His listeners how NOT to pray, and the motives behind prayer. I have said this often before that learning can be achieved with not just positive instruction, but also by revealing the negative aspects of behavior as well. So, do not misinterpret these Scriptures either, Jesus is not saying there is no need for communal prayer, but rather, what He is pointing out is the motive BEHIND praying openly. The Pharisees used to love long, drawn out prayers to demonstrate their supposed piety and yet the Lord saw right through their motives into their hearts!

Jesus reminds us that prayer is meant to be a time of personal communion with our Heavenly Father. It is a time to develop that relationship that I have been speaking about. Our Heavenly Father already knows each of us individually, intimately. He knows our needs AND desires in advance, but His Heart motive is to have that relationship with each of us in a very loving and Fatherly manner.

Also remember, just as you might commune or communicate, talk, with your earthly parent, you don’t continually repeat yourself. You express yourself in a steady conversation. You share your thoughts and you give your loved one time to share their thoughts as well. Communion, as a way to communicate is a back and forth process. So it is when we are developing an open, intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father and again, don’t forget, He already knows your heart, much like your parents know you, so does our Father know us only in a deeper spiritual sense. There actually should be a lot of assurance that when we approach the Father in boldness and confidence, as a loved one who is loved by Him, He does know us deeply.

It opens up the path of trust that because He loves us even with our weaknesses and flaws and our deepest secrets and concerns are NOT hidden from Him, we are able to commune with Him in the boldness of truth! He WANTS and desires us TO trust Him and relate to Him in total love and surrender. We can’t always get that type of perfect love in our relationships with our natural parents, but we most assuredly can with our Heavenly Father!

Of course then after sharing with us exactly what our Heavenly Father is NOT looking for in communication and communion, Jesus goes on to give us the example, again an EXAMPLE, of HOW to pray and commune with the Father.

I want to add something here as a side thought; it is important to read our Bible and there are times that is what I do like so many others. I just read it and allow the same Holy Spirit Who inspired its writings to also share with me points of interest and such. But when I read it, I read it for the joy of what is written. But there is so much more.

The Apostle Paul wrote to his protégé Timothy, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” – 2 Timothy 2:15. Now to be honest with you, when it comes to this verse, I do appreciate the older translation of the King James Version, though in the original language the meaning is the same. It just seems to state a bit more emphatically the importance of getting into the Word of God.

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” – 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV). STUDY to show yourself approved unto God, a vessel, someone working for God, Himself, who doesn’t need to be ashamed of his knowledge of the Word because he has spent the time rightly seeking and searching out and coming to a conclusion its true meaning! Okay, you can see why I am not a translator because I would use way too many words, but you get the point, I hope. The Apostle Paul wasn’t telling Timothy to just READ the Word of God to demonstrate himself approved unto God, but rather to study, which implies so much more than JUST reading it. This was written to Timothy, yes, but it was put down as an inspiration from the Holy Spirit to ALL who read it!

I have come to realize that due to our lives in this day and age, there is so much to distract us from what is eternally important. I understand that. I am no different and no better than my neighbors, my brothers and sisters around me. I watch TV, I listen to music, I read books that are sometimes secular writings. All these things can take us from the Word of God. But just LIKE prayer, we HAVE to get to the point where we re-evaluate our priorities and maybe just cut back on some of these other things. I’m not saying to do away with them, but just cut back so that we DO have more time to spend relating to spiritual issues. After all, we might be on this earth for 70 to 80 years at most dealing with the natural side of things, but when we DO step over that threshold into eternity, there will be NO time as we know it and the spiritual will last forever and ever and ever, into infinity!

Okay, I took a side-step to lead you to this point; when it comes to what has become known as the “Lord’s Prayer,” to many have taken it as the prayer itself. As I said, I believe it is good in certain verses to also pray those verses because they can say something that we can’t quite formulate ourselves, but remember, our Heavenly Father ALREADY knows what we need even before we ask, He just wants us to talk with Him. When you actually STUDY, the “Lord’s Prayer,” you can easily see the points that are pretty much outlined in it.

First, Jesus made it clear we are praying to our Heavenly Father. Remember, Jesus came so that we might KNOW the Father THROUGH Him. Jesus’ relationship with the Father has been clearly stated in Scripture that Jesus doesn’t say or do anything unless the Father is the One Who tells Him to do or say them. Jesus is our example, that is why He came and that is why He suffered to Redeem us. We aren’t redeemed to Heaven. Heaven is just another place. A spiritual place and a glorious place, but an abode. Jesus came to Redeem us to the FATHER!! So Jesus is telling us as He also showed us with example after example, you pray to the Father.

Second, you give God Almighty, our Heavenly Father, the Glory and Exaltation He rightly deserves. Remember, we CAN go before His Throne, we CAN enter into His presence boldly (Hebrews 4:16), BUT, He is still and always has been and always will be, Holy and Just! Do you think that you would be able to enter into the West Wing of the White House to meet the President and have the attitude, “Hey, what’s up Bro?!” I don’t think that meeting would go over so well and it would be the same with any other state or foreign dignitary. Well, God, our Heavenly Father is so above any of them, so we should show Him that much more reverence even though we can go boldly. Going boldly means with confidence and assurance and not disrespectful or slovenly!

Third, we remember that God’s Kingdom is one of order and righteousness. Holiness and purity mark the character of the Heavenly Kingdom. This is what we pray for when we remember the Heavenly Kingdom. We pray that we might be Holy as He is Holy, that we might walk in righteousness as He is righteous and Just. This is not asking that the location of the Kingdom of Heaven come to dwell on earth at this time, but rather that the Character of His Kingdom come to earth in the hearts and ACTIONS of those who BELONG to this Kingdom. Remember, we are heirs to THAT Kingdom when we abide in Christ and He abides in us!

Many foreign countries do not like American tourists because we go to them with a haughty and superior attitude. We should be visiting other countries with the values and morals that make America a great place to live. The same is implied in the statement, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.” We are pilgrims here on earth when we have been spiritually reborn and we should exemplify those Character traits of the Heavenly Kingdom with Holiness, purity, righteousness and Just-ness! God’s will is so much more wise than our own. We should desire His will be complete here on earth as it IS fulfilled in Heaven. When we can accomplish that, others will want to know what makes us so different from the rest of mankind.

