The Rapture

Posted on September 21, 2019 by Roland Ledoux


~ The Rapture . . .

If Jesus came back tomorrow to take us from this Earth;
Would I stand before Him, wondering where my friends are from work.

And where’s that guy I spoke to every morning at the store
Surely he should be here; he always greeted me at the door.

Where is my child’s teacher; she was so great with all the kids
Oh; how she would just love to see a place such as this.

As I stand with Him; in Heaven up above
I ask God; where are so many, that I knew and that I loved?

What Lord? You placed me in their lives to tell them about You
Please let me go back and tell them now; I just assumed that they knew!

Poem by, Ron L Willis

*All rights, including copyrights belong to the author.

“To God be the Glory & keep Sharing the Good News!” ~ C4C ~
Cowboys-4-Christ – Facebook Page

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Open Your Eyes

Posted on September 21, 2019 by Roland Ledoux


My wife’s sister who still lives in Yakima, Washington, the hometown Sue and I were born and raised in posted the following picture just the other day, taken by a mutual Facebook friend. It reminded me of the story of the Prophet Elisha, his servant and the King of Syria.

2 Kings 6:
14, Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.
15 And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”
16 So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, “LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

*Most of us determine reality by our physical senses. If we can see, hear, feel, smell, or taste it, it must be real. I’m sure that for Elisha’s servant, reality was thousands of soldiers, mounted on powerful war horses, who could wipe out the whole town of Dothan before nightfall. But for Elisha, that wasn’t reality. For him, reality was the even greater and more powerful army of angels surrounding the city. These angels were there all along. The problem was, Elisha’s servant didn’t have eyes to see them. But his not seeing them didn’t make them unreal or non-existent. Elisha’s prayer opened his eyes to see spiritual reality. And spiritual reality is the ultimate reality, superseding the reality of what we perceive with our physical senses.

The Apostle Paul knew how to see the unseen. He was suffering terrible persecution on behalf of the gospel, but he said that this momentary, light affliction wasn’t the real thing. The real thing was the eternal glory that awaited him in heaven (2 Cor. 4:16-18)! He also said that our struggle is not against flesh and blood. Remember, he was chained to a very real Roman guard as he wrote that! But, he said, that isn’t where our struggle takes place. Our real struggle is against these unseen forces of darkness in the heavenly places. And the way we combat these forces is through prayer (Eph. 6:10-20). Prayer opens our eyes to spiritual reality and links us with God’s winning majority.

*Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2002, All Rights Reserved.
O Bible.org (https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-6-man-who-saw-unseen-2-kings-68-23)

The Bible says in Ephesians 6:12, For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

More and more we are seeing signs in the heavens around us to remind us of this very thing; and even though Jesus Himself stated as recorded by His Disciple Matthew:

Matthew 16:
1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven.
2 But He replied to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’
3 “And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?
4 “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” And He left them and went away.

We must remember two things, the religious leaders of Jesus’ day DEMANDED to be shown a sign because of their doubt and unbelief and generations of evil will continue to SEEK or want signs again, because of their doubt and unbelief. This however, does NOT apply to God’s children, for God Himself, the Creator of the very nature that awaits our redemption is a sign.

Romans 8:
19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope
21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

Genesis 9:
12 God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all successive generations;
13 I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.
14 “It shall come about, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow will be seen in the cloud,
15 and I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and never again shall the water become a flood to destroy all flesh.

Remember this; what God Almighty in His Sovereignty will NOT do for evil generations, He will DO for His children and heirs! I have heard too many preachers tell their congregations that God will NOT allow signs and wonders in the skies because He will not go against His Word. Yet, I tell you, when you read His Word, His LIVING Word in context, you see that to those who already believe, there are remembrances of His Covenant with us all the time!

Now psychology aside, what makes us as God’s children see the things we do from time to time, like images in the clouds, etc.? It is because of the hope that rests deep within our spirit and the reminder to us individually of God’s intimate promises to us, His children! When we walk with God, Who IS Spirit and we develop a spiritual intimacy with Him (John 4:24), than what the world calls “reality” fades and the true reality, the spiritual realm becomes more alive!

The writer of the Book of Acts recorded this:

Acts 2:
17 ‘AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,’ God says, ‘THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS;
18 EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT And they shall prophesy.
19a ‘AND I WILL GRANT WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BELOW, . . .

So, as a word of encouragement; you do not have to SEEK for signs and wonders, but do NOT be amazed when you see them for creation itself is reminding God’s children of the wonderful promises and covenant that is even now binding between God, our Heavenly Father and we, His children and heirs!

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. – Revelation 22:20.

*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.
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Walk With Me, Father

Posted on September 8, 2019 by Roland Ledoux


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I John 3:10-13

Posted on September 8, 2019 by Roland Ledoux


1 John 3:10, “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.”

11-13, “For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.”

The Great Beloved Apostle continues on with this thought of yet another manifestation in the difference between those who belong to God as His children and those who show themselves to be children of the evil one. John makes a clear yet bold statement and there is NO gray area; “Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, . . .”

This is one of the reasons I love John’s writing so much; he doesn’t mince words and he doesn’t leave you wondering as to what he means. If you don’t practice at being righteous, then you are not of God! I want you to look at a key word here, and it might not be the one you think; it’s PRACTICE! And you thought it would be righteous! I have said it so many times before when considering John’s instructions in his writing; “Practice makes perfect!” Again, not that we are already perfect as the Apostle Paul points out so many times, but we STRIVE to attain perfection, in other words, we work at it. John says it clearly, we practice!

It’s no accident that the writers of the differing Epistles are in harmony on this point, for it is the hand of the Holy Spirit that is evident in the inspiration that was penned. Our walk towards the Kingdom of God is a spiritual journey, as I have often said, it is a lifestyle, a daily PRACTICE of doing AND applying what the Bible teaches us will transform us into usable vessels for the Lord and as we walk this path, we become more and more like Christ every day.

Now I want to clarify something about that other word that IS a keyword; righteousness or to be righteous. Most Bible translations use the word righteousness in this instance but a few replace it with “those who do not obey God’s commands.” Now I want to make it clear that as far as modern English and understanding John’s point, I am not against these more modern versions in the sense that if your are reading the Scriptures, it still makes the basic point; the difference between God’s children and the children belonging to the enemy is in what we do. The difference I DO have a problem with is the clarity with which the Apostle writes these statements; we still PRACTICE or strive, or work to accomplish what is right. If the modern English would have put practice, strive, or work to accomplish, in the sentence, I believe it would be a bit more true to the writer’s intent.

Again, we have not attained true and pure righteousness, but we ARE striving or working towards attaining it and that is the key. As the Apostle Paul writes often, “we press on!” I know I said a lot to get to a simple point John is making; the children of God are working to do what is right in the eyes of the Lord, whereas, the children of the enemy make no attempt whatsoever. I hope also you realize something else in this verse John wrote, and that is that it is not the work towards righteousness, keyword WORK, but rather the faith in believing that as we attempt to attain righteousness, it is counted in the eyes of the Lord as having already been attained.

As the Apostle James is so fond of saying, “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” – James 2:17-18.

It’s all in the heart motive. We don’t attain our righteousness by our WORK to attain righteousness, but our working to attain it DOES demonstrate our FAITH and thus it is counted for that which we are hoping to attain!!

A final thought on the difference between the children of God and the children of the devil; there is NO middle ground! There is no straddling a fence, one foot on the side of righteousness and the other on the side of self-centeredness or selfishness. You are either “practicing or striving” to be righteous, in faith believing, or you are simply doing what YOU want and not what God wants. This leads us into what John is reiterating again; what he is trying to drive home into the hearts and minds of the reader and using as an anchor or a test to show the real difference between the child of God and the child of the devil; “nor is he who does not love his brother.”

This is a reiteration of what John was teaching in 1 John 2:7-17. The test of being a part of the FAMILY of God, is love! If you have any doubts as to whether someone is of God or someone is of the enemy (the world OR the devil), either they love others or they do not, they practice righteousness or they practice self-centeredness. This is why for years I have taught that the opposite of Godly, agape, unconditional love, is NOT hate, but is self-centeredness or selfishness!

Another point, again, the kind of love that the Apostle is referring too is not the familial or friendship type of love either, love based on human affection, but the love John is referring to is the DIVINE love. The love that Christ Jesus demonstrated for all mankind by becoming the Sacrificial Lamb! Understand this also, this type of love is not entirely possible in our own ability or strength. Because as unregenerate we are incapable of that Divine love, but through the spiritual rebirth and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we CAN attain that unselfish, unconditional, God-like love that is a manifestation of being a child of God’s.

John continues on then by giving us a prime example; first he states this is the message we have heard or been taught from the beginning, the message of love for others. It is not a NEW message, but one that HAS been taught, and he is giving an example of the difference and most probably because over time, just as with so many things, the message and the MEANING of love had changed. John is making it clear what type of love he is referring to in his example; “NOT as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother.” John is clearly pointing out, even though Cain was Abel’s brother, Cain’s actions, his heart, was NOT a heart of love towards his brother and it manifested the wickedness that WAS in his heart by murdering, killing his brother! Cain and Abel were blood relation! You can’t get any closer to one another than a brother or a sister, yet that didn’t stop Cain from acting upon the wickedness that was apparent in his heart. His heart was NOT one of love. His heart was NOT one of righteousness; he neither practiced it, nor walked in it.

I have considered my self to be a “student” of human nature ever since I was a very young man. I have always questioned why, about things, about why people act AND react the way they do. When I was just out of High School back in 1970, I enrolled in a program at our community college, Associate Degree Nursing. It promised an R.N. degree in a two-year period instead of the usual four due to a lack of nurses at the time, but make no mistake, this was an intense, time-consuming course. Because it was a two-year course, it had to pack four-years into the time frame.

I was the only guy in a class of 50. Talk about forcing me out of my introverted shell! But I excelled as I had always wanted to help others. I was told I had a lot of empathy as compared to just sympathy for others. A double-edged sword in some instances though. My administrator acknowledged me more than once as being in the top five of the class and the area that I excelled even more so, was in psychology. Now, I have to clarify something for those who might not know the difference, psychology and psychiatry are totally different. Psychology deals with human nature, action and reaction. For the most part, it is pure science. Psychiatry, in my opinion, is theoretical science, theories, NOT facts, used to try and “treat or diagnose” aberrant behavior. My psychology assignments I did very well in, but when my instructors started in on the psychiatry aspect, it delved into many controversial areas that most often as not included religious beliefs and I became known as a bit of a “trouble-maker.” Never-the-less, I passed with good grades, but even to this day I reject whole-heartedly, psychiatry, though it is an accepted practice today.

To sum it up, I had all by my final three months to finish. The final semester was in Pediatrics, and much to the disappoint of a LOT of family and friends, I dropped out! I can look back on it now and have for many years with absolutely no regrets. My heart was right in wanting to serve others, but my direction was wrong. I was new in the Lord and was more or less following in family footsteps.

But I laid out all of this for one main point; the things I learned then became a foundation for things I learned all through my life in spiritual ministry! I learned to understand, to EMPATHIZE and use as a ministry tool, the lessons I learned on HUMAN NATURE. I look at these things as gifts from the Holy Spirit and it has even helped me to understand so much that is written in the Scriptures.

Which brings me back to the point that John was making concerning the ways of those who PRACTICE wickedness or self-centeredness. Since the very beginning, human nature, the PRIDEFUL nature has not changed. Lucifer fell from grace because of his pride and he carried a multitude of angels with him into that fallen state of wickedness. I could write a whole other sermon on why God allowed that to happen but for now, just understand the truth of it and how he, the devil, the deliverer of evil, has turned and skewed the truth and continues to tempt mankind to follow in his footsteps. Cain is the first prime, human example. Cain wasn’t deceived, but rather when reading the early Scriptures, he was rebellious and prideful, just like Lucifer, himself.

Here’s where human nature manifests itself and the Apostle poses it as a question; “And why did he murder him?” John wants the reader to question, to ponder, to consider the question. We can read the Scriptures and have such a tendency to just go from one sentence to another without meditating or wonder on what we just read, yet the Bible is so full of treasure and some is buried, some has to be dug out and not just skimmed over. “And why did he murder him?”