Fourth, remember that the Father already knows our needs, yet because He loves us so and wants and desires our love, Jesus states, tell Him we desire Him to supply our daily NEEDS. Don’t forget, daily bread is a reference to our needs to live, not just the things we want and desires. God also knows we have desires of other things, but He is ALWAYS concerned and ready to meet our daily needs whether it is food or clothing as was taught in the Beatitudes! Jesus is reminding us of that, right here.

But I have to add something and continue on right here because of the way that Jesus phrased this next part, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Period. End of sentence. YET – He continues on with the implication of continuing that sentence with AND. “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” So, if you meditate on this prayer, and you consider what Jesus is saying and not just skim over it, He is stating that we are to ask our Heavenly Father to “give us our daily needs, AND at the same time to forgive our trespasses, sins, wrong-doings, those things that indebt us to others AS, in other words, please do it BECAUSE we also forgive those who have trespassed, sinned, done wrong, etc., against us!” That puts a little more spin on just asking for our daily needs. It comes with a condition. Supply our needs AND forgive us AS we forgive others. Why? Because forgiveness is as much a daily need as eating and drinking is. We are no longer just natural creatures. Our spirits have been reborn. Our being forgiven and forgiving others is a spiritual necessity as much as it is to be fed and clothes and so is put on the same importance a level as food, drink and being clothed is!

Then fifth, and this sometimes causes such controversy and yet it is so simple, “And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.” Some would like to tell Christians that God leads us into temptation and so we must ask Him not too. The Apostle James wrote about this because even back in the early church there were some who tried to proclaim this error. “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” – James 1:13-14.

When Jesus told us to ask God to “not lead us into temptation,” it was in essence asking our Heavenly Father to help us keep FREE of temptation. You can understand this when you read the WHOLE verse, “but deliver us from the evil one.” It is the evil one, the devil that tempts and we are to petition, to ask our Heavenly Father to help us steer clear, avoid or actually be delivered from being tempted. In other words, “Help us Lord not to be overcome by our own will and desires, but again allow Your will to be done!” This is in conjunction with the previous verse that asks God to allow His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. James tells us we are only tempted when we desire our will above God’s. When we do desire our will to be accomplished above God’s will, we in essence, open ourselves up to the wiles and deception of the enemy of our souls. That is why surrender to God is such an important characteristic in the Bible.

Finally, the sixth point is to again acknowledge, just as in the beginning of prayer, to recognize that God’s Kingdom, His Character, His Nature is perfect and acceptable to us and we are surrendered to it and we recognize that He IS Sovereign and the Power and Glory of All is His to claim. That includes our surrendering to His will. The fact that we are surrendered demonstrates by our actions, just as the example of Jesus demonstrated surrender to His Father, so it is with us. God is glorified by our surrender to Him and Kingdom principles! We acknowledge that His Glory, His Power, His Sovereignty, even His Kingdom are not just for the here and now but forever and ever. We surrender to it now, in this natural realm, by overcoming the natural with the reborn spirit and we become heirs of His eternal Kingdom that will never end!

Jesus tells us to end this with the emphatic, “Amen,” which means “So be it! Let it be so!” Now remember also, this was given as an example while Jesus Himself walked this earth, but in conjunction with this, remember all that He said about prayer; in Matthew 21:22 “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” (Mark 11:24).

Many, especially since Christ Jesus has ascended to the “Right Hand of the Father” and stands as an Advocate and Intercessor for us (Romans 8:34), like to also end our prayers “in Jesus’ Name” due to what John wrote in His Gospel about a statement Jesus made; “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” – John 14:13-14. Actually this is pretty straight-forward, yet there are some today that tell you it is not necessary, for we do indeed pray to the Father, as Jesus instructed. But understand this, we can only GO to the Father THROUGH Christ Jesus, so using His Name is recognizing His authority and that we approach the Father through His (Jesus’) Redemption and Blood and nothing that we credit ourselves with. Remember this also, praying “in Jesus’ Name” is not some magic formula that we attach at the end of a prayer. It IS however, a Spiritual Principle recognizing the truth that we approach the Throne of God boldly with confidence BECAUSE of the authority Christ Jesus has given those who have accepted and surrendered to HIM!

When we approach our Heavenly Father AS a Father Who loves us unconditionally and we go through the WAY, that He presented for us, Christ Jesus, we get to know Him in a deeper more intimate way that can do nothing BUT change who we are and that into a more close likeness of Christ Jesus and the Father. There is power in having a close, intimate relationship. There is confidence and assurance in knowing we are unconditionally loved and heirs of His Kingdom and its principles. You cannot get closer to Holiness, Purity and Righteousness without that same Holiness, Purity and Righteousness rubbing off on you. We are transformed just by loving Him Who loved us first and THAT is the way, He planned it to be!

Posted in Pastor's Desk | Tagged Agape Love, Bible, Bible Teaching, Boldness, Changed Lives, Choices, Christ Jesus, Christianity, Comfort, Creator, Encouragement, Faithfulness, God's Love, Grace, Heavenly Father, Holy Bible, Inspiration, Jesus, Lessons Learned, Lord, Love, Prayer, Prayer Transforms, Relationship, Scriptures, Spiritual Intimacy, Spirituality, Teaching, Throne of God, Transformation, Truth, Unconditional Love, Why Pray, Word of God | Leave a comment

Fruits vs Nuts

Posted on February 16, 2020 by Roland Ledoux

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Galatians 5:22-25.

Posted in 'Nuff Said! | Tagged Bible, Bible Teaching, Choices, Christ Jesus, Christianity, Encouragement, Faithfulness, Fruit of the Spirit, God is Love, God Loves Everyone, Heavenly Father, Holy Bible, Holy Spirit, Inspiration, Jesus, Lord, Love, Religion, Religious Nuts, Scripture, Spirituality, Teaching, Truth, Word of God | 1 Comment

On The Dissolution of The World IV – Hugh Blair

Posted on February 16, 2020 by Roland Ledoux

*Pastor’s Note: I was looking through my Bible software on the subject of our “Redemption Draws Near” and I became intrigued with the subject by this past great Scottish preacher and thought it would be a great addition and one my readers might enjoy and be blessed by. Now think of this; he died in 1800 and yet he was able to preach on a subject that is alive to us today! Again, it is longer than my usual posting for these great Preachers, but I have broken the article into four parts. Again, God bless you for your patience, but be blessed! – Pastor Roland

Hugh Blair (April 7, 1718 – December 27, 1800) was a Scottish minister of religion, author and rhetorician, considered one of the first great theorists of written discourse. He was part of prestigious Fellowship of the Royal Society at Edinburgh (FRSE). Blair was born in Edinburgh into an educated Presbyterian family. His father was John Blair, an Edinburgh merchant. He was great great-grandson of Rev. Robert Blair of St Andrews, Scotland.

As a minister of the Church of Scotland, and occupant of the Chair of Rhetoric and Belles Lettres at the University of Edinburgh, Blair’s teachings had a great impact in both the spiritual and the secular realms. Best known for Sermons, a five volume endorsement of practical Christian morality, and Lectures on Rhetoric and Belles Lettres, a prescriptive guide on composition, Blair was a valuable part of the Scottish Enlightenment.

Part Four:

On the Dissolution of the World

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” – 2 Peter 3:10

I know it will occur, that the prospect of that day cannot be expected to have much influence on the present age. The events of which I have treated, must needs, it will be said, belong to some future race of men. Many prophecies yet remain to be fulfilled. Many preparatory events must take place, before the word is ripe for final judgment. -Whether this be the case or not, none of us with certainty know.-But allow me to remind you, that to each of us, an event is approaching, and not far distant, which shall prove of the same effect, with the coming of the day of the Lord. The day of death is, to every individual, the same as the day of the dissolution of the world. The sun may continue to shine; but to them who are laid in the grave, his light is finally extinguished. The world may remain active, busy, and noisy; but to them, all is silence. The voice which gives the mandate, Return again to your dust, is the same with the sound of the last trumpet. Death fixes the doom of everyone, finally and irrevocably. This surely is an event which none of us can remove in our thoughts to a remote age. To-morrow, to-day, the fatal mandate may be issued. Watch therefore; be sober and vigilant; ye know not at what hour the Son of Man cometh.

Having now treated both of the creation and dissolution of the world, I cannot conclude, without calling your thoughts to the magnificent view, which these events give us, of the kingdom and dominion of the Almighty. With reverence we contemplate his hand in the signal dispensations of Providence among men; deciding the fate of battles; raising up, or overthrowing empires; casting down the proud, and lifting the low from the dust. But what are such occurrences to the power and wisdom, which He displays in the higher revolutions of the universe; by his word, forming, or dissolving worlds; at his pleasure, transplanting his creatures from on world to another; that he may carry on new plans of wisdom and goodness, and fill all space with the wonders of creation! Successive generations of men have arisen to possess the earth. By turns they have passed away, and gone into regions unknown. Us he hath raised up, to occupy their room. We too shall shortly disappear. But human existence never perishes. Life only changes its form, and is renewed. Creation is ever filling, but never full. When the whole intended course of the generations of men shall be finished, then, as a shepherd leads his flock from one pasture to another, so the great Creator leads forth the souls which he has made, into new and prepared abodes of life. They go from this earth to a new earth, and new heavens; and still they remove, only from one province of the divine dominion to another. Amidst all those changes of nature, the great Ruler himself remains, without variableness or shadow of turning. To him, these successive revolutions of being are but as yesterday when it is past. From his eternal throne, he beholds worlds rising and passing away; measures out, to the creatures who inhabit them, powers and faculties suited to their state; and distributes among them rewards and punishments, proportioned to their actions.-What an astonishing view do such meditations afford of the kingdom of God; infinite in its extent; everlasting in its duration; exhibiting, in every period, the reign of perfect righteousness and wisdom! Who by searching can find out God? Who can find out the Almighty to perfection? Great and marvelous are all thy works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are all thy ways, thou King of saints!

Sermon Public Domain. Source: Classic Sermons, Power BibleCD 5.9 –
Power BibleCD, Copyright ©2010 Online Publishing, Inc.
128 E Chicago St, PO Box 21, Bronson, MI 49028

Hugh Blair – Significant Scots Website: https://www.electricscotland.com/history/other/blair_hugh.htm

Posted in Great Sermons From The Past | Tagged Bible, Bible Teaching, Christian Morality, Christianity, Church of Scotland, Cities Fall, Classic Preaching, Classic Sermons, Contemplation, Creator, Day of the Lord, Dissolution of the World, Encouragement, Eternal, Everlasting, Faith, Fellowship of the Royal Society at Edinburgh (FRSE), God, Government of God, Heavenly Father, Holy Bible, Holy Spirit, Hope, Hugh Blair, Kingdom of God, Last Trumpet, Lord, Nature, New Beginnings, New Earth, New Heaven, Prophecies, Prophecy, Relationship, Scottish Enlightenment, Scottish Minister, Scriptures, Son of God, Strength, Teaching, Thief in the Night, Truth, Word of God | Leave a comment

Dark vs Light – Night vs Day

Posted on February 11, 2020 by Roland Ledoux

Genesis 1:1-5, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

“Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.”

Genesis 1:14-19, “Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth”; and it was so. Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.”

John 1:1-5, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

John 8:12, “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

John 9:4-5, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

John 12:35-36, “Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.”

I spent this last week in prayer and listening to some really great preaching and teaching. It’s amazing when you think of the Lord’s timing in even what seems like the little things. I came across a Rabbi and Pastor, yes a Rabbi AND Pastor (he’s a Messianic Jewish Rabbi and a Christian Pastor!) in my searches for some Biblical preaching. Now, he is well known among a lot of Christians, yet I had not been aware of him or his ministry. I don’t watch a lot of TV Evangelists, yet I was truly drawn to him. His name is Jonathan Cahn and he leads the Jerusalem Center/Beth Israel, a worship center made up of Jews and Gentiles, people of all backgrounds, just outside New York City, in Wayne, New Jersey, as well as being founder of Hope Of The World Ministries.

This is all leading up to a question that he asked of his viewing audience that really got me thinking; “What comes first, the Day or the Night?” Now mind you, I had an idea based on some Scripture but I had no idea the significance of it in the Jewish lifestyle. It truly opened up some thoughts on the Lord and His relationship with us, His children.

Oh? The answer to the question? According to what Pastor Cahn said about Jewish Law, the Old Testament Covenant and the lifestyle, it’s the night that comes first and turns to day! Now I don’t want to give it all away, because I recognized a correlation that Pastor/Rabbi Cahn didn’t cover in his short video clip.