The Apostle IS faithful to give us an answer though; “Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.” Yep, Cain was evil, Abel was righteous. Yet the Apostle is still making a point. There is some deep truth under the simplistic statement that Cain is bad, Abel is good. Think of it this way, Abel showed/manifested light, Cain showed/manifested darkness. Do you see it, or get it yet? Human nature, it’s like a beacon! John is giving a hint before continuing into the next verse.

Matthew 10:22, “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.”

John 15:18-19, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

Basic human nature; those doing wrong, whether trying to hide it or working out in the open, will always HATE those who do what is right, because the LIGHT of their works, shows or manifests (brings to light, to acknowledgement) those things that are wrong, evil and in the dark! Remember, the enemy, whether it be the world organization corrupt with power, or the enemy of your soul, will try to manipulate, skew, corrupt or lie to achieve their goal deceptively. When that action, whatever it is, is brought into the light, their evil schemes are seen for what they are, wickedness, and wickedness HATES to be found out! Wickedness hates to be seen for the maliciousness that it truly is and will do all to destroy, the character or the person of the one who is shining light upon their dark deeds! Sadly, in the world today, we are seeing this aspect of the Bible being played out in front of our very eyes, all around us and it is becoming more blatant, NOT trying to hide in the shadows!

John’s next sentence provides clarity and understanding; “Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.” Brothers and Sisters; DO NOT be surprised, do NOT be in awe, if and because, the world hates you! When you practice, or work to achieve righteousness, your very lifestyle will shine light on those around you who are living a lifestyle of immorality or selfishness. Jealousy or bitterness lead to anger and anger leads to evil if not taken care of. Actions and reactions; human nature. It hasn’t changed since the very beginning and yet John’s theme throughout his writings has always been, put human nature under subjection to DIVINE love. Love that expects nothing in return EXCEPT the best for the recipient! That is what Agape is; Godly, Christ-like love.

In closing, notice again, (yes I say it over and over) that every attribute that defines us as God’s children, followers of Christ Jesus are ACTIONS. Lifestyle is an action of walking forward towards becoming the image of Christ. Practicing righteousness demands striving and working to ACT in the right way according to the Holy Spirit’s leading. His Spirit within us causes us to act as HE directs and true love, agape demonstrates our acting love for Him by practicing to do what He leads and directs us to do!

Do we make mistakes, stumble and fall? Yes! Emphatically, yes! But as the Apostle Paul tells us, and I repeat it again: “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 3:12-14. In other words, Paul is confirming John’s writing, PRACTICE!

Next post we will begin with 1 John chapter 3 verse 14.

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

Posted on September 6, 2019 by Roland Ledoux


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How To Walk With God – J.C. Ryle

Posted on September 6, 2019 by Roland Ledoux


John Charles Ryle (May 10, 1816 – June 10, 1900) was an evangelical Anglican clergyman and first Bishop of Liverpool. He was renowned for his powerful preaching and extensive tracts.

To walk with God is to walk in the light of God’s countenance; to live as people who remember that all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we walk, that the darkness is no darkness with Him, and remembering this, to aim at never thinking or saying or doing anything we should be ashamed of in the presence of the great Searcher of hearts.

To walk with God is to walk after the Spirit–to look to the Holy Spirit as our Teacher, to lean on Him for strength, to put no confidence in the flesh, to set our affections on things above, to wean them from things on earth, and to be spiritually-minded.

J.C. Ryle Website: https://www.theopedia.com/john-charles-ryle
J.C. Ryle Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JCRyleQuotes/

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Spiritual Life – Real, If Different

Posted on September 6, 2019 by Roland Ledoux

anecdotal stories
Deuteronomy 3:23-24, “I also pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying, ‘O Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Yours?'”

Acts 17:32, “Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, “We shall hear you again concerning this.”

A Different Life

Coronado’s men explored the Great Plains from the south. Zebulon Pike explored them from the east. They all labeled those million of acres “The Great American Desert.” It was an illusion, of course, for they seethed and swarmed with a staggering multiplicity of life. Numerous grasses sustained fifty million buffalo and millions of other wild creatures, and nomadic peoples lived well on the limitless vistas. The critics did not comprehend what they were seeing.

Likewise, the secular mind cannot comprehend the Spirit-filled life. It sees faith as a compensatory hallucination of those who are unwilling to compete in life. How poorly the Christian life is understood, especially its two greatest implications: forgiveness and eternal life. In Christ, all faith is credited to and no sin is charged against our account. When life is over, an eternal life of activity in ceaseless rest begins, of labor in ceaseless ease.

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

The truest end of life is to know the Life that never ends. — William Penn

The spiritual life… means the ever more perfect and willing association of the invisible human spirit with the invisible divine Spirit for all purposes. — Evelyn Underhill

I count all that part of my life lost which I spent not in communion with God, or in doing good. — Donne

The whole aim of the science of perfection in Christ is to instruct men how to remove the hindrances in the way of the action of the Holy Spirit, and how to cultivate those virtues which are most favorable to His solicitations and inspirations. Thus the sum of spiritual life consists in observing and yielding to the movements of the Spirit of God in our soul, employing for this purpose all the exercises of prayer, spiritual reading, the practice of virtues, and good works. — Isaac T. Hecker

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God’s Armor

Posted on September 1, 2019 by Roland Ledoux


Ephesians 6:
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints–

First, I have to tell you this was inspired by a dear Christian Sister in the Lord, from Australia, Christiana Giannotti, and a post she made on Facebook the other day. She posted a picture of the Scriptures found in Ephesians 6:12-13 and I have to tell you, though I have taught and preached in the past on the very verses cited above, for some reason, I can only credit the Holy Spirit, seeing them in a picture form jarred my thinking and perspective and a different idea, a different depth to the Scriptures came forth from these very familiar verses.


We have all heard others preach on this and teach us what each individual piece of armor stands for and the defensive and offensive use of each one, but I want to give you another perspective to think on!

In the words of the famous author, screenwriter and television personality, famous for the older series, The Twilight Zone, Rod Serling would open the show with a very famous monologue and then state (in at least three of the episodes,) “submitted for your approval,” often mistakenly confused with what I would like to add, but which he never stated, “we offer for your consideration” the following perspective!

I’m not going to dwell on the individual pieces of armor. Any Christian who has listened to a preacher or teacher in church, knows what each piece means. Rather I want you to concentrate on the flow of the verses and the thought of the armor as a whole. We have always been taught that armor is a warrior’s garb and I am not going to dispute that, but something that I have never heard taught became very obvious the other day when I read the Scriptures in the picture posted by my Sister in Christ. War and battles within wars are active, very seldom passive. We move forward in the offensive or we move back in the defensive, but look at what the Apostle Paul is saying within the context of the WHOLE paragraph I have cited above and not just the couple of verses so often used.

First in verse 10, “be strong in the Lord and in the power of HIS might!” (Emphasis mine). We are to be strong, yes, and we are to display power, but how? By moving forward offensively or backwards defensively deflecting blows right and left? No, Paul clearly and adamantly states in HIS, the Lord’s might! Not ours, our skill, ability, assumed power is not in ourselves but in the Lord’s might. Which brings us to the next verse.

In the first part of verse 11 Paul states what we are so familiar with, that which has become such a part of traditional teaching, “Put on the whole armor of God, . . .” So I have to ask you at this point, WHOSE armor are you to put on? Yours? Armor that you have created, knit, welded together from your Bible study, the teachings of your pastor and teachers, the lessons you have learned in life, etc.? Of course it’s rhetorical, but it IS God’s Armor. If it IS His armor, then it stands to reason that He is loaning it to us for our protection. It stands to reason that it is stronger and more powerful than anything either we can have or the enemy can throw at us. Think about it, don’t just accept it.

To lend credence to the first part of verse 11, look at how the inspired Apostle finishes the sentence, “that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” What? We put on God’s Armor, not our own, to be able to stand against the wiles of the devil!! Here is what stood out to me, for what ever the reason, that YOU, that I, may be able to STAND against the wiles of the devil. First, what are wiles?

Here’s what *Oxford Dictionaries says:

wiles (plural noun)
1. devious or cunning stratagems employed in manipulating or persuading someone to do what one wants.

So the Apostle Paul is first warning us that the devil, the Christians, for that matter humankind’s greatest enemy will employ devious and cunning schemes to get us to do what he, the devil, wants us to do! But within that warning, comes this confirmation; God’s Armor gives us the power AND strength to STAND the onslaught! He is not telling us to advance on the devil and he most certainly is not telling us to withdraw from the enemy’s attack neither! He is telling us that in the Lord’s power and strength, with the Lord’s armor, we can STAND against the attack, the schemes, the lies, the misdirection used to manipulate us!

Now please keep that thought in mind as I give you this other Scripture; “Thus says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.'” – 2 Chronicles 20:15b, “‘You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, . . .'” – 2 Chronicles 20:17a.

Now I urge you, because I used portions of the Scriptures, go and read the whole verses in context and you will be able to still see the Spiritual principle I am trying to convey. The same applies to David as a shepherd boy coming upon the camp of the Philistines and Goliath, yes he approached, but listen to what Spiritual principle Samuel wrote, “Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’S, . . .” – 1 Samuel 17:47.

One final Scripture concerning the Lord’s fight versus us taking up the fight, see what else under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” – Romans 12:19-21. What is the Apostle saying here? Do NOT be overcome by evil, STAND strong against it. How? By overcoming evil with good! How do we do that? By STANDING in the power and strength of not our own might, but God’s might and in God’s armor!

You see, time and time again, we see the Scriptures tell us that the battle is the Lord’s, not ours! Google or Bing the phrase, “the battle is the Lord’s” and just see the number of Scriptures that pop up telling you that it IS His battle! The enemy uses our flesh, our lack of power and strength to convince us that we can do great battle with the right equipment and then we wonder why we get “whipped” all the time! It’s because we have the tools, but it is not OUR tools that can make the difference; it IS the Lord’s and the Lord’s armor and equipment help us to stand, to WITHSTAND the evil that comes our way! Instead we have taken it upon ourselves to go on the offensive and we are all guilty of that.

What is it Paul tells us? We AREN’T fighting, wrestling against flesh and blood and yet more often than not, that is what we attempt to do! We try to BATTLE or fight against what we SEE. Well, take that back to the lesson of faith; we don’t walk by sight, by what we SEE! Our battle is in the spiritual arena and God, our Heavenly Father has given us the necessary equipment to WITHSTAND the onslaught, the scheming of the enemy!

You see, when I saw the picture with the Scripture the other day, what popped into my mind wasn’t so much medieval armor as what you would see on some science-fiction show, a shield, a field of force surrounding us. Many times we pray and ask the Holy Spirit to put a hedge of protection around ourselves or our loved ones. In the days of the Apostles and the disciples who followed, they could understand a warriors armor for it was in front of them all the time in the garb of the Romans who occupied their territory.

Today, it is easy to imagine some sort of shimmering shield surrounding each of us, easily deflecting the poisoned darts of the enemy. In a strong and powerful shield, we don’t have to fight, we let the enemy wear themselves out by standing and letting the shield do the work. In this case the shield isn’t ours, it is God’s! The same principle applies! Let the enemy wear themselves out, while we stand in strength and power from the Lord!

The Apostle Paul reiterates this again in verse 13. When something is too important to neglect, what do the writers, for the most part, do? The rephrase or repeat, they reiterate a thought showing how important it truly is; they do not want the reader to overlook it.

Paul writes in verse 13, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Take up God’s armor, that you may be able to WITHSTAND and having done all, again look what he states, to STAND! Then look at how he starts verse 14 before even describing the pieces of armor, “Stand therefore, . . .” and he goes on to describe the pieces of armor that ALLOW the wearer TO STAND!

Now watch how he closes his instructions in the 18th verse, “being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—. . .” What does a watchman, a guard, in full armor do when he isn’t directly in the battle? He watches. No matter his duty station, the hour of his duty, he watches so that those he has been charged with protecting are indeed, protected. He perseveres no matter how tired or weary. He remains strong, and vigilant. In most cases he is not alone, and this brings me to one last point.