When I listened to him speaking the Scriptures in Genesis came to me and I had to double check what I was thinking. Now I want you to think of this; the Bible says that the earth was without FORM, in other words, it was nothing like we know of it today. AND, it was void. What is a void? It’s a word to describe a type of emptiness or an undistinguishable ruin and it goes hand-in-hand with the fact the earth had no consistent form. But what does the Word continue to say? “And DARKNESS was upon the face of the deep.” Now I don’t usually spell out the meanings in the original during my teaching because usually I just incorporate it in a lesson, but here I want to show some subtle differences to bring about a point.

The Word “deep” in the original Hebrew implies a “main sea, or a subterranean water supply.” Remember, the earth at this time is not necessarily the shape we recognize it as today. God was still in the process of forming it. He spoke His Word, His laws, into existence and the process began. But then the writer of Genesis goes on to say, “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

So now we see the word “deep,” which was explained, but now we also have the word “waters.” Well if deep implies some sort of waters, why the duplication? Because in the original Hebrew the word used for “waters,” means “like juice, or waste.” Many times this is the word to describe urine, yes, that urine. What it means is that the waters were not yet the purity or even the consistency that we know of today and most probably due to the sediments of the still forming earth.

Okay, the earth was still in the process of forming, the waters were still within the earth or in a few areas and they were still full of sediment and minerals. But here’s the thing, it was DARKNESS that was upon or covering the earth. Atmosphere, or what we know as the sky had not yet been placed into the creation of earth yet by God’s commands and laws. His “DAY” had not been finished yet and the earth was surrounded by darkness.

But then, because God IS Omnipotent, He spoke and commanded “Let there be light,” and of course we know then that the darkness surrounding the earth was accompanied by light, because the Lord saw that it was good and He then divided the light from the dark. Now I want you to consider and contemplate this thought: God had not yet finished with His “day.” God then, after separating the light from the darkness, “called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night.” This was ALL before He created the Sun and Moon as we know them which comes at a LATER “day.”

Now here’s an interesting thought to speculate on; in the Gospel of John, the Apostle writes, “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” – John 8:12. Jesus states that HE is the Light of the world. Now go back and read John 1:1-5 I have posted above. In the beginning the LIGHT (Jesus) was with God as the Word, and as the Word He was God and everything stated to this point (and beyond, I might add) was created by Him. It should be no surprise then to realize that when God commanded there to be light, it would come to pass and there WOULD be light!

Then what did the writer of Genesis put to pen? “So the evening and the morning were the first day.” Thus, God Almighty, the Creator completed the first day of creation. What was the culmination of that creation? Besides setting things in motion and creating the heavens and the earth to begin with, He commanded there to be light amongst the darkness, and He separated the light from the dark and He called the light Day and the dark He called Night. Night and day, makes up one day, by all accounts. What came first? The darkness was there over the earth in the beginning and when He separated the darkness from light, He also created a separation for mankind (though mankind was only a thought in His plan at this time) for us to have a way to determine the passage of time and seasons. So, darkness or Night was first followed by the light or Day which was created to separate the two.

Okay, now let us jump ahead to “day” four. God established the heavens and the sky, and he gathered the waters together and separated them from the dry land which He called Earth. He created the grasses and herbs with seeds that would come from there own kind.

So now God Almighty created the “lights” in the firmament, a word in the original Hebrew that means “expanse, or visible arch in the sky.” He made them “for signs and seasons, and for days and years;” again with the plan of mankind in His mind. Now read again what He created; the greater light to rule over the day, which we know as the Sun and the lesser light to rule over the night, which we know as the Moon and then it says almost as an afterthought, oh, yes, He made the stars too. AND, they were meant to divide the light from the darkness! “And God saw that it was good.” He saw that it was “good.” In the original it means just that, “a good thing, pleasant, best, worthy, beautiful, favorable,” all these words describe what God saw in His creation.

Now I want to depart a little and explain to you what I see as what in “religious” circles is often termed as a “type or shadow” of something. It is usually a sign or a situation that can be identified as something in the natural to describe something in the spiritual.

If you have read the Scripture verses I have posted above from the Gospel of John I would like to reveal something to you that I saw in the presentation I heard from Pastor Cahn and in relation with the Creation accounts I described above.

God is Spirit, He is Omnipotent, All-Powerful, Omniscient, All-Knowing, Omnipresent, All-Everywhere and Every time. He lives outside of time in the Eternal and Infinite and yet in all time as well. Imagine Him AND the Word as the Sun, the great source of power and light in our solar system. No one can look upon the Sun in the face of its awesome power and glory (okay give me this one, I know, but with the naked eyes), for remember, even Moses when taken up to the Holy Mountain had to be hid in the cleft of a rock as the Spirit of God passed by and even then, God’s glory burned and shone on his face for days! So it is with the Sun.

What does the Moon do for us? It REFLECTS the Light of the Sun. It keeps the night-time darkness at bay, it reveals to us in a way we can see it, the Glory of the Sun, PLUS, it shows us the times and the seasons and what to expect in the future. Imagine, the Son of God coming to Earth in a form that is just like man, all-man, yet at the same time, all-God, for what purpose? To reveal the Glory of God to us, to show us in Him, Christ Jesus what we can’t visibly see in the Father. If you see Jesus, you have seen the Father (John 14:7-9). Jesus IS the Light in the darkness of the world! Yet, He doesn’t say or do anything unless His Father tells Him, He REFLECTS the Father in all He says and does! (John 5:19, John 7:16, John 12:49, John 14:10).

How about the Earth? The Earth receives the rays of the Sun, it warms us, blesses us, gives us crops and fair-weather in which to live. But we on the Earth, (without filters and such) can’t look directly upon it. So consider this. The Light of Christ Jesus still shines within our hearts and chases away the darkness. He still through His Words and His Spirit let’s us know the times and seasons in the world. But Christ Jesus has ascended to His Father’s Throne and Right-Hand.

But because we have seen Him and KNOW Him, we now KNOW the Father’s Glory and Power! His Light now abides within us and we can abide in His Light. Now WE are the reflection on the Earth to those around us in darkness! The Power of the Son is now reflected from us to those around us! How amazing is that?

Understand this that no natural situation, circumstance or substance within nature itself can perfectly demonstrate the shadow or type of the spiritual. But remember the words that the Apostle Paul wrote to the Roman church, “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.” – Romans 1:20-21.

Man in the final tally of things is without excuse because God CREATED nature to portray His Character, Nature and Attributes. One day every one of mankind will stand before God Almighty and either recognize Him as Heavenly Father or Final Judge. (Romans 14:11-12, Philippians 2:9-10).

In this day and age, we either reflect the Light, Glory and Majesty of the Father and the Word, or we walk in darkness. The hope and the promise we ALL have though is that the darkness WILL turn to light for that is how our Heavenly Father created our existence and that is how the cycle of darkness to light still continues to this day!

Are you TRULY walking in the Light of Day? If you are not, you can, by accepting Jesus Christ as the Gift that the Father sent to mankind on earth for that very reason. Accepting Him is easy, there is nothing you have to do or can do to earn this Gift. All you have to do is recognize that He IS the Son of God, that His death on the Cross of Calvary was for you AND everyone that was ever created or ever will be. His Blood cleanses us from sin, His Blood is the ONLY payment for us walking in darkness from the beginning. Why don’t you walk into the daylight and allow the Light of the Son to reflect upon you the Father’s unlimited and unconditional love and you will never walk in darkness again!

Posted in Pastor's Desk | Tagged Ascended, Bible Teaching, Christ Jesus, Creation, Darkness, Darkness vs Light, Day, Day vs Night, Earth, Encouragement, Eternal, Face of the Deep, Face of the Waters, Faithfulness, Father's Throne, First Day, Fourth Day, Genesis, Glory of God, God, Grace, Heavenly Father, Holy Spirit, Hope of the World Ministries, Infinite, Inspiration, It is Good, Jerusalem Center/Beth Israel, Jesus, Jewish Lifestyle, John, Jonathan Cahn, Light, Light of the World, Lord, Love, Majesty of God, Messianic Jew, Moon, Night, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscient, Pastor, Philippians, Power of God, Rabbi, Reflection, Reflects, Relationship, Right-Hand of God, Romans, Scriptures, Spirituality, Stars, Sun, Teaching, The Law, The Word, Truth, Void, Without Form, Word Is God, Word Is With God, Word of God | Leave a comment

My Plans For You

Posted on February 10, 2020 by Roland Ledoux

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” – Jeremiah 29:11-13.

Posted in Prayer and Praise | Tagged Bible, Bible Teaching, Choices, Christianity, Daily Prayer, Encouragement, Faithfulness, God Hears, God Knows Us, God Listens, God's Love, Grace, Guidance, He Gives You a Future, He Has a Purpose, Heavenly Father, Holy Spirit, Inspiration, Jeremiah, Lord, Orders Your Path, Plans From God, Prayer & Praise, Prayer For Today, Relationship, Scriptures, Search With All Your Heart, Seek God, Spiritual Intimacy, Spirituality, Teaching, Truth, We Are Special, Word of God | Leave a comment

I John 4:11-13

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Roland Ledoux

1 John 4:11-13, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.”

The Apostle spent the previous verses telling us explicitly how much God loves us and the way He demonstrated that love. In these next verses he goes on to share with us the reasons why He loves us and the proof, not just that He loves us but that He has a reason for that love.

When John starts out, he says, “if God so loved us,” and many who have read this, and especially those not spiritually reborn, wonder if this is a hint of doubt about God’s love and these real doubters are quick to point out, “See, the Bible contradicts itself.” The truth of the matter is that when John wrote this, the sense of the word used in the English for “IF” can also be translated “since.” In other words, as John is continuing his thoughts from the previous verses, the more correct translation would be, “Beloved, SINCE God so loved us.”

This also stands to reason what the Apostle wrote following, “since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” There is no doubt whatsoever implied that God MIGHT love us, or MAYBE loves us, but rather SINCE He definitely does, John is stating this emphatically. Since God’s love is so emphatically showered towards and upon us, we in turn should definitely share that love by being and demonstrating God’s example; loving others as He definitely loves us! This, since it is the first part of the coming statements is just one of the reasons why God has showered His love upon us.

Now this first statement is pretty obvious and John has covered it quite nicely throughout the previous parts of his letter. As I stated in another lesson, John’s type of teaching takes two or three steps forward and then one back in review, so his habit is that of one reminding of the foundation laid down before he continues. This is a great way of making sure those hearing are remembering the important aspects of a lesson or teaching.

But the Beloved Apostle goes on to expound on something he had touched on in his Gospel account. In this letter, he says, “No one has seen God at any time.” Okay. “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” – John 4:24. But that isn’t the main point I want to make. In his Gospel, the Apostle writes, “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” – John 1:18. So, yes, though John later explains why no one has seen God, because He IS Spirit, the point he makes at the very first part of his Gospel and the point he is reiterating in his letter is that when Christ Jesus walked this earth over two thousand years ago, Jesus DECLARED or told the world about God. Jesus was the conduit as it were, for the Father who couldn’t be seen. Jesus later on in John’s Gospel account tells His disciple Philip, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father;” – John 14:9. Therefore, Jesus was the visible manifestation of an invisible God, the Father, Who is Spirit. (Colossians 1:15).

The point I want to make is this; when Christ Jesus was here, the Father was manifested through Christ Jesus, but not now, for Jesus has ascended to the Father in Heaven where His Kingdom is. The point John is making is that since no one has seen God and since Jesus has risen to the Throne WE as believers are now the manifestation of God to the world. He makes this point by this statement, “If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.”

Now in this case let’s take a look at that little word “if,” again. Again this is not expressing any form of doubt but rather is expressing an active state of doing. In other words, now it is “WHEN” we love one another. It is commanded that as God loved us, we WILL love one another and since we WILL love one another, WHEN and because we do and will, God abides in us! But John carries it out one step further as well. BECAUSE of the fact that we love one another AND thus God abides in us, for this reason “His love has been perfected in us.”

This means that God’s love demonstrated towards each of us individually has achieved its intended goals. I stated above that Jesus Christ was a conduit to the Father and He still is, but also, as believers, since Christ is reigning in His Heavenly Kingdom at the Right-Hand of the Father, we are the conduits of the Father’s love here on earth. Since God abides IN us due to our loving one another, His love is completed and perfected within each of us.

Now I want you to understand something important here; we were never meant to be the sealed vessel or the end-all of God’s love. Okay, we’ve accepted Christ Jesus, and we have received the Father’s love, we love one another and we just coast through the Gates of the Heavenly Kingdom! No! On the contrary, as conduits ourselves, we are to be open vessels of God’s love, like irrigation channels take the water from the source and send it to rows of planted crops, we are the channels to take the Water of Life, God’s Love from the source and send it out to others who need to also drink from these Living Waters! Now think of it; how AMAZING is that!