If the armor is to be used like a shield to protect your whole self from being compromised in any weak areas, and if it is God’s armor like we established earlier, and we wear it in His might, strength and power AND we are to be watchful for the well-being of one another and each one of our brothers and sisters are shielded the same as we are, and then we have what today is termed “having each other’s back,” then how much stronger a shield do you think we have during the strongest onslaught of the enemy?

The battle, the actual fight is the Lord’s. He’s given us not just the shield of protection in the sense of armor, but the strength to wield it and the power of His might to make it effective when the enemy does try to strike or in many cases tries to deceive us with his lies. So what is there to fear? In my estimation, not a single thing. The Lord has promised to NEVER leave us nor forsake us, (Deuteronomy 31:6-8) so knowing that, not just believing, but actually knowing that should be the best assurance against ANY enemy we may think we have!

One final thing; this should confirm to others that the Word of God is alive and full of treasures deep and precious. You can read it any number of times and think you have arrived at some answers and then out of the blue, the inspiration behind the Living Word of God, the Holy Spirit brings more light to you in other ways! All I can say is Glory to God in the Highest!

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Walking In Peace And Security – Part II

Posted on August 26, 2019 by Roland Ledoux


This is an excerpt continued from my Book, “Walking in Christ” and specifically the Chapter, “Walking In Peace and Security.” The Book is available in PDF form by clicking the link, Walking In Christ, or the picture of the Book to the right of this article. It is free for anyone who wants to read it. Again, the download is free. Part II concludes with verses 4-6.

Even though I walk through the valley of
the shadow of death, I fear no evil;
for Thou are with me; Thy rod and
Thy staff, they comfort me.

Hebrews 13:5-6 states, “’I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you; so that we may confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?’” Christ is a Shepherd who will always be at our side. We have no need to fear evil. Notice that the very word evil is the greater part of the devil; and Christ has defeated the devil, the author of evil. We can personally say as David said, “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” What deeper valley in the lives of mankind could there be but death? Death without hope is the end-all of humanity, and yet notice that David is clear to say, “the shadow of death.” Death to those that have a personal commitment to the Good Shepherd, is just what David calls it, a shadow. There is no sting in a shadow, there can be no harm. A scorpion’s shadow can’t sting you, and a rattlesnake’s shadow can’t bite you. The sting of death was taken away at the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. All that remains of death, to those that are in Christ, is shadow, and a shadow is all that is left of something after the light has shone upon it. When we die, we step from that shadow back into the light of Christ, and the shadow itself is just that, it has no effect on us.

What about the valley though, you might ask? The valley itself can be a dark place. We need to remember that when we enter that valley, we are not alone; Christ Himself will always be with us. Remember Hebrews 13:5, He will never leave us nor forsake us. It’s in the valley nestled between the mountaintops, where the most fertile ground is.

I was born and originally raised in a valley area of the Pacific Northwest. The area that I came from is responsible for the majority of apple production for the nation. It is a very fruitful place. You can look to the mountains and the hills round-about where I was raised and what you will see is barrenness. If you climb these mountains, as I did growing up, you can look all around you at some awe-inspiring sights. But the production is below you, in the valley. The mountain tops are a good place for rest and reflection, and even to gain perspective, but it is in the valley where growth takes place.

The same holds true with our spiritual valleys and mountains. As we walk hand in hand with our Lord, allowing Him to lead and guide us, we find our strength and productivity. His rod and staff are our comfort. Why? His rod provides direction and discipline; it keeps us going in the direction that He is leading. If we start to stray, He can gently guide us back with the hook. Shepherds also use the rod and staff to keep a solid footing. We can take confidence in the assurance that we are safe, because there is none more sure-footed than our Good Shepherd. His rod keeps us going through the valley to the most fertile pastures and quiet running water. His rod keeps us from evil as we sometimes wander. Sometimes the same rod is used for our correction, but never in a harmful or hurtful way. It is always used to maintain direction and always handled with love and care for the flock. The rod is the Shepherds sign of discipline. Hebrews 12:11 reads, “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” If you look around you at the condition that the world is in today, you will easily see that the “peaceful fruit of righteousness” is somewhat lacking. I guarantee you that if you do not believe in loving discipline there is little peace in your home. We need to stand up for what is right and not allow the state or others dictate to us what is contrary to scripture concerning loving discipline. It is obvious that our nation is worse off due to the lack of it.

The rod and staff are also our protection against the enemy. In the hands of an expert, the staff can be a deadly weapon, allowing the wielder a victorious finish. We do not need to be afraid when it is wielded by the loving hands of the Good Shepherd. We only need to rest in His presence, take comfort in His love, and be assured that He has only our good in mind. He leads us; all we have to do is follow Him. I sometimes wonder why those that call themselves Christians struggle so hard and have such a hard time when all He asks of us is to follow Him. Just look up and keep your eyes on the Leader. When we were children we used to play a game called follow the leader and we always had fun; we could literally spend hours playing that game. When you’re a Christian it is no longer a game, but it really isn’t any harder either. We make a choice to allow Christ Jesus to be our “leader” and we only do and say what He tells us too.

Thou dost prepare a table before me in the
presence of my enemies; Thou hast anointed
my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Look at this sentence that David writes and think of the overwhelming confidence of the Shepherd that he is portraying. Remember, David used to be a shepherd. He is not describing someone fearful or hesitant. The enemies of the flock are out there, the Shepherd knows that they are all around. He knows that they are continually circling the pasture, they’re watching from across the stream where the sheep are feeding and resting. Yet, in the midst of all this, the Shepherd is preparing a table in the midst of the sheep, in the presence of the sheep’s enemies.

Now I want you to understand something; this Shepherd is not blind, uncaring or arrogant. He is very much aware of what is going on around Him and His flock, but He is confident and secure in His ability to protect His flock. Why prepare a table in their midst, though? Because He loves the sheep. He enjoys being around them and them being around Him. He knows that when they are in His presence they sense and know security. When He is near they understand that they are where they should be. This Shepherd also knows how to rest in their presence; so they can take comfort in His presence. They would be able to sense uneasiness if the Shepherd was anxious, but this Shepherd radiates warmth and security. They have no need to worry. He sits down to a meal and probably talks with different ones; He knows how to commune with His flock. He knows they take comfort in the sound of His voice. He calls them by name, they hear His voice and they come when He calls.

Jesus said it well as recorded in Chapter 10 of the Gospel of John. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. I am the good shepherd; and I know My own, and My own know Me.”—John 10:1-4, 14.

Psalm 23 verse 5 and 6 has stimulated a lot of commentary as to what these verses can mean; some of which strays from the context of the Good Shepherd and takes us into other areas of relationship with the Lord. But I feel this way; David was a shepherd; his heart was always seeking after the Lord, and he was a shepherd who had shown no fear while he was watching his father’s flock. I believe David was correlating his experience with his father’s sheep to the coming Messiah’s relationship with the Heavenly Father’s sheep. I believe David wrote under the inspiration and influence of the Holy Spirit, and that he didn’t change the context in mid-stream. I still see Christ’s role as a loving Shepherd in verses 5 and 6. We have no need to fear our enemies while we are in His presence. In John 10:27-29, Jesus says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” We can rest in His confidence and authority. Psalm 37 goes hand in hand with Psalm 23:5. Read it over and over when you feel like the enemy is surrounding you. When he is, look for the presence of God waiting to commune with you in their presence.

The next part of verse 5 is interesting; but when you view it in relation to the geography and customs of David’s time, you will see just how fitting it is in regards to our relationship today with our Good Shepherd. “He has anointed my head with oil.” Now picture this; you have been led through the valley, which is lush and fertile, but which also has it’s thorns and brambles. Maybe you have strayed a bit and you got tangled in some thicket. You got your eyes off of the Shepherd for just a moment and finally realized you had lost sight of Him. One moment you’re walking along safe and secure, the next your caught up in the cares of the world. Sound familiar? The next moment you feel His rod gently tugging you back to the path that He is leading you down. You finally reach that quiet stream and those cool pastures. But you’ve been hurt and scratched; He calls to you and you rush to Him ready for His outstretched arms. He looks you over and notices the scratches and cuts that you picked up from straying. He gently takes you in His arms and anoints your head with oil, a healing balm. Immediately you feel the effect of the soothing oil. It was common practice for shepherds to care for cuts and scratches, their own as well as the sheep, with oil, and why would the Good Shepherd be any different? The oil stands for anointing, and in the hands of Christ-the Anointed One, our spirit is invigorated, our body and soul is refreshed, allowing peaceful communion, sheep to Shepherd. The overwhelming sense of His love floods our being; this is what it means to be in the hands of the Good Shepherd.

“My cup overflows,” as it always will in the hands of the One whose love is beyond our imagination or total comprehension. Yet, when you are held in His arms, and when you are thoroughly aware of His presence, the love that you feel flowing from Him is almost more that we can bear. When you look back and reflect on all the blessings that being with the Good Shepherd provides; rest, refreshment, comfort, protection, peace, joy, anointing and health, etc., etc., surely you would agree with the Psalmist when he says, “my cup overflows.” It is more than one can contain within themselves, and just as love needs to be shared for it to actually be love, our cup of blessing needs to overflow to others. How long has it been since you have truly reflected on the benefits of serving our Lord and Shepherd? Have you considered all that He has done and provided to you? Can you, like David, praise Him for what He offers to you?

We have gone through the valley, fruit has been produced, but for more fruit to be produced we need to spread the seed of that fruit around to others. In John 15:9, Jesus said, “By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” In Galatians 5:22-23, Paul writes, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” This is the fruit that needs to be produced. As your cup overflows, you need to let others benefit. A cup that is only filled and allowed to sit, stagnates; but a cup that is continually overflowing will always produce that which is life sustaining.

Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow
me all the days of my life, and I will dwell
in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 25:10 states, “All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth—.” Since we have already established the fact that our paths are prepared and made right by the Lord, Psalm 37, and that as a Shepherd He leads and guides us, it only follows reason that goodness and lovingkindness will be an attribute “all the days of my life.” Remember that the one who follows God’s prepared paths has favor with Him already. Both these attributes usually refer to covenant benefits. The rest of Psalm 25:10 says, “To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.” His covenant is the agreement that has been ratified by His blood for our sakes; it’s His promises to us, if, we accept Him. His testimony is the affirmation of His truth. We publicly affirm the truth of all that He says and does, but we don’t just do that by what we say but by how we apply those truths to our lifestyles. Christianity is not just a set of verbal beliefs, but a set of beliefs put into practice with the goal of changing our lives to become more like Christ. The power and authority behind what we say is only there if it is evident in our lifestyles first. Anybody can speak the words of life, but only a Spirit led life can walk the walk. Those that attain that lifestyle have goodness and lovingkindness, as well as the other fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23.

“And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” The Hebrew word for forever implies; throughout the years. We have an eternal hope that after this life on earth is finished, we will inhabit our Father’s house, where Jesus said are many mansions. But following the leading of the Good Shepherd has also allowed us access to the Lord’s dwelling from the moment of our commitment on.

The Lord has set up His throne in an “earthly temple not made with hands.” Paul said in I Corinthians 3:16-17, “Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.” The writer also exhorts his readers to, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”—Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV). We can enter into the Father’s presence at all times, boldly; the New American Standard says, “with confidence;” because He has established His presence in our hearts! David knew this when he wrote, “And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” David knew the Lord’s holy temple would one day be in our hearts. I believe that is why God was looking for a “man after His own heart.” What love, what peace and contentment, what joy to know that He is with me always and “will never leave me nor forsake me.” Proverbs 18:24 ends by saying, “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” What greater blessing could mankind ask for? The Good Shepherd abiding in us and we in Him. The only way that we as sheep could ever get lost, would be for us to take our eyes from off Him and not acknowledge His presence in our lives. Even then, as a Good Shepherd, He will always leave the others to go and seek out the one that was lost, until found, Luke 15:4.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Version of the Bible. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the New King James Version of the Bible. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., publishers. Used by permission.
“Walking In Peace and Security,” Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, by Roland J. Ledoux & Oasis Bible Ministry. All rights reserved.
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The Character of a True Christian – Part II, J.C. Ryle

Posted on August 26, 2019 by Roland Ledoux


Keeping with the theme I am presenting from the excerpt of my book, “Walking In Peace and Security” I am continuing this wonderful sermon from a Preacher who was always true to his teaching. I am presenting it in two parts. This is Part Two. Be blessed!