We have all heard the preaching and read the teaching that our Heavenly Father uses us as willing vessels for His Will to be accomplished, but to think of ourselves as channels of God’s Love to the rest of the world, astounding! It’s His Love that is perfected in us, not our love, and we take His Love and spread it out to others so that just like Jesus DECLARED to the world that God is real and alive and is the Father of all, we now can declare to the world the exact same thing as Christ Jesus’ example!

That, in and of itself is exciting enough, yet John goes on to further explain that when we do share that love with others that is PROOF positive that we are IN Him and He in turn, is IN each of us! When, since, we love one another, God abides IN us. Then he goes on to give us an additional proof, an additional BONUS as it were, “because He has given us His Spirit.” So, we know He abides IN us and we abide IN Him, because we love one another. But ALSO, we know this same fact, “because He has given us His Spirit!”

Most everyone knows what circular reasoning or the phrase, Catch-22 means and it may seem like that here. We love one another, God abides in us and we in Him, thus we are ABLE to love one another BECAUSE He abides in us and we in Him. Yet here is what the Beloved Apostle is stating; because we love one another, God DOES abide in us and we in Him, but because He abides IN us, it is His Spirit that He has promised that abides in us. He has given of HIS Spirit to dwell within each of us when we have been born-again, spiritually reborn. Jesus promised it right before He ascended. The day of Pentecost was the proof of it and since that day, the POWER to love, unconditionally, as God the Father loves, has been given to those who are IN Christ Jesus! Since Christ Jesus and the Father are One, and the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ and the Father, He abides IN us and give us the power to demonstrate and declare to the world HIS Love towards others!

The Apostle Paul wrote in confirmation of these very things:

“Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” – Romans 5:5.

“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”

“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, . . .” – Romans 8:9, 16.

“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, . . .” – Ephesians 1:13.

“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” – 2 Corinthians 1:21-22.

Now I would be remiss if I didn’t apply this to what we see in the world around us and indeed in our very nation. In past lessons of 1 John I have pointed out how the Apostle tells us how to be on the lookout for falsehoods, to be discerning and to actually test the spirits. There is a term used today to try and discourage God’s TRUE children and disciples of pointing these things out; it is called political correctness and yes, it’s foundation and base is in the political arena’s of not just the United States but in the world.

The time for TRUE Christ-followers, those who are TRUE Christians, part of the Bride and Body of Christ to be “politically correct” is long over! As a fellow Preacher/Pastor coined, God’s Elijah’s and Elisha’s of this world must start to rise up and take the stand they have been ordained, anointed and called to take! The Word of God, the Living Word was given not JUST for doctrine, but as the Apostle Paul wrote to his protégé Timothy, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16.

It was given also to correct wrongs, for instruction in righteousness. It was also given to reprove, and there has been a lot of controversy over that term. In modern English it means to “blame, to disapprove, to reprimand or censure, to scold someone.” Yet, in the sense and context of this Scripture we already find correction and instruction in righteousness. The original words are fairly vague as well and yet the sense is as follows:

“The Spirit will teach men the true meaning of these three words: sin, righteousness, judgment.” [1]

I personally have taught for many years the sense is “as to re-prove the Word of God” in the light of those who might have doubts. It was the Apostle Paul who was always fond of saying, “Let us reason together.”

The point is, we have a foundation of truth that has lasted for literally thousands of years and it was given by the inspiration of that same Spirit that the Apostle John says now abides IN us; it is time, in fact it is long past time, that we use that inspired Word to confront through correction and instruction AND re-proof the meanings of those words, “sin, righteousness and judgment.”

SINCE, we are to love one another, what better way than to at least PLANT the Seed of Truth in their hearts and then let the Holy Spirit cause those seeds to grow! He has promised that His Word will never return void or empty. “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” – Isaiah 55:11.

With such great promise and assurance there is no reason why God’s true children cannot and do not start walking forward with the thought and intent of real revival already in their hearts! Revival, anointed, love-oriented, is like wild-fire; once started it is almost impossible to quench! What a thought! Maybe, just maybe, we should all start clinging to that very thought!

Next post we will begin with 1 John chapter 4 verse 14.

*Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[1] https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/reproof-reprove/

Posted in Expository Teaching | Tagged 1 John, 2 Corinthians, 2 Timothy, Abiding Holy Spirit, Antichrist, Antichrists, Beloved Apostle, Bible, Bible Teaching, Catch-22, Channels, Choices, Christ Jesus, Christ's Example, Christianity, Circular Reasoning, Colossians, Commands, Conduits, Disciples of Christ, Encouragement, Expository Teaching, Faithfulness, Followers of Christ, God Almighty, God's Love, Hearing God, Hearing the World, Heavenly Father, Holy Bible, Holy Spirit, Hope, Indwelling Holy Spirit, Inspiration, Isaiah, John, Knowing God, Living Water, Living Word of God, Lord, Love, Re-proof, Re-prove, Relationship, Romans, Scriptures, Spiritual Gifts, Spiritual Intimacy, Strength, Teaching, The Living Word, The World, The World Hears Its Own, True Christ-Followers, True Christians, Truth, Warnings, Water of Life, Word of God | Leave a comment

Transformative Power of Prayer

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Roland Ledoux

Part One

We have been listening this last week on news channels and in clips a lot about prayer. This person states they pray for that person and that person doesn’t believe it because of the other person’s deeds toward them. In the middle of all this many people are left with a “sour taste” in their mouths when it comes to “religion” and prayer!

One of the things I have been noticing for months is a statement from liberals all over that we are involved in a CULTURE WAR and this seems to be their cry to war! In essence and in truth, they are absolutely right. Especially here in the United States of America, even though many of our allies are going through it within their own nations.

The past is history, but it is still factual. Despite our alliances today for instance, our country, the United States was founded on religious freedom from a “state run” or nation-dictated religion. We were founded on religious AND Biblical principles (not always the same) that gave our citizens the right to worship God Almighty the way they individually saw fit. It was, in the beginning of this country based on the worship of the God recognized by the Bible account.

Even our Constitution is based on Biblical principles and it is evidenced by the signing of it’s precepts by an almost unanimous number of orthodox fundamental Christian believers. The “culture war” though has been going on AND growing for quite a number of years and it is being fought AGAINST those very foundational Biblical principles!