John Charles Ryle (May 10, 1816 – June 10, 1900) was an evangelical Anglican clergyman and first Bishop of Liverpool. He was renowned for his powerful preaching and extensive tracts.

Part II

Continuing from Part I:

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)

II. The second thing to be considered in our text is that word “My.” Our Lord does not simply call His people sheep–but He says also “My sheep.” It is as though Jesus would have us understand He looks upon them as His property; they are, as it were, stamped and sealed and marked as the possession of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and it is a blessed, comfortable thought that even as men are careful and tender about their earthly belongings, and will not willingly allow them to be lost and damaged, so is our Lord and Savior careful of the souls that belong to Him.

But why are Christ’s people called Mine, in this particular manner? There are many sufficient reasons. We are “His” by ELECTION. We were chosen and given to Him by the Father before the foundations of the world were laid; our names were written in the covenant of salvation before we were born, we were predestined or fore-ordained to be His people from all eternity. That is a glorious, a soul-comforting doctrine, however some abuse it: a man may doubtless get to heaven and never feel sure that he was a true sheep of Christ’s flock until he gets there; he may walk in much darkness and uncertainty all his days–but to all who really feel in themselves the working of Christ’s Spirit, the doctrine that we are His by everlasting election, is full of sweet, pleasant and unspeakable consolation.

But again: Christ’s people are “His “by PURCHASE. Death and hell had claims upon every one of them, they had all broken the law and forfeited eternal life–but Christ has redeemed them. Christ paid the heavy price of their salvation, even His own most precious blood, and well may He call them “Mine,” for He has bought them off from captivity and Satan at the cost of His own life. He can say “They are Mine by fair purchase in time, as well as Mine by free election in eternity.”

And lastly, Christ’s people are “His” by ADOPTION. He has put His Spirit in them and overturned the power of sin in their hearts. He has given them a child-like frame of mind, so that they cry Abba Father; they are become part of His family, the very sons and daughters of the Almighty; He looks upon them as a portion of Himself, as members of His body and flesh and bones, and loves them and cherishes them accordingly.

See then, beloved, what great things that little word “My “contains. “My sheep” is the name that Jesus gives to Christians. “Mine” by election, by purchase, by adoption. Oh, believe: you may sometimes be cast down and faint-hearted–but if you have any real interest in that blessed title, if you are really in the number of Christ’s sheep, you have indeed good reason to rejoice.

III. But I must hasten on to the third point which our text lays down in the character of true believers “My sheep,” says Jesus, “hear My voice.” This hearing of Christ’s voice, what is it? It cannot be the mere hearing of the ears, for many do that who die in their sins. It must be the hearing with the heart, the listening with attention; the believing what is heard–the acting manfully on what is believed. And where may Christ’s voice be heard? It sometimes whispers in a sinner’s conscience, saying, Oh, do not these abominable things: turn, turn, why will you die? It sometimes speaks solemnly, in a visitation of providence, as a sickness or an accident or an affliction or a death, saying slowly but clearly, “Stop and think; consider your ways: are you ready to die and be judged?” But it generally is to be heard in the reading of Scripture or the preaching of the Gospel; then the voice of the Lord Jesus may be heard plain and distinct. One day it is sharp and piercing: “Except you repent you shall all likewise perish;” “You must be born again.” “Awake, you who sleep, and arise from the dead.” Another day it is gentle, winning, entreating: “Come unto me, O weary and heavy-laden one, and I will give you rest.” “If any man thirsts, let him come unto me and drink.” “Whoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” In all these ways and manners the voice of Jesus may be heard.

And here comes in the distinction between the converted and the unconverted. Those who are converted hear Christ’s voice–but they that are unconverted hear it not. The true sheep of Christ were once foolish and disobedient, serving divers lusts and pleasures, dead in trespasses and sins–but they heard their Redeemer’s voice at last, and when they heard they lived; they knew not at first who called them–but they heard a voice they could not disobey, and now they can tell you they are sure it was the Lord’s. They heard His voice, they listened to His invitation, they believed His promises, they confessed themselves sinners, and in Him they found peace. And now without His voice they will do nothing; His word, His saying, His command, His will is their rule of life–to be taught of Him by His Spirit and His Bible is their hearts’ desire and prayer–to hear about Him from His ministers is the food and drink of their souls. Their ears are like a dry soil, ever thirsting to drink in the water of life. Sometimes they may be tempted to turn aside to hear what the world can offer–but they soon go back again to sit at Jesus’ feet and hear His voice, with sorrow and shame and wonder for their own backslidings. The world cannot see that Christ’s voice is such a joyful sound; they dislike it–it offends them; to be told they are sinners, and must repent and believe or perish, is a stumbling-block. But Christ’s sheep are never offended; day after day they listen diligently to their Shepherd’s teaching; no music is so sweet to their ears as Jesus’ voice, and whether preached or written there is nothing they love so much. It seems as if it were spoken for their own particular case, and they cannot, they dare not, they would not for all the world disregard it.

IV. I must go on to the fourth and last mark of a true believer. “My sheep,” says the text in John, “hear my voice and follow me.” To follow Christ, that is the grand mark of Christians. No man shall ever say of them, they profess and do not practice, they say and do nothing for their Master’s sake; they must not only hear their Master’s voice–but follow Him. To follow Christ is to place implicit trust in Him as our Redeemer, Savior, Prophet, Priest, King, Leader, Commander and Shepherd; and to walk in His ways, straightforward. It is to take up our cross and subscribe our name among His people, to look to the Lamb as our Guide and follow Him wherever He goes. We are not to follow our own devices and trust in ourselves for salvation; we are not to follow that vain shadow of a hope, our own doings and performances–but we are to fix our eyes and hearts on Christ; on Him we are to rest our faith for free and full forgiveness, to Him we are to pray for grace to help in time of need, after Him we are to walk, as the best, the brightest, the purest example. The way may be narrow and steep, we must press forward, not turning to the right hand or the left; the way may be dark, we must keep on–there will be light enough in heaven.

O that Christians, the very best of them, were not so slack in following! Some stop to trifle with the perishable things of earth. Some stop to pick up the gaudy, scentless flowers by the wayside. Some stop to sleep, forgetting this is not our rest, it is enchanted ground. Some stop to pick holes and find fault with their fellow-travelers. Few of Christ’s sheep do hold on their way as steadily as they might. But still, compared with the world, they are following Christ Jesus. Oh that they would only remember, those who follow Him most fully, shall follow Him most comfortably! They are following Christ Jesus, and they know where they are going; and even in the dark river, in the valley of the shadow of death, they feel a confidence that their Shepherd will be with them, and His rod and His staff will comfort them. They would all tell you they are poor wandering sheep, less than the least of all God’s mercies, ashamed of the little fruit they bear–but still, weak as they are, they are determined to follow on to the end, and to say, “None but Christ, in life and in death, in time and in eternity.”

Such is the character which the text gives of true Christians. They are compared to sheep; they are called Christ’s property; they hear His voice, and they follow Him. To go further at this time would be plainly impossible, and I therefore purpose, if the Lord will, to speak to you about the other branch of the text–the privileges of Christians–this evening. By God’s blessing you shall then hear what their Savior is to His people. It only remains to wind up what has been already said by PERSONAL APPLICATION.

I told you this was a text for self-inquiry; and in that light I press upon each of you now. I call upon you, O man or O woman, to put your hand upon your heart and ask that little question, “Am I a sheep of Christ’s flock–or am I not? Do I hear His voice or do I not? Do I follow Him or do I not?” Does not your Redeemer and your judge say plainly, “This is the character of my people?” Does He not give you the most certain marks by which to try your state? and if you cannot see in yourself these marks, where and what are your claims to eternal life? Without them you are, for the present, no better than a lost soul. Do you not know there are only to be two sorts of characters before the judgment-seat–sheep on the right hand in honor, and goats on the left hand in disgrace? And do you not know it is just the same even now? There are only two classes of people upon earth–men who hear Christ and follow Christ and are in a way to be saved; and men who neither hear nor follow Him and are in a way to be lost? And which flock do you belong to? There is no middle state. Examine yourself and be wise in time.

Think not to put off this question by saying, “I shall do as well as the rest of the world,”–that well may be doing very badly. The way of the world, indeed! Bring the world to the bar, and try it by the text, “Does the world hear Christ?” Who will stand forth and say it does? Christ’s promises and invitations and warnings and threatening and instructions and exhortations are all alike disregarded and despised; the world is deaf to them; they might never have been spoken. “Oh,” says the world, “we shall do very well without minding all that; it was not meant for us.” And who was it meant for, then?

But again, does the world follow Christ? Who will stand up and say Yes to that? No, indeed! Christ’s ways and Christ’s example, holiness and love and meekness and temperance and self-denial, are the exceptions–the rare, scarce things in the world; and the things most frequent are anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, drunkenness, reveling, wantonness, pride, vanity, idleness, spiritual sloth, Bible-despising, prayer-neglecting, church-forgetting, worldliness, and the like. “Oh, never mind,” says the world; “we shall do very well without being so strict.” Very well in the devil’s opinion, who would love to ruin every living soul–but not very well in God’s. No; indeed the world will neither follow Christ nor hear Christ, anything else sooner–and yet remember it is the character of those who are to have eternal life that they hear Christ’s voice and follow Him. Sinner, remember, today I have told you.

And think not, O man, to put me off by saying, “At this rate very few will be saved.” You say very truly, and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself foretold it. But let me tell you a secret: Why is it so few are likely to be saved? God would have all men brought unto the knowledge of the truth: why do so many, so very many, come short and take the broad way which leads to destruction? Simply because they will not believe what God has told them in His word; simply because they will have it God will not stand to what He has written in His Bible; they will imagine heaven is to be entered without being Christ’s sheep–will have their own way and not God’s.

Remember, then, this day, I tell you, that God is willing to receive you if you will only turn to Him: if you will only resolve to think for yourself and never mind the world, if you will only hear the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ and follow Him, if you will only be in earnest and come unto Him for forgiveness and His Holy Spirit, He shall grant you your heart’s desire, and you shall never perish but have eternal life. But whether you will hear or whether you will forbear, Christ and Christ only is the way, the truth, and the life–and whatever the world may tell you, no man shall ever come unto the Father but by Him.

oChristian.com; http://articles.ochristian.com/article15938.shtml Public Domain, used by permission.
J.C. Ryle Website: https://www.theopedia.com/john-charles-ryle
J.C. Ryle Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JCRyleQuotes/

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Walking In Peace And Security – Part I

Posted on August 22, 2019 by Roland Ledoux


This is an excerpt continued from my Book, “Walking in Christ” and specifically the Chapter, “Walking In Peace and Security.” Over the next week or so, I will be posting the teaching as it deals with Psalm 23 and its significance and importance in a Christian’s life. The Book is available in PDF form by clicking the link, Walking In Christ, or the picture of the Book to the right of this article. It is free for anyone who wants to read it. Again, the download is free. Part I begins with verses 1-3.

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.

Even though this is one of the most beloved Psalms and poems, it is not for everyone. Rather, this psalm refers to those who have made Christ, the Good Shepherd, their Lord, through a definite act of faith. We are only His sheep if we have personally accepted Him as our Good Shepherd. Joel 2:32 states, “And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered.” Also, Romans 10:9-11, 13 says, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.’ For, ‘Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.’” You can see how much this is a personal relationship; therefore, He is my Shepherd, I shall not want. Everything that follows this statement belongs to me; it is mine personally. My parents can’t acquire it for me. My friends can’t give it to me as a gift. I have to make the life-changing personal decision on my own, and you can see that it is not just a matter of saying something, I must believe it in my heart. We need to be very mindful that the God who searches the hearts knows our true heart condition.