A recent democratic candidate who ran for President of the United (and lost, Praise God) made this very public statement:

“deep-seated cultural codes, religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed” to allow women access to “reproductive health care” – which was widely seen as a call to change views on abortion.

The then governor of Louisiana, Governor Bobby Jindal made this rebuttal in a statement, “people who are pro-life have to change our religious beliefs. That’s crazy talk. This is why the fight for religious freedom is so important. Our religious beliefs are between us and God,” he said. “The Left want to socially engineer everyone to adhere to their leftwing ideology even if it’s in violation of a person’s sincerely held religious convictions.” [1]

For those of you who have read your Bibles, you will see this is the very same thing that has happened to the early Jewish people as written many times in the Old Testament. They turned from God and started worshipping other gods and idols and when they did, they were judged for it until they repented and turned back to God. The Jewish people are God’s chosen people, His children!

Yes, we who are IN Christ Jesus have been grafted into Abraham’s family through faith and are brothers and sisters with the Jewish people but here is my point; if God’s chosen nation was judged for turning its back on God more than once, what makes us as a nation founded on God’s Word and Biblical principles think that we can and will escape judgement just the same?

Our Heavenly Father IS a loving God, alright, but He is ALSO a just God, one who is Holy and righteous and does not allow or make excuses for any sinfulness and especially in direct defiance to Himself and His Word!

So I have laid all this out to lead us to this point; why pray? Especially if you are one who wants to put forth the idea and doctrine that God’s ways and commands are archaic and no longer have any relevance in today’s world? Why would you pray and just who are you praying too and for what are you praying?

This may sound harsh to some; well, the truth when it hits home can hurt, but then it was meant to wake up our minds and spirit! The truth was meant to cause us to reflect and to take stock of where we are and where we have come! So you say you pray; so what? Does your life reflect your prayers? I’ve heard leaders who are pushing an agenda based on obvious hate and in-turned bitterness and yet they say with their lips that they don’t HATE anyone. In the next breath, they say no one is going to tell them what prayer means and especially the person they deem is evil and corrupt! That sounds to me like the description of a reprobate, morally corrupt and depraved mind. Reminds me of what the Apostle James writes concerning the double-minded person.

“Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” – James 4:5-8.

Now I know from many, many years of praying and interceding for others, asking requests as well as praising and thanking God, that prayer, when you truly pray, it changes your very life and in ways you aren’t always aware of! Prayer is simply put, communion, fellowship with God Almighty, our Heavenly Father!

One of the greatest joys of married life that I have had was when my wife’s dad used to get up early in the mornings and sit in this old, overstuffed green chair, have his coffee and listen quietly to the radio. It was during a time when Sue and I lived in the upstairs apartment with our boys and I would get up, fix myself some coffee and go down and sit in the couch adjacent to him, my father-in-law. Sometimes we didn’t say a lot, we just sad and enjoyed the radio, the coffee and the company. Other times, we would sit and talk quietly about whatever came to mind.

My wife’s dad didn’t always agree with my take on things and though he was my elder, I didn’t always agree with him, but we both listened to each other. We took in what each other was saying, listening and sometimes commenting. He accepted that I was growing up into my own. When advice was needed, he gave it, freely without expecting anything in return. I listened during those times and often took to heart what his many years of experience he was sharing with me. Sometimes I acted on his advice and had great outcomes. Sometimes I didn’t act and things still worked out okay, but there was a relationship that grew closer than any relationship I had developed with any other adult of that time period.

So it is with our Heavenly Father. We can come before Him, just as ourselves; no pretenses. The Bible tells us we can come BOLDLY before Him. (Hebrews 4:16). In other words, without fear or doubt of how He will accept us. We can sit before Him comfortably and just be in His presence, waiting to hear from Him, or just basking in that Presence. We can converse with Him without fear of Him pushing us aside because we are so immature. He ACCEPTS us as His child, just the way we are! Where the change comes from is when we listen to Him, we get to see how He thinks and the things He loves. We get familiar with His Character; and yes, we get to know what He doesn’t approve of, but always with the Hand of Love when dealing with us!

Those times of sitting with my father-in-law developed within me a confidence. It was a confidence that I could be myself no matter what others thought of me. It was an important lesson for me, someone who was very introverted at first and wanted to do whatever it took to make people like me. That confidence, and relating it to how our Heavenly Father looked upon me, gave me what was necessary to proceed with a ministry that I had a heart for but was told by others could never be! My father-in-law didn’t always agree with me on things and let me know it, but he also never told me that I couldn’t do something that my heart told me was possible. Because of him, I had a totally different outlook of what my Heavenly Father was like in relation to me as His child.

Prayer does that! It changes you, it gives you a more perfect outlook, not just on who our Heavenly Father is, His Character and Nature, but also on life itself. We get a different view of the world as well. By sitting in His presence we genuinely get a sense of what He is pleased with and what He is not. BUT – it takes sitting IN His presence and opening yourself up to Him. You talk with Him yes, just like your best friend, but you also listen to Him, because AS your Best Friend, He is the Wisest and most Loving friend you will ever have!

As you get closer to your Heavenly Father, and as you become more open and more intimate with Him, you can’t help but at least START to adopt some of His Character traits; after all, you WERE made in His Image! You start to have some of the same desires as Him; not wanting people to perish, but to have abundant lives. You desire others to share in His Joy, to gain strength FROM that Joy. You even start to see your personal enemies in a new light. Don’t misunderstand me; you don’t compromise with them, but you see them more and more as God sees them; wayward children searching for truth, wanting what real Agape love affords, OR you see those who are petulant and whole-heartedly rejecting God and what He has to offer. Either way, it opens your eyes on how to pray for different ones!

If you are going to tell someone that you are praying for them, does it reflect the Love, Patience and Compassion that our Heavenly Father has for His creation? There is none of us who are perfect or has arrived yet. Not one of us. We are awaiting the ONE Who is perfect to come and it appears it may be very soon with the state of the world the way it is.

Do we abandon prayer because it looks as if there is no hope, or do we believe in the Sovereignty and Unconditional Love of a Creator and Heavenly Father Whose desire is that none perish, though we know that some will of their own free-will? We pray for ALL, for that is what our Heavenly Father wants us to do. Never give up hope until we are with Him at last and the truth is fully revealed.