Now notice the implication in the statement, I shall not want. All of my needs will be met. Notice it says needs. If I don’t have all that I desire, either it is not God’s time, or what I desire is not good, or it is harmful to me. The Shepherd knows what is good and necessary for the welfare of His sheep. His supply is based on His love for His sheep. Read Matthew 6:25-33. See how the Lord cares for what you need concerning food and drink as well as clothing. Verse 32 says that, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” But notice verse 33, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.” What loving concern from our Good Shepherd, and all we have to do is to follow His leading into His Kingdom and into His righteousness. Notice also that your right to choose is not violated. You have every right to continue life as you know it or to pursue after His Kingdom and His righteousness. God will never take away your freedom to choose. Just remember though, that the rewards for following Him far outweigh what you think you may possess now. When we follow Him, “All these things will be added.”

He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.

The Lord is concerned for our rest; most of the time much more so than we ourselves are. He makes or causes us to rest, to relax, to lie down. He makes provision and creates the atmosphere for us to rest in, if we are His and, He knows where all the green pastures are. My wife and I used to do a lot of camping in the past and every once in a while we would carry along our fishing poles. It didn’t take long to learn where the best camp spots or fishing holes were, and when we needed to get away, we would always pick out the best spots that were available. The Lord does the same thing for us. He loves us so much that when He provides not only the time for rest, He also has the best “pastures” picked out. The pastures are not only a place of quiet rest spiritually and physically, but they also symbolize the best in nourishment. In other words, our daily bread.

How often have we pursued some work for the Lord, only to find ourselves growing weary and tired? How often has the Holy Spirit, in those situations, led you to that place of refreshing and rest? He knows what is best for His children. We never lack because He supplies our needs and does so abundantly. When Christ said that He came to give life and that more abundantly, one of the aspects of an abundant lifestyle is the times of spiritual as well as physical refreshing that we get when we do rest in the Lord. “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land. The humble will inherit the land, and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.”—Psalm 37:7, 9, 11.

God gives His children quiet and contentment in their minds no matter what condition that they find themselves in. He causes us to lie down. He is all-knowing and all-wise and only desires the best for us. The Apostle Paul said it best in his letter to the Philippians, ”I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.” Also, this following scripture is the whole key, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”—4:11-13. Christ Jesus is our Good Shepherd; we get our strength, our refreshing, and our nourishment, all that makes us strong, from Him.

Our refreshing comes “beside quiet waters.” Here is where we find pleasure and enjoyment. If you are a Christian, it is okay to have pleasure and to enjoy life. This attitude that a Christian should always be solemn doesn’t even take into consideration that one of the “fruit of the Spirit” is itself joy. Spiritual joy, joy from God, our Father, with which we derive strength. Read Nehemiah 8:10, and see that what I’m saying is true.

The quiet waters, still waters, does not mean stagnant, but rather the silent running waters that you would find giving life to a quiet pool; waters that are pure and invigorating. Have you ever noticed that to keep a small pool of water clean and pure, you need the running waters entering the pool, but by the same token, the pool has to be giving out waters at the same time. When we allow the Holy Spirit to use us as His vessel, His “pool”, we also will have “Rivers of living water” flowing from us, John 7:38. God’s Word is like that; ever fresh, ever life giving. His Word is cleansing and again Paul makes his point well in Ephesians 5:25-27, “Just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her; that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless.” As sheep, we are not only refreshed but cleansed by the “quiet waters.” Notice also that in the pastures we are made to lie down, but we are led to quiet waters. The psalmist says, “He leads me.” We have to follow where He leads, and to effectively follow, our eyes must be on Him. We can rest assured that it is His love that motivates Him to lead us to what is good and beneficial. When our eyes are on Him, and not always on the turmoil around us, we are assured of that perfect place of rest and peace.

He restores my soul; He guides me in the
paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Have you lost sight of the green pastures, and the quiet waters? Jesus is the Good Shepherd and He will search unceasing until you are found. Jesus gave an example to the Pharisees and scribes which is found in Luke 15:4-5 where Jesus says, “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.”

The Good Shepherd restores. If God’s children are hurting, if they have lost something once in their possession, it is He who brings it back into being. Just as the shepherd of old, lovingly tended an ailing lamb, so the Lord tends to those of His flock who are ailing. He was lost but now he’s found; he was sick but now he’s whole. Precious are the promises to those who are willing to follow the Good Shepherd.

The soul is said to be the seat of the emotions, as well as the mind and intellect. Do you lack peace, joy, or faith? The author of these can restore them to you; raise your eyes, look to the Good Shepherd, follow him as He leads you to restoration, and allow His arms to enfold you.

Again, we see His leading, His gentle guiding hand. Psalm 37 was also penned by King David, and in verse 23, David says, “The steps of a good man are established by the Lord; and He delights in his way.” Established, in the original Hebrew, means, to prepare, to make right. In other words, God prepares and makes right every one of our steps, especially in the paths of righteousness, or right standing with Him. Psalm 66:9 says of the Lord, “Who keeps us in life, and does not allow our feet to slip.” In Psalm 37, the Hebrew word for delight means, to be pleased, to have favor. When a child of God follows the steps prepared by the Lord, God is pleased with them and they find favor with God. When you follow His leading, you truly are a favored child. Following the Lord takes faith to believe that where He leads is for your best, but Hebrews 11:6 starts out by saying, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him.” In other words, following His leading faithfully is pleasing to Him. He leads us to a place of right standing before Him, “for His name’s sake!” He leads you so that He may be glorified in all that you say and do, just as He glorified the Father in all that He said and did. If you claim to be a “Christian” and are doing something at His bidding, or at the very least, say you are, then what you do and how you do it, reflects on His name. This reminds me of a certain saying a good friend of mine gave me a couple of years ago. I have it framed on my office wall and it says, “Religion says: I do the work, God accepts it, and I get the credit. But true Christianity says: God does the work, I accept it, and God gets the credit!” Everyone who claims to be a Christian, whether practicing it or not follows one or the other of these categories. If we are truly His sheep, then He should definitely be getting the credit for what is accomplished; after all, who’s leading who? When we stand before the throne of God our Father, it will not be due to the things that we have done or our worthiness, but due to the unselfish devotion of Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Version of the Bible. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the New King James Version of the Bible. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., publishers. Used by permission.
“Walking In Peace and Security,” Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, by Roland J. Ledoux & Oasis Bible Ministry. All rights reserved.

Next time, we’ll conclude with Walking In Peace and Security – Part II, verses 4-6.

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God Restores The Soul – Wendy L. Macdonald

Posted on August 22, 2019 by Roland Ledoux


In keeping with the theme I am presenting from the excerpt of my book, “Walking In Peace and Security” I was praying about other articles that might go along with this theme and what to my wonderful surprise, one of my favorite Christian writers posted this on Facebook. You all know how much I love poetry so this is fitting! It was perfect timing, it was the Holy Spirit for sure. Be blessed and enjoy!

God restores the soul

Who turns her life to Him

And trusts He’s in control

Of each and every thing

God restores the soul

Of she who believes

He’s the Good Shepherd

Who meets our every need.

~ wlm ~

Blessings as you trust He is watching over us.


© Wendy L. Macdonald Used with permission.
Wendy L. Macdonald Facebook Page
Wendy L. Macdonald WordPress Blog

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The Character of a True Christian – Part I, J.C. Ryle

Posted on August 22, 2019 by Roland Ledoux


Keeping with the theme I am presenting from the excerpt of my book, “Walking In Peace and Security” I am including this wonderful sermon from a Preacher who was always true to his teaching. I am presenting it in two parts. Be blessed!

John Charles Ryle (May 10, 1816 – June 10, 1900) was an evangelical Anglican clergyman and first Bishop of Liverpool. He was renowned for his powerful preaching and extensive tracts.

Part I

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)

That is a glorious saying, a perfect and complete text; containing all I need to know for my soul’s comfort, full of privileges and mercies for true believers and penitent sinners, and at the same time shutting the door effectually against self-righteous Pharisees and whitened sepulchers and painted hypocrites. It shows us two things: the character of real Christians, and the spiritual treasures they possess. Or, in other words, what they are to their Savior–and what their Savior is to them. I propose this morning to consider these two things in order, and I pray God you may all be led to examine yourselves by the light which the text affords.

I. First, then, with respect to true Christians–their names, their marks, their character–what does the text say about them? “My sheep,” we read, “hear my voice and follow me.” The Lord Jesus Christ likens them to sheep; and He declares “they are mine, and they hear me and follow me.” There is matter we shall do well to consider in each of these expressions.

True Christians, then, are compared to SHEEP, and we shall find a great depth of meaning in the comparison if we look into it. Sheep are the most harmless, quiet, inoffensive creatures that God has made. So should it be with Christians: they should be very humble and lowly-minded, as disciples of Him who said, “Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.” They should be known as people of a very gentle and loving spirit, who desire to do good to all around them, who would not injure anyone by word or deed; who do not seek the great things of this world–but are content to go straightforward on the path of duty and take whatever it shall please God to send them. They ought to show forth in their lives and outward conversation that the Holy Spirit has given them a new nature, has taken away their old corrupt disposition and planted in them godly thoughts and purposes and desires.

When, therefore, we see people biting and devouring one another, saying and doing uncharitable things to their neighbors, fierce, and passionate and evil-tempered and angry on the slightest occasion; full of envy and strife and bitter speaking–surely we are justified in saying, “You do not belong to Christ’s flock; you have yet to be born again and made new creatures; there must be a mighty change. Profess what you please, at present we can only see in you the mind of the old man, even Adam the first–but nothing of the Second Adam, even Christ Jesus the Lord. We can discern the spirit of the wolf, however fair your clothing, and we want instead to discover in you the spirit of the lamb.”

But again, sheep are of all animals the most useful; none are so serviceable to man, none so necessary in every way for his comforts and conveniences; and such should be the character of a true Christian. We must study to do good in our day and generation and lay ourselves out for the spiritual and temporal advantage of our brethren. All can do much: it is not the rich alone, and the great, who are able to be useful; there are a hundred ways of conferring benefits beside the form of giving gold and silver; and each in his respective station can do good if he desires.

Has not a poor man a tongue? Then surely, if he is a sheep of Christ’s flock, he will use it for his neighbors’ profit, when occasion is afforded; he will warn and entreat and counsel and persuade; he will reason and argue, as a witness and servant of God, against sin and carelessness in every shape; he will show himself an affectionate lover of men’s souls, who would gladly impart to others the knowledge he has found valuable to himself. He will never allow wickedness to pass unnoticed if, by saying a quiet word on the Lord’s side, he may perchance restrain it. He will never allow anger and strife to continue, if he can be the means of making peace.

And then has not a poor man a feeling heart? Then surely, if he is a true sheep of Christ’s flock, he will remember those who are in adversity, as being himself in the body. He will not shun the house of mourning–but strive to be a comforter, bearing in mind the proverb “A word spoken in season, how good is it.” He will weep with those who weep, as well as rejoice with those who rejoice. He will let men see that he is a real child of his Father in heaven, who does good to the just and the unjust too and is kind even to the unthankful and the evil.

And cannot a poor man pray? Yes! and effectual fervent prayer avails much. And if he prays for the souls of others, who knows but he may draw down benefits on all around him? Oh! but a real praying Christian, a man who is constantly asking for the Spirit to come down on the place in which he dwells and convert the sleepers–that man is a mighty benefactor. He is working a powerful engine, and if he is the cause of one single person being converted, he has done something that makes all heaven rejoice.

Brethren, let it be written on our minds that all can do much, and those who belong to Christ’s flock will strive to do much. No man is so really useful in a church, as a true Christian; and no one can have much real Christianity about him who does not endeavor to do good either by his advice or by his example or by his prayers. Are we indeed the sheep of Christ? Let us never forget this point of our character.

A genuine Gospel-faith has nothing selfish about it–it never makes a man think only of his own salvation. It stirs him up, on the contrary, to concern about the souls of others. I always suspect that those who care nothing whether their brethren are saved or not, must in reality be ignorant or thoughtless about their own state.

Again. Sheep love to be together; they do not like being alone; there are no animals which seem to take such pleasure in being in a flock, and cling to each other’s company so faithfully. And so is it with true Christians: it is their delight to meet each other and be together, if possible. It is their continual sorrow and complaint that far too often they have to journey on alone, without any who are like-minded to commune with, about the things which their souls love most; and this is a very sore trial. Friends and relations may be kind and affectionate, they may have everything to make this world enjoyable–but what Christ’s sheep sigh and crave after is to have with them people who can enter into their secret feelings, who understand the unseen workings of their inward man, who can comprehend the hidden warfare which goes on in their hearts–people with whom they can take sweet counsel about their souls’ health and souls’ trials, with whom they can converse freely and unreservedly about their Lord and Master and their hopes of forgiveness through His name.

Who, indeed, can describe the pleasure with which the members of Christ’s flock do meet each other face to face? They may have been strangers before; they may have lived apart, and never been in company–but it is wonderful to observe how soon they seem to understand each other, there seems a thorough oneness of opinion, and taste and judgment, so that a man would think they had known each other for years; they seem, indeed, to feel they are servants of one and the same Master, members of the same family, and have been converted by one and the same Spirit; they have one Lord, one faith, one baptism; they have the same trials, the same fears, the same doubts, the same temptations, the same fainting’s of heart, the same dread of sin, the same sense of unworthiness, the same love of their Savior. Oh–but there is a mystical union between true believers, which they only know who have experienced it; the world cannot understand it–it is all foolishness to them. “Whatever can you find,” they say, “to make you take such interest in each other’s society?” But that union does really exist, and a most blessed thing it is; for it is like a little foretaste of heaven.

Beloved, this loving to be together is a special mark of Christ’s flock–nor is it strange if we consider they are walking in the same narrow way, and fighting against the same deadly enemies–and never are they so happy as when they are in company. The unconverted know nothing of such happiness; they meet each other, and are civil and polite, and even kind in their way–but how seldom do they open their whole hearts, how much of jealousy and cold suspicion there is about their very friendships, how much they conceal from their nearest acquaintances! The sheep of Christ know nothing of all this; it is their hearts’ desire to be together, and when together they have all their thoughts in common, there is no reserve, no keeping back.

No doubt there are false professors in the world, who have a form of godliness without the power–tinkling cymbals whose religion consists only in talk, all sound and no substance–but notwithstanding the number of these hypocrites, I still say that true believers are remarkable for their love of communion and fellowship with each other; they are ready to pine away with heaviness when separate; it is their very life-breath to be together.

The last thing I would remark about sheep is this: they are of all animals most helpless, most ready to stray, most likely to lose themselves and wander out of their pasture; and so it is with Christ’s people. They are far too ready to turn aside and go in ways that are not good; in vain they are warned and advised to be watchful and take heed to their path; they often get into a drowsy, sleepy frame, and imagine there is no danger, and so they wander down some bypath, and are only wakened by some merciful chastisement or heavy fall. They imagine that they are strong enough to get on without this constant vigilance, and so they take their eye off the Chief Shepherd, and wander on from this field to that, after their own desires, until they find themselves at last in darkness and doubt. And Christ’s sheep, too, like other sheep, do seldom return to the fold without some damage and loss, for it is far more easy to get out of the right way when you are in–than to get into it when you are out.

There are some people who imagine Christians are perfect and faultless creatures–but this is indeed an opinion far wide of the truth. No doubt they aim at perfection–but the very best come far short of it; they would tell you that in many things they offend daily, that they are continually erring and straying and backsliding, that the most fitting prayer they could offer up would be this: “Lord, we are no better than wandering sheep. God be merciful to us unworthy sinners!”

And then, too, like sheep, true Christians are easily frightened. It takes very little to alarm them and make them fearful about their own condition; they are jealous and suspicious of danger from every quarter, and, like creatures who know their own weakness and the number of their enemies, they will often imagine there is something to be feared where no fear really is. But still this godly fear is an eminent sign of Christ’s flock–it proves that they feel their own helplessness; and when a man knows nothing of it, and is full of presumptuous confidence, there is but too much reason to suspect he knows little of Christianity as he ought to know it.

Such appear to be the reasons why true believers are compared to sheep. They may not always be discerned in this corrupt and naughty world; you may often see no great difference between them and the unbelievers–but still they have a nature of their own, and sooner or later, if you observe, you will see it. You may put a flock of sheep and a flock of swine together in a broad green meadow, and an ignorant man might say at first their natures were the same–but drive them together in a narrow road, with a puddle at one side, and the mind of the animal will soon come out. The swine may have looked clean in the meadow–but as soon as they have the opportunity they will wallow in the mud. The sheep were clean in the meadow, and when they come to the dirt, they will keep clean there too if they possibly can. Just so is the case of the Christian and the world: when things run smoothly, and there is no particular inducement to sin, there seems no mighty difference between them–but when there comes a temptation, and self-denial is required, immediately the disposition of the heart comes uppermost–the Christian holds on his way, however narrow it may be, the worldly-minded turns down that broad lane which leads to destruction, and the real character of each is revealed.

Next time we will present Part II.

oChristian.com; http://articles.ochristian.com/article15938.shtml Public Domain, used by permission.
J.C. Ryle Website: https://www.theopedia.com/john-charles-ryle
J.C. Ryle Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JCRyleQuotes/

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Walking In Peace And Security – Intro

Posted on August 19, 2019 by Roland Ledoux


This is an excerpt from my Book, “Walking in Christ” and specifically the Chapter, “Walking In Peace and Security.” Over the next week or so, I will be posting the teaching as it deals with Psalm 23 and its significance and importance in a Christian’s life. The Book is available in PDF form by clicking the link, Walking In Christ, or the picture of the Book to the right of this article. It is free for anyone who wants to read it. Again, the download is free.

If you desire to experience the fullness of God’s unfathomable love as one of His children, a study of one of the greatest Psalms, Psalm 23, will help you to understand the depth of the Lord’s love in your life. It is not only an appreciation of the Father’s love that you will walk away with, but a new sense of peace and security. When you know, I mean really know, and not just intellectually, but as it is revealed by the Spirit to your spirit, that you are being held securely in His arms; nothing can or will ever again be able to cause you to stagger.

As Christian’s, we should always look to Christ Jesus as our supreme example. The apostles and disciples were great men who tried to pattern their lives after their Lord, Jesus Christ; we already know Jesus followed the example of the Father.

“Truly, truly I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.” -John 5:19-

All scripture from beginning to end, Genesis through Revelation, points to and reveals the character of our Messiah, our Redeemer and our Good Shepherd.

“You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me.” -John 5:39-

We need to understand the Scriptures, but not so much to know ABOUT Jesus, but rather to get to KNOW Him, intimately. After all, history can tell us about Him and His life and the period in which He lived, but to search and meditate upon the Word is to commune with Him, for He IS the Word.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” -John 1:1-2, 14-

The world, which we live in today, knows of Him; ask anyone on the street if they know OF Jesus Christ, and most will tell you yes, but we are able to truly KNOW Him, and be better for it.

A MATTER OF HISTORY

From the very beginning and all throughout scriptures we see prominent biblical figures cast in the roll of a shepherd. It is the most often mentioned occupation in the Bible, and it is evident that the shepherds had a very special place in God’s heart.

Shepherding was very important to the way of life in ancient times. A shepherd often traveled long distances looking for water and green pasture. A shepherd had to not only feed the flock, but to protect it from wild animals as well. A shepherd could learn many lessons just by watching his flock and observing how they acted and behaved. It was no wonder that the Lord likens His children to sheep. Some shepherds had mixed flocks; that is, goats and sheep together. An interesting fact is that while sheep could be led, goats usually had to be herded or driven.

It is not so very surprising then to note that so many examples in Scripture, and so many types and shadows of Jesus and His followers, are identified with shepherds and their flocks. You only have to read the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and David to see the examples that God has so graciously set before us.

It is also no wonder that so many of the Old Testament prophets, even up to the time of Christ, used the illustration of a shepherd and his flock to get their messages across to the common people. Even their early history assumes that you understand the aspects of a shepherd’s trade.

We, therefore, should not be surprised in understanding how Israel looked to their religious leaders as shepherds; especially since so many of their great, heroic leaders came from leading flocks of sheep. Even their expectations of a promised Messiah was likened so much to that of a shepherd.

God, as our Father, has always wanted to have a relationship with His children. He created man expressly for that purpose, but man through his sinfulness has lost sight of that primary reason. Man is likened to the sheep that has been lost, and at the very least to the sheep that has strayed. I firmly believe that is why the Old Testament is so rich with illustrations portraying shepherding. The blessings that we derive from these lessons are predominantly due to the fact that they all point to Christ as the perfect example of the Good Shepherd.

The Old Testament writers and prophets lived in expectation of the Promised Christ, the Great and Good Shepherd. We have the ability to live forth their expectations, because the Great and Good Shepherd has arrived! His promised coming has become a reality to us! With His arrival, and His lifestyle example set before us as the perfect pattern of living, we have the ability to see into the heart of God and realize in a very real and intimate way the depth of His love for us, as His children.

A MATTER OF HEART

A good portion of the Psalms was written by King David, himself risen from the occupation of a shepherd. In fact, when God instructed the Prophet Samuel to anoint a new King to replace Saul, David was even then tending his father’s sheep. The Lord told Samuel, He was seeking a man “after His own heart” (Emphasis mine) 1 Samuel 13:14 and Acts 13:22. This was the man whom the Holy Spirit inspired to write the Psalm of the Good Shepherd, Psalm 23. What better person is there to write about the characteristics of a good shepherd than a good shepherd himself?

Psalm 23

    1.  The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
    2.  He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.
    3.  He restores my soul; He guides me in the path of righteousness for His name’s sake.
    4.  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.
    5.  Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows.
    6. Surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

J.R. Littleproud, a Bible teacher and writer in the early 1900’s wrote a short outline on this great Psalm which to this day is hard to improve upon:

    1. The secret of a happy life: every need supplied.
      “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
    2. The secret of a happy death: every fear removed.
      “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; for You are with me.”
    3. The secret of a happy eternity: every desire fulfilled.
      “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

*While researching all I could concerning Psalm 23, I came across a statement from an unknown source who states how the compound names of Jehovah in the Old Testament reflect the remaining contents of Psalm 23. Again, I am NOT the author of this, but couldn’t pass up adding this inciteful teaching!

  • “I shall not want” – Jehovah-Jireh, “the Lord will provide” (Genesis 22:14)
  • “still waters”- Jehovah-Shalom, “the Lord our peace” (Judges 6:24)
  • “restores my soul” – Jehovah-Rophe, “the Lord who heals” (Exodus 15:26)
  • “paths of righteousness”- Jehovah-Tsidkenu, “the Lord our righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:16)
  • “thou art with me” – Jehovah-Shammah, “the Lord is there” (Ezekiel 48:35)
  • “presence of my enemies” – Jehovah-Nissi, “the Lord our banner” (Exodus 17:15)
  • “anoint my head” – Jehovah-M’Kaddesh, “the Lord who sanctifies” (Leviticus 20:8)
*Not in the published Book, but in the original draft manuscript. — Pastor Roland Ledoux
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God Looks At The Heart

Posted on August 19, 2019 by Roland Ledoux



1 Samuel 16:7, But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

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Vessels or Vassals?

Posted on August 16, 2019 by Roland Ledoux


I posted this on another site three-and-a-half years ago and thought that I had also published it on this site. Evidently I didn’t and I wanted to repost it because of what is going on in many of our churches today and within the lives of those who claim to follow Jesus Christ. It is presented in its entirety and just as relevant now as a few years ago. —- Pastor Roland Ledoux


Now you may be wondering why in the world would I use a somewhat archaic term such as “vassals” in reference to this lesson, but I’ll give you the dictionary meaning. According to the Oxford Dictionary, the meaning is as follows:

NOUN
Historical
vassals (plural noun)

1. a holder of land by feudal tenure on conditions of homage and allegiance.

synonyms: serf · dependent · servant · slave · subject · bondsman ·

a person or country in a subordinate position to another:

Example: “a much stronger nation can also turn a weaker one into a vassal state”

Powered by Oxford Dictionaries · © Oxford University Press

2 Corinthians 4:5-7, “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”

Servanthood, paying allegiance to whom many of us call “our Heavenly Father,” sounds noble enough, doesn’t it? Isn’t that what God, Jehovah, our Creator desires of us after all?