The greatest form or act of unconditional love, besides actually dying for someone else, is to die to self and give them some of your time in prayer. When you do that, there will be NO appearance of evil and hate for that is the kind of love that transforms us, more and more and closer to the image of our Heavenly Father!

I’m going to continue with a second part on the Transformative Power of Prayer and give some tips that could help with a successful prayer life. For now, MY prayer is that God Blesses you abundantly in every way according to His will!!

[1] Excerpt taken from: https://www.christianpost.com/news/hillary-clinton-religious-beliefs-have-to-be-changed-about-abortion.html

Posted in Pastor's Desk | Tagged Abortion, Agape Love, Bible, Bible Teaching, Boldness, Changed Lives, Choices, Christ Jesus, Christianity, Comfort, Creator, Encouragement, Faithfulness, Father-In-law, God's Love, Governor Bobby Jindal, Grace, Hate, Heavenly Father, Hebrews, Hillary Clinton, Holy Bible, Inspiration, James, Jesus, Lessons Learned, Lord, Love, Murder, Prayer, Prayer Transforms, Presidential Candidate, Relationship, Scriptures, Sin, Spiritual Intimacy, Spirituality, Teaching, Throne of God, Transformation, Truth, Unconditional Love, Unrighteousness, Why Pray, Word of God | Leave a comment

Revival Fires Needed!

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Roland Ledoux

Posted in 'Nuff Said! | Tagged Anointing, Bible Teaching, Choices, Christ Jesus, Christianity, Encouragement, Faithfulness, God, Grace, Heavenly Father, Holy Bible, Holy Spirit, Inspiration, Jesus, Lord, Love, Prayerfulness, Psalms, Relationship, Renew a Right Spirit Within Me, Repentance, Revival, Revival Fires Needed, Revive Us Oh Lord, Salvation, Save Us, Scriptures, Spirituality, Teaching, Truth, Word of God | Leave a comment

Virtue – Exercise It

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Roland Ledoux

anecdotal stories
Haggai 1:2-4, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘This people says, “The time has not come, even the time for the house of the LORD to be rebuilt.”‘” Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?”

Ephesians 6:10, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.”

13-14, “Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, . . .”

Exercise It

Many settlers in Washington and Oregon during the 1850s and 1860s expressed virulent anti-Indian behavior. Against their antipathy, many who were more sympathetic to the Indians hid them from enraged settlers. The problem was the inertia of the pro-Indian compared to the truculent energy of the anti-Indian settlers. Those who wanted them removed actively pushed for their removal, while those who sought accommodation with the red man remained quiescent. Inevitably, the critics moved policy makers.

In the years preceding World War II, the virtuous motives of European statesmen, combined with military and political timidity, loosed a monster on the nations. Decrying their naiveté, and worse, Churchill bellowed that a sincere love of peace was no excuse for muddling the world into total war.

No marshaled virtue has value until it is exercised on behalf of its object. Good thoughts never saved anyone, rescued anyone, resisted any evil, or accomplished any good. More than one ministry has failed because a handful of critics withstood an army of supporters. On the other hand, evil cannot overcome virtue if virtue asserts itself, gets involved, speaks up, and takes action. We in the church do not need greater powers to succeed; we need only vigorous exercise of spiritual powers now latent within the body of Christ.

*Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Applicable Quotations

Virtue is not to be considered in the light of mere innocence, or abstaining from harm; but as the exertion of our faculties in doing good. – Butler

All virtue consists in having a willing heart. God will lead you by the hand, if only you do not doubt, and are filled with love for Him rather than fear for yourself. – Francois Fenelon

What the world calls virtue, without Christ, is a name and a dream. The foundation of all human excellence must be laid deep in the blood of the Redeemer’s cross and in the power of His resurrection. – Robertson

A truly virtuous person is like good metal – the more he is fired, the more he is refined; the more he is opposed, the more he is approved. Wrongs may well try him and touch him, but they cannot imprint on him any false stamp. – Richelieu

Posted in Anecdotal Stories | Tagged 1850's - 1860's, Anti-Indian, Bible Teaching, Butler, Choices, Christ Jesus, Christian Quotes, Christianity, Encouragement, Ephesians, European Statesmen, Evil, Exercise Virtue, Faithfulness, Food For Thought, Francois Fenelon, God's Love, Grace, Haggai, Heavenly Father, Holy Bible, Hope, Inspiration, Lord, Love, NASB - New American Standard Bible, Oregon, Overcoming Evil, Peace, Political Timidity, Pro-Indian, Quotations, Quotes, Relationship, Resisting Evil, Richelieu, Robertson, Scriptures, Speaker's Sourcebook of New Illustrations, Standing Up, Take Action, Teaching, Truth, Virgil Hurley, Virtue, Washington, Winston Churchill, Word of God | Leave a comment

1 https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/michael-foust/47-percent-of-mainline-pastors-now-support-same-sex-marriage.html

Everyone With An Opinion

Courtesy of Speaker’s Sourcebook of New Illustrations by Virgil Hurley copyright © 1995 by Word, Incorporated. Used by permission.

*Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Applicable Quotations

To The Laborers In The Fields

Next post we will begin with 1 John chapter 4 verse 17.

*Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Part Two

Sermon Public Domain. Source: Classic Sermons, Power BibleCD 5.9 – Power BibleCD, Copyright ©2010 Online Publishing, Inc. 128 E Chicago St, PO Box 21, Bronson, MI 49028

Hugh Blair – Significant Scots Website: https://www.electricscotland.com/history/other/blair_hugh.htm

Next post we will begin with 1 John chapter 4 verse 14.

*Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [1] https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/reproof-reprove/

Part One

[1] Excerpt taken from: https://www.christianpost.com/news/hillary-clinton-religious-beliefs-have-to-be-changed-about-abortion.html

Exercise It

Courtesy of Speaker’s Sourcebook of New Illustrations by Virgil Hurley copyright © 1995 by Word, Incorporated. Used by permission.

*Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Applicable Quotations

Category Titles

Recent Posts

Archives

* Disclaimer *

Faithlife – Logos

Bible Gateway Plus

Got Questions.Org

Meta

Sermon Public Domain. Source: Classic Sermons, Power BibleCD 5.9 –
Power BibleCD, Copyright ©2010 Online Publishing, Inc.
128 E Chicago St, PO Box 21, Bronson, MI 49028

*Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[1] https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/reproof-reprove/