Many people, Christians, live their lives according to this premise. They do what they think the Lord commands them to do. They give, they share, they attend church religiously, they help where asked, as servants, they are the epitome of what a Christian truly is. Sorry folks, don’t mean to shatter your image of what a Christian should be, but that is not it!

The difference between a vassal and a true servant of the Lord is those words that keep cropping up in my teaching, unconditional love, or in Biblical terms, AGAPE!! You see, a vassal is a servant under obligation. They give allegiance or homage to someone for something in return, and as you see in the definition used above, usually as a weaker subject under a stronger one.

Okay, you might be saying, “but our Lord IS the stronger in our relationship, and we are the weaker, it’s all over the Bible.” Again, true, but you’re missing an important part of being a vassal, obligation! Love doesn’t have to enter in at all. You’re not quite a slave, but you’re also not your own person, because you are doing something FOR something. In feudal times, is was allegiance for land. You didn’t have to love the “lord of the land” you just had to be there for him, you paid him a tax or a fee. Whether it be actual currency or crops, you gave a part of your work for the benefit of living on a parcel of land.

Obligation, unconditional love? Aren’t they the same though when we relate to the Lord? After all, we most often use the term, “Lord!” Doesn’t he DESERVE our unconditional love and shouldn’t we expect something in return, say, Heaven perhaps?? What’s wrong with that? Isn’t that how religion works anyway?

Wow! You bet it is!! RELIGION works exactly that way, Muslim, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and on and on and on. But religion is NOT being “spiritual.” It is NOT walking in the Spirit! Christianity was NEVER meant to be a religion; it was the Romans who called it a new religion, it was the Jewish Pharisees who termed it a new religion. It is and was always meant to be a changed lifestyle; a changed LIFE!!

Being obligated to someone does not equate to unconditional “agape” love! Unconditional means just that; NOT expecting anything in return. You can know that Heaven is involved, but even if it wasn’t, unconditional love says you would love anyway! You love someone for who they are, not for what you can get. A vassal will always expect something in return and a vassal’s lord will always expect to give something in return for that loyalty!

On the other hand, when you SURRENDER yourself, especially your will to another, you do just what that term defines; you give up. You give up yourself, self, YOUR life. You place your life, self, will into the hands of the other, without regard for anything in return. I have said this over and over and over and I will not stop, LOVE is an action; it is a verb. As a true Christian, we are not speaking of love as a noun, as a THING, as a feeling. Yes, the feeling could be there, and it will be, eventually, but it first takes the action and only after the action, is the thing, the feeling realized in truth and actuality!


A Christian’s walk, his life is based on the doing, the very act of loving and not the feeling. In the case of intercessory prayer, another action that I teach about, how can you rely on the feeling for someone you may never know or even meet face to face while on this earth? If I relied on my feeling alone for someone, they would never BE intercession. But LOVE, unconditionally given, expecting nothing in return, motivates me to action, to spend time in prayer for someone I may never meet until Heaven; and even then we might not meet them, but that is not the point of intercession. We intercede because we pray for the Lord’s creation because they ARE the Lord’s creation, therefore, our brothers and sisters in flesh if not in spirit! We pray for another’s well-being and we may never know how that prayer is answered. Notice I said how and not if that prayer is answered. Our Heavenly Father ALWAYS answers prayer and especially intercessory prayer!

A vassal, doesn’t do that. Because he doesn’t get anything in return for the time spent. Time spent is just that, it is spent, it can’t be regained, you don’t barter or negotiate with the Creator for more time (despite the Bibles evidence that it has been done, does not make it a doctrine or something to expect again!).

But you see, the Apostle Paul stated this in 2 Corinthians that “we have this treasure in earthen vessels,…” Notice that? Vessels, not vassals. We have a treasure in earthen vessels! First, a vessel is something totally different than what we have been discussing. A vessel is a container, something which can HOLD something that is put or poured into it. Second, a vessel has no control over what goes into it. It is an object, a tool, something to be used for a given purpose.

As a Christian, a person who has (supposedly) given up their lives, their selves, their will, they become empty vessels (we should be empty) that the Lord, our Redeemer can use for whatever purpose HIS will deems fit. To become an empty vessel DEMANDS an action of unconditional love! To give up your will, your life so that our Heavenly Father can use you for whatever purpose He sees fit, takes an action of love. It is not, nor could it be motivated by only a feeling. If you give yourself up for any other reason it is not unconditional and therefore not the kind of love that the Lord can use.

The Apostle Paul tells us why the Lord wants this kind of vessel, “that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” The excellency of the power? What power? You know if you are only the vessel it HAS to be God’s power for we have no power, excellent or not! “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

He desires to use us to show or demonstrate the LIGHT of knowledge, the Glory of His being and of His Son, Jesus Christ! It is the same light that He commanded to chase away the darkness in the world, in the universe! Genesis 1:3-4, “And 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.” Now THAT is power!! AND He wants to use us a vessel, a container to demonstrate that power!! How AWESOME and amazing is that?!

But remember, only an empty vessel can be used. If you place yourself at the feet of the Lord and say, “here I am, use me” you better make sure that the vessel is usable. Empty means just that, nothing in it already or else you will be diluting the power and the demonstration of light and knowledge that our Lord wants others to see. The same principle is applied in the parable of hiding your light (His LIGHT) under a basket!

And here’s the kicker; only through the Blood of Jesus Christ, can allow us to present ourselves as vessels worthy of being used as the receptacle for the power of God! Only the Blood of the Redeemer can coat the insides of this vessel. It HAS to cover our heart, our mind, it has to renew our spirit so that we may be united as one with the Lord just as the Father and Son are one!

Now imagine this, imagine the light that would shine, if we ALL as empty vessels allow the Lord through the Blood of our Redeemer and the unity found in the Holy Spirit, that we could generate to a darkened world!! I’m not talking about some “kumbaya” moment, that lasts only that long; I’m talking about lives that magnify and shine the “light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” out to a dark and dying world!

Can you imagine? Can you see with your spiritual eyes, the kind of impact that would have all around us? Light shining out in unity instead of being closed off or covered by the four walls of a “brick and mortar” organization that was never meant to dampen the power and light of a God and Father who wishes that NONE in the world should perish. Also don’t forget what was stated before, if we are to be those vessels and if the power of that light was meant to shine forth from us, then we can’t have any filters, or masks on. That light has to shine forth not just to the world but to each of us who call one another brother and sister! That demands, transparency, warts and all! Spots and wrinkles if you want!

Jesus is coming back for a church without spot or wrinkle and the only way to NOT have spots or wrinkles is if the Blood of Christ Jesus is washing away those blemishes. Have you noticed that when your clothes have a stain and you put it in the washer, that it takes time to get that stain out? You notice that your washer uses a cleaner AND agitation? Jesus’ Blood is our cleaner and the trials of the world is the agitation! We need one another, those who have already surrendered ourselves to Christ and His will to be in UNITY of the Holy Spirit and to recognize that each of us is in a state of cleaning. Some have been in the cleaning process for a while and some have just been put into the “washer.”

The key is to look at one another through the eyes of God, our Father. He sees each of us who have surrendered to the Blood of Jesus and empowered by His Spirit as already clean. The same way you expect your clothes to be clean as soon as you place them in the washer. You already see them clean. So it is with the Father! We each need to walk in that same light!

A vessel is a vessel because of yielding oneself voluntarily to be used for the purpose of God our Father. We do so because HE IS the Father and for no other reason, unconditionally. We encourage one another in the same light. We strengthen one another for that same purpose, without judgement, and in unity through the Spirit that empowers and quickens us. Only in that do we become a force in this darkened world for the Lord’s knowledge to shine forth. Let’s take off our masks, let’s be transparent for if we truly are the Lord’s, there are no secrets before Him? Let us love one another AND our neighbor as the Lord loves us all, unconditionally. Let the Holy Spirit of God deal with the consequences of those unselfish actions.


In closing, let US become the Church, the Body of Christ, the BRIDE of Christ that Jesus is coming back for!! Unconditional Love, it’s the theme of the whole Bible. It was the theme of Jesus when He walked this earth and it is STILL the theme of Christ who lives and breathes in each of our hearts. It’s that theme that allows us THROUGH Christ Jesus, the same intimate relationship with the Father, empowered by His Holy Spirit! It is why today, right now, we ARE called, as the Apostle John writes in his Epistles, children of God! Let’s be the earthen vessels that allows that light to shine out to others!!

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I John 3:7-9

Posted on August 8, 2019 by Roland Ledoux


1 John 3:7-9, “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.”

Throughout his Epistle, the Apostle John continues in his writing to infer the differences between true disciples of Jesus Christ and the sect known as the Gnostics; mainly because their teaching was so prevalent during his time. Here again, John is making an inference, when he again warns the readers to “let no one deceive you.” The Gnostics were so prideful in their supposed knowledge of the spiritual and yet were extremely careless about their practical and personal lives. The beloved Apostle again uses the familial expression of endearment, “Little children,” to get their attention. This shows his extreme concern for the readers as well as the severity of his warning, “DO NOT BE DECEIVED!”

Again, the Apostle reiterates a point that he has made clear previously. There should be no confusion in the readers mind as to that point; a person who PRACTICES righteousness is righteous, just as Christ Jesus IS righteous. Again, going back to what we have taught in the past; Jesus does not have to become or practice righteousness for He already IS righteous. His nature is one of righteousness. The follower of Christ on the other hand has to PRACTICE at being righteous. Practice does not, nor will it ever denote that we have arrived, but rather as the Apostle Paul likes to state, “we pursue, we strive, we move forward to that which we wish to attain!” We don’t look backward at past mistakes, failures of for that matter successes, but rather are constantly looking forward towards the goal which we wish to attain! (Philippians 3:13-14).

John is telling us very pointedly that a man cannot be spiritual and continue on in a lifestyle of habitual sinning and yet on the other hand, we can only be spiritual and practice righteousness because Christ Jesus IS righteous already and He is our only true example. In this is a reference to that spiritual rebirth; we aren’t naturally born into spiritual righteousness, for our nature IS to sin, and to sin as a natural way of life. To be reborn, is to be “birthed” into the new spiritual nature, to become as the Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:16-17, “Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

So it is that which John is reiterating; since we ARE in Christ now, we are no longer known according to the natural order of things, but rather have been reborn to become something of a totally new SPIRITUAL nature, one which is now ABLE to practice righteousness. Now I want to clarify something; even though man can be reborn as a child of God, man is NOT initially born as a child of the devil; there is no connection that way, but rather it is natural, human nature to sin. Children do not have to LEARN to sin; they have to be taught or discipled (disciplined) to be taught how to be “good.” This is where the world strays so far from the truth of human nature. You let a child go undisciplined and have his own way, he WILL grow to feel entitled and will do whatever to get his way. We see too much of this in society today. This is why the truth found in Proverbs is so important; “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” – Proverbs 22:6.

So John is showing the chasm that divides those who PRACTICE the unrighteousness of the devil and those who PRACTICE the righteousness of God. It is obvious, it is noticeable, and you cannot deny the different lifestyles; one is of sin, imitating the behavior of the devil, and one is of righteousness, walking in the light of the new creation in Christ a person has become. It is totally recognizable what branch of the family tree a person belongs! The devil has been sinning continuously and habitually from the very beginning. It is his nature, his characteristic behavioral pattern of living. Those who live accordingly do so in a very broad sense. Jesus Himself stated this as recorded in Matthew 7:13, “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.”

This is the very reason why Jesus came to earth in the flesh, why He was shown (manifested) to be Who He is, the Son of God, so that He would destroy or annul, put to no effect, the works of the devil. Think about this for a bit; Jesus could have destroyed the devil with a word; He has that power. Yet, He came to teach the truth, suffer, bleed and even die to destroy the WORKS of the devil, to make them to no effect! If the devil did not still tempt men to sin in this world, what would have been the reason for Christ Jesus’ mission to offer salvation and redemption as a CHOICE to mankind? God is NOT willing to take away man’s ability to choose God and to love Him for Who He is, mankind’s Heavenly Father and Creator. He still desires a people who will love Him for WHO He is and not for what He can give them. The temptations of the enemy gives man the choice to choose; what he wants selfishly and willfully, or what God wants unconditionally! The choice is and always has been ours. That is the ONLY way our Heavenly Father will know who loves Him for Himself as compared to what a person can get selfishly from Him.

So I want to put forth this thought; if our Lord Jesus Christ came to let us in on the truth of the Kingdom of God, and He came to suffer, bleed and die (and yes, to rise again), and He did that so that we might have a life, eternal life, more abundantly (John 10:10), than how much more incentive do we NEED to follow His example, empowered by the promised Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to leave a more holy and righteous life? After all, He is NOT asking us to do something within our own weaknesses, but rather is equipping us with His Spirit to be able to accomplish it; the Apostle Paul stated it best, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20.

So then, the dear Apostle goes on to say, “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” WOW! Okay, it IS an awesome statement but the reason I say that is because WHOLE doctrines have been conceived on this thought alone! Taken literally, just as it is with no context, a person born of God doesn’t sin anymore and in fact they CANNOT sin because they have been reborn! I can now rest on the fact that as a child of God, I do NOT have the ability to sin anymore! A miracle, magic in fact, since now I am a NEW creation, a new creature. My human nature has been expunged, it is no longer in control of me, my actions, my senses, my thoughts, etc., etc.!

I’m telling you right up front, there is and has been a lot of controversy over this verse and yet, if you allow the Holy Spirit to open your heart, there is no need for that. You HAVE to take what John is writing in CONTEXT as you do with ALL of Scripture. The Scriptures do NOT contradict and yet, this would contradict the theme of his Epistle concerning the Advocate with the Father whom we DO have if we sin, etc. Again I say, emphatically, you cannot pick and choose what individual verses you want to fit your theories, no matter how spiritual they may seem. You MUST take the WHOLE counsel of God or take none of it!!

And while we’re at it, I’m sorry if this offends your tradition or even some of the great teachings of the past. No teacher of the Word is infallible, none, and that includes myself!! I want to ask something though; I want you who read this to consider something that just maybe you haven’t. In the Book of Daniel, this is written, Daniel 12:1-4, “At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”

This is speaking of the Last Days, the End Times and I want to point out that so often times we look at the 4th verse as speaking to technology and the advancement of sciences, but what about also, the advancement of the Word of God? We all know that as time has progressed, things that were hidden in the Word has been revealed by the Spirit. They have been there all along, but it is like the meaning has been “awakened” to modern man. Ever think that this is the reason why Peter spoke in his writings, “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” – 2 Peter 1:19-21.

The prophecy, the prophetic word Peter is speaking of is not just the foretelling of future events, but of the knowledge of the Word of God! A New Testament prophet’s ministry is one of stating, “thus says the Word of God,” and not necessarily foretelling the future! It is revealing the truth of the Word, in ALL its depth and meaning and is not reliant upon personal belief nor tradition, but on what the Holy Spirit is revealing and that Word will NEVER contradict itself!

Anyway, with those thoughts in mind, Peter also wrote the following:

1 Peter 1:22-25, “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because “All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the LORD endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.”

With ALL the Scripture in mind and the context in which the Beloved Apostle is writing; what he is stating in verse 9, is that “whoever is spiritually reborn of God does not habitually sin or live a lifestyle of constant sinning!” Why is that? Because the new creature has the seed of the divine planted within his heart and is no longer of corruptible seed of Abraham or even Adam for that matter. The Adamic nature has been replaced with the Christ nature, an anointed divine, spiritual nature. It doesn’t however destroy the human nature, it is now up to us to use the gift we have been given, the indwelling of Christ’s Spirit, to lead us and guide us according to the Spirit’s will rather than the natural, selfish will of our human nature. We still have the ability to choose! Being reborn does NOT take away that ability, otherwise, why do you assume that Jesus Himself told us to deny ourselves daily and take up our cross to follow after Him? (See Matthew 10:38; Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; Luke 14:27).

We are now not under BONDAGE to sin with our corruptible nature though we still live in corruptible flesh, but rather we are FREE from the bondage and that means free to choose the path to walk, mainly, being led by the Spirit of God, or led by our willful nature. That is why we still need to walk IN the Spirit; it is a daily choice; crucify my will and the things I want to do in favor of the Will of Christ by His Holy Spirit. It is a daily choice and as I state earlier, Paul writes we don’t look back to yesterday, whether we failed OR succeeded, but rather we move forward day by day striving to attain the GOAL of perfection and holiness.

I want to give you a simple example and it is up to each of you to be honest concerning it. Do you who are True Christians, ever have a crude thought, or possibly have thought of revenge on something that has happened either in the world or locally? Another one; have any of you who are True born-again Christians ever told a “white lie” to protect someone’s feelings or concerning something inconsequential? All I’m going to say is, sin is sin, whether it is in thought, spoken or deed. ANY sin is abhorrent to God the Father and needs to be reconciled through our Advocate with the Father, Christ Jesus. We need to recognize it and confess it.

If we fall into temptation due to our weakness or even lack of faith, it is still sin and needs to be confessed. This does not mean that a True born-again Christian is habitually PRACTICING sinning. If you ARE, then you are not a Christian and not born-again, plain and simple. The Word of God does not lie, nor does it contradict itself. The keyword is practicing, continuing on in a willful lifestyle of selfishness in opposition to what pleases God. Because we DO have God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit within us, we CANNOT habitually sin for the Holy Spirit will not allow us to continue undisciplined. If we ARE His, He does chastise as a loving parent would a wayward child. The child is still the parents, but a loving parent will not let unruliness go without “discipling” the child in the right way or chastising and admonishing.

In closing consider what the writer of Hebrews admonishes us:

“You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” – Hebrews 12:4-11.

Next post we will begin with 1 John chapter 3 verse 10.

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

Posted on August 8, 2019 by Roland Ledoux

anecdotal stories
When I was young, before being “saved,” or born-again, I was always asking questions of a “religious” nature. I expected those adults around me to know the answers, but more often than not, it was an answer like, “it just is, or you ask too many questions!” I have since learned that I can go to the Lord and if I’m willing to listen, He’s willing to speak. Oh yes, I may not ALWAYS understand but He DOES answer! One night recently, like so many other nights, sleep took a detour in coming. But, I usually use the time to let the Holy Spirit speak to me or I send up my prayers for others, most of the time a combination of both. That night was no different and the Holy Spirit spoke some things to me that allowed me to not just reminisce but to meditate on just how rich the LIVING WORD of God truly is!

Matthew 18:1-5, At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.”

Anybody who is a parent, an aunt or uncle, or has spent any time at all around children can relate to what the Master is speaking of in the above Scriptures. But as teachers and preachers we have a tendency to teach in very narrow ways. We speak of the innocence of children and how we have to have that kind of innocence to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. We don’t usually meditate beyond that, but what is it that makes children so special?

I’ll give you a hint; it starts with “why, why, why, why, etc., etc.!” How many parents can attest to becoming exasperated with the constant questioning of a little tyke to something that to them is of the utmost importance.

The great cartoonist Charles Schulz was not just the creator of the Peanuts cartoon series but a Christian who loved to demonstrate his faith in the child-like characters of his cartoon series. I particularly love the animated series brought to television audiences all over the world. The world of Charlie Brown is a child’s world that characterizes the innocence AND curiosity of children of all ages! I love how the children had voices and the adults were characterized by a sound track of “blah, blah, blah, blah, blah” with audible musical tones!! So much for the wisdom of adults!!!

Mr. Schulz knew what it was our Redeemer was speaking of concerning the attributes of children! In their innocence you can find a simple wisdom, unswerving faith, true loyalty and an incessant curiosity, innocence is just what fuels all that!

When I was a young boy, I was raised in a church environment quite different from the one that I teach in today. But it was to be the foundation of the path that the Holy Spirit would lead me too, today. In that simpler time, I ALWAYS had questions and even though I was brought to church most every Sunday, it was my step-mom who used to answer (or at least attempt too, to her credit) the questions I constantly had about God, religion, why we’re here and so forth! Those questions carried me through my teen years, (I’m sure much to her consternation) until I visited a small local neighborhood church and found the source for answers to my questions.

Now, can you imagine your Heavenly Father, sitting attentively on His Magnificent throne and listening to all the constant questioning of why, why, why?? Now understand, one of His attributes is patience or forbearance, so HE doesn’t get exasperated with the constant questioning. Can you imagine the smile growing across His face with just some of the questions being asked??

The whole point I took this long to make is that the innocence that so many of us teach and preach on concerning little children is only the “fuel” that lends power to what truly makes us little children in our Heavenly Father’s eyes! The curiosity that causes us to ask questions concerning things of the Spirit is the beginning of our ability to LISTEN for the answers. You see, our Heavenly Father, unlike the adults in the Peanut cartoons, doesn’t just go, blah, blah, blah, but actually answers our questions with substance. The truth is, we have to have the willingness of little children to also HEAR the answers!

That curiosity in the spiritual hands of the Holy Spirit, in actuality can unlock the gates to the Kingdom of Heaven! Without that curiosity, we wouldn’t even be the least bit interested. That’s what happens, so sadly, to those that lose that child-like attitude of wondering why and how! You want to be able to do what the Bible says is possible and to “come boldly to the throne of grace,” Hebrews 4:16a, and what better way to approach our Heavenly Father then truly as His children!

In the heart of the Spirit, there is probably no better thing to be able to state to our Heavenly Father than, “I’m just wondering how/why/what” and then waiting expectantly for the answer! God Bless to ALL my brothers and sisters in the Lord who are not still afraid to ask questions of their Heavenly Father!!

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Salvation Free To All – Dwight L. Moody

Posted on August 8, 2019 by Roland Ledoux


Dwight Lyman Moody (February 5, 1837 – December 22, 1899), also known as D. L. Moody, was an American evangelist and publisher connected with the Holiness Movement, who founded the Moody Church, Northfield School and Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts (now Northfield Mount Hermon School), Moody Bible Institute and Moody Publishers. One of his most famous quotes was “Faith makes all things possible… Love makes all things easy.“

Scripture Reference:

Colossians 3:11, “Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.”

The following is an excerpt from D.L. Moody’s sermon, Christ All In All:

Christ is all in all to everyone who has truly found Him. He is our Savior, Redeemer, Deliverer, Shepherd, Teacher, and also sustains toward us many more offices, to which I desire to call your attention.

1. If we turn to Luke 2:10, 11, we find Christ is there announced as our SAVIOR: “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”

We learn to know Christ as our Savior, to meet Him on Mount Calvary, to look on Him as the bleeding Lamb of God, before we know Him as our Redeemer, Deliverer, and Shepherd. Now, looking round upon this vast assembly, I, who do not know the hearts of the people, cannot know whether you can say that Christ is your Savior. There are many, I trust, who can say this, and who rejoice in His salvation; while, without being uncharitable, I am afraid there are many who know nothing personally of Jesus as their Savior.

He is offered to every one of you today as a Savior; “God gave Him up freely for us all,” that we all through Him might be saved. If you are belonging to this world, I can prove that you have a Savior. If you belonged to some other planet, such as the moon or any of the stars, then I could not say a Savior was offered to you; for it is not revealed whether the people of these distant worlds, even if they are inhabited, require salvation or not. But this I know, that every man on this globe has a Savior offered him.

SALVATION FREE TO ALL

I have no sympathy with those men who try to limit God’s salvation to a certain few. I believe that Christ died for all who will come. I have received many letters finding fault with me, and saying I surely don’t believe the doctrine of election. I do believe in election; but I have no business to preach that doctrine to the world at large. The world has nothing to do with election; it has only to do with the invitation, “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” That is the message for the sinner. I am sent to preach the gospel to all.

After you have received salvation, we can talk about election. It’s a doctrine for Christians, for the Church, not for the unconverted world. Our message is “good tidings, which shall be to all people; for unto you is born this day a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” All people, this Savior is proffered to you. Accept Him, and God will accept you; reject Him, and God will reject you. Your eternal destiny depends on your refusal or otherwise to accept the proffered Savior. The case is simply one of giving and taking. God gives; I receive. We must, then, first of all know Christ as our Savior.

Dwight L. Moody Website: https://www.moody.edu/about/our-bold-legacy/d-l-moody/
Dwight L. Moody Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/D-L-MOODY-226365557517824/

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Born This Way

Posted on August 8, 2019 by Roland Ledoux


